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Complete PICLE corpus of essays by Polish advanced EFL students (330,000)

/^t/First, the human civilization has been developing rapidly in the present century. The science and technology are used as tools for penetrating the world and discovering the secrets of nature. Moreover, the technological development allows for conquering and inhabiting all areas of the world as well as catering for the increasing number of humans living on earth. Materialism has become a new philosophy and style of living. Furthermore, the society requires one to join the manic run for money and goods as well as to make career and gain a prestigious social status. Although materialism seemed to provide people with everything they needed it turned out to be not so. Humans feel lost in the chaotic modern world and need some spiritual comfort. Next, people long for something that would cut them off for a while from their jobs, technology and business creeping into their lives in every possible way. So they are looking for any kind of spiritual forms that could help them escape from the world - religion, cults, meditations, magic and others. As an example, the 'baby-boomers' generation in the States, now in their 40's, arrived at the point of the midlife crisis and started questioning the materialistic philosophy they were taught. The group of successful and confident managers is becoming aware of the mundanity of their lives and the fact that they by means of no technological device can stop the process of aging and finally death. Therefore, they are taking to spiritual practice in order to find comfort and relief.