Ex.2 Would you prefer face-to-face or e-mail communication with

· your relatives

· your teachers

· your friends

· your lover

Give your reasons for each case.

Vocabulary

lid крышка

latch щеколда

lead-based paint краска на свинцовой основе

coveted treat заманчивое развлечение

rounders английская лапта

lawsuit судебный процесс

prosecution предъявление иска

to bail sb out выручать из беды, отпускать под залог

unheard of неслыханно

to side with поддерживать, быть на чьей-либо стороне

Text 16

Ex.1. Read the two models and decide which is good and which is bad. Justify your decision.

MODEL 1. Computers are a major technological breakthrough of the twentieth century. Their benefits are numerous yet much can be said against them. Clive James, an Australian critic, once said that "It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are".

The main disadvantage of computers is that staring at a screen for long periods of time can be damaging to the eyes, and sitting on a chair for hours at a time is certainly not healthy. Secondly, computers distract from social interactions such as conversation. Also, people can be inclined to become anti-social and stay at home to use their computer. Finally, the most persuasive argument against the use of computers is that the more jobs which are done by computers, the less are done by people.

However, the advantages of computers are numerous, such as the undeniable educational benefits, especially to children. School subjects become more interesting when presented on a computer screen. Moreover, computers can be fun with a seemingly endless variety of games which can be played on them. In addition, computers are valuable to any business, making life easier and saving time by being capable of storing and retrieving vast amounts of information at the touch of a button. Furthermore, personal gains can be seen as the use of computers increases powers of concentration.

To sum up, there are strong arguments both for and against the use of computers. Yet, despite the health problems, risk to jobs and lack of personal interaction, it seems that as long as the use of computers is regulated, the benefits computers provide to education and business are invaluable.

MODEL 2

There is no doubt that computers have made my and my friends' lives easier. Business can also benefit from using computers but there are many problems too.

It's easy for students to learn on computers because things seem more exciting and interesting when you see them on a screen rather than in a book. There are also lots of games you can play too and you can become so interested in them that you don't want to do your homework. You can also become unfriendly because you don't want to go out. You only want to stay in your room and play with your computer. My mum says "It's not healthy to be sitting down all day."

Most workplaces have computers nowadays and it does make jobs faster and easier and they're supposed to help you with your concentration but many computers can do the same job a person can and quicker which might mean that he loses his job. This happens to many people.

Finally, I think computers are good because they help people a lot and statistics say that this is true.

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