1.13. Интернет и английский язык. Жизнь и увлечения молодежи.
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Internet plays an important role in our life. But it has both
advantages and disadvantages. Can you classify them?
advantages
disadvantages
You can get the latest information quickly and easily.
On-line shopping saves your time and money.
Making “chat friends” is not the same as meeting real people.
Some information is not suitable for children.
There is too much advertising instead of true information.
Searching information can take hours.
Many children and teens use the Internet just for playing games, not for studies.
You can share your hobbies with chat groups.
It is harmful for eyesight and psychological health to spend hours on-line.
Email is faster than a letter and cheaper than a telephone conservation.
You can make new friends in Chat groups.
The Internet can help in your studies.
Read and translate the text
The Internet and the English language
The Internet is very helpful in our everyday life. First of all one can easily find information and share it with others. It’s also possible to create your own web sites and publish ideas and information for a large audience. It’s very convenient to advertise goods on the Internet and to buy them. On-line shopping makes it possible to find exactly what you want at the best price, saving both time and money.
Secondly, the Internet serves for people’s communication. You can make calls and take part in on-line tele- and video conferences. One of the most popular services is e-mail (electronic mail). You can exchange messages, photos, films. And finally, the Internet is used for transferring large amounts of data across it.
The progress in science and technology has contributed to an overflow of information. That is why foreign languages are needed as the main and most efficient means of information exchange of the people of our planet. Today English is the language of the world. Over 350 million people speak it as a mother tongue. The native speakers of English live in Great Britain, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. English is one of the official languages in the Irish Republic, Canada, the South African Republic. As a second language it is used in the former British and US colonies. It is the major international language for communication in such areas as science, technology, business and mass entertainment. It is the language of the literature, education, modern music, international tourism.
Russia is integrating into the world community and the problem of learning English for the purpose of communication is especially urgent today. Learning a foreign language is not an easy thing. It is a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But to know English is absolutely necessary for every educated person, for every good specialist.
If you know English well, you will be able
to understand more information from the Internet,
to write letters to pen pals from different countries,
to use foreign sources in your written works on professional issues,
to travel abroad and have no language barrier,
to improve your professional skills in other countries,
to read modern magazines, to understand favourite songs ,
to develop your mental abilities.
Answer the questions
Do you have the Internet at home?
How can it help you?
Why is the knowledge of English so important?
What countries are native speakers of English?
Discuss the following questions. Work in pairs.
What interests do young people have today?
Do you share your hobby with friends?
How do you spend your spare time?