comprehension: Read the following passage and answer the questions that | “Digitization: A Metaphysical Revolution of the Utopia In 1973, the agronomist René Dumont brought ecological themes starkly to the fore with a book whose title held up an alternative; L’Ulopie ow da Mort [Utopia or Death}. The readily ‘understandable choice in favor of utopia implied the capacity to imagine another world and a haman subject convinced that it was his or ber calling to transform it. It expressed humanity's confidence in the resources of its will. Forty years Inter, the withering of ideals and the general disaffection with the notion of a brighter tomorrow may be such as to require a translation of the “or” in “utopia or death” which would annul the mutual exclusivity of the terms, and thus even the possibility of choosing between them. Latin provides us with the approprite translation via the passage from the disjunction aut, Utopia aut mortem, to the coordinating conjunction vel, Utopia, vel’ mortem — “utopia, that is, death” In April 2000, the Hiblioth@que nationale de France contributed to the conceptual slippage of the expression with an exbibition that retraced the history of the notion of utopia. Throughout, this history moved from the brightest to the darkest of moods, ang it ended by conjuring wp the totalitarian nightmares of the twenticth century, suggesting that ‘human beings have failed to conceive of wn ideal society. Hence, the idealiom — virtualism tension ‘has continued in the digital world as a metapbysical revolution. = What, then,ts specific to the utopias genémmelf by"today's technological ecelgration? The determining factor in the emetgence of the new technologies was the devclopment of sn apparently Very simple procedure; the conversion of all things into a serics of Os and Ix. This procedure, ‘called dipiicnton, Ino commonplace today that one would lee to be naive toatl be surprised that our world is considered as a collection of discrete elements transformed into signals (whether ‘video, Image, sudio, printed, genetic, electrical pulse, and so forth) — signals that can be transported, stockpiled, and manipulated. , ‘The result of our contemporary thinking and way of life, digitization is a procedure which ‘homogenizes everything that cxists.and makes it interchangeable, including of course the very human beings that we are. The digital koman being is not only the one who uses today's. ey. be in also the one to whom these wre applied (im the form of scanners, bar codes, biometric quantification, electronic prostheses, intracerebral insplants, and so. a Digitization is the crowning triumph of the metephysical revobution, long the dream of philosophers, ea scen behind Descartes’s Mathesis Universalis or Hegel's System of Abrolute Knowledge, I ‘makes a general equivalent available (the series of Os and I and the algorithms whieh process this data), which ellows us ta unify the whole of reality —and on that basis, to master the world Ih is thus not insignificant that the major wtopia of the information society feeds inte the processes of globalization - a globalization which began with Christopher Columbus in 1492, and caupht a wind ‘with the industrial revolution, before culminating towards the year 2000 with the of i ingtroments that allowed individuals to act at the planctary level. One of the most king eats on globalization was made by Thomas Friedman, whose 2006 book announced that “the world is flat,”Thomas Friedman, The World [1 Flat: A Brief History of“the... thativ’shtinks and is flattened at the whim of the ICTs that squeeze time and space, imposing the. that vin ever aed the serge rks (uch as those of 8 stock exchange entrusted to robot traders). - : . is Friedman's book opens with the symbol of the call centers that employ individuals located all over the world. As he writes, | This flat world results from the convergence of the personal computer (which hay allowed everyone-to produce their own digital documents), fiber-optic cables (which have made it possible to access more and more information at almost no cost), and the development of workflow software (which has allowed individuals to collaborate on the same digital content whatever the geographical distance between them). Ic is not idle to stress that individuals constitute the agents of this globalization. The utopia of a flat world offers comfort to liberal -and individualist values; it makes itself acceptable to them in breaking with the specter of mass societies. To take the example of the cultural industries, such as television: what TNT and Connected TV promise is the triumph of the segmentation of the market and the public, sich that individualization can still imagine that it is saved from mass mediatization. Drawing on advertising’s ceaseless revelation of individualist fantasies Bauman importnttynoted the extent t0 Which the notion of utopia has laken refuge in the “comfort of the habitat, in furnishings;and in the journey. , . e é