материалы для подготовки к гиа
материал по английскому языку (9 класс) по теме

Общение в семье и школе, семейные традиции,

межличностные отношения с друзьями и знакомыми.

What is friendship? Some people will say that it is a feeling of mutual liking between two or more people, other will add that it is a state when one person understands and supports the other one. Respect and tolerance are also very important; it means that you don't criticize your friend's way of life, but try to understand him, discuss problems with him and explain to him what you think is good and what is bad. A friend is a person who can help you at any time. Lucky are those people who have friends. I'm happy to have lots of friends, too. Some of them are very close, some are less. But all of them make my life interesting and enjoyable.

I appreciate friendship. It makes happiness brighter and grief less painful, because we have friends to share it with. They are rich who have true friends, says a proverb and I agree with it.

People can't live without communication. And that is why all people must have friends - people, who are willing to help them, who can help to overcome hardships. To my mind, generosity is the main feature of friendship. And true friends are free from selfishness, envy, meanness, indifference, sufferings, etc. To my mind, a real friend is a person, who never leaves you alone in your troubles, whom we can fully rely on, whom we can trust, and who never says unpleasant things, which can hurt our feelings. Friendship is the most valuable thing in the world. If you feel bad or if you want to tell somebody about your thoughts, you may tell it to your friend, who understands you, your problems, your thoughts, who will help.

To make friends

To be of the same age

Slender – стройный (slim)

Honest

Just – справедливый

Understanding

To trust

To rely on sb

Responsible

Whatever – что бы ни…

Shortcoming – недостаток (в человеке)

Stubborn

To be pleasant to deal with – приятно иметь дело с кем-либо

Talented

Quarrel

Misunderstanding

To share

To respect

Fairness - справедливость

Strong will

Intellect

Modesty - скромность

Politeness

Acquaintance – знакомство, знакомый

Close friend – близкий друг

To get to know sb., to get acquainted with  sb.- познакомиться с к-л

Lifelong friends – друзья на всю жизнь

To keep in touch with sb. – поддерживать связь с к-л

To get along well – хорошо ладить

To have similar backgrounds – иметь ч-л общее в прошлом (образование, происхождение)

To fall out with sb. – поссориться с к-л

To put up with sb., to make it up with sb. – мириться с к-л

A fellow – товарищ

Today  almost half of humanity lives in cities.

Urban and rural living each have their own benefits and disadvantages. The environment you choose will affect your lifestyle, day-to-day activities and, possibly, your health. Our  personality, job and financial situation may influence the choice of environment.

Life in the city is much easier than in the country - developed transport system, information, sports, shopping malls etc. There is far more entertainment in the city than in the country. Cities offer high concentration of good things in life: big stores, restaurants, theatres, cinema, art galleries. Life is more convenient in a city: services are always better here. In the city people are more open-minded. It is possible to go out, make friends and never be cut off from them by weather conditions. In the city people have more chances to be employed. Besides in the city people have more chances to succeed. Moreover, life is never dull in the city, people always have something to do here.

There are some very important disadvantages of living in a city.

Pollution is the greatest disadvantage of the city life of today. Polluted air is hanging like a brown cloud over cities. Dirt and smoke are pouring from the buildings of cites and factories. Increased number of motor vehicles not only jams the city streets but pollute the city air as well.

Cost of living is very high in the cities. In addition, people live under constant threat; life is not quiet in the cities, it causes stresses and heart decease. In the city people loose touch with land, rhythms of nature. Everyone who cares about his health tries to move out from the city.

The job market in the country is smaller than the job markets that could be found in the cities. In the country people have their farm and even their own stores but in the cities people are mostly working for companies. Also in the country people are more open in exchanging goods and services in return for such and in the cities it is only the money that makes everything possible. Peace of mind also comes free in the country simply because there is less to worry and stress about.  Besides, living in the countryside is cheaper and safer than in a city. It provides people with more security. There is less crime and, of course, there is less traffic there. Life in the countryside is quiet, peaceful, and healthy. The environment in the country is better than in the cities, there are less pollution, fewer factories and less noise in the country. Besides, living in the countryside is cheaper and safer than in a city. It provides people with more security. There is less crime and, of course, there is less traffic there. Life in the countryside is quiet, peaceful, and healthy.

