A. Look at the following logos. Are yon familiar with them? Discuss with your partner what they are and how they are related to the field of e- communication.

B. Read the text and answer the following questions.

The Internet technology has helped design a large number of web sites to facilitate social relations among people around the world. These are known as social networking services or social networks or social media. At present, Face-book is the most popular social media site. 

Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. are other frequently used social services. Social network services are web-based and hence, provide ways for the users to interact through the Internet. These services make it possible to connect people sharing interests and activities across the borders and thus have made the users feel that they really live in a global village.

Why are social networks expanding so fast? The answer is simple. Most of the social services are cost-free. You can make use of them free, paying a very little to your Internet service provider. Secondly, you can make your personal profile public before the entire online community. It is like presenting yourself before the entire world. You can also look into other people’s profile if you are interested. It is simple and easy. 

Thirdly, social networks allow users to upload pictures, multimedia contents and modify the profile. Some services like Facebook allow users to update their profiles. Fourthly, networks allow users to post blog entries. User profiles have a section dedicated to comments from friends and other users. Finally, there are privacy protection measures too. A user himself or herself decides over the number of visitors/viewers, and what information should be shared with others.

Questions

1 What do you understand by social networks?

2 What are some uses of social networks?

3 ‘These services…… have made the users feel that they really live in a global village’. Do you agree with this view? Why/ Why not?

4 Make a list of the arguments as to why social networks are expanding so fast. Why do you think this is happening?

C. Read the second paragraph of the text in section B again. Notice the words in italics and write how they work in maintaining logical sequence in the paragraph.

D. Choose the best answers.

1 The…….. technology has helped social networking sites to emerge.

a Linkedln

b Google+

c Internet

d Twitter

2 Users have to pay for

a social networks.       

b their online connections. 

c multimedia contents. 

d uploading pictures.

3 User accounts have…….. protection measures.

a virus

b identity

c personal secrecy 

d network

4 User profiles have a section for

a others’ remarks.

b outsiders’ editing,

c outsiders’ moderation.    

d outsiders’ uploading.

E. Fill in the following dialogue box to open a Facebook account.

SSC English First Paper | Unit Thirteen | Lesson: 2 | Media and modes of e-communication | Social network services

F. Look at the following table adapted from Wikipedia. Tt shows some data on worldwide use of social networks.

Now complete the following dialogues about Facebook and MySpace, and provide your own questions and answers on the rest of the social networks in the table. Act them out in pairs.

1 Q:____________ social network is the most popular ?

  A: Facebook is________________________ .

  Q:____________ individual users use Facebook?

  A: About 793 million.

  Q:____________ part of the world is Facebook mostly used in?

  A: Worldwide. It’s popular worldwide among individual users.

2 Q:________________________ the least popular ?

  A: MySpace is________________________.

  Q:____________ individual users use MySpace?

  A:________________________.

  Q:____________________________________ mostly used?

  A:________________________ among individual users.

  (Continue)

3… 4…. 5…..


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