The Internet

The Internet gives access to a lot of information. It is possible to find data and descriptions, chapters from necessary books…, to make a long story short, everything you need. The Internet, a global computer network, which embraces millions of users all over the world, began to function in the United States in 1969 as a military experiment. It was designed to survive in a nuclear war. Information sent over the Internet takes the shortest path available from one computer to another.

Most of the Internet host computers (more than 50%) are in the United States, while the rest are located in other countries. Although the number of host computers can be counted fairly accurately, nobody knows exactly how many people use the Internet. There are millions and their number is growing by thousands each month worldwide. Users of computers in the network can send messages to each other, to communicate online and to do a lot of other things. In many offices and organizations computer messages have replaced messages written on paper, and they are now called e-mail or electronic mail. E-mail is not only fast and easy, but it also saves paper and the work of moving paper from one place to another. Workers can send and receive e-mail without leaving their desks and their desktop computers.

The Internet may provide businessmen with a reliable alternative to the expensive and unreliable telecommunication systems of their communities.

Commercial users can communicate over the Internet with the rest of the world and can do it very cheaply. But saving money is only the first step. If people see that they can make money from the Internet, they increase the commercial use of this network. For example, some American banks and companies conduct transactions over the Internet.

If you do not have your own computer, but want to use the Internet, you can use an Internet café. These cafés will charge for the amount of time you spend on the Internet and you will either pay after you have finished or buy credits beforehand. If you don’t have easy access to an Internet café, your library may have computers with Internet access and sometimes you can even use it for free for a limited period of time.

Задание 2. Ответьте на вопросы к тексту.

1. What is the Internet?

2. What was the Internet originally designed for?

3. What country has the most of the Internet host computers?

4. What can you do thanks to the Internet?

5. Where can you find the Internet if you haven’t it at home?

Задание 3. Переведите следующие предложения на английский язык:

1. Я проверяю почту, читаю новости, общаюсь со своей семьей и друзьями.

2. Я тоже собираюсь подключиться к высокоскоростному Интернету.

3. Ты общаешься с ними посредствам текстовых сообщений?

4. Это выглядит как общение по телефону, только намного дешевле.

5. Это хороший метод для практики английского языка.