Unit 7 Online dating
Vocabulary Task
Script and Answers
1. A: You seem to be floating on air. What happened?
B: Don’t you know? My girlfriend is coming to see me.
A: Good for you! How did you meet her?
B: We’ve been chatting online for some time. We both took an instant liking to each other.
2. A: What do you say we try online chat to practice our English?
B: That’s a good idea. But we have to play it safe because some people use online chat to take advantage of others.
A: You don’t say! But many people are keen on chatting online.
B: Remember not to tell anyone online any of your personal information. Then you can go online.
3. A: You spend a lot of time on the Internet. What can you do there?
B: You name it, the Internet has it. I usually surf the Net, read news and anything I am interested in, check emails, chat with other people. Sometimes I buy things too.
A: I see. That’s why you are so stuck to it.
B: You are right. I’m getting into the Net and maybe I can find a girlfriend online.
4. A: I’m getting more and more spam lately. I can’t put up with it.
B: Neither can I. We must be more on guard online and try to find some way to filter it.
A: But the spammers seem to be able to circumvent any barrier we set up.
B: Maybe their message is their Achilles’ heel because they have to deliver their message, whatever it is. If we can write software that recognizes their message, there’s no way they can get around that.
5. A: Have you heard of identity theft?
B: Yes. Some people get someone’s social security number online and use it to apply for credit cards and credit lines. Then they buy things with the credit cards.
A: Do you know that identity theft has become an epidemic? It’s reported that just by a very modest calculation, there were over 700 000 victims in the United States last year.
B: It blows my mind! One can never be too cautious online.
Listening Task
2. Listening Activity
1) First Listening
Answers
1. In marriage.
2. In the man’s country.
2) Second Listening
Answers
1. She was in the USA and he in England.
2. For almost a year.
3. He sent flowers to her job site.
4. A true relationship (love) was developing.
5. He went to meet her family in Texas at Christmas and they married on the 18th.
Script and Answers to Self-study
Our “true testimony” of international Internet
match-making
You hear of it happening more and more these days-- someone meeting over the Internet and resulting in marriage. It may seem like a fairy tale coming true-- until it happens to you or someone you know. I am one of the few who met their “life mates” through the Internet and that’s just how we also felt when it happened to us.
We met in a chat room on the subject of computers and the Internet. I was in the USA and he was in England. We chatted on the Internet and by phone for almost a year before we finally met. We were both going through the end of our marriages and just enjoyed having each other to talk to and discovered we had a lot in common. In no time at all, it felt as if we’d known each other for years. He sometimes called me at work, and oh, such lovely email greetings we’d sent each other. It truly was a “worldly romance” in bloom!!
On my birthday-- much to the awe and delight of my friends-- he sent flowers to my job site. Since my co-workers relieved me for breaks, he had spoken to them many times when he would call for me-- this made him become “real” and very well known. As time went by, even they were soon to admit a true relationship was developing. Our feelings steadily blossomed into a beautiful love. As we prepared for our first meeting, we both were amazed at how everything seemed to just work itself out for us! It was as if it were a “sign” encouraging us every step of the way!
When my plane landed in England and we held each other for the first time, there was such a sense of love and endearment that it felt as though we had always been together. From the start of our first meeting we both felt so comfortable and secure with each other. Since we had talked for so long on the Internet, we felt a natural connection to each other. It was amazing how we perfectly matched as we knew about each other in every way. Anyone who had seen us together could see how much in love we were.
Through the events of his meeting my family in Texas at Christmas and our marrying on the 18th, it made December 2000 a month to remember. We now live in England where we are making the plans we had once only chatted about through a computer-- a reality of a beautiful life together.
Real World Listening
1. Predict
Answer
□ Some online dating incidents.
2. Get the Main Ideas
Answers
a. Anchor: A man from Ecuador, living in the American Midwest, was having a hard time relating to American women. He went onto a Hispanic dating service and met a woman from Venezuela. She came to visit him and they got married, and have children, and are reportedly happy.
b. Mrs. Crick: She met her husband online because she worked nights and didn’t have time for social gatherings. She thought she could talk with someone online, ask all the questions and get to know the person. She was very happy with her husband.
c. Mr. Dykma: One of his friends almost went to the Ukraine after spending some time surfing MeetForeignWomen.com.
d. Michelle: She met a man online. He said he wants someone who’s intelligent, kind, honest, respectful of others, and really wants to have a fun, quality life with a creative guy who will do his best to make everyday the best he can for her. He turned the ad into a quiz: “If you’re interested in contacting me, ask me four good questions. You’ll be graded on sincerity and creativity.” She didn’t want to be graded to “win” the chance for a date.
Script
Online dating
Anchor: Dozens of Web sites have provided dating services. Curiosity, desire and the need for companionship make them a sure-fire business. Today we are going to talk about the world of high-tech dating. Mrs. Crick is 55 years old. She lives in Las Vegas and is newly married through online dating.
Crick: Yes, I met my husband online. I have never been happier ... He is everything I ever wanted and more .. I don’t hang out or go to clubs or social gatherings ... just really don’t have time ... I work nights and this cuts into any social scenes I might find ... but online, you can talk with someone, ask all the questions you want and get to know the person before you actually meet them ... when you do you can find out if they are telling the truth ..
Anchor: Mr. Dykma, have you tried online dating?
Dykma: I don’t like online dating. But someone very close to me almost went to the Ukraine earlier this year, after spending some time surfing MeetForeignWomen.com. I can’t believe that people are so eager to be married that they would travel to a place simply to find a bride.
Anchor: Of course, people will do anything in the name of love. A friend told me about a man from Ecuador, living in the American Midwest, who was having a hard time relating to American women. He went onto a Hispanic dating service and met a woman from Venezuela. She came to visit and they got married, and have children, and are reportedly happy. What do you think, Michelle?
Michelle: Yes, happy means different things to different people. Once I was online and met this BB. He said he wants someone who’s intelligent, kind, honest, respectful of others, and really wants to have a fun, quality life with a