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　　Musa Kayairanga of Rwanda is a traditional healer．He uses natural medicines to treat his patients．He learned how to use computers at a rural telecommunications center in his country．Musa Kayairanga says he exchanges information with doctors as far away as Canada．He also says the computer has improved his knowledge of using plants to treat diseases．Many people in rural areas are now able to communicate with the rest of the world．This is one example of how technology is changing life in developing countries．

　　Andrew Burns is an economist at the World Bank in Washington, D．C．He led a recent study of technology in developing countries．The study found that technology has spread faster in such countries than in rich nations．It also found that technological progress has helped raise wages in developing countries．And it reduced the percentage of people living in extreme poverty from twenty-nine percent in 1990 to eighteen percent in 2004．

　　Progress in communications technology has aided the growth of call centers in developing countries．Call centers are offices where most telephone calls for a business can be answered．For example, a woman in the United States who calls her computer company about a problem might speak with someone in India or Pakistan．

　　Call centers serve businesses in local and international markets．And they have added to economic growth by providing well-paid jobs and new skills for workers who might not have had such employment．Ahsan Saeed is a young call center worker in Karachi, Pakistan．He says the job improves his language skills, his sales skills and his ability to deal with people．(from VOA Special English)

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　　In present-day China, we can find two types of fast food：western and Chinese．However, not until the recent decade has western fast food become popular in China．Before the first hamburger walked its way into the Chinese food market, we had little idea about such terms as hot dog, pizza, potato chips, let alone Kentucky and McDonald’s．It is the reform and opening-up policy：that has brought about the interflow of the food culture between China and the Western countries．

　　Fast food, both Chinese and western, has several advantages．In the first place, fast food, as is characterized by its name, is fast．The food is always ready and fresh, waiting for its customers．This saves people’s precious time, and consequently goes well with the tempo(速度)of life in modern society．

　　Secondly, it is very convenient．As we know, fast food restaurants are much the same as cafeterias．Customers may feel free to help themselves to any variety provided and eat to their hearts’ content(满足)．

　　Thirdly, fast food restaurants are environmentally comfortable．Clean dishes, shiny tables, decent service and light music all stimulate people’s appetite to eat more．

　　The above-mentioned advantages make fast food become rooted in almost all parts of the country and enjoy popularity among people．That’s also why nowadays Singapore fast food, Turkish fast food and India-Pakistan fast food have found their homes in China．

　　As every coin has two sides, fast food also has its disadvantages such as lack of nutrition, dull taste．Nevertheless, these are minor points compared with its advantages．Since most people agree with fast food, it tends to grow more rapidly．