Means of Communication

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Vocabulary

1. means, a means

the wheel, the mobile phone,

the computer, the Internet

concrete, abstract

computer networks, 

systems of communication

device

wire - wireless

to receive (sounds)

2.technology

to communicate

portable

to replace

remote (places)

3.available

to deliver

efficient, inefficient

reliable, unreliable

lingua franca

5.an addict – addicted (to) – an addiction, get addicted to

6.the era of …

cord - cordless

to dial the number

to pick up the receiver

to eavesdrop on your conversation

to interrupt smb.

options for communicating

landline phone

to avoid doing smth.

I could not help hearing …

7.wolves in sheep’s clothing

a passing fad

to have a right to (mobile phones, 

to do smth.)

contact with peers

9.slam

stuff, weird stuff

to get rid of

an incredibly complicated (person)

As far as … are concerned, …

to go out mugging

to get themselves into such a stew

to get into the habit of doing smth.

to diss smb.

to go on

the best version of (myself)

to let smb. down

Modern Means of Communication

To begin with I’d like to point out that means of communication have changed greatly.

When we think of it we cannot understand how people who lived 50 years ago were able to keep in touch. Nowadays we cannot imagine human contact without modern technology devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, i-Pods, i-Pads, Tablets, laptops and so on.

Thanks to the new technologies people are communicating more than ever before. Modern means of communication have made the distance between people unimportant. Unlike 20 years ago we usually call someone, not visit. Mobile phones are portable and let us contact others wherever they and we are. Furthermore, mobile phones offer the possibility of texting. Text messaging is the most convenient and the cheapest form of communication when we need to pass a quick note containing only a few words.

Emails have replaced letters and postcards almost completely. People prefer emails, which are quicker to write and send and more sure to reach the addressee.

Video conferences are often used by business people and scientists and they don’t need to travel to remote places.

To keep in touch with our families and friends that live abroad we use the Internet and such programs as Skype or Messenger, we use video chats or instant messaging. Thanks to them we can talk with our relatives for free and without time limits.

A lot of people especially teenagers communicate in social networks such as vkontacte, facebook, twitter, odnoklassniki.   They share the news, pictures, funny videos, jokes, songs and so on.

The Internet is very helpful for those who have a hobby.  You can communicate with those who share the same passion from all over the world. You can learn the news and discuss your favourite pop star, or a movie actor, a TV show , sport competitions and what not. On forums people share their experiences and help each other to solve the   problems they have run into.

To sum it up I’d like to point out that modern means of communication have changed our life, they influence our social life, politics, commerce, everything.

Questions:

Do you use your computer only for education?
As for me, I don’t use my computer only for education. I suppose, computer is too multifunctional device, to use it only for education. Most of the functions of the using computer for education are to find some pieces of information on the Internet, unless don’t learn any special computer skills, or want to print something. Therefore, if you want to borrow fast some information from the internet, you can use a smaller device, than computer. But if you want to watch some videos, or to read an e-book, it is useful to do it on your computer.

What would you like to know about the new gadget I-Pad?

I would like to know what the time of the stand-alone work of the gadget is.
What is the quality of the screen image?
Is the camera a quality one or a bad one?
Is there a wide range of available programs?
This version of I-Pad is the most advanced, isn’t it?

What would you recommend me to do not to become a computer addict?

First of all, you should be interested in your real life, so you will not have a desire to sit in front of the screen when there are a lot of interesting things.
If you think you spend a lot of time in front of a computer without any aim, then you should think about the unsolved problems around you, how many useful things you could do for the time you kill. The main thing you should do is to have a desire. The easiest way to solve that problem is turning on a computer only for important things.

People are becoming more dependent on high-tech devices. What’s your point of view?

I agree with the statement that people are becoming more dependent on hi-tech devices. Computer and other gadgets are gaining popularity and it's no surprise that we are becoming dependent on them. Our life is hard to imagine without computers, mobile phones and tablets. More and more jobs require the net and computers and cannot work without access to the Internet. Almost all plants are controlled with the help of computers; it is also true for other spheres of business and economy. As well as helping people at their working places, devices can offer a lot to entertain us. Like watching movies, listening to music, you name it. So it's hard to overestimate the role of technology in our life, since it helps us in most spheres of our life.

Do the exercise on the Pros and Cons of the Internet

Pros and Cons of the Internet (2)

Read the text paying attention to the word collocations in bold:
to pose a great threat to
with every passing day=with every day
from any part of the globe
within a blink of an eye=very quickly
an endless storehouse (assemblage) of
on any topic under the sun
on the Internet
search engine
accessible to
inevitable
to evolve
a multitude of
with the help of
to acquaint with
concept=idea
fraud - обман, мошенничество
to have a negative impact on
detrimental=harmful, hurtful
loss of data
surge - всплеск
data (pl) - datum (sing)
criteria (pl) - criterion (sing)
on a steep decline
an indispensable part of
hazard=risk, danger
discretion - свобода действий
moderation - умеренность, сдержанность
to curb the ill-effects of
matrimonial sites

