The importance of Facebook

THE IMPORTANCE OF FACEBOOK AS A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE

Five sentences have been removed from the article. Decide which sentence (A-F) goes in which gap (1-5). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

A. in a negative way B. the value of relationships C. online social media sites D. The opportunities are endless E. with the number of users growing F. play online games

READING

When we talk about social networking, one word that will definitely come to mind is Facebook. It started out as a simple website for college classmates to keep in touch and it became popular in no time. Facebook has transformed itself into the largest and one of the most popular ________________(1). It is used by both teenagers and adults of all ages and has more than 600 million regular users worldwide, about half of whom visit the site every day in order to check their updates and, increasingly,________________(2).

Facebook allows users to create personal profiles where they can add pictures, videos, music, personal information and messages, as well as many other interesting features. One of the reasons for its popularity is the fact that it is seen as the fastest way to keep in touch with friends or members of the family. It is also a great way to meet and get to know other people who share your interests and hobbies or to expand one’s personal and professional connections. Since it can be used as a brochure or billboard, it is regularly used for the mass promotion of products and services in business. (3)___________________.

However, everyone should be aware that there are some significant drawbacks to Facebook as well. Firstly, social networking tools can easily become an addiction and affect your life_________________ (4). If you start to notice that your school assignments are still not done because you are spending too much time on the computer, or instead of going out with your friends you prefer to stay at home, the first thing you should do is to set yourself a certain time each day for using the computer.

Furthermore, it is believed that Facebook is spoiling (5)_________________. Although the number of friends on one’s Facebook list keeps going up, how many of them are one’s real friends is a question best left unanswered. Friendship is more than just knowing a person over the Internet.

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104 Glossary

significant – important drawback – disadvantage, negative aspect

COMPREHENSION

Complete the sentences using the information in the text.

1. At the beginning, students used Facebook to ________________________________________. 2. By using the computer, it is now much faster to _______________________________________. 3. Because of the popularity of the Facebook website, a lot of people ________________________. 4. Facebook is one of the most addictive social phenomena which __________________________. 5. Spending too much time on the Internet can become a problem if _______________________.

VOCABULARY

a cb

1 Match the highlighted words from the text to their explanations below.

1. more and more = 2. to rise to a higher level = 3. to increase in size or amount = 4. in addition to what has been said = 5. a job or duty that is given to someone ; a task = 6. to change form or appearance =

2 Complete the sentences below using the words from the box. significant expand assignment access features drawback

1. We have the Internet ______________ at the library. 2. There is a ________________ difference in prices between the two stores. 3. The only ______________ to the plan is that we don’t have the money it requires. 4. The committee has decided to ____________ their activities. 5. The students were given a homework______________. 6. The new machine has several _____________that make it easy to use.

3 Match a word from box A with one from box B to form collocations from the text.

Think of other possible collocations with the words (1-7) and write them in box C. The first collocation has been done as an example.

A B C

1. college 2. social 3. keep 4. mass 5. interesting 6. significant 7. affect a. classmates b. one’s life c. drawbacks d. media e. in touch f. promotion g. features 1. college graduate 2. ________________ 3. ________________ 4. ________________ 5. ________________ 6. ________________ 7. ________________

4 Make new sentences to practise the use of collocations.

E.g. He invited all of his college classmates to his birthday party. / He is a college graduate.

PHRASAL VERBS with GO

1 Match phrasal verbs 1-6 with their explanations a-f.

1. go away 2. go in for 3. go off 4. go on 5. go out 6. go up a. stop burning (for a fire) b. rise or climb c. continue; happen d. leave e. explode; begin, start (with alarms or signals) f. take part in; participate

2 Use the correct form of the phrasal verb from the box to complete the sentences.

1. I made the dogs ____________ by yelling at them. 2. The bomb could ____________ at any moment. 3. Do ______________! I could listen to you sing all day. 4. The fire _______________ because we ran out of fuel for it. 5. Look! The prices have _________________ again! 6. Do you __________________ any sport?

EXPAND YOUR VOCABULARY

1 Study the meanings of the expressions with time and match them to their explanations.

1. Time’s up. Please hand in your tests. 2. The children ate their dinner in no time. 3. He can be quite stubborn at times. 4. I can only do one thing at a time. 5. Do you think we’ll get there in time? 6. Life was very different at that time. 7. Our meetings always start on time. a) before something happens; early enough b) then c) the allowed period of time has ended d) very quickly, immediately e) from time to time f) not late, punctual g) one by one

2 Complete the sentences using the expressions from Exercise 1.

1. The debate was highly emotional ______________. 2. Don’t worry! She will come back home __________________. 3. I pulled my blanket around me and was fast asleep_________________. 4. They had to focus on doing________________ in order not to make a mistake.

