READING Task 1. Read the text and answer the questions putting A, B, C or D
How do YOU use the net?
We asked members of one family to tell us what they use the Internet for and why. Here is what they told us.
A Grandad Peter
I might be over 80 but the Internet is invaluable to me. At my age it’s not always so easy to get about and my friends and family are scattered all over the globe. It’s difficult to visit and have face-to-face conversations that often. It’s a bit pricy too! Phoning isn’t that convenient because of the different time zones. I don’t think my brother in Australia would appreciate being woken up at three in the morning just for me to say hello! So I keep in touch by e-mail and it’s very important to me. It took me a while to get the hang of it but now it’s no problem at all.
B Daughter Lynne
I must admit that I’m a spendaholic and I’m on auction sites all the time. I can’t resist a bargain and I love the excitement of bidding against other people and never being sure whether you’re going to win or not. It’s quite addictive so I have to be careful or else I would be completely broke! I think it’s incredible that whatever you’re looking to buy, someone out there has got it to sell.
C Mum Karen
I find the net useful for downloading information for my students. You can also access sites that give you free lesson plans and good, imaginative ideas for making lessons interesting. There’s such a lot of knowledge out there too. To get the answers to the kind of questions I have, it would take hours with piles of books and I simply don’t have the time. For me the net is a lifeline!
D Dad Oliver
My big thing is news and sports and I’m always online checking the latest scores. I work shifts too, so I often miss the regular news slots and with the net I can always watch news clips of programmes that were on earlier. It also brings you breaking news and with the more controversial issues if you want to, you can read people’s comments and of course, make your own. I do that quite often. And there are also online newspapers. If I don’t get a paper, I can always go online and click on to the newspapers website. It’s easier to choose what you want to read rather than leafing through the papers which can be so big these days
Which person (A–D) says …
1 I see the net as time saving? ___
2 I sometimes share my opinions with others? ___
3 I use it to get help with my work? ___
4 I don’t always get what I want? ___
5 it took time to work out how to use the net? ___
WRITING
Complete the questions. Use question words.
kind of car have you got?
is your favorite sport?
ocean is bigger-the Atlantic or the Pacific?
book is this? Is it yours?
are you from? Are you English?
do you usually have your summer holiday? Do you have it in August?
are you in bed? Are you ill?
do you go to work? Do you go by car?
is your friend? Is he over 21?
are you? Are you over 1 meter 80?
children have you got?
were your shoes? Were they expensive?
do you go to the cinema? Do you go more than once a week?
have you lived in this town? Have you been here for very long?
did you go on your last holiday? – To Greece
Computers offer wonderful opportunities for everybody. Many teenagers enjoy using their computers. They make new friends and chat with them on the Internet.
But on the other hand, children who spend a lot of time at the computer, spend little time in the open air, they have virtually no real communication with peers. Many teachers in schools note the limited knowledge of children, lack of interest in reading books. Children sit in front of their PC or laptop (notebook) for hours and it’s bad for their eyes! They can’t stop playing cruel and silly games and become nervous and tired. The computer is sometimes a mere waste of time. Parents are concerned that the children using the Internet are not protected from negative information, which can be found on many sites. Computers are dangerous and addictive.
But besides many disadvantages in using the computer by children, there are of course some advantages too.
Regarding the education of children on the Internet, children can find all the necessary information that is not given even in the textbooks. The main condition - to be able to properly use the Internet resources, then the child will only benefit from the computer. Then the Internet helps greatly in children’s studies. They find the necessary information and ideas on the net and use them in their work. The computer helps them both to relax and to get a lot of new interesting information.
To my mind, it’s a useful gadget.
EarthFirst!Famously unapologetic, EarthFirst! came to national prominence in the 1990s. EarthFirst! is a little different. There’s no slick website. There’s no bureacracy. There are no members. They welcome any and all. The entire premise of this biocentric “movement” as it calls itself is to foster direct action. Founded in 1979 out of disgust at corporate environmentalism and “namby pamby” green action, EarthFirst!ers have famously gotten involved in green issues directly, sometimes breaking the law. Calling itself a priority, not an organization, the website explains: “Earth First! has survived attacks by moderates, would-be leaders and the agents of the system, remaining the most diverse, passionate, committed, and uncompromising group of environmental activists. Our direct actions in defense of the last wild places only seem radical compared to an entire paradigm of denial and control, where the individual is convinced they are powerless, and the organizations set up to protect the wilderness continue to bargain it away.”GreenpeaceGreenpeace began in 1971 when a group of activists put themselves directly in harm’s way in order to protest nuclear testing off the coast of Alaska. Believing that concerted action from ordinary people is the best way – according to their signature quote from Margaret Mead, theonly way – the organization has helped to stop whaling, nuclear testing, as well as leading efforts to protect Antarctica. Over 2.5 million members worldwide.
National Wildlife FederationThe National Wildlife Federation is dedicated to preserving animals in the United States and works with local agencies in the 48 contiguous states. It is one of the largest environmental organizations, with over 4 million members participating in grass-roots efforts on a variety of wildlife issues. The organization was actually founded by a cartoonist named Jay Darling (aka “Ding” Darling) in 1936 at the behest of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)According to the official website: “The Natural Resources Defense Council works to protect wildlife and wild places and to ensure a healthy environment for all life on earth.” The NRDC combines hundreds of active lawyers with over 1.2 million members to create direct and legislative change. The focus is on preventing climate change and saving endangered species, among other goals.1% For The PlanetIf you’ve shopped for anything organic or sustainable you’ve likely seen the 1% logo. With nearly 1,000 firms and companies now participating, 1% is helping corporate interests green their bottom lines by giving back to environmental causes. It’s a meaningful start.
Friends of Earth (FOE)Champions of healthy people, animals, plants, land, water and air, and devoted to stopping global warming, Friends of Earth supports a number of causes and is focused primarily on the United States, especially political and economic decisions as they affect public health and land conservation. In the 39 years in operation FOE has stopped over 150 dams from being built (among other achievements).