Text 5. Introduction to the www and the Internet.

Million of people around the world use the Internet to search for and retrieve information on all sorts of topics including arts, business, humanities, news, politics and recreation. People communicate through electronic mail (e-mail), discussion groups, chat channels and other means of informational exchange. They share information and make commercial and business transactions. All this activity is possible because tens of thousands of networks are connected to the Internet and exchange information in the same basic ways.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a part of the Internet. But it is not a collection of networks. Rather, it is information that is connected or linked together like a web. You access this information through one interface or tool called a Web browser. The number of resources and services that are part of the World Wide Web is growing extremely fast. In 1996 there were more than 20 million users of the WWW. By using a computer terminal (hardware) connected to a network that is a part of the Internet, and by using a program (software) to browse or retrieve information that is a part of the World Wide Web, the people connected to the Internet and WWW through the local providers. Each browser provides a graphical interface. You move from place to place, from site to site on the Web by using a mouse to click on a portion of text, icon or region of the map. These items are called hyperlinks or links. Each link you select represents a document, an image, a video clip or an audio file somewhere on the Internet. The user doesn't need to know where it is, the browser follows the link.

All sorts of things are available on the WWW. One can use the WWW for the recreation purposes. Many TV and radio stations broadcast line on the WWW. Essentially, if something can be put into digital format and stored in a computer, then it's available on the WWW. You can even visit museums, gardens, cities throughout the world, learn foreign languages and meet new friends. And of course you can play computer games through WWW, competing with partners from other countries and continents.

Exercise 1. What is the English for?

Искать информацию, извлекать информацию, развлечение, общаться, коммуникационный обмен, делиться информацией, заключать сделки, сеть, обмениваться информацией, получать информацию, программа поиска, местные провайдеры, ярлык, гиперссылка, идти по ссылке, доступный, транслировать, цифровой формат.

Exercise 2. Answer the questions (general understanding).

1. How can people use the Internet?

2. What is WWW?

3. How do people access information in WWW?

4. How do people connect to the Internet?

5. What sorts of things are available on the WWW?

Exercise 3. Insert proper words or phrases.

1. People communicate through ... , ... .

2. Thousands of... are connected to the Internet and ... information.

3. The is a part of the Internet.

4. You ... information through one ... called ....

5. Each browser provides a graphical ....

6. You move from site to site by using a ... to ... on a portion of text.

7. The ... doesn't need to know where it is, the browser follows the link.

8. One can use the Internet for ... purposes.

Exercise 4. Correct the sentences.

1. People use the Internet to do shopping.

2. People communicate through the browser.

3. The Internet is a part of the World Wide Web.

4. The people connect to the Internet through another computer.

5. A user must know where the needed files or documents in the Internet are.

6. The Internet is used for business transactions only.

Exercise 5. Translate into English.

1. Люди используют Интернет чтобы извлекать информацию и общаться.

2. Мы находим информацию через специальную программу поиска.

3. Кто-то может использовать Интернет для отдыха и развлечений.

4. С помощью всемирной сети мы можем посетить разные города и страны, выучить иностранный язык и встретить новых друзей.

5. Люди подключаются к Интернету и всемирной сети через местных провайдеров.

6. Пользователю не нужно знать, где находится информация, ему поможет программа поиска.

7. Десятки тысяч сетей соединены в Интернет, где люди обмениваются информацией.

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