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SPEAKING 

Give a talk for a few minutes on the advantages of the Internet. These notes may help you. Add further arguments to support your opinion.

stay in contact more easily do business more quickly allows people to work from home encourages competition good for advertising provides all kinds of information

106 FOCUS ON

Compound nouns

Nouns can be combined to make a new word. These are called compound nouns. They are written in different ways. For example: • Facebook, billboard, newspaper, earphone, feedback, keyboard, notebook (one word)

• photo-tagging, sister-in-law, mass-produced, half-sister (hyphened)

• post office, real estate, high school, middle class, full moon (two words)

PRACTICE

1 Find the compound nouns in the text. 2 Make as many compounds as you can with these words as the second word: glasses / book / bottle / card / paper / machine / man / table / time e.g. sunglasses

READING AND VOCABULARY

The ‘Wall’ and the ‘Like’ button

Complete the passage by putting a word from the list into each space. There is one extra word.

their noticed positive both to so share many keep features

If you have used Facebook, you probably know what the ‘wall’ is about. Basically (1)_________ Myspace and Facebook allow people to create a profile outlining (2)_________ interests, such as what music they listen (3)_________, what movies they like and (4)_________ on. In the case of Facebook, each profile has a ‘wall’ on which friends can post short messages they want to (5) _________, the latest news, and posts from their other friends. Other users usually make comments on these posts.

One way to give (6)__________ feedback is to click the ‘Like’ button. The ‘Like’ button is now one of Facebook’s most popular (7) __________ and the most used and clicked button. Liking the post does not necessarily mean that you actually like it. Through liking, you also let others know that you have (8)_________ it. It also allows people to (9) ________an online relationship. If one has a more private message he wants to share, he can send a message directly to another user.

WORD FORMATION

1 Write the nouns formed from verbs 1-8 below. Then make sentences, using both the nouns and verbs.

Example: He knew how to create a party atmosphere. These innovations will lead to the creation of new products.

1. create creation 2. promote ______________ 3. advertise ______________ 4. participate _____________ 5. assign _____________ 6. affect _____________ 7. add _____________ 8. endure _____________

2 For each pair of sentences (A-E), use two of the words given in capitals.

A FORTUNATE/ FORTUNATELY/UNFORTUNATE

1) We were late getting to the airport, but _____________ our plane was delayed. 2) It is extremely ___________ that there was no one in the building when the bomb went off.

B AVOID/AVOIDABLE/UNAVOIDABLE

1) We all described them as ____________ mistakes and promised not to repeat them. 2) ‘The financial crisis was _____________,’ concluded the government official.

C MAINTAIN/MAINTAINED/ MAINTENANCE

1) Meanwhile, our roads are falling apart due to the lack of____________. 2) The children managed to ____________ a good relationship with both their parents.

D VISIBLE/VISIBILITY/INVISIBLE

1) In some cases, ____________ is only 6 metres, which may affect safety. 2) The lines were so fine that they were ____________ from a distance.

E ACCESS/ACCESSIBLE/ACCESSIBILITY

1) In order to make the service ____________ to all, we offer it free of charge. 2) Wireless ____________ to the Internet has been made available in our hotels.

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108 GRAMMAR

THE INFINITIVE

1. There are some verbs that are only followed by an infinitive: agree, afford, fail, happen, hesitate, manage, plan, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, etc. I managed to leave on time. 2. Some verbs are followed by an object and an infinitive: advise, allow, invite, mean, teach, tell, expect, etc. He advised him to go there immediately. 3. The infinitive form is always used after adjectives: disappointed, glad, happy, pleased, etc. I was happy to help them. / She will be delighted to see you.

The infinitive without ‘to’

The infinitive without ‘to’ is used after: a. auxiliary/modal verbs: can, could, must, may, might, should, will or would, and after the expressions had better, would rather/sooner.

You mustn’t smoke here. / He would rather stay at home.

b. the verbs let, make, feel, hear and see.

She felt the spider bite her leg. / They saw him climb up onto the roof.

Note: Some verbs (stop, remember, forget, etc.) can be followed by both gerunds and infinitives with a difference in meaning: stop + gerund = finish doing something She’s angry with me and has stopped talking to me. stop + infinitive = stop one action and start another We stopped to have a rest. remember / forget + gerund = something which happened in the past.

I remember having to wake up very early when I was at school.

I’ll never forget arriving at work for the first time. remember / forget + infinitive = something which will happen in the future.

Please remember to buy some bread when you go to the supermarket.

Don’t forget to pay the electricity bill tomorrow.

PRACTICE

1 Work in pairs. Study the text The importance of Facebook as a social networking site and find the following:

• examples of verbs that are followed by an infinitive with ‘to’. • examples of the pattern: adjective + infinitive. • examples of verbs that are followed by an infinitive without ‘to’.