One of the drawbacks of living in the country is poor quality of education in schools there. Country schools usually do not have good facilities like for example gyms or computer rooms. Besides, students have often problems with finding studying materials as the access to the Internet still is not widespread there. Moreover, children develop their natural talents since they cannot attend any additional lessons or courses.

The most serious problem of living in the country is the problem with finding a job. There are no companies or factories that would offer people employment. Therefore most dwellers of the country are farmers who have to work very hard in the fields to earn their living. Those who are lucky enough, find work in nearby towns but then there is a problem with commuting as the communication network is not developed well in the country.

Another bad side of country life is lack of entertainment. There are no cafes or cinemas where people could spend their free time and socialize with their friends.

All things considering, it is obvious that both country and city life have their advantages and disadvantages. Some people find metropolises more exciting and appealing than small towns but others prefer beauty and tranquillity of the countryside. The choice whether to live depends on every person's character and preferences.

The family plays a very important role in everybody’s life. Job achievements, mood and  happiness depend on family relations. When a family is happy, it means that all the members of the family trust each other, tell each other about their joys and sorrows. Children love, respect and obey their parents. All the members of the family must have special duties and help each other/ this will make their life easier. So to create a happy family is a difficult problem, but everything depends on us.

Only when each member of the family thinks about the happiness of the others the family will be happy. Clever and understanding parents are always ready to help and find the way out.

Some families are happy, some are not. It seems to me that the reason is misunderstanding among the members of the family. One more thing is that teenagers can have most of the rights and responsibilities of adults. But before this they go through the period of adolescence and most of them experience conflicts at that time. They change rapidly both physically and emotionally. They are looking for self-identity as they grow up and become more independent.         

Very often teenagers develop interests and values different from those of their parents. This makes a conflict between two generations, which leads to a gap in mutual understanding. Traditional disagreements are: the time to come home at night, doing work about the house and the friends to spend time with.

But sometimes parents do not care about their children.  It is exactly at that age when young people need a piece of advice or help. So parents should help their children and find the right approach to them to make everything clear.

family gathering = a meeting / celebration of family members: "There's a small family gathering next week."

to bring up / raise a family = to have and look after children: "It's difficult to raise a family on one income."

family-size = large quantity item: "We need to buy family-size packets of biscuits!"

family-friendly = a policy that favours families: "This hotel is family-friendly."

family doctor = a doctor who looks after general medical needs: "There are a number of good family doctors in this area."

family man = a man who prefers to spend his time with his family: "John is a family man."

family values = traditional ideas about what a family should be: "Some political parties often emphasise family values and the importance of marriage."

family name = surname: "What's your family name?"

to honour [on∂] — почитать, уважать, чтить

misunderstanding — неправильное понимание, размолвка, ссора, разногласие

adolescence [,æd∂u'lesns] — подростковый возраст, юность

 values ['vælju:z] —достоинства, ценности

 generation — поколение

generation gap — конфликт, поколений, проблема отцов и детей

way out — выход из положения

I’m writing to ask for more information in connection with…

I would (also) like to know more about…

I would be grateful if you could tell me…

Could you tell me…

If there is anything else I need to know please let me know.

I saw your advertisement recently…

Finally,…

I look forward to hearing from you.

I’m writing to ask for more information in connection with…

I would (also) like to know more about…

I would be grateful if you could tell me…

Could you tell me…

If there is anything else I need to know please let me know.

I saw your advertisement recently…

Finally,…

I look forward to hearing from you.

I’m writing to ask for more information in connection with…

I would (also) like to know more about…

I would be grateful if you could tell me…

Could you tell me…

If there is anything else I need to know please let me know.

I saw your advertisement recently…

Finally,…

I look forward to hearing from you.

I’m writing to ask for more information in connection with…

I would (also) like to know more about…

I would be grateful if you could tell me…

Could you tell me…

If there is anything else I need to know please let me know.

I saw your advertisement recently…

Finally,…

I look forward to hearing from you.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands.

The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn’t include Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London.

The British Isles are separated from the continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of GB is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

Britain has a different landscape where you can find mountains, valleys and sandy beaches. There are a lot of rivers in GB but they are not very long. The Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The climate is mild because of the influence of warm waters of Gulf Stream. The weather is the favourite topic in England because it changes all the time. The best time of the year is spring. But still in spring it rains very often. The two worst months on the year are January and February. They are cold and unpleasant. Fog and smog are extremely bad in cities, especially in London.

