单选题 Since the industrial revolution, government, society, and industry have attempted to channel technological progress in useful directions. Whether it is the printing press, the cotton gin the automobile or the Internet, technological innovations often have profound economic and social effects. To harness the benefits and minimize the more harmful effects of new technologies, modern governments use four basic approaches: specific direction, market incentives, criminal prohibition, and behavior modification.
Specific direction starts with governments identifying one or more key factors in the R&D phase. Then, using a variety of means ranging from administrative regulation to outright state ownership, the government seeks to control the implementation of the technology.
Market incentives are the deliberate manipulation of the market by the government to control how a particularly technology is distributed and used. For example, some governments impose taxes to cover the hidden costs associated with the use of a particular technology. For example, raising gasoline taxes to pay for highway improvements. Other methods include the granting of subsidies to private researchers or the strengthening of intellectual property laws to give added incentives to developers.
Criminal prohibition usually takes place when strong opposition exists to a particular technology or field of research. In recent years, most developed countries have enacted legislation to ban the cloning of human beings. Other examples are the enforcement of clean air regulations that force power plants to emit fewer greenhouse gasses.
Finally, behavior modification includes the use of the media, advertising, and government and corporate leadership to encourage a particular society to use a technology in a beneficial way. For example, while there is limited government regulation of the Internet, websites are encouraged to install safeguards to prevent children from viewing inappropriate material. A recent national advertising campaign recently boosted the percentage of New York residents who recycled by almost 25%. Such campaigns do not use direct government regulation, but instead appeal to the user's sense of civic duty or social responsibility.
Of all new technologies, perhaps none has changed the landscape and character of American life more than the automobile. Yet, the costs of this technology are not always reflected in the price of Using the technology. For example, it costs an oil company $ 0.89 per gallon of gas produced. This same liter is sold to U. S. consumers at about $1.20 per gallon. Yet while this price reflects the cost of production plus a profit for the oil company it does not reflect the actual cost of using the technology. For that, we must factor in the environmental costs associated with air pollution (increased health care, environmental degradation) and the political costs (dependence on foreign oil, energy shortages). In short, in order to be effective, all of these strategies for channeling technology to benefit society must incorporate all the costs associated with usage.

单选题 Specific direction is characterized by
[A] government funding in R&D period.
[B] complete centralization of power.
[C] direct administrative interference.
[D] identifying promising technology trends.

单选题 Market incentives are useful in that they
[A] help raise commodity prices to give government a bigger revenue.
[B] help the government encourage more researchers to make technological innovations.
[C] help raise oil prices so as to cut gasoline consumption and Protect our environment.
[D] help the government give subsidies to private enterprises to build more advanced highways.

单选题 By implementing criminal prohibition, the government will be able to
[A] limit the development of technology in certain fields.
[B] ban human cloning in developing countries.
[C] establish more environment-friendly nuclear power plants.
[D] cut down high-tech crimes which have been prevailing nowadays.

单选题 Behavior modification is different from the other three measures in that
[A] it requires the cooperation of companies and individuals.
[B] it is targeted at encouraging innovations in advertising industry.
[C] it involves less forced actions and administrative interference.
[D] it helps to mold people's sense of responsibility for society.

单选题 The key factor that guides the four strategies is to
[A] use the four strategies flexibly in different situations.
[B] strengthen the government's macro-control in each sector.
[C] reflect the cost of technology as much as possible in application.
[D] reduce the cost of technology to protect consumers' interests.