35 Communications and the Internet

A The Internet
The Internet / the net is a network connecting millions
of computer users worldwide. The World Wide Web / the
Web is a huge portion of the Internet containing linked
documents, called pages.
If you have a broadband connection then your access to
the Internet should be fast. Many cafés and other public
places now offer people a wi-fi /waɪfaɪ/ connection to
the Internet - this means that you can access the Internet
through a wireless network, i.e. without needing a cable
of any kind.
When you browse, you look for information on the Internet. The software that helps you do this can
be called a browser (e.g. Internet Explorer® or Firefox®). You use a search engine to help you locate
what you want. Google® is one of the best known search engines and people now talk about googling
someone or something. You can easily spend a lot of time surfing the net / the Web. [navigating
around the Internet, sometimes aimlessly]
A website is a document on the Web giving information about a particular subject, person or
institution. The introductory page is called the home page. From this there are links to other pages.
Good websites are easy to navigate or find your way around. One option on many websites is an FAQ
page. This stands for ‘frequently asked questions’, a list of common questions and helpful answers.
You can bookmark websites that you log on1 to frequently.
If a website gets a lot of hits, that means that it has been visited by a lot of people.
Sometimes you need to subscribe to a site, which means you become a member of it.
This may involve having a special username and choosing a password. You will only
be able to log in2 to the site if you enter this information correctly.
You can store your data on your computer or phone, or you can store it in the cloud3. .
1 opp= log off 2 opp = log out 3 a network of servers on the Internet where data can be stored and viewed
from any device

B Online communication

You can communicate with others by email. With an email you can include an
attachment. You can attach a photo, for example. You can also send someone
an e-card. A server is a powerful central computer from which other computers
get information. If your (ISP) internet service provider’s server is down [not
functioning], you may not be able to send emails.
You can use your computer to Skype friends and family - the software allows
you to make phone calls using your computer and the Internet, and you can see
which people on your contact list are online at the same time. If you each have
a webcam, you can see each other as you talk.
Many modern online programs can be called interactive, i.e. they allow users
to become involved in the exchange of information. For example, social
networking sites like Facebook are a popular way for people to keep in touch
with their friends.
A wiki is a website which allows users to add, delete and edit its contents.
Wikipedia is perhaps the world’s largest wiki. Blogs are also interactive as they
are a kind of online diary that readers can add comments to. Many people are
involved in online gaming, playing with people who they have never met. Often
these games make use of virtual reality. [a set of images and sounds produced by a
computer, which represent a place or a situation that the gamer can take part in]

76 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
35.1 Which word from the box matches each definition?

attachment bookmark browser contact list navigate internet service provider

password search engine server cloud
1 email addresses, phone numbers, etc. for the people you know contact list
2 something that you send with an email
3 an individual combination of letters and digits that you use to log in to a
website
4 a way of accessing a favourite website quickly
5 software that allows you to surf the web
6 a company that enables you to use the web
7 software that helps you to locate the websites that you need
8 a large computer that holds information that can be accessed by smaller
computers
9 to find your way around a website or between websites
10 a network of servers where you can store your data on the Internet

35.2 Choose a word from the opposite page to complete each sentence.
1 WWW stands for World Wide Web .
2 I read that journalist’s every day - he’s always got something interesting to
say and often readers add some very interesting comments.
3 I couldn’t the Internet last night. The server must have been .
4 It’s wonderful being able to my cousins who live in Australia - I love seeing them
as well as talking to them.
5 I’ve decided to to my favourite newspaper’s website. It doesn’t cost much and it
has lots of interesting stuff there.
6 I like this website because it has lots of very useful to all sorts of other sites
that interest me.
7 My brother loves online gaming, particularly reality games.
8 An website is one which allows users to add comments to it or edit its
content in some way.

35.3 Are these statements true or false? If they are not true, correct them.
1 Google® is the name of a browser. False - Google is the name of a search engine.
2 FAQ stands for Fast Answers to Questions.
3 If a café says that it has wi-fi access, you can get online with your laptop there.
4 A wiki is a kind of computer device.
5 When you want to use some websites you may be asked to enter a password.
6 If you send someone an e-card they will receive it in the post.
7 When you want to stop using the net, you log on.
8 A website’s home page is the one where you will find key information about the site
and links to its other pages.

35.4 Over to you

Answer these questions about yourself.
1 What do you mainly use the Internet for? 4 How often do you use social networking sites?
2 What is your search engine of choice? 5 Do you write a blog or read anyone else’s blog?
3 Which websites have you bookmarked? 6 Do you enjoy online gaming?

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 77