The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries. And about 80% of its population live in cities.

 The UK is developed industrial country. They produce and export electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the main industries is shipbuilding.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. The Head of the State is the Queen but she doesn’t rule in practice. The country is ruled by The Prime Minister and the Parliament. The Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The most popular holiday in GB is Christmas. Before Christmas groups of singers go from one house to another. They collect money for charity and sing carols, traditional Christmas songs. There are many services in churches all over the country. The fun starts on the 24th of December. It’s a day when everybody decorates their trees. Children hang stockings at the end of their beds. They hope to receive present from Father Christmas. It’s a family holiday. Relatives usually get together for a special dinner and exchange presents and postcards.

The 26th of December is Boxing Day. It’s time to visit friends or just stay at home having rest.

New Year’s Day is less popular in Britain than Christmas.

There are some festivals in GB. One of them is Guy Fawkes Night. People usually burn a dummy called a “guy” and children collect money to buy some fireworks.

British people also have lots of traditions. They are extremely proud of them. For example, the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace. Most British like gardens in front of their houses. They usually have small gardens with green grass and a box of flowers. They also like animals very much, especially dogs. The British and tea can’t be separated. They drink tea every day. Tea was introduced to Britain in 1657. But by the 1800s the exotic drink became very popular with British people.

As for the British character they say that British people are naturally polite and they always say “I’m sorry”, “I beg your pardon”. They don’t like to show their emotions even in dangerous and tragic situations. Also they don’t like to show off in manners, dress or speech.

The mass media

The mass media play an important role in our life. Newspapers, radio and especially TV inform us of what is going on in this world and give us wonderful possibilities for education and shape our views.

Of course, not all newspapers and TV programmes report the events objectively but serious journalists and TV reporters try to be fair and provide us with reliable information.

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the Earth’s surface. Its total area is about 17million square km. the country is washed by 12 seas of 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic. It borders on many countries. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

In Russia there is a variety of scenery and vegetation. We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east.

There are two great plain in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others.

There are 2 million rivers in Russia. They are, for example, the Volga, the Ob, the Lena and the Yenisei.

Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world’s deepest lake is Lake Baikal. The water in it is so clean that you can see stones on the bottom.

On the territory of Russia there are various types of climate, from arctic to subtropical.

Russia is very rich in oil, coal, natural gas and other mineral resources.

 The Russian Federation is a parliamentary republic. The Head of the State is the President. The capital of Russia is Moscow. It’s its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It’s one of the oldest cities in Russia.

There are many national holidays in Russia when people all over the country do not work and have special celebrations. The most important holidays are New Year’s Day, Women’s Day, May Day, Victory Day and Independence Day.

The first holiday of the year is New Year’s Day. People see the new year in at midnight on the 31st of December. There are a lot of New Year traditions in Russia. In every home there is a New Year tree which is beautifully decorated. Children always wait for Father Frost to come and give them a present. It’s a family holiday.

Christmas is a religious holiday and lots of people go to church services on that day.

On the 8th of March we celebrate Women’s Day when men give women flowers and presents.

The greatest national holiday in this country is Victory Day. We’ll never forget out grandfathers and grandmothers who died to defend our Motherland. People usually put flowers on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Independence Day is a new holiday in Russia. On the 12th of June, 1992, the first President of Russia was elected.

Sports has always been popular in this country. There are different sporting societies and clubs in Russia. Many of them take part in different tournaments and are known all over the world. Our sportsmen participate in the Olympic Games and always win a lot of gold, silver and bronze medals.

Millions of people watch figure skating competitions, hockey and football matches, car races, tennis and other sport events. Doing sports is becoming more and more popular. Some people do it occasionally- swimming in summer, skiing or skating in winter – but many people go in for sports on a more regular basis. They try to find time to go a swimming pool or to a gym at least once a week for aerobics or yoga classes, body building.

Russian nature, spirit and genius come together in the greatest people of our land. M.Lomonosov was one of them. He was a great thinker, leader of Russian science, the inventor of many technologies, a poet, a translator and a historian. The first Russian university in Moscow was founded according to the project of Lomonosov. In 1940 the university  was named after him.

Vernadsky developed the greatest theory of the 20th century – biosphere, the environment which created us and which we represent.

K.Timiryazev was an outstanding botanist. He wrote about evolution in nature. He devoted all his life to photosynthesis of plants.

