Vocabulary:

proliferate – быстро увеличиватьсяquest - поискиcurtail - сокращатьoverload - перегрузкаjunky - разг. наркоманself-confessed – открыто

frustrated - расстроенныйcomplain – выражать неудовольствиеaccess - доступtrashy - дряннойcurriculum - учебный план

Text d. Internet addiction

Last week, in a private rehabilitation clinic outside Edinburgh, Leo Edwards, a sixteen-year-old schoolboy, was going through severe withdrawal symptoms. His body often shook violently and uncontrollably, and at mealtimes he regularly threw cups and plates around the dining room. The boy's addiction had nothing to do with alcohol, drugs, gambling or food. His problem was 'Net obsession' - an over- dependency on the Internet.

An international group of psychologists has recently suggested that anyone who surfs the Internet for long periods is clinically ill and needs medical treatment. According to their report, Internet addicts should be treated in the same way as alcoholics, drug addicts, compulsive gamblers and people with eating disorders.

Leo Edwards is not an isolated case. Russell Hopkins, aged fifteen, from Gateshead in north-east England, is a typical online addict. Every day after school, and after dinner until three or four in the morning, he will be found in his room surfing the Net or playing computer games. By the end of the day he will have spent more than six hours online. Understandably, his parents are extremely worried. Not only has his school work suffered, but Russell's addiction has also destroyed his social life and his spare- time interests. For instance, he has just dropped out of his I school's basketball team in order to spend more time at his computer. Instead of spending next weekend having a good time out with friends, he'll be spending it indoors surfing the Internet.

Russell has recently joined an Internet online support group. It may seem ironic that many of the support groups for Internet addicts are online but at least Russell has sought help. Not everyone does. Dr Ann Hoffman, who runs an online support group, says 'People don't realise that being online for more than four hours a day amounts to addiction and that they have a serious problem. I predict that the number of people who join online support groups will have risen dramatically within three years.'

We love computers

It's official - Americans, Asians and Europeans are spending more and more time with their computers. Business executives take their laptops everywhere, teens spend an increasing amount of time glued in front of them... we just can't seem to live without them anymore!

Many new computers come equipped with a wireless LAN (local area network) card. This means you can surf the net without being plugged into a particular place, you just have to be near the source of the network. But now mobile phone companies are trying to go one stage further and with cellular PC cards, they hope people will be able to surf the net anywhere.

But is it a good thing to constantly be on a computer and be a complete 'nethead*'? Studies have shown that some people have partly lost their social skills from only communicating by email. On the other hand, the ability to just send short messages has increased communication between some people. And it can't be denied that computers are likely to play increasingly crucial roles in our lives.

Could you pass the British GCSE*in technology exam?

Answer the following questions:

1. What is meant by a computer network?

2. Why should you change your password regularly?

3. Why do you need to type your password in twice when you change it?

4. What is RAM used for?

5. What is the largest measurement of memory? (a. a gigabyte; b. a kilobyte; c. a megabyte)

6. Name three things in addition to a computer that you would need for a video conference

7. What is meant by a computer 'crashing'?

8. What type of computer application is an accountant most likely to use to analyse and display data? (a. a desktop publishing package; b. a spreadsheet; c. email)

Are you linked up to your computer? (Answer these questions to find out if you are able to live without your computer)

1. You enjoy reading computer manuals Y / N

2. You can name 6 websites that you visit regularly Y / N

3. You feel like a 'Billy-no-mates'* if you don't receive a certain number of emails a day Y / N

4. You have changed your screensaver more than 9 times in the past 6 months Y / N

5. Half way through watching a film, you start thinking about your computer Y / N

6. You send more e-cards than real cards at Christmas Y / N

* nethead – person who is always on the Internet

* GCSE – general certificate of secondary education

* Billy-no-mates – person with no friends

Read the text and answer the questions.

1. How did Leo respond to withdrawal from the Internet?

2. What do some psychologists compare Internet addicts to?

3. How is Russell a typical Internet addict?

4. What two things has he stopped doing?

5. What does Dr Hoffman predict?

Exercise 2. Discuss

1. Do you think that Internet addiction is possible?

2. How would you stop or prevent this kind of addiction?

GRAMMAR.