A recent development is the local area network （LAN).【21】its name implies, it【22】a local a

A recent development is the local area network (LAN).【21】its name implies, it【22】a local area—possibly as small as a single room, typically an area like an university campus or the premises of a particular business. Local area networks were developed to【23】a need specific to microcomputers—the sharing of expensive resources. Microcomputers are cheap,【24】highcapacity disc stores, fast and/or good quality printers, etc. are expensive. The object of the LAN is to allow【25】microcomputers shared access to these expensive resources. Since the microcomputers are【26】, it is a necessary feature of a LAN that the method of connection to the network, and the network hardware【27】, must also be cheap.

A local area network links a number of computers and a number of sewers【28】provide communal facilities, e. g. file storage. (A server usually includes a small microprocessor for control purposes.) The computers and servers are known【29】stations. There are two methods of【30】in common use, tings and broadcast networks.

In the ring method(often called a Cambridge Ring)all the stations are linked in a ring,【31】includes one special station, the monitor station.

In broadcast networks, all the stations are【32】to a single linear cable (usually co-ax cable), and any transmission will be received by all stations.

【33】technology is used, local area networks are a development of the greatest importance.【34】as programming is simplified by an approach that thinks in terms of small procedures or programs, each doing a well-defined job, the computer system of tomorrow is likely to be【35】lots of small systems, each doing a specific job, linked by a local area network.

(41)

A．As

B．Like

C．Since

D．Because