D.Mendeleev was the creator of his famous “Table of  chemical elements”.

A.Popov was the creator of radio. In 1895 he gave a working demonstration of the first radio receiver in the world and several months later he transmitted the radio message over 250 meters.

The role of English today

The modern world is becoming smaller all the time. Every day distances between the countries are getting smaller too. Because of this it’s more and more important to know different languages, especially English.

One billion people speak English today. That’s about 20% of the world’s population.

400 million people speak English as their first language. For about 600 million people English is their second or foreign language.

English is the first language in the UK, America, Australia and New Zealand.

As a second language English is spoken in more than 60 countries. It is used by government, businessmen and universities.

English is the language of politics, diplomacy, science, technology, business, trade, sport and music.

80% of information in the world’s computers is in English.

To know English today is extremely necessary for an educated person, for every good specialist. Learning language is not an easy thing. It’s a long and slow process. It takes much time, patience and effort. But it’s a must.

English is taught all over the world and lots of people speak it very well. In our country English is very popular. It’s studied at schools, colleges and universities. Many grown-ups start learning this language because it’s necessary for their career. Now many people have an opportunity to travel around the world quiet often. That’s why they need English not to het lost at the airport or in a foreign country. With the help of the Internet we can communicate with people from different countries. And again we have to be able to speak English to do it. So we see that there are lots of reasons to learn English well. We all need to understand each other. So we need an international language.

1. Why is it necessary to study English?
2. Is English popular in Russia?
3. When did you begin learning English?
4. Have you read any books in English?
5. Have you seen any films in English?
6. Have you ever visited an English-speaking country?
7. Do you often use English?
8. What other languages would you like to know?

The United States of America is the forth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska and Hawaii. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square km. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-border with Russia.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia. It’s a  special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is more than 270 million.

In America we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, The Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley, which is located in Alaska.

America’s largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and the deepest in the USA.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part is continental. The south has a subtropical climate.

The USA is highly developed industrial country. It’s the world’s leading producer of copper and oil and the world’s second producer of iron ore and coal. Among the most important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, furniture and paper.

Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, including Chinese and native Americans.

The United States is a federal union of 50 states, each of which has its own government. The central (federal) government is situated in Washington, DC.

The major American holidays are:

New Year’s Day. People stay awake after midnight on the 31st of December. Many parties are given on this night. When midnight comes they greet the New Year.

Valentine’s Day. It is not a national holiday. Banks and offices do not close but is’d happy little festival in honour of  St. Valentine, patron of sweethearts and lovers. It is widely celebrated among people of all ages by the exchange of “valentines”. the greeting cards are often coloured red.

Washington’s Birthday, February, 22nd. It’s a day when people celebrate the birth of the United States’ first President. It is not a national holiday. The US Congress observes the birthday of George Washington with speeches and readings from his work.

Easter. it usually falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon between March, 22, and April, 25. The 40 days before Easter are called Lent. just before Easter schools usually close and students have a week or ten days of spring vacation. Easter is a church holiday, and many churches have an outdoor sunrise service. People give each other presents of coloured and decorated eggs which are the symbol of new life. There is a belief that wearing three new things will bring good luck throughout the year.

Memorial Day, May, 30th. It’s a national holiday. Schools, banks, offices are close for this day. on that day, Americans honour the servicemen who gave their lives in past wars. Schools, clubs and churches decorate cemeteries. They put up the flags on the graves of the army. Navy and airmen. They hold memorial services in churches, parks and cemeteries.

Independence Day, July, 4th. On this day in 1776 America signed the Declaration of Independence. It’s a national public holiday celebrated with fireworks and speeches.

Labor Day, the first Monday in September.  It is a holiday of recreation. It marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Vacation time is over. Parents go to summer camps and take their children back home.

Halloween, October, 31st. Halloween is the day or evening before All Saint’s Day. Halloween customs date back to a time when people believed in devils, witches and ghosts. They thought that these evil spirits could do all kinds of damage to property. Now many people don’t believe in evil spirits. On this day they just have a nice holiday. Children dress up as ghosts and witches and go out into streets to beg. They go from house to house and say: “Trick or treat”. People give them candy, cookies and apples. A favourite custom is to make a jack-o’-lantern from pumpkins.

Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November.  In the USA it is a national holiday. It was first celebrated in 1621 by the Pilgrim Fathers after their good harvest. Thanksgiving is a family day. The family eats a large traditional dinner, usually with turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

Christmas Day, December, 25th.  It’s a one-day official holiday. Christmas is a family holiday. Schools and offices close between Christmas and New-Year’s Day. People stay at home and spend time with their families. Everybody tries to come home for this holiday. Every family tries to have a Christmas tree, which is beautifully decorated. Children wait for Santa Claus to come and give them presents.

The White House. In Washington, DC, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special address. It’s the address of the White House, the home of the President of the United States. Originally the White House was grey and was called the Presidential Palace. It was built from 1792 to 1800. President Washington never lived in the Presidential Palace. The first president to live there was John Adams, the second president of the United States, and his wife.

In 1812 the US and Britain went to war. In 1814 the British invaded Washington. They burnt many buildings, including the Presidential Palace. After the war James Hoban partially rebuilt the president’s home. To cover the marks of the fire the building was painted white.

The Statue of Liberty.  People who come to New York by sea are greeted by the Statue of Liberty. It has become a symbol of the city and an expression of freedom to people all over the world. The statue shows liberty as a proud woman. In her uplifted right hand she holds a glowing torch. She wears a crown with seven spikes that stand for the light of liberty shining on the seven seas and seven continents. In her left arm she holds a tablet with the date of the Declaration of Independence. A chain that represents tyranny lies broken at her feet. The Statue was France’s gift to America. There is a museum in the base of the statue. It’s devoted to the history of immigration to the US.

Advantages and disadvantages of our ever increasing use of computer technology.

Computer seems to be one of the greatest wonders of the modern world. It has already revolutionized our lives more than anything we have invented so far and today it is hardly possible to imagine the world without this appliance.

Undoubtedly, a major advantage of computers is that they are time-saving devices, making all kinds of work more effective and easier. All branches of science and industry make use of them, for example in factories computers control assembly lines and in hospitals-certain extremely difficult and precise operations. However, when it is true to say that computer technology stimulates technological progress, it cannot be denied that it is one of the main causes of the unemployment problem. Computerisation makes many people lose their job as computers have proved to work better.R E K L A M A        czytaj dalej ↓

Another benefit of computer technology is that it created the Internet, which has become nowadays the most important source of a variety of information. Moreover, it enables students to increase their knowledge and develop their research skills. Nevertheless, there is also another side of the issue. Information available via the Internet is not controlled and thus young children have an access to websites connected with pornography or violence. What is more, computers are addictive. It is easy to lose a contact with the real life by playing computer games, chatting in the Internet chat rooms or surfing the Internet for long hours. Furthemore, spending too much time in front of a computer screen has harmful impact on our health. It results in weakness of sight, pain in the back or defects in the spine.

A further advantage of computer technology is the fact that it offers us unlimited possibilities. Not only does it provide us with an access to all necessary information but also enables us to do shopping, pay bills, find work or contact our friends quickly and easily. On the other hand, the number of crimes committed by hackers is still increasing. Therefore, there is a danger that somebody will hack into your computer system and steal some important or secret data.

Taking everything into consideration, it is obvious that computer technology has countless advantages. It caters for more and more our needs since computers are becoming faster and better machines every year. Needless to say, computer technology is indispensable for the future development of our civilization. Yet, we must remember that computers are only machines, which cannot ever replace human beings. However useful they might be, they are here for us-not the other way round.

Computers in our life.

Nowadays, we cannot imagine our life without computers and the fact is that they have become so important that nothing can replace them. They seem to be everywhere today. Since 1948 when the first real computer has been invented our life has changed so much that we can call it real digital revolution.

First computers differed from today's ones. They were so huge that they occupied whole rooms or buildings being relatively slow. They were not faster than modern simple watches or calculators. Nowadays they are also used by scientist and they may also be as huge as the old ones but they are millions times faster. They can perform many complex operations simultaneously and scientist practically can't do without them. Thanks to them people has access to enormous amount of information. Gathering data has never been more simple than now. They are not only used in laboratories but also in factories to control production. Sometimes it is computers who manufacture other computers.R E K L A M A        czytaj dalej ↓

But not only in science and industry computers are being used. Thanks to them modern medicine can diagnose diseases faster and more thoroughly. Also in banking system computers have become irreplaceable. They control ATMs, all data is stored on special hard disks and paper isn't used in accountancy any more. Furthermore, architects, designers and engineers can't imagine their work without computers. This machines are really everywhere and we depend on them also in such fields as criminology. They help police to solve crimes and collect evidence.

