1 Do you like to surf the Web in your free time? Do you have favorite
websites that you have bookmarked on your computer? The Internet and the
thousands of websites it contains is an amazing source of information. Through
it, we can connect with people in different parts of the world and we can learn
about a wide variety of subjects such as science, technology, health and business.
We can read the news online and we can visit various libraries on line. We have
more access to information now than ever before. However, there is a
challenge. Can we believe everything we read on a website? How can we decide
which Internet websites are trustworthy and which ones should be avoided?
2 One way to decide whether or not a website should be trusted is to think
about its web address. For example, web addresses that end in .com are
commercial sites. The information on these websites may not be accurate, since
these sites usually are trying to make money and may not present information in
an unbiased manner. On the other hand, a more trustworthy website may have
.edu as an ending. This shows that the website is hosted by an educational
institution. While some studies at educational institutions may receive money
from a corporation, generally, information on an educational website is
considered to be worthy and should be taken seriously.
3 Another way to evaluate an Internet website is to find out who owns the
site and who participates in maintaining and updating the site. For instance,
websites that are maintained by individuals may only present one point of view
that is based on opinion rather than on facts and research. However, larger
websites should be considered carefully, too. One example is the Wikipedia
website. Because its name sounds like the word encyclopedia, many web
surfers may think this is a reliable source of information. However, the articles on
the Wikipedia website are written by many different people. While some of these
writers may have researched their topics, others may write their articles based
on their own ideas which may not be accurate. Therefore, it is important to think
carefully about the information on the Wikipedia website.
4 With all of these issues to consider, it is easy to become discouraged when
surfing the web. However, it is important to resist this feeling Most of the
websites are trustworthy and most of the people who maintain them are honest. It
is important, though, to be aware of the issues presented above so that you can
find the best information on the Internet.
The website Wikipedia is an example of
a. a completely trustworthy website.
b. a website run by an individual.
c. a website that may or may not be trustworthy.
Question 2
1 Do you like to surf the Web in your free time? Do you have favorite
websites that you have bookmarked on your computer? The Internet and the
thousands of websites it contains is an amazing source of information. Through
it, we can connect with people in different parts of the world and we can learn
about a wide variety of subjects such as science, technology, health and business.
We can read the news online and we can visit various libraries on line. We have
more access to information now than ever before. However, there is a
challenge. Can we believe everything we read on a website? How can we decide
which Internet websites are trustworthy and which ones should be avoided?
2 One way to decide whether or not a website should be trusted is to think
about its web address. For example, web addresses that end in .com are
commercial sites. The information on these websites may not be accurate, since
these sites usually are trying to make money and may not present information in
an unbiased manner. On the other hand, a more trustworthy website may have
.edu as an ending. This shows that the website is hosted by an educational
institution. While some studies at educational institutions may receive money
from a corporation, generally, information on an educational website is
considered to be worthy and should be taken seriously.
3 Another way to evaluate an Internet website is to find out who owns the
site and who participates in maintaining and updating the site. For instance,
websites that are maintained by individuals may only present one point of view
that is based on opinion rather than on facts and research. However, larger
websites should be considered carefully, too. One example is the Wikipedia
website. Because its name sounds like the word encyclopedia, many web
surfers may think this is a reliable source of information. However, the articles on
the Wikipedia website are written by many different people. While some of these
writers may have researched their topics, others may write their articles based
on their own ideas which may not be accurate. Therefore, it is important to think
carefully about the information on the Wikipedia website.
4 With all of these issues to consider, it is easy to become discouraged when
surfing the web. However, it is important to resist this feeling Most of the
websites are trustworthy and most of the people who maintain them are honest. It
is important, though, to be aware of the issues presented above so that you can
find the best information on the Internet.
Only websites that are maintained by individuals should be trusted.
a. True
b. False