Title: Unit 9 World wide web technology: what
1Unit 9 World wide web technologywhats hot and
whats not?
2Contents
- Pre-reading questions
- Background information
- Structure analysis
- Comprehension questions
- Language points of Text I
- Grammatical items
- Exercises
- Comprehension questions of Text II
- Oral activities
- Writing practice
3Text I World wide web technologywhats hot and
whats not?
- Pre-reading questions
- 1.You must be surfing on the Internet now and
then. How do you feel about the world when
surfing at the web side? - 2.What role does the Internet play in your study
and life?
4Background Information ( 1 )
- Now we are living in the "Age of Information" and
experiencing technological leaps. Because the
Internet contains a wealth of information, you
will unlock the mystery of the people and
companies that are responsible for their advances
through the World Wide Web. Tim Berners-Lee, the
inventor of the World Wide Web, has been hailed
by time magazine as one of the 100 greatest minds
of this century.
5Background Information ( 2 )
- His creation has already changed the way
people do business, entertain themselves,
exchange ideas, and socialize with one another.
With new online businesses and communities
forming every day, the full impact of
Berners-Lee's grand scheme has yet to be fully
known. Berners-Lee's creation was fueled by a
highly personal vision of the Web as a powerful
force for social change and individual
creativity.
6Background Information ( 3 )
- He has never profited personally from the Web
but has devoted himself to its continued growth
and health. Now, this low-profile genius tells
his own story of the Web's origins-from its
revolutionary introduction and the creation of
the now ubiquitous WWW and HTTP acronyms to how
he sees the future development of this
revolutionary medium.
7Background Information ( 4 )
- Today, Berners-Lee continues to facilitate the
Web's growth and development as director of the
World Wide Web Consortium and from his position
at the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science.
Berners-Lee offers insights to help readers
understand the true nature of the Web, enabling
them to use it to their fullest advantage.
8Background Information (5)
- He shares his views on such critical issues
as censorship, privacy, the increasing power of
software companies in the online world, and the
need to find the ideal balance between the
commercial and social forces on the Web. -
9Background Information (6)
- His incisive criticism of the Web's current
state makes clear that there is still much work
to be done. Finally, Berners-Lee presents his own
plan for the Web's future, one that calls for the
active support and participation of programmers,
computer manufacturers, and social organizations
to make it happen.
10Structure analysis ( 1 )
- Part I (Paragraphs 1)
- This paragraph epitomizes the advantages or
benefits of the World Wide Web the Web is like
one great big library with all the books or
various kinds of information available to you - Questions
- 1) Does the web contain different kinds of books?
- 2) Summarize the benefits the World Wide Web
offers?
11Structure analysis ( 2 )
- Part II (Paragraphs 2 to 8)
- These seven paragraphs, making up the body of the
text, illustrate and exemplify the advantages and
undesirable aspects of the Internet and the Web.
12Structure analysis ( 3 )
- Questions
- 1) Which of these paragraphs illustrate the
benefits of the Internet and the Web? - 2) What undesirable things are seen wrong with
the Internet - 3) what is the writers opinion about the
Internet phenomenon?
13Structure analysis ( 4 )
- Part III (Paragraphs 9)
- The paragraph, the conclusion of the essay,
draws attention to the writers eagerness to be
able to dispose of all of his junk mail,
catalogues, etc, by locating them in his computer
so that he can easily find the things by
accessing the Web.
14Structure analysis ( 5 )
- Questions
- 1) What is the writer anxious to be able to
do? - 2) What does the last paragraph imply?
15Comprehensive questions ( 1 )
- Decide which of the following best states the
author's purpose of writing. - A. To emphasize the merits of World Wide Web
technology. - B. To complain about the net speed.
- C. To marvel at the ever-increasing rate of
commercials on net. - D. To comment on the role World Wide Web
plays in life and work.
16Comprehensive questions ( 2 )
- Answer the following questions
- 1. what is the Web compared to at the beginning
of the article? - It is compared to a library. ( Paragraph 1 )
17Comprehensive questions ( 3 )
- 2. Which is faster to get the music the author
wanted, from the office next door or on a web
site from France? - It is faster to get the music on a web site from
France. ( Paragraph 2 )
18Comprehensive questions ( 4 )
- 3. How did the author conclude from a national
radio news broadcast? - He found the solution to his problem from the
web sites frequently asked questions page. - 4. What did the author conclude from a national
radio news broadcast? - He concluded that commercial action on the
Internet is growing at an ever increasing rate.
