So why hasn't it happened ？ Maybe because robots are still too expensive and clumsy ( 笨 拙的)．And probably the idea of robots cooking our dinners and washing our clothes is just too strange.At home we seem to be doing fine without them.

Telephones of tomorrow

In 1964 an American company introduced the video telephone.They said by the year 2000 most people would have a video phone in their homes.But of course the idea hasn't caught_on yet.

Why ？ The technology worked fine, but it overlooked something obvious ： people desire for privacy.Would you want to have a video phone conversation with someone after you just stepped out of the shower？Probably not - it could be uncomfortable！Just because technology doesn't always mean people will want to use it.

And finally, how about that crazy prediction of the flying car？It's not so crazy any more！But a flying car remains one of the most wonderful technology ideas to catch our imagination.Keep watching the news - or perhaps the sky outside your window - to see what the future will bring.

21．According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Technology doesn't always mean people want to use it.

B．Predictions don't need to consider people's practical use of the technology.

C．Many of the hightech things people thought we'd be using by now simply never appeared.

D．High-tech things are not always convenient to people's life.

22．The underlined phrase "caught on" in Paragraph 6 probably means "________"．

A．became popular B．became enjoyable

C．came into sight D．came to life

23．What does the author think of the flying car?

A．It is too difficult to imagine. B．It is too crazy to realise.

C．It is likely to appear in the future. D．It has been the focus of the news.

24．The passage mainly deals with ________.

A．predictions that catch our imagination B．predictions that haven't come true

C．new technology that can benefit our life D．new technology that is in wide use

The media provides us with the observations and experiences from which

we build up our personal understanding of the world and how it

works.Much of our view of reality is based on media messages.The media, to a great extent, gives us our sense of reality.

Freedom of the media carries with it certain responsibilities of honesty, fairness, accuracy and accountability.The power of the media to create and destroy human values comes with great responsibility.

The media is powerful in the political system, having great influence on politics and on forming social change.The power is to decide who will

communicate what to whom.Television can greatly influence the election of a national leader on the basis of his or her image.