Moreover, computers are wide-spread in education. Except their classic tasks such as administration and accountancy they are used in process of learning. Firstly, they store enormous amount of data which helps students to gain an information. Secondly, thanks to special teaching techniques and programs they improve ours skills of concentration and assimilation of knowledge. They have become so popular that not knowing how to use them means to be illiterate.

Of course except this superb features there is also dark side of computer technology because every invention brigs us not only benefits but also threats.

ADVANTAGES:

1. Computers saves storage place. Imagine how much paper would have to be used, how many trees would have to be cut just to store information which is today on hard disks. Data stored on just one CD in paper form would use room of dozens square meters and would weight thousands of kilos. Nowadays techniques of converting data from paper to digital form has also tremendously developed. You can simply rewrite the text using a keyboard. If you are not good at it you can use a scanner to scan necessary documents. At least there are special devices which can transfer our voice into text. Thanks to computers banks, private and government companies, libraries, and many other institutions can save millions of square meters and billions of dollars. Nowadays we have access to billions of information and due to the computer's capabilities we actually don't need to worry not only how to store them but also how to process them.

2. Computers can calculate and process information faster and more accurate than human. Sometimes there are false information in newspapers that due to the computer's mistake something has failed. But it's not truth because machines cannot make mistakes by it's own. Sometimes it's short circuit, other time it's hardware problem but most often it is human mistake, someone who designed and wrote the flawed computer program.

3. Computers improve our lives. They are very useful in office work, we can write text such as reports and analysis. Compared with old typewriters when using computers we don't have to worry about making mistakes in typewriting because special programs helps as to avoid them and we can change them any time. When the text is finished we can print it in as many copies as we want. At least but not at last, we can communicate with whole world very fast and cheap using Internet.

4. Computers are user-friendly. We can watch videos and listen to the music having only PC. We don't need video player, TV and stacking hi-fi any more. Furthermore, we don't have to buy PC's which can take much room due to their other necessary components and wires. We can always buy laptop or palm top which is even smaller, and use them outside anywhere we want.

DISADVANTAGES:

1. Computers are dangerous to our health. The monitors used to be dangerous for our eyesight. Nowadays due to technological development they are very safe. But there are other threats to our health than damaging our sight. Working with computers and permanent looking on the monitor can cause epilepsy, especially with children. Very often parents want to have a rest and don't draw enough attention to how long their children use computer. This negative effects also concerns TV screen.

2. Computers sometimes brake down. The biggest problem is when our hard disk brakes down because of the data stored on it. Other hardware is easily replaceable. But there are many ways of avoiding consequences of loosing our data, for example by saving it on CDs. Except hardware failures there are also software ones. For example, for many years Windows Operating System was very unstable and that's why many other OS were written. Now the most common are Linux, Windows XP, MacOs (for Macintosh computers). Except of unstable OS another and maybe the main threat to our data are computer viruses. There are billions of them and every day new ones come into being. If you have the Internet connection you have to be particularly careful and download anti-virus programs. Fortunately, there are also many of them and most of them are freeware. You have to remember to download updates.

3. Violence and sex. The main threat to younger users of computers are internet pornography and bloody games. The presence of sexual content or level of violence should be properly marked and parents are obliged to draw their attention to this issue. There are many extremely bloody games such as "grand theft auto", "quake" etc. For example, in GTA you are a member of mafia and to promote in crime hierarchy you should kidnap people, steal cars, robe banks etc. As a bonus you can also run over pedestrians. There are also many games in which you are a soldier and your mission is to kill as many enemies as possible. The other threat to our children is internet pornography. The availability of sexual content is enormous and you can do practically nothing to protect your child, especially when it's interested in this matter.

4. The other threat is that you can be a computer addict. If you spend most of your free time using computer you should go to see a psychologist.

However, I think that the situation is very serious. Computers are practically irreplaceable and we can't make without them any more. They are everywhere, at our homes, schools, at work, in our cars. It is very possible that the next stage of human evolution is some kind of superb half human and half machines. On the other hand I don't think it is the closest future. But the truth is that that computers will rule the world sooner or later.