When machines are invented and technologies are developed, they alter the range of choices open to us. The clock, for example, made possible the synchronization of human affairs, which resulted in an increase in productivity. At the same time that the clock opened up some avenues, it closed others. It has become harder and harder to live except by the clock, so that now people have no choice in the matter at all. Which one of the following propositions is best illustrated by the example presented in the passage? ['Most new machines and technologies make our lives more synchronized and productive.', 'People should make a concerted effort to free themselves from the clock.', 'New machines and technologies can enslave as well as liberate us.', 'Some new machines and technologies bring no improvement to our lives.']