COMMUNICATION Telephone, television, radio and the Internet help people communicate with each other. Because of these devices, ideas and news of events spread quickly all over the world. For example, within seconds, people can know the results of an election in another country. An international football match comes into the homes of everyone with a television set. News of a disaster, such as flood, earthquake can bring help from distant countries. Within hours, help is on the way. This is because modern technology information travels fast. How has this speed of communication changed the world? To many people, the world has become smaller. Of course, this does not mean that the world is actually physically smaller. It means that the world seems smaller. Two hundred years ago, communication between the continents took a long time. All news was carried on ships that took weeks or even months to cross the oceans. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it took six weeks for the news from Europe to reach to the Americas. This time difference influenced people’s actions. For example, a few battles in the war of 1812 between England and the United States could have been avoided. A peace agreement had already been signed. Peace was made in England, but the news of peace took six weeks to reach America. During these six weeks, the large and serious battle of New Orleans was fought. Many people lost their lives after a peace treaty had been signed. They would not have died if news had come in time. In the past, communication took much more time than it does now. There was a good reason why the world seemed so much larger than it does today. 21. News spreads fast because of_______________. A. modern transportation B. new technology C. the changes of the world D. a peace of agreement 22. According to this passage, _______________is very important to people in disaster area. A. fast communication B. modern technology C. the news D. new ideas 23. Which of the following statements is TRUE based on the text? A. The world now seems smaller because of faster communication. B. The world is actually smaller today. C. The world is changing in size. D. The distance between England and America has changed since the War 1812. 24. Two hundred years ago, news between the continents was carried by______________. A. telephone B. land C. air D. sea 25. The New Orleans battle could have been avoided if the peace agreement had been signed_________. A. by both sides B. in time C. in America D. in England