The Reading / Listening - Level 5

The founder of the Internet, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has spoken about it 25 years after he helped to create it. He said it is a force for good, but it has a negative side. Mr Berners-Lee said: "Everywhere I look I see a mass of energy…and also in some places, they are using the web for organised protests against oppressive regimes." He was sad at the growing amount of trolling and negativity. He said it was staggering that normal people would, "suddenly become very polarised in their opinions and will suddenly become very hateful instead of very loving."

Berners-Lee was at London's Science Museum for a new exhibition called the Information Age. It will include the server that hosted the first ever website. The machine still has a note on it written by Berners-Lee that warns: "This machine is a server. Do not power it down." Berners-Lee is a director of an organisation called the World Wide Web Consortium, which looks after the Web's development. He said: "Maybe we will be able to build web-based tools that help us keep people on the path of collaborating rather than fighting." He hopes the Web will stay a force for positive change.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/10/24/web-polarises-people-making-them-hateful-says-tim-berners-lee
  • http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/24/tim-berners-lee-hateful-people-on-the-web-are-staggering
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

The founder

a.

their opinions

2.

He said it is a force

b.

people

3.

I see a mass

c.

of very loving

4.

protests against oppressive

d.

of energy

5.

the growing amount

e.

of the Internet

6.

normal

f.

regimes

7.

polarised in

g.

of trolling

8.

become very hateful instead

h.

for good



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

a new exhibition called

a.

change

2.

the server that hosted the first

b.

development

3.

The machine still has a note

c.

web-based tools

4.

Do not power

d.

ever website

5.

looks after the Web's

e.

the Information Age

6.

we will be able to build

f.

of collaborating

7.

keep people on the path

g.

on it

8.

stay a force for positive

h.

it down

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

(1) ___________________, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has spoken about it 25 years after he helped to create it. He said it is (2) ___________________, but it has a negative side. Mr Berners-Lee said: "Everywhere I look I see a (3) ___________________ also in some places, they are using the web for organised protests against (4) ___________________." He was sad at the growing amount of (5) ___________________. He said it was staggering that normal people would, "suddenly become very polarised in their opinions and will suddenly become very hateful (6) ___________________."

Berners-Lee was at London's Science Museum for a new exhibition called the Information Age. It will include the (7) ___________________ the first ever website. The machine still (8) ___________________ written by Berners-Lee that warns: "This machine is a server. Do (9) ___________________." Berners-Lee is a director of an organisation called the World Wide Web Consortium, (10) ___________________ Web's development. He said: "Maybe we will be able to (11) ___________________ that help us keep people on the path of collaborating rather than fighting." He hopes the Web will stay a (12) ___________________.

THE INTERNET SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about the Internet in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about the Internet for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You