The Internet is an arrangement of computers from all over the globe, connected through networks to share information and data. It has been estimated that around one-third of the population of the world, has access to the Internet. Two of the major services of the Internet are the World Wide Web (www) and e-mail. Apart from business and communication, the Internet has also gradually become the biggest entertainment medium. But, like all the technological innovations of the modern era, there are certain negative aspects of the Internet which pose a great threat to its users and society as a whole. To learn all the important pros and cons of the Internet, go through the lines below.                                            

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet

Pros

·         One of the biggest advantages of the Internet is ‘communication’. It is going to be even faster, cheaper and more efficient with every passing day. Nowadays, with the use of the Internet, people can communicate with others, from any part of the globe, within a blink of an eye.

·         One more major benefit of the Internet is information. The Internet is an endless storehouse of information. Any kind of information, on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. Some of the prominent search engines such as, Google, Yahoo, etc. are making this information easily accessible to its seekers. The information available on the net is so vast that, even in academics the use of the Internet has now become inevitable.

·         Gradually, the Internet has also evolved into a popular medium of entertainment.  With a vast multitude of sites, the Internet provides a gateway to an endless assemblage of videos, audios, movies and games.

·         The Internet has also made lives comfortable. Now, in the age of the Internet, one doesn’t have to wait for hours in the queues to pay bills, taxes or withdraw money and buy tickets or book hotels etc. With the help of online services, all of these can be quite conveniently done from home.

·         The popularity of social networking is also growing. It is one of the finest and most convenient medium to connect and acquaint with millions of people from all over the globe, with similar passion and hobbies. Social media sites also offer a great gateway for marketing and have evolved into a great tool for creating public awareness also. With Internet, it has also become much easier to search for jobs, business opportunities, etc. as there are many forums, communities and services which offer great assistance in this regard.

·         With the Internet, a new economic system has evolved, known as the e-commerce marketplace. The new economic concept involves exchange of goods and other services throughout the globe, over the Internet. 

·         With several matrimonial sites on the Internet, finding a life partner from all over the world, depending on your specific criteria and parameters, has also become very convenient.

Cons

·         The Internet poses a great threat to one’s personal data. As people use online banking and other transaction services, there lies a great risk of the account details, credit card numbers etc. being stolen, through unsecured connections. Spywares, hacking software are responsible for many credit card frauds which have become a common occurrence nowadays.

·         Pornography is also a great disadvantage of the Internet. On Internet, pornographic photos and videos are easily accessible which can cast a negative impact on children and teenagers.

·         With social networking sites, people are getting more and more engrossed in the virtual online world. As a result, social and family ties are getting thinner by the day. With the growing popularity of online games, children hardly participate in physical activities and games which can be extremely detrimental to their all-round development.

·         Computer viruses are also carried through by the Internet. Computer viruses are programs which can cause malfunctioning of your systems and may even lead to loss of data. Though there is anti-virus software available in the market but, the rate at which the viruses are getting more and more complex is alarming.

·         With the surge in the use of the Internet, the reading habit of the current generation is also on a steep decline. Previously, reading used to be a great source of amusement and knowledge. 

Though the Internet has become a lifeline of modern economy and is an indispensable part of our daily lives, the hazards it poses are also significant. However, with moderation and discretion, people can curb the ill-effects of the Internet!

The Pros and Cons of the Internet (1)

The Internet is without doubt one of the most important inventions in history. It was started in 1968 by the US government, but at first it was used mainly by scientists. Since 1990, when the World Wide Web was created, it has changed the world and its uses are growing every day.

The main use of the Internet is to find infor­mation — for your schoolwork or job, or just to find out more about your hobbies, sports or cur­rent events.

All of the latest information is available to you, in your home, at any hour of the day and night. It's much faster and easier to surf the net in search of information from all over the world than to travel to libraries in dozens of countries.

You can also use the Internet to read news­papers and magazines, play games, plan your holiday or buy from your favourite shop.

E-mail makes it possible to send electronic messages anywhere in the world in seconds, and you can use the Internet to 'chat' with peo­ple and make new friends.

However, the real world of the Internet may not be as perfect as it seems.

With so much information available, finding what you want can take you hours. Multimedia web pages with photographs, music and video are attractive, but they make downloading slow and boring. Besides, there is too much advertis­ing instead of real information.

As for Internet friendships, sitting at home in front of a computer making 'chat friends' is not the same as actually meeting people.

1)    When was the Internet started?

2)    What is the main use of the Internet?

3)    How can you use the Internet?

4)    How long can it take to find what you want?

5)    Why isn’t the world of the Internet perfect?

Do the exercise on The Advantages and Disadvantages of Television


Lesson 4 Additional Vocabulary

a foe=an enemy, an opponent

and what not

and so on (so forth)

etc.=et cetera

to affect smb./smth.=to have an effect on, to have an influence on, to have an impact on

mature - immature

efficient - inefficient

reliable - unreliable

to be addicted to=to be hooked on