19Comprehensive questions ( 5 )
- 5. What is suggested about the students request
for a letter of recommendation? - It is suggested that almost everything be found
on the Internet.
20Comprehensive questions ( 6 )
- 6. In what area does the author see wrong with
the Internet as it currently exists? - They are lack of bandwidth, evolving standards,
low interactivity, the current economic model,
growing pains, passwords, etc.
21Language points of Text ?( 1 )
- 1.. access
- (1) v. succeed in finding or obtaining
information from a computer's memory - In modem times it is easy and convenient to
access various kinds of information from a
computer's memory. - (2) n. means, right, or opportunity to use,
reach, or enter - It is quite important for students to have easy
access to books in their studies.
22Language points of Text ?( 2 )
- 2.. pile make a pile of load, fill or cover
plentifully - He piled the boxes one on top of another.
- The little boy was piling up his building blocks.
- He piled the spaghetti onto his plate.
- The cart was piled high with fruit and vegetables.
23Language points of Text ?( 3 )
- 3. click
- strike or move with a slight sharp sound
- She clicked her fingers in time to the music.
- The soldiers clicked their heels together.
- make a slight sharp sound, esp. as a result of
movement - The bolt clicked into place. /The door clicked
shut.
24Language points of Text ?( 4 )
- 4.. paste
- Here in the text the word paste means an action
of pasting. Normally, paste as a noun means a
soft sticky mixture of powder and liquid that is
easily shaped or spread, or a thin mixture of
flour and water used for sticking paper together
or onto other surfaces. Add water to the powder,
stir them into a paste, and fill the cracks with
it. Posts about the jazz concert were stuck up on
walls with paste all over the university.
25Language points of Text ?( 5 )
- 5. word processor a purpose-built computer
system for electronically storing texts entered
from a keyboard, incorporating corrections, and
providing a printout - There is a word processor in each computer.
26Language points of Text ?( 6 )
- 6. slight small in degree not considerable or
noticeable - There's been a slight change in the plans.
- There is a slight pain in my stomach.
- I didn't have the slightest idea about what you
said. - 7. font a set of types of one face or size
27Language points of Text ?( 7 )
- 8. serve (1) do work for-, give service to
- He has served the company for 50 years, first as
office boy and eventually as managing director. - Membership is restricted to serving officers in
the armed forces.
28Language points of Text ?( 8 )
- (2) offer (food, drinks, a meal, etc. ) for
eating or drinking - Could you all come to the table? We are ready to
serve. - What time is breakfast served in this hotel?
29Language points of Text ?( 9 )
- (3) be good enough or suitable for a purpose
- One room had to serve for both bedroom and living
room. - This incident serves as a reminder of how
dangerous these weapons really are
30Language points of Text ?( 10 )
- 9. version a slightly different form, copy, or
style of an article-, a form of written or
musical work that exists in more than one form - This dress is a cheaper version of the one we saw
in that shop. - Did you read the whole book or only the abridged
version?
31Language points of Text ?( 11 )
- 10. figure
- 1) appear take an esp. important or noticeable
part - His name did not figure in the list of those who
had received awards. - The vice president figured prominently in the
peace negotiations.
32Language points of Text ?( 12 )
- (2) consider or believe calculate come to
understand - I figured that you would want to see me about it.
- I still cannot figure it it's a mystery.
33Language points of Text ?( 13 )
- 11. amazing causing great surprise or wonder,
esp. because of quantity or quality - That new car goes at an amazing speed.
- It's quite amazing that he should be so unaware
of what's going on.
34Language points of Text ?( 14 )
- 12. occasion
- (1) a time when sth. happens a suitable or
favorable time On that occasion I was not at
home. This is hardly the occasion for a family
argument. - (2) a special event or ceremony
- The opening of a new school is always a great
occasion.
35Language points of Text ?( 15 )
- (3) a direct cause or reason
- His remark was the occasion of a bitter quarrel.
There was no occasion for you to be so rude.
36Language points of Text ?( 16 )
- 13. challenging needing the full use of one's
abilities and effort difficult and interesting - We must be ready to cope with challenging
problems. She finds her new job very challenging.
37Language points of Text ?( 17 )
- 14. drive equipment that contains and runs a
disk or tape - What is the problem with the disk drive?
- The seventh read-write head on the disk drive is
malfunctioning. - 15. manufacturer s a firm that manufactures
goods - The washing machine didn't work, so we sent it
back to the manufacturer.
