Internet and modern life

The Internet has already entered our ordinary life. Every­body knows that the Internet is a global computer network, which embraces hundreds 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.

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 hundreds 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.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is the Internet?

2. When and where did the history of 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 on the Inter­net?

Vocabulary:

network — сеть

to embrace — охватывать, окружать

to design — задумывать, придумывать, разрабатывать

to survive — выжить

nuclear war — ядерная война

to pollute — загрязнять

dangerous — опасный

available — доступный, имеющийся в распоряжении, на­личный

invention — изобретение

accurate — точный

to count— считать, сосчитать

approximately — приблизительно, примерно

to receive — получать

to provide — снабжать, доставлять, обеспечивать

reliable — надежный

alternative — альтернативный

provider — провайдер, поставщик

1. What is the Internet?

a) The Internet has already entered our ordinary life.

b) The Internet helps us to communicate with each other.

c) The Internet is a global computer network.

2. When and where did the history of Internet begin?

a) The history of Internet began in the United States in 1959.

b) The history of Internet began in the United States in 1969.

c) The history of Internet began in the United Kingdom in 1969.

3. Why was the Internet designed?

a) It was a military experiment, designed to help to survive du­ring a nuclear war.

b) It was designed to get some information.

c) It was designed to send the information.

4. What is modem?

a) Modem is a special device allowing your com­puter to send the information through the telephone line.

b) Modem is a global computer network.

c) Modem is the most popular Internet service.

5. What is the most popular Internet service today?

a) Nowadays the most popular Internet service is phone call.

b) Nowadays the most popular Internet service is e-mail.

c) Nowadays the most popular Internet service is international call.

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