z Globalization makes all the elements of the utopia brought about by the digital age widely available: unlimited access to knowledge, peaceful exchange between human beings, the snuen of geographical and ontological borders, cotlective intelligence, and so on. It is unsurprising then that many forms of spirituality more. or less inspired by Buddhism have allied themselves with globalization, declaring that the Internet allows for the fulfillment of the cardinal virtues necessary for karma: the sense of the impermanence of all things (determined by the flux to which we are ee eee ss oe linked in one great Whole (the interconnection facilitated cyberspace) revel of the vacuity of the I (the sense of the it lerehangeabilit pesurons that we represent at the level ofthe planetary bain) oe i Mity af the Picrre Lévy, the \cchnotogist who famously converted to Buddhism, believes ‘that cybers; succeeding in transforming ‘us into “flames” circulating ubiguitously, that is, wwithok cheat Cyberspace us because it dematérializes us. Such is the mystical y put forward by the Internet worldview, whieh sometimes appeals to the notion of the i toward Teilliard de Chardin’s Omegs Point. ee But all technology is, a5 Plato ssid, w pharmakon: both a poi a escap ae a Polson and a ne ve tence ae a bene cf the utopia of generalized nication spaces, fractures, inequalities, and even forms of tection eee HlsO creates many opaque remedy. Technologicalia of Home communicans is one in which we are deaubstantialized amd subjected to a cnomadism and restlessness that we pathetically associate with freedom — the freedom pf eternal touristy who do not remain anywhere, Cyberspuce'has come to offer up an image of the future which breaks with the values of the sedentary, secure lifestyle of “yesterday's world.” In the best of sases, if is invoked as the sealizalion of what Pieite Lévy calls an “open universal: a nontotaliuarian universal of the form dreamed about in the American counterculture and by ‘the'64 generation, In the worst of cases, cyberspace is presented as a collective fantasy in which we find ourselves increasingly reduced to simple and ephemeral avatars who are vulnerable to disconnection, as in Gibson's novel The Neuromancer, which gave the Wachowski brothers the premise for their film, The Marrix, (Source Cairm-inLinfo) A. Troe-False items: Based on the comprehension passage, write Truc if the statement bs correct, and write False if itis incorrect (Spts). _——_!). The internet permits and enhances the impermanence of all things. ———2). Digitization is an ettempt to allow multiple moves, life styles, ideologies and power, ——). There is a general fear that the digital world and the cyber space would probably be _Sontalled and manipulated by u few: 4 - ee ————4). You and Lare non-recmuited agents and actors of globilization and tech-expanslon. ——=5}- On the digital human being, various technological tools are not applied at all. 4). The utopia of globatization is making the universe borderfexs and putting it on our « thamb, 7). The digital revolution results in freedom of exercising virtuous and individualistic liberatism. —_ 8). Technology brought to hand multiple manners of immorality, amorality asd oddism. 5). The digital world emanstes from the breaking of discrete, sedentary life and living, 10). Technology continues to emerge with sophisticated procedures of conversion, B. Multiple choice itemrs: Write the letter of Your choice that contains the following flve questions (Spas. Ihe ber nies ta 1), Why is the metaphysical revohition of utopia a challenge? AL Control is very indefinite B. Tt breaks cherished values and systems of ifo C. [increasingly disconnects people'and their envi 8 D, The pharmakoa is imbalanced —E, Allof the above2). The digital world: aie a, A. timerferes withthe religious world ‘B. Makes the physical world fevs dynamic / _» ©, Destabilizes the comfort rnnes of many “conservative” people D, Transforms the auatic and discrete world into a dynamic gystem with orultiple constraints. E, All of the above 3). tn digitivation: A. The general equivalence is perfectly available to all Bi, The Whole of burnan reality is unmistakably unified ; C, All things are coming to a pattern of similarity and non-spatiality 'D. The physical volume of the carth shrinks drastically E, None of the above A) Which of the following sentences is correct according to the reading passage? A. The fist world is created because of a geophysical phenomena 3. Workflow roftwares are geographical space dependant . C. Technology and the cyber space put no holes and traces of human crrors and dirts 1D, Some tefigions betieve that the cyber space better spiritualizes people E. All of the above ), According to he athe Of the above pasimage, itis ue that xu Utopia has been defined to the best level of human satisfaction A The conjured totalitarian nightmare of the 204 century ended in a bright tom tomorrow: ras be bbring a brighter world and convince the Ideal society D. ufepting A Petite! eevolion has solve the idealism virtalist tension of the E. None of the above “ Reference lems: What docs each ofthe following words and phrases refer to in the above Passuge (Spts}. 