Topic 37 Is progress always good?

Is progress always good? Scientific progress brings us many conveniences and advanced machines, such as computers, automobiles, and so on. Progress seems to have made life simpler and more comfortable. But if we analyze it carefully, we will find that progress is not always good.

Modern industry brings us many conveniences. But at the same time, some problems emerge (возникают). For example, "the green-house effect" is a very serious problem that scientists try to solve. It increases the earth's temperature, causes icebergs to melt and the ocean level to become higher and higher. Maybe someday the oceans will swallow some big cities nearby them.

Progress enhances the efficiency of industrial production, but it also brings us another serious problem - pollution. Pollution in some countries is so serious that ecological balance is damaged and many animals and plants lose their living environment and become extinct eventually. The air is polluted and it is not suitable for people. The water is also polluted and people are facing deficiency (люди испытывают дефицит) of drinking water.

Progress makes the pace of life faster (делает темп жизни) and faster because of the application of computers and automatic machines. People have to work faster than before and it makes them nervous. More and more physical and psychological problems disturb people’s life. Many people do not have time for recreation.

From the above statements, it can be concluded that progress is not always good. It has its own negative influences on our life. Let hope those problems can be solved by more progress.