Text “The Internet and Information Revolution”

In 1969, the USE Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency needed a system for computers "to talk" to each other via the telephone. They created a network of computers called DARPANET. In 1984, the US Na­tional Science Foundation started the NSNET network, a system of five supercomputer centres.

More and more people and agencies wanted to join the network. NSNET became known as the Inter-Net-Network. People started calling it the Internet.

Today, there are millions of computers all over the world which are con­nected to the Internet.

The World Wide Web is the most popular area of the Internet. The Web is a huge collection of documents, from all over the world. It contains a mixture of texts, images and sounds and is very user-friendly.

The Internet is a source of information that is accessible through a computer. It consists of millions of pages of data about every possible subject. Twenty-five million people surf the Internet every day. The Internet is already the biggest source of information of the planet. It will soon be the main source of material for students and teachers of many different sub­jects.

To access the Internet, you need a service provider, a company which can bring the Internet to your computer screen. Then you can access the information via your telephone line.

If you have the website address of a company or service that you want, you simply type it and you arrive automatically at the page you want. If you haven't got a particular website address, there are several directories or search engines which can help you, such as Alta Vista, Yahoo! or Infoseek. There are then two ways to find information directories and key-word searches.

 Vocabulary:

a network – «павутина з роботи»;                            huge – величезний;

     a source of information – джерело інформації;   accessible – доступний;

     to surf – «плавати» (в Інтернеті);                       data – дані, відомості;

      via – через;                                                              particular – особливий, специфічний;

     to access- мати доступ;                                           service provider – служба забезпечення.

Task 1

Match the beginning of the sentences with their endings

1. If you haven't got a particular website address	a) which are con­nected to the Internet.
2. Internet will soon be the main source of material	b) a system of five supercomputer centres.
3. There are millions of computers all over the world	c) from all over the world.
4. In 1984, the US Na­tional Science Foundation  started the NSNET network	d) there are several directories or search engines which can help you.
5. The Web is a huge collection of documents	e) a company which can bring the Internet to your computer screen.
6. A service provider is	f) for students and teachers of many different sub­jects.

Task 2

Write whether the following statements True or False   

1. The Internet is a source of information that is accessible through cable TV.
2. You can’t access the Internet without a service provider.
3. The first network of computers was called DARPANET.
4. The Internet consists of millions of pages of data about different subjects.
5. Directories and keyword searches are two ways to find information.
6. You can’t do a keyword search without knowing the website address.

 Task 3

Write about using the Internet in your town.