MOCK TEST 1- English III – CL4
New technologies have revolutionized the business world, but many people argue that their
biggest impact has been on people’s personal lives. Read the information in the following 2
articles, then use it – together with your own opinions and experience – to comment on this
topic. Your composition should be approximately 400 to 500 words long.
IT and New Opportunities for the Handicapped
The Internet and IT aren’t just changing people’s lives in
frivolous ways. One of the most exciting effects of the
new economy is the new opportunities it is offering for
the handicapped. For people with physical impairments –
the blind, the deaf, and those with disabling illnesses, a
whole new world of opportunities is unfolding. The
following story will show how one man’s life has
changed, thanks to the advent of the New Economy....Just
how much is Internet changing the world of work ? For
workers with handicaps, we’re talking about a revolution.
Just ask Max Gaftman. Max is hearing-impaired, or
deaf, but has no trouble communicating with hundreds of
people every day thanks to the Internet. Gaftman is a
travel agent with LowAirfare.com, the Internet's first and
only interactive travel site offering consumers the unique
combination of a conventional call center with Webbased "live agent" reservation and customer support
tools. When customers visit LowAirfare.com, they can
either self-book their travel reservations or click an icon
to begin an online chat with a live agent. Using real-time
chats and Internet search capabilities, Mr. Gaftman is
able to provide expert advice and works with customers
to meet their travel needs. Customers receive the
advantage of the Internet's instant results, but also get a
personal touch.
Max Gaftman first learned about the travel agent
job opening when he saw an advertisement in a
newspaper. But traditional travel agents work directly
with customers, which can be difficult for those who
have hearing problems. Thanks to the new online service,
Max’s handicap didn’t matter, and he was given the job.
Max Gaftman can now successfully compete for more
jobs, even positions requiring lots of interaction with
other colleagues and customers, because he can use email
or online chats to communicate. Without these
innovations, he wouldn’t be able to work in a field that
requires a substantial amount of one-to-one consultation.
Like Max, many people with physical
disabilities now have exciting new employment
opportunities made possible by new technologies.
Communication via Internet has created opportunities in
fields the hearing-impaired never even imagined before.
Even more importantly, the Internet is changing many
employers' ideas about hiring people with handicaps.
Many traditional companies have begun moving their
business processes online and, as a result, are now
potential employers for people with hearing problems as
well as other handicaps.
In a recent interview Max Gaftman also
mentioned that, since the company began hiring hearingimpaired travel agents, colleagues at LowAirfare.com
have started studying sign language. He’s convinced that
the Internet Economy is also helping the general public to
better understand the challenges faced by the handicapped.