English Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Book with Answers and Enhanced eBook Vocabulary Reference and Practice 3rd Edition

48
The pros and cons of internet use
Here are some possible advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons) of the internet.
pros
email, 
instant messaging
1
, 
chat 
rooms
2
, 
newsgroups
3
, 
social 
networking sites
4
, 
webinars
5
e-commerce
6
(e.g. internet banking, 
travel booking), 
e-books, e-learning
accessing vast amounts of useful 
information, fun of just 
browsing
7
and 
surfing the web
8
ability to transfer 
graphic images
9
and 
sound files
 
ability to send files as 
attachments
10
, 
usefulness of 
file-sharing
11
gaming – you can play video games 
with anyone in the world
cons
ISP
12
charges can be high for heavy 
users, people you’ve never met may get 
your 
contact details, your account may 
be 
hacked
13
download
14
and 
upload
15
times can 
be slow, e-books don’t feel the same as 
real books, e-learners may miss a ‘live’ 
teacher
spam
16
and 
junk mail
17
can be 
annoying
can become 
addictive
18
cookies
19
track your activities on the 
web
many sites contain 
offensive 
material
20
, 
parental control
21
may be 
necessary for children
Email and internet communications
I’ve 
bookmarked the CNN home page, as I use it regularly to get the latest news. 
[put it in a list of 
websites I can access immediately]
If you 
subscribe to newsgroups, you often get hundreds of messages. 
[become a member of]
Some ISPs allow you to 
screen out / filter out unwanted mail. 
[prevent from reaching you]
Our 
server at work was down yesterday, so I didn’t get your message till today. 
[central computer that 
distributes email and other services to a group of users] [not working]
Do you have good 
anti-virus software? It’s worth updating it frequently. 
[protection against 
computer viruses]
She must have changed her email address – the email I sent her 
bounced. 
[came back to me]
She often 
posts ridiculous details about her life on social networking sites. 
[adds them]
See also Unit 56.
A
B
1
a kind of email where both people are online at the same time
2
an online conversation between a group of people on topics 
chosen by them, where you can enter or leave the ‘room’ at any 
time
3
a website where people with shared interests can get news and 
information
4
websites that enable you to connect with other people, make 
new friends, exchange photographs, keep up with people’s 
personal news, etc.
5
online seminars
6
all kinds of business done on the internet
7
looking at different websites, with no particular goal
8
moving from one website or web page to another, usually 
looking for something
9
technical term for pictures, icons, diagrams, etc.
10
files you send with email messages
11
the practice of sharing computer data or space on a network
12
(pronounced I-S-P)