For This Question,refer to the Following Excerpts,the First from a Book

question 75

Multiple Choice

For this question,refer to the following excerpts,the first from a book for school children about the future and the second from a screenplay for a popular science fiction movie. Imagine you are living in the future,and are doing a project on Halley's comet.It's quite some time since it last appeared in 1986,and you want to find out when it will again be seen from Earth.You also want to know the results of a space mission to the comet,and find out what the comet is made of.
In the days when the last comet appeared,you would have had to look up Halley's comet in an encyclopedia or a book on astronomy.If you didn't possess these books,you would have gone to the library to get the information....
People still collect books as valuable antiques or for a hobby,but you get virtually all the information you need from the viewscreen of your home computer.The computer is linked to a library-not a library of books but an electronic library where information on every subject is stored in computer memory banks....
Computers will make the world of tomorrow a much safer place.They will do away with cash,so that you need no longer fear being attacked for your money.In addition,you need not worry that your home will be burgled or your car stolen.The computers in your home and car will guard them,allowing only yourself to enter or someone with your permission.
Neil Ardley,World of Tomorrow: School,Work,and Play,1981
Reese: There was a war.A few years from now.Nuclear war.The whole thing.All this- [His gesture includes the car,the city,the world.] -everything is gone.Just gone.There were survivors.Here.There.Nobody knew who started it.(pause) It was the machines.
Sarah: I don't understand ...
Reese: Defense network computer.New.Powerful.Hooked into everything.Trusted to run it all.They say it got smart ...a new order of intelligence.Then it saw all people as a threat,not just the ones on the other side.Decided our fate in a microsecond ...extermination.
Scene from screenplay by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd,Terminator,1984
The differences between the two excerpts can best be explained by

• A) the challenges presented by twenty-first-century social and economic changes.
• B) technology increasing access to information.
• C) questions that were raised about the protections of civil liberties and human rights.
• D) intensified debates during the period about national identity and behaviors.

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Definitions:

Japan

An island nation in East Asia, known for its rich culture, technological advancements, and historical significance.

Norway

A country in Northern Europe known for its high standard of living, robust welfare state, and stunning natural landscapes.

Social Problems

Issues within a society that affect a significant number of its members and are considered undesirable, requiring management or resolution.

Dying

The process of approaching death or the cessation of life.