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At one time, computers were expected largely to remove the need for paper copies of documents (文件)
because they could be stored electronically. But for all the texts that are written, stored and sent electronically,
a lot of them are still ending up on paper.
It is difficult to measure the quantity of paper used as a result of use of Internet-connected computers,
although just about anyone who works in an office can tell you that when e-mail is introduced, the printers
start working overtime. "I feel in my bones this revolution is causing more trees to be cut down," says Ted
Smith of the Earth Village Organisation.
Perhaps best sign of how computer and Internet use pushes up demand for paper comes from the high-tech
industry itself, which sees printing as one of its most promising new markets. Several Internet companies have
been set up to help small businesses print quality documents from a computer. Earlier this week. Hewlett-
Packard Co. announced a plan to develop new technologies that will enable people to print even more so they
can get a hard copy of a business document, a medical record or just a one-line e-mail, even if they are nowhere
near a computer. As the company sees it, the more use of the Internet the greater demand for printers.
Does all this mean environmental concerns (环境问题) have been forgotten? Some activists suggest people
have been led to believe that a lot of dangers to the environment have gone away. "I guess people believe that
the problem is taken care of, because of recycling (回收利用)," said Kelly Quirke, director of the Rainforest
Action Network in San Francisco. Yet Quirke is hopeful that high-tech may also prove helpful. He says printers
that print on both sides are growing in popularity. The action group has also found acceptable paper made from
materials other than wood, such as agricultural waste.
1. The growing demand for paper in recent years is largely due to _____.
A. the rapid development of small businesses
B. the opening up of new markets
C. the printing of high quality copies
D. the increased use of the Internet
2. Environmentalists believe one possible way of dealing with the paper situation is _____.
A. to encourage printing more quality documents
B. to develop new printers using recycled paper
C. to find new materials for making paper
D. to plant more fast growing trees
3. Hewlett-Packard Co. has decided to develop new technologies because _____.
A. people are concerned about the environment
B. printers in many offices are working overtime
C. small companies need more hard copies
D. they see a growing market for printers
4. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Computers and Printers
B. E-mail and the Business World
C. Internet Revolution and Environment
D. Modern Technology and New Markets