Text 2. The Internet

By the mid-1990’s, experts estimated that more than 50 million computers were linked to the information superhighway by way of a network called the Internet. This network began in the late 1960’s as ARPAnet, a connection of military and other government computers in the United States. The U.S. Department of Defense created ARPAnet to keep these computers secure in the event of war or natural disaster. Soon after ARPAnet was began, universities and other institutions created their own networks. These networks eventually merged with ARPAnet to form the Internet.

During the 1970’s and 1980’s, large numbers of businesses connected their computers to the Internet. The explosive growth of PC’s in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s enabled many home computer users to gain access to the Internet.

On the Internet are databases containing information on virtually every branch of human knowledge and enterprise – from the most serious scientific topics to catalogs of jokes. Due to advances in the worldwide telecommunications system, the Internet has become a global network. Universities, businesses, and individual users in virtually every nation are ‘on the Net’.

Not all the information on the Internet is organized in formal databases. Computerized bulletin boards let people post their own messages, bringing a flood of opinion, commentary, and debate to almost every subject. There are also newsgroups on a host of topics. Participants in these groups can share information quickly, despite geographical separation. Computer games in which people assume different, often fantastic, personas (identities) are also popular on the Internet.

An increasingly important function of the Internet is the distribution of software. Programs can be downloaded (received) over the Internet, then run on the computers that receive them.

Exercise 17. Give Ukrainian / Russian equivalents for the following word combinations:

a) by the mid-1990’s, in the late 1960’s, a large number of businesses, the explosive growth of PC’s, information on virtually every branch of human knowledge, due to advances in the worldwide telecommunications system, individual uses in virtually every nation, computerized bulletin boards, on a host of topics, despite geographical separation, an increasingly important function of the Internet, the distribution of software;

b) to keep these computers secure, to create their own networks, to eventually merge with ARPAnet, to gain access to the Internet, to be organized in formal databases, to let people post their own messages, to assume different personas, to be downloaded over the Internet, to run programs on the computers;

Exercise 18. Fill in the blanks with prepositions and adverbs given below. Translate the sentences.

(Over, on, with, to, despite)

1. University networks merged … ARPAnet to form the Internet. 2. Large numbers of businesses connected their computers … the Internet. 3. Databases … the Internet contain information … every branch of human knowledge. 4. Not all the information … the Internet is organized in formal databases. 5. Computer games are also popular … the Internet. 6. Due to the Internet people can share information quickly, … geographical separation. 7. Programs can be received … the Internet.

Exercise 19. Ask:

1. When and how the Internet began. 2. What networks eventually merged with ARPAnet to form the Internet. 3. If the explosive growth of PC’s in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s enabled many home computer users to gain access to the Internet. 4. Whether the Internet has become a global network or it remains a connection of military and government computers in the United States. 5. What the Internet lets people do.

Exercise 20. Memorize the following:

a) terms:
location	місценаходження, місце, позиція, «мікрорайон» мережі	местонахождение, место, позиция, «микрорайон» сети
uniform resource locator (URL)	постійний показник місцезнаходження	постоянный показатель местонахождения
navigation / brow-ser software	навігатор / браузер, програма веб-перегляду	навигатор / браузер, программа веб-просмотра
indexing	індексація, індексування	индексация, индексирование
service	служба; услуга, послуга, обслуговування; функція; лінія зв’язку	служба; услуга, обслуживание; функция; линия связи
b) verbs:
select	вибирати, відмічати	выбирать, отмечать
examine	розглядати; перевіряти, досліджувати, вивчати	рассматривать, проверять, исследовать, изучать
contact	увійти в контакт, зв’язуватися, установлювати зв’язок	войти в контакт, связаться, устанавливать связь
search for	шукати	искать
enter	вводити, вносити	вводить, вносить
c) adjectives:
available	доступний, який є в наявності	доступный, имеющийся в распоряжении

Exercise 21. Read and translate text 3.