（2008年6月28日考题老年人与现代科技）With technology speeding up, more and more young people begin to use mobile phones and the Internet, but old people have little chance to be exposed to them. What ways could mobile phone and the Internet is useful to old people? How do old people be encouraged to use this new technology?

It is obvious that advanced technologies such as cellular phones or the net not only bring a lot of fun to youngsters who are always passionate to novel things, but also have an important effect on the life of senior citizens who would like to keep the pace of the age.

Today, mobile phones are increasingly popular with old people. Unlike young people who fancy playing games or taking photos with phones, they seem to be most interested in their most basic function – communication. It is easily found that keeping in touch by mobiles with their children who live independently or study overseas has become a necessary thing in their routines. Plus, if some of old people feel physically uncomfortable or get in danger outdoors and alone, they immediately make an emergency call or inform. their relatives or friends using mobile phones.

The Internet is equally important with mobile phone in old people’s life now. Apparently, some elderly tend to surf on Internet, studying something that they are fascinated with such as calligraphy, painting and so forth; some like to meet new people online or chat with their friends by tools available on Internet such as MSN or OICQ; others become accustomed to shopping online or running their own small businesses by E-bay.

However, I must confess that some old people are afraid to try new technologies probably because they do not yet have understood or experienced them. In avoid of this, they should be encouraged to take part in some activities that are held in their community with the aim of educating them about how to use or see the new technologies. In the meanwhile, they are really supposed to be a bit more confident.