Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world? Surely because progress of particular kind is actually taking place around us and is more and more manifesting. Although mankind has underg- __1__one no general improvement in intelligence or morality, it has made extraordinary progress in the accumulation of knowledge. Knowledge begins to increase as __2__soon as the thoughts of one individual could be communicated to another by mean of speech. With the in- __3__vention of writing, knowledge could be communicated and stored. Libraries made education possible, and education in turn added libraries: the growth of knowl- __4__edge followed a kind of compound-interest law,which was greatly enhanced by the invention of printing. All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming of science, the tempo was suddenly risen. __5__then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan. However, as soon as new knowl- __6__edge is acquired, it is now turned to practical account. What is called “modern civilization” is not the result of a balanced development of all man’s nature,but not of accumulated knowledge applied to practical __7__life. The problem now facing humanity is: what is going to be done with all this knowledge? Like is often __8__pointed out, knowledge is a two edged weapon which could be used equally for good or evil. It is now being __9__used indifferently for both. Could any spectacle, for instance, be more grimly whimsical than that gunners __10__using science to shatter men’s bodies while, close at hand, surgeons use it to restore them.