1). iba... dematerialives us ..." (Para-10) 2). he ia... be is also the oe to whom these are applied... {Para-3) — oo 3} mopiotalitariss Univeral in, sontolalitariaa Waivernat of the form dreamed...” (Pare12} _ ees 4) dtin®,.. WH ebrinks and in Mautoned..." (Para-5) Ql A 5) This in “.... This procedure, culled..." (Pare-2) wertDV ey items: Match the Words/phrases listed uader column “A” & Passage with their contestuat meaniogs given under column only once) (Spts). _ & Column A —___. 1) Utopia 2) Phirmakon 3) Collective fanusy _ 4) Individualist __5) Algorithm —— 6) Diserete _7) Agents __.8) Cyber space __.9) Cardinal virtues __ 10) Ubiquitously that are taken from “4p” (use options Colama B A. Forriala, set of rules or model B, The Net, WWW C. Interference D... Freethinker, maverick E.. Forces and actors F. Usclest and cuindless G: Scparate and various H. Onnnipresent or universal L The vénotn and the cure + J. Geographical space K. Everythings perfect L. Non-Ethiopia ‘MM. Pradence or goodness XX. Shared but unlikely wants/fectings of'a pleasant situation or event to happenE. td and fill in the Vdentifying main idea of the acsage: Read the abave passeg® mt follo ble oe in a py ee The cyber space achieves its goal of transforming p chaflenge Digitization a5 a utopia of mctapbysical revolution has been the long, dream of many philosophers Part It: Grammar ‘A: Choose the best answer after reading each of the following questions carefully (7pls). L.Nosooner____ the Isyena at the gale of the compound than ake screamed with fear, Avbad sheséen C. she had icen , , Bahe basse =D. aw 2. The above qoestion (question number!) means A. She did not scream with fear when she saw the hyena. B. The lady screamed with foar before she aaw the hyena at the gate of the compound. C. She screamed with feat as soon as ahe saw the hyena at the gate af the compound. 1D, Had dhe seen 2 hyena at the gate of the compound, the lady would have screamed with fear. 43. Samrawit; Who gave you my mobile pumber? Gugsa: f don't remember, it my friend Tesfa. Samprawit: li, Teafa. He doesn’t know my mobile number. AL must be‘coulda't be igh have boeuf’ ave bees B. must ive beew/need mot have been“ Dy may have beco/ean't have been4 Inthe comer ofthe concert hat a poticewoman witha pur bot ny Een did not sec her at al), Avis standing * C stands B. stood D. has stood 5. Twish I'd visited Meron before she went abroad. This implies that A. visited Meron before she went abroad. BI visited Meron afer she went shroad, C.1 went abroad before I visited Meron. DI didn't visit Meron befoce she went abroad. 6. It eras the most interesting discussion that A. had ever participated B, Uhave ever participated C. I would have participated - D,1have hever participatcd * 7. Kumela: He told me his name was Haile, Fatuma; You ‘him, His same is Haila. A. should mishear “C. moust have misheard B. have to mishear D. can have misheard B- Dialogue: The following dialogues between Helen and Robel are based on conditional Sentenets. Depending oa the root verbs given in brackets, write logical TENSES and appropriate VERB FORMS (Spee), Helen; What's wrong, Robet? You look terrible, Rebel: Well, you (1) (look) terrible, too if you (2) (have) a day Iie ine yesterday. My car si into a tree becatse the roads were covered with ice, Helen: Ob, t was driving on the icy road yesterday, and I didn't bave such a trouble. What bappened to you?‘Rabel: Well, Ethink if (3) (oot drive) so Fast, 1 (4) (nat slide) into the tree. Helen: ley roads and speed do not likely to spin their eae ina circle. Rabel: [ know, but ['ye one more problem. Idida’t have my driver's license with me. If 1 (6) ——__(have} it, 7) ‘next month, Helen: Why were you driving without a license? Robel: Well, | fost my wallet a few days age! KL stipped out of my pocket while I was riding the bus to work, Helen: Ob, Robel. if you (8) (oot take) that bus, you (9) (not lose) your wallet, It you (10) ot fose) your wallet, you (11) (have) your (speed) on ice, they're (not have to) pay an extra fine in the court driver's liccaxe with you when you bit a tree, Ifyou (12) (have) “your driver's license with you, you (14) (nor hive (0 pay) a bigefine ‘when you go to court mext week, Aed of course, if you (14) (not drive) too fast, you (15). (not ran) into and you (16) (not bc) in this mess. Part 11s Paragraph writing Choose one of the given topics and attempt to write a coherent Paragraph (1@pts) (Grammar, punctuation, spelling, ezpitalizatiog, neatness and is flow of Ideas will be considered for smarking). (150-200 words), < Ethiopian Cultural yaloes that should be promoted, © Failure in school docs not always predict failure in life. ¥ ‘The Contributions of social media for ncademic purposes, ~ Your reasons to join AASTU. .