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Technology

Les technophobes.

Technophobes.

Technophobes are people who hate modern technology, probably because they don't understand it, or because they are afraid of doing something wrong and ruining the equipment.

However, this is not a new phenomenon. At the turn of the 20th century, when electricity was installed in many homes, signs were placed on the wall next to the light-switches advising clients who were used to gas lighting not to try to light the electricity with a match!

I can recall several cases where people were ignorant of how to use new machines or gadgets, causing embarrassment in the would-be user and hilarity in the observer.

A woman who had no idea how to cook was temporarily without a cook, so she asked a friend how to boil an egg. 'Oh, that's easy,' the friend replied,'put the egg in boiling water and use this egg-timer. When the sand has all run through from one end to the other the egg will be cooked.' Unfortunately, she put the egg-timer in the water with the egg and broke it!

When videos first came on the market, another woman, who had never seen a video-tape before, took it out of the box and began shaking it. Her husband asked her what she was doing. She replied, 'Shaking the tape. It says on the tape 'Shake before use'.' Her husband informed her that the name of the film was 'Shake before use'!

My personal favourite is probably an urban legend. A man read the instructions on a tin of beans. It said, 'Open tin and stand in boiling water to heat.' He promptly stood in a bowl of hot water holding the tin of beans in his hand!

So, whatever your phobias, new technology is here to stay, until someone comes along and invents something else we can't use.

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1. According to the text, technophobes are people who avoid new technologyoften don't understand new technologylike trying new technologyI don't know

2. This dislike of new technology has only appeared recentlyis nothing newis very unusual these daysI don't know

3. People were warned that electric switches were dangerousabout the benefits of gasnot to use matches to light electricityI don't know

4. The first woman knew how to use the egg-timerwanted a new recipe for eggscouldn't cook anythingI don't know

5. Her friend told her to fry the egg insteadhow to use an egg-timerto put the egg-timer in the waterI don't know

6. The woman broke the egg-timerbroke both the egg and the egg-timerbroke the eggI don't know

7. The second woman tore the video tapeshook the video tapeknew how to use the video tapeI don't know

8. 'Shake before use' was the name of the filmis a good idea when you use a video tapewas a recommendation by the makersI don't know

9. The writer's favourite story is probably not truea personal experiencedefinitely trueI don't know

10. The man stood in the water because he thought it referred to himthe instructions were not clearthat was recommended by the manufacturerI don't know