2 Complete the sentences with an infinitive or the –ing form of the verbs in brackets.

1. He managed __________ the report before he went home. (finish) 2. He wanted to avoid __________ the Underground. (take) 3. Would you mind __________ for a few minutes? (wait) 4. He made her _____________ although it was cold. (swim) 5. She pretended not __________ what I was doing. (notice) 6. I miss __________ tennis with him. (play) 7. He promised __________ a long letter to me. (write) 8. He couldn’t afford _________ a flat like that. (rent) 9. I am used to _________________ her in a bad mood. (find) 10. I used ___________________that television show when I was young. (watch) 11. It was impossible ___________ back. (go) 12. You’d better _____________ nothing when you see her. (say)

3 Complete the sentences in your own words, using the correct verb pattern.

1. I will never forget _______________________ for the first time. 2. I find it difficult ____________________________________. 3. I remember ____________________________ when I was my son’s age. 4. I regretted _______________________________when I saw how sad she was. 5. I like ________________________________ when the weather is nice. 6. My neighbour stopped __________________________ when he saw me.

KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS

Rewrite the second sentence so that it means the same as the first.

1. I wonder if you would close the window because I feel cold. /mind

I wonder __________________________________. 2. My brother has the ability to succeed in his exams. /capable

My brother _________________________________________. 3. I don’t really want to go on holiday with them. /rather

I______________________________________ them. 4. My parents didn’t allow me to stay up late when I was young. /let

My parents ___________________ stay up late when I was young. 5. The journalist succeeded in escaping from the war zone. /managed

The journalist _________________________from the war zone. 6. I want to go to university this year. /interested

I ____________________________to university this year. 7. ‘Don’t forget to buy some eggs, Ann,’ said her mother. /reminded

Ann’s mother ________________________________ buy some eggs. 8. The teacher forced the pupils to learn the poem by heart. /made

The teacher _______________________________ the poem by heart.

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110 COMMUNICATION 1 FINDING THINGS IN COMMON

SO DO I! NEITHER DO I!

• When we want to say that we do or feel the same as someone else, we can use:

So + auxiliary verb + subject after positive statements. I can ski. - So can I. / I’ve got a headache. - So have I.

• After negative statements, we use Neither or Nor + auxiliary verb + subject. I don’t like English beer. – Neither do I. / Nor do I. I’m not enjoying this. – Neither am I. / Nor am I.

Note: When there is no auxiliary verb in the first statement, we use do, does or did after So/Neither/Nor.

We live in Manchester. – So do we. / I wanted to go. – So did I.

Match the replies on the right with the sentences on the left.

1. I get along with my parents. 2. I don’t like jogging. 3. I’ve never eaten Thai food. 4. I’d like to travel alone. 5. I’ve just bought a pet. 6. I’m not good at playing games. 7. I can’t drive a car. a) So have I. b) Neither can I. c) So do I. d) Neither am I. e) Neither do I. f) So would I. g) Neither have I.

2 Agreeing and disagreeing

1 Study the expressions in the box and do the exercise.

Stating an opinion • In my opinion... • The way I see it... • As far as I’m concerned... • If you ask me... • I think… Expressing agreement • I couldn’t agree with you more. • That’s so true. / That’s for sure. • You’re absolutely right. • That’s exactly how I feel. • No doubt about it. • You have a point there. Expressing disagreement • I don’t think so. • (I’m sorry, but) I don’t agree. • I’m afraid I disagree. • No, I’m not so sure about that. • No way. / I totally disagree. (strong)

2 Conversation practice Express your opinion on the following subjects and have a partner agree or disagree with you. Then switch roles. For example: A: I don’t think people should smoke. - B: I absolutely agree. • Smoking should be banned. • TV addiction. • Television is the leading cause of violence in today’s society. • High school students should wear uniforms. • Rock and Roll is the best kind of music. • Computers are very important in education. • Success in life means money. • Men gossip more than women.

IDIOMS & PROVERBS

Match the idiom with its explanation. Do you know similar proverbs in Serbian? 1. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. 2. A penny for your thoughts. 3. I can make neither head nor tail (out) of it.

a. This idiom is used as a way of asking someone what they are thinking about. b. When people are apart, their love grows stronger. c. Not able to understand.

Quotations about media and journalism Explain the meaning of the following sayings in your own words.

 No news is good news.  In the real world, the right thing never happens in the right place and at the right time. It is the job of journalists and historians to make it appear that it has. ~ Mark Twain  I always turn to the sports section first. The sports section records people’s accomplishments; the front page nothing but man’s failures. ~ Earl Warren, 1968  If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed. ~ Author unknown

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