38Language points of Text ?( 18 )
- 16. get through
- ( 1 ) (cause or help) to pass pass through, or
come successfully to the end of We were all
delighted when we heard that you'd got through
your exam. - Her mother's support got her through her
depression.
39Language points of Text ?( 19 )
- (2) complete or use up the whole of
- We got through a whole chicken at one sitting.
- They won one million dollars, but they got
through the whole lot in less than 5 years. - (3) (esp. in AmE) finish
- When you get through with your work, let's go
out. I haven't got through with my work yet, so I
have to continue.
40Language points of Text ?( 20 )
- 17. for sure certainly surely without any
doubt - She won't lend you any money, and that's/or sure.
- 18. intriguing fascinating very interesting
esp. because of some strange quality - What an intriguing story!
- She is such an intriguing woman!
41Language points of Text ?( 21 )
- 19. under way moving forward
- The great ship got under way.
- Our project is now well under way.
- 20. marvel be filled with great wonder,
surprise, admiration, etc. - we all marveled at his remarkable achievements.
- The onlookers marveled that he was unharmed
after such a long fall..
42Language points of Text ?( 22 )
- 21.locate
- (1)find the position of
- We have located the source of the signals.
- Can you locate your hometown on this world map?
- (2)situate fix and set in a certain place
- Shaoxing is located between hangzhou and Ningbo.
43Language points of Text ?( 23 )
- 22.potential possibility for developing or being
favorably developed - This new invention has enormous sales
potential. - He is a potential player with great potential.
44Language points of Text ?( 24 )
- 23. Proceed on an exciting course advance or
move along an exciting path begin or continue in
an exciting direction - Proceed
- (1)begin or continue in a course of action or set
of actions
45Language points of Text ?( 25 )
- The project is proceeding according to the plan.
- He paused to consult his notes, and then
proceeded with his questions. - The director said he liked my scheme very much,
and then proceeded to tear it to bits.
46Language points of Text ?( 26 )
- (2) advance move in a particular direction
- According to the policeman's report, the stolen
car was proceeding in the southern direction. - Passengers for the New York flight should how
proceed to Gate 25.
47Language points of Text ?( 27 )
- 24. course
- (1) the path along which sth. happens direction
of movement taken by sb. or sth. The plane
changed its course to avoid the storm. The ship
was blown off course.
48Language points of Text ?( 28 )
- (2) continuous movement from one point to another
in space or time The enemy should be defeated in
the course of one year. During the course of the
next few minutes we will be serving tea and
biscuits.
49Language points of Text ?( 29 )
- (3) the usual, natural, or established pattern or
process by which sth. happens or is done He has
committed a crime, and now the law must take its
course. He is charged with attempting to pervert
the course of action.
50Language points of Text ?( 30 )
- 25. resolve
- (1) settle find a satisfactory way of dealing
with a difficulty - It is hoped that the UN can resolve all
international disputes by means of peace talks.
There weren't enough beds, but the matter was
resolved with George sleeping on the sofa.
51Language points of Text ?( 31 )
- (2) decide firmly make a determined decision
- Once she has resolved on doing it, no one can get
her to change her mind. He resolved to work
harder.
52Language points of Text ?( 32 )
- 26. associate
- join in a relationship based on friendship,
business, or a shared purpose combine as friends
or partners - He associates with criminals.
- The military regime dealt ruthlessly with anyone
who was associated with the former government.
53Grammatical items ( 1 )
- The use of need
- Need could be used as a modal auxiliary and as a
lexical verb - 1) used as a modal auxiliary
- You neednt clean the windows. They arent dirty.
(????) - I dont believe you need worry.( ???????????)
54Grammatical items ( 2 )
- Why need you go today? ( ?????)
- One need only consider the facts. ( ????)
55Grammatical items ( 3 )
- 2) Used as a lexical verb ( ??????,need
????)Can be followed - a. Noun and Pronoun
- Theyre certain to need help.
- I dont need anything.
- b. Infinitive
- I need to get away and rest up a little.
56Grammatical items ( 4 )
- c. gerund
- The shoes need repairing.
- d. compound structure
- I need you over to help me with the children.
