Technological changes brought dramatic new options to Americans living in the 1990s. During this decade new forms of entertainment, commerce, research, and communication became commonplace in the U.S. The driving force behind much of this change was a(n) __36__ popularly known as the Internet. The Internet was developed during the 1970s by the Department of Defense. In the case of an atttack, military advisers suggested the __37__ of being able to operate one computer from another terminal. In the early days, the Internet was used mainly by scientists to communicate with other scientists. The Internet __38__ under government control until 1984. One early problem faced by Internet users was speed. Phone lines could only transmit information at a __39__ rate. The development of fiber-optic (光纤) cables allowed for billions of bits of information to be received every minute. Companies like Intel developed faster microprocessors, so personal computers could process the __40__ signals at a more rapid rate. In the early 1990s, the World Wide Web was developed, in large part, for __41__ purposes. Corporations created home pages where they could place text and graphics to sell products. Soon airline tickets, hotel __42__, and even cars and homes could be purchased online. Universities __43__ research data on the Internet, so students could find __44__ information without leaving their dormitories. Companies soon discovered that work could be done at home and __45__ online, so a whole new class of telecommuters began to earn a living from home offices unshaven and wearing pajams(睡衣).