INTERNET AND MODERN LIFE
The Internet
has already entered our ordinary life. Everybody knows that the Internet is a
global computer network, which embraces hundred of millions of users all over
the world and helps us to communicate with each other.
The history of Internet began in the United
States in 1969. It was a military experiment, designed to help to survive
during a nuclear war, when everything around might be polluted by radiation and
it would be dangerous to get out for any living being to get some information
to anywhere. Information sent over the Internet takes the shortest and safest
path available from one computer to another. Because of this, any two computers
on the net will be able to stay in touch with each other as long as there is a
single route between them. This technology was called packet switching.
Invention of
modems, special devices allowing your computer to send the information through
the telephone line, has opened doors to the Internet for millions of people.
Most
of the Internet host computers are in the United States of America. It is clear
that the accurate number of users can be counted fairly approximately, nobody
knows exactly how many people use the Internet today, because there are hundred
of millions of users and their number is growing.
Nowadays the most
popular Internet service is e-mail. Most of the people use the network only for
sending and receiving e-mail messages. They can do it either they are at home
or in the internet clubs or at work. Other popular services are available on
the Internet too. It is reading news, available on some dedicated news servers,
telnet, FTP servers, etc.
In many countries,
the Internet could provide businessmen with a reliable, alternative to the
expensive and unreliable telecommunications systems its own system of
communications. Commercial users can communicate cheaply over the Internet with
the rest of the world. When they send e-mail messages, they only have to pay
for phone calls to their local service providers, not for international calls
around the world, when you pay a good deal of money.
But
saving money is only the first step and not the last one. There is a commercial
use of this network and it is drastically increasing. Now you can work through
the internet, gambling and playing through the net.
However, there are
some problems. The most important problem is security. When you send an e-mail,
your message can travel through many different networks and computers. The data
is constantly being directed towards its destination by special computers
called routers. Because of this, it is possible to get into any of the
computers along the route, intercept and even change the data being sent over
the Internet. But there are many encoding programs available. Notwith-standing,
these programs are not perfect and can easily be cracked.
Another big and
serious problem of the net is control. Yes, there is no effective control in
the Internet, because a huge amount of information circulating through the net.
It is like a tremendous library and market together. In the future, the
situation might change, but now we have what we have. It could be expressed in
two words— an anarchist's dream.
to embrace -
охоплювати, оточувати
to survive — вижити
path — шлях, маршрут
available
— доступний, наявний у розпорядженні, наявний
packet
switching — пакетне перемикання
accurate
— точний
approximately—
приблизно
to
provide — постачати, доставляти, забезпечувати
reliable
— надійний
provider
— провайдер, постачальник
security
— безпека
router
— маршрутизатор
to intercept — перехопити (сигнал і т.д. )
to
encode — кодувати, шифрувати
notwithstanding
— проте , однак, все-таки
to
crack — зламати
huge
— великий, гігантський, величезний
to
circulate — пересуватися/рухатися в межах чогось
tremendous
— розм. величезний,
гігантський
Questions
1. What is the
Internet?
2. When and where
did the history of the Internet begin?
3. Why was the
Internet designed?
4. What is modem?
5. Where are most
of the Internet host computers?
6. What is the
accurate number of Internet users?
7. What is the
most popular Internet service today?
8. What are other
popular services available in the Internet?
9. What is the
most important problem of the Internet?
10. Why is there
no effective control in the Internet today?
11. Is there a
commercial use of the network today?
CREATIVE WRITING
Write a letter to a future generation about social
network of the 21st century and its role in people`s lives. How will
it change in time?
E-MAIL OR SNAIL MAIL?
E-mail —
electronic mail — is a way of sending messages and letters directly from your
computer to another computer. Snail mail is how people (mainly those with e-mail)
refer to the traditional writing paper+envelope+stamp way of sending a letter.
How do they compare?
E-MAIL
Good things.
It's so quick; you can just tap out a letter on your
computer and press SEND. You can send the same letter to your hundreds of
friends all around the world in a few seconds. You
can spread the news or the latest gossip really quickly. You
can communicate with your favourite film stars and pop stars.
Bad things.
Most of your
friends aren't on e-mail. And those that are don't like getting exactly the
same letter as everybody else. You accidentally send a bit of hot gossip to someone
who really shouldn't see it. They never write back or you just get loads of junk
mail in return.
snail [sneɪl] — равлик; розм. тихохід
to tap out [tæp] — набирати
to spread [spred] — поширювати
gossip ['gɔsɪp] — плітки, чутки
accidentally [,æksɪ'dentəlɪ] — випадково
loads [ləudz] (of) — розм. безліч, велика кількість
junk [dʒʌŋk] — (мотлох) непотрібні речі
Questions
1. What is e-mail?
2. When was it
first sent?
3. What are the
advantages of e-mail?
4. What are the
disadvantages?
5. Compare e-mail
and usual mail.
6. Can you send
the e-mail? Describe the way of sending it.
Writing
Немає коментарів:
Дописати коментар