- I need this tooth out
57Grammar exercises ( 1 )
- ?. Note the use of need in the following
sentences. - 1. Whether you need to get information on Rush
Limbaughs famous and colorful, power ties or
access the Quran, you can find it on the World
Wide Web. - (a lexical verb )
58Grammar exercises ( 2 )
- 2. The other day a colleague and I needed some
words to a song by a French singer, unknown in
this country. - (a lexical verb )
59Grammar exercises ( 3 )
- 3. A reasonable amount of learning must of course
accompany an education, but, after all, that
amount need not be so great in any one field. - (a modal auxiliary )
60Grammar exercises ( 4 )
- ?Rewrite the following sentences using need.
- 1. Is it necessary for him to explain again and
again? - Need he explain again and again? / Does he need
to explain again and again?
61Grammar exercises ( 5 )
- 2. Its not necessary for me to wait. They wont
come. - I neednt wait. / I dont need to wait.
- 3. Its not necessary for you to drive so fast.
- You neednt drive so fast. / you dont need to
drive so fast.
62Grammar exercises ( 6 )
- 4. Its not necessary for you to take umbrella.
- You neednt take the umbrella./ You dont need to
take the umbrella. - 5. Is it necessary for me to go to the meeting ?
- Need I go to the meeting? / Do I need to go to
the meeting?
63Grammar exercises ( 7 )
- 6. Its hardly necessary for me to tell you the
importance of it. - I hardly need ( to ) tell you the importance of
it.
64Grammar exercises ( 8 )
- ? Complete the following sentences with the
appropriate form of need. - 1. This is a question that _____ very careful
consideration. - 2. When I last crossed the frontier, I
________________ ( not, show ) my passport. - 3. I ____ to get away and rest up a little.
needs
didnt need to show
need
65Grammar exercises ( 9 )
needed
- 4. She thought you were tied and _______ a rest.
- 5. The shop has delivery service. You could have
it delivered. You ___________________ ( not
carry) that home. - 6. So I neednt pretend, _____I ?
neednt have carried
need
66Grammar exercises ( 10 )
- 7. You _____________________________ ( not do )
shopping today. Theres plenty of food in the
fridge. - 8. In some places, you _____________ ( not pay )
to use the public libraries.
dont need to do / neednt do
dont need to pay
67Exercises ( 1 )
- Vocabulary exercises
- ?. Explain the italicized part in each sentence
in your own words. - 1. our printer was able to serve up the new
version. - Print and provide
- 2. Its going through the roof.
- Developing very fast at an unexpected rate
68Exercises ( 2 )
- 3. I got the manufacturers 800 number and then
couldnt get through over a couple of days - get connected on the phone
- 4. With so much less stuff hanging around, I
could more easily find the things that arent on
the Web. - Remaining in my office
69Exercises ( 3 )
- 5. I marvel each time I see Web addresses go
flashing by as part of an increasing number of TV
commercials. - Appear quickly one after another on the screen
- 6. This might well be the current state of
affairs. - The present situation with the World Wide Web
70Exercises ( 4 )
- ?. Fill in each blank with one of the two words
from each pair and note the difference of meaning
between them.
71Exercises ( 5 )
- 1. ACCESS ( v. ) ENTER
- a. The built-in disk drive makes possible
__________, creating and saving music documents
in all formats. - b. Those who are beginning their career ________
the profession as either instructors or assistant
professors.
accessing
enter
72Exercises ( 6 )
entered
- c. Student information is all __________into the
computer as soon as they are enrolled into a
university programme. - d. The entire curriculum is _________and played
from the computer terminal.
accessed
73Exercises ( 7 )
- Difference Access, when used as a verb, is
specially applied in computer technology, meaning
finding and obtaining ( information )
successfully. Enter basically means go into
or become part of. To enter information into a
computer is to record it there by typing it on a
keyboard.
74Exercises ( 8 )
- 2. COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT
- a. The thirty-second drug_____________has
been banned on the grounds that it was
misleading. - b. Lots of efforts were made to keep the TV
_____________separate from the programs. -
commercial
commercials
75Exercises ( 9 )
- c. Dozens of young people showed up in response
to a (n) ________________ for four vacancies. - d. The new manager herself is a good
________________ for the country
advertisement
advertisement
76Exercises ( 10 )
- Difference An advertisement, used mainly in
written English, is a general word for any
announcements in a newspaper, on television, or
on a poster about something such as a product,
event, or job vacancies. Commercial is a term for
any advertising message that broadcast during a
radio or television programme or between
programmes.
77Exercises ( 11 )
- 3. VERSION TRANSLATION
- a. The whole secret of _________ is to have a
sound grasp of the language with its underlying
culture. - b. The film _________ of Gone With The Wind has
attracted more audience than the novel itself.
translation
version
78Exercises ( 12 )
- c. In most business circumstances, literal
___________ are preferred from the foreign
language into the mother tongue. - d. The Chinese _________ of the autobiography is
said to be a poor copy of the original.
translations
version
79Exercises ( 13 )
- Difference Translation emphasized the act of
saying or writing something again in a different
language, while version refers to a particular or
one-sided statement or expression of something,
always implying an alternative or several other
possible accounts of the same thing.
80Exercises ( 14 )
- LOCATE FIND
- a. He finally _________ the missing keys in a
jacket he had put in storage for the summer. - b. In 1935 British physicist Sir Robert
Watson-Watt used reflected radio waves to _______
aircraft in flight .
found
locate
81Exercises ( 15 )
- c. Im sure I wouldnt have ______ better service
anywhere else. - d. The CPUs control unit used the programme
counter to _________ the next instruction from
memory.
found
locate
82Exercises ( 16 )
- Difference
- Find implies either a search for something new or
the discovering of something lost but previously
possessed, while locate emphasizes the fixing of
an occurrence or thing in space, or to find out
where something is .
83Exercises ( 17 )
- Translation exercises
- Translate each of the following sentences into
English, using the word or phrase given in the
bracket. Inflect the word or phrase where
necessary.
84Exercises ( 18 )
- 1. ????????????????????????( access )
- We all hope to access in an easy and convenient
way every kind of information we need. - 2. ???????,????????
- Please figure the total, and I shall pay it with
a check.
85Exercises ( 19 )
- 3. ??????????????????( on occasion )
- Jewels are worn only on great occasions.
- 4. ????????????????????(challenge)
- Mt. Qomolangma is the supreme challenge to a
mountain climber.
86Exercises ( 20 )
- 5. 1996?4?,??????????????????,??????,????????(marv
el at) - In April 1996, we made a sightseeing tour of
Scotland by minibus. While touring through
Scotland, we all marveled at the beauty of the
landscape there.
87Exercises ( 21 )
- 6. ?????????????????,????????????( under way)
- The local government has sent several officials
to investigate the case. Now the investigation is
under way.
88Exercises ( 22 )
- 7. ?????????,???????(proceed )
- The politician waited for the applause to die
down and then proceeded with his speech. - 8. ???,????????????????
- Dont worry about it. We can resolve the matter
to your satisfaction.
89Exercises ( 23 )
- 9. ????????????????(associate with )
- People usually associate poverty with misery.
- 10. ?????????,????????????????????
- Hes becoming more cynical, probably from hanging
around with newspapermen.
90Exercises ( 24 )
- Exercises for integrated skills
- Dictation
- When Charles Babbage,/ a professor of mathematics
of Cambridge University,/ invented the first
calculating machine in 1812, / he could hardly
have imagined the situation we find ourselves in
today. / Nearly everything we do in the modern
world is helped, or even controlled, by computer,
/ the complicated descendants of this simple
machine./
91Exercises ( 25 )
- Computers are being used more and more
extensively in the world today,/ for the simple
reason that they far more efficient than human
beings./ In fact, computers can do many of the
things we do ,/ but faster and better./ They can
pay wages, / reserve seats on planes,/ control
machines in factories, / work out tomorrows
weather, / and even play chess, / write poetry, /
or compose music. / Computer display tremendous
functions in all walks of life, / such as
education, banking, industry, medicine, military
affairs, etc.
92- Text ?
- Computer Technology Keeps People Worlds Apart
93 Comprehension questions of Text ?( 1 )
- 1.What does the author discover about his
roommate? - 2. Why does the author call his roommate a smart
guy? - 3. Why do many people prefer online conversations
to telephone conversations? - 4. What are the authors arguments against the
Web? - 5. What does the author regard as the main value
of personal contact ?
94 Comprehension questions of Text ?( 2 )
- 6. What problem is the school confronting?
- 7. According to the author, what real problems
may occur in the modern society? - 8. Do you agree that computer technology keeps
people worlds apart?
95 Comprehension questions of Text?( 3 )
- Keys
- 1. His roommate often goes online to chat with
other computer users. - 2. He often chats with his friends in person
whenever possible because he understands the
drawbacks of online conversations.
96 Comprehension questions of Text?( 4 )
- 3. They think that chatting online provides them
with much privacy they cant get from telephone
conversations and it is more accurate. - 4. People become socially isolated and some may
spend a lot of time in front of a PC. - 5. Personal contact makes it possible for people
to live and word together.
97 Comprehension questions of Text?( 5 )
- 6. Student participation at school events
continue to decline because they are more
interested in what they can do with a PC. - 7. There will be less personal interaction.
People will be less aware of society and children
will not learn how they are expected to behave.
98Oral Activities ( 1 )
- ? Converse with one of your classmates on the
following. - 1. What do you really desire to learn from the
web sites on the Internet? - 2. Which do you prefer, reading daily newspapers
or the capsule summaries on the net?
99Oral Activities ( 2 )
- ?. Form two groups. One is to defend the idea
stated in the following topics the other is to
challenge it . Air your views as clearly as
possible. - 1. Its time waster to surf so many web sites on
the internet just to find a little relevant
information we need. - 2. Making friends on the net is fun.
100Oral Activities ( 3 )
- 3. Online shopping is easy. Click the mouse
device, provide credit card number, and then
everything is done. - 4. As the Internet becomes more popular, it will
be another place of business controlled by fewer
and fewer companies.
101Writing Practice
- Write a composition on one of the topics listed
below. Your composition should be no less than
150 words. Remember to write neatly. - 1)E_mail or Letter-writing?
- 2)Should Computer Games Be Prohibited?
102- Samples
- Email or Letter-writing?
- Today millions of people are turning from
letter writing to e-mail. They believe that
e-mail is - much more convenient and far faster than regular
letters. And they say that e-mail is an informal
medium, ideal for conveying messages to friends
and colleagues. This is certainly true. A letter
travels by air, by train, by bus and finally by
the postman's bicycle before it reaches the
receiver. It always takes several days. In
contrast, when someone uses e-mail, the only
thing they need to do is to type the letter and
press some keys to send it. In principle, within
a few minutes, their friend or colleague can read
the letter. The e-mail system is so convenient
that some businesses are even able to run global
projects.
103- But I would like to state that I prefer
writing letters on real paper, using real
envelopes. Though it is slow, there is feeling in
it though it is not convenient, I can savor a
letter again and again, l also think that when
you write a "real" letter, you take your time.
You are more careful with your words than when
you are typing an e-mail. So there is less chance
of being misinterpreted . Whenever I'm reading a
letter or writing a letter, I'm happy. When I'm
writing a letter, I put my feeling into the
letter. I write it just as if I were talking to
my friend face to face. Gradually, the paper
becomes covered in words. They are not empty
words they are my expectations. I fold the
paper, seal the envelope, attach the stamp, and
then my words, my feelings, my hopes are on the
way - When Im reading a letter, I feel that my
friend is
104- talking intimately with me face to face. From
his handwriting I can guess what his mood is,
happy, gloomy or whatever. Perhaps I have not
kept pace with technology, but I have never felt
that intimacy reading an email. In comparison to
paper, the monitor is cold. - In the final analysis, email is too fast,
so it becomes too realistic and much less
romantic. Although perhaps email coped with
modern society better, personally I cannot
embrace email with any real enthusiasm. I think
there is an urgent need to slow down the pace of
our lives by writing a few letters. Posting our
feelings, guessing our friends feeling and
enjoying the happiness letters bring us.
105- Should Computer Games Be Prohibited?
- With the development of personal computers,
another business is flourishing with striking
speed and is getting closer to uscomputer games.
Anyone who touches a PC will be drawn into the
world of PC games. It is impossible to resist
them. There are so interesting , so well designed
and so easy to learn that they can capture
peoples attention quickly, irrespective of their
age. - Some children , usually boys, are very keen
on PC games. Yet their parents and teachers are
strongly against computer games. They think PC
games are just a waste of time and that they
undermine their childrens social skills. They
say that PC games can
106- ruin childrens eyesight and health, that PC
games are turning their lovely kids into dull and
unemotional sticks of wood. They wonder how those
games are even allowed to exist and develop. Of
course they forbid their children to play
computer games. - However, by all indications, adults are
too absolute, and they are alarmed too easily.
Computer games do have some negative effects, and
there really are some children who become
addicted, but we should not neglect the positive
effects. Computer games are a good form of
recreation. They can provide a mental challenge,
sharpen our mind, quicken our reflexes, motivate
our interest in computers and enable us to learn
a little by playing.
107- In short, it they are not played
excessively, computer games will do no harm. On
the contrary, they will benefit. We should not
prohibit playing computer games. In the final
analysis, all we need is more self-control.
108