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What is internet?

Wherever you were, whatever you read, see or hear you can meet information about Internet.

Whether you worked in the sphere of education or business, whether you were an employee of some official body, whether you worked with a computer you were probably once or twice asked: “What is your address in the Internet?” So what is Internet? Why has this global network suddenly appeared? How many people use Internet? In what directions does Internet develop? Answers to these questions allow experts to develop this extremely important communication system.

There are three stages of computer development.

1. The era of the “Black box” (1939 – 1970).

That time computers represented the huge weight of electronic lamps, transistors or integrated circuits. They also filled huge black metal boxes. If you smoked or raised voice, they wheezed and stopped. IBM firm manufactured the majority of them.

2. The era of personal computers (1970 – 1990).

The invention of microcircuits and new operational systems meant that computers of cheaper and smaller sizes could perform the larger amount of work faster. Miniaturization and improvement of program maintenance have given computers at disposal of small business and families. By the end of this period the majority of people used programs of Microsoft firm.

3. The era of the Worldnet (1992).

The beginning of Internet was necessary for the defensive industry, and for investigators of the academic laboratories and computer communication network. There were dozens of experts in the USA, in the UK, and Norway who were true explorers of Internet. The new communication facility became popular when operators started to send messages to each other to exchange new ideas and to discuss general scientific problems. It was e-mail.

Internet is the largest communication network in the world. Recently some sources have been approved and now Internet connects more than 40000 various networks in more than one hundred countries. Imagine, that over 5 million main computers participate in Internet and service 40 million users all over the world. However, it is very difficult to define real number of users to say how widely Internet is distributed. Nobody operates this network. It has no management establishing, the instructions for use, and allocated authority to introduce them. Internet extends faster and faster. It is easier to speak about how Internet has grown for years from the moment of its appearance than to name the exact amount of its users. Internet is frequently considered by beginners as a big information “dump”*. But to help them with huge amount of facts there are various search systems, thematic sites etc. There are also such collectors of the information as encyclopedias. Due to** them, you do not need to search for the necessary information on the sites. It is only 91 necessary to find the thematic encyclopedia interesting to you and the address taken from Internet, and to read everything on the given theme. In the network there are both universal and specialized encyclopedias. As an example it is possible to take Cyril and Mephody’s site. Here you can find the encyclopedia and, besides 25 thematic sections. Search is conducted according to the thematic word or a word collocation. As a result you receive references to the thematic sections and then the articles in the encyclopedia. For example, at input of a word “mouse” articles from sections “Animals” and “Computers” will be offered to you. Besides on a site you have an opportunity to take part in the conference. At your disposal there is a board of announcements***, the information on news, weather, currency. It is possible to say that it is the best in Russia Internet encyclopedia. All its articles are absolutely exclusive. Other example is Britannica. It is huge universal English-speaking encyclopedia. It is submitted without reductions. The encyclopedia consists of two parts: “Macromedia” and “Micromedia”. First, you receive the brief information from “Micromedia”, and then if it is necessary, from “Macromedia”. Numerous references to the articles from books and magazines allow you to receive the exhaustive information on your question.

Notes:

*information “dump” – информационная свалка

**due to - благодаря

***a board of announcements – доска объявлений

COMPREHENSION CHECK

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions.

1. What is Internet and in what spheres of life can you use Internet?

2. What are the main stages of computer development?

3. What kind of communication facility became popular among scientists when they exchanged ideas or discussed problems?

4. What kinds of encyclopedias can be met in Internet?

5. What are the user’s opportunities while working with Internet?

Exercise 2. Agree or disagree with the following sentences.

1. Internet is the global network used in the sphere of education, business, science that gives opportunities to exchange information, find exclusive articles on the questions etc.

2. First computers represented the huge weight of the electronic lamps, transistors and integrated circuits.

3. The majority of programs were produced by IBM firm in 1970-1990.

4. Arpanet is the largest network in the world now.

5. Internet has management establishing and instructions for use, and allocated

authorities to introduce them.

6. Internet is frequently considered by beginners as a big information “dump”.

7. Internet presents absolutely exclusive information.

LANGUAGE ACTIVITY

Exercise 1. Fill in the gaps with prepositions (of, in, by).

When Charles Babbage, a professor… Mathematics…Cambridge University, invented the first calculating machine…1812 he couldn’t imagine the situation we find ourselves today. Nearly everything we do…the world done, or even controlled…computers, the complicated descendants…his simple machine. Computers are used more and more often…the world today…the simple reason that they are far more efficient than human beings. They have much better memories and they can store much information. No man alive can do 50000 sums…one second, but a computer can….fact, computers can do many…the things we do, but faster and better. They can predict weather, and even play chess, write poetry or compose music.

Exercise 2. Summarize your knowledge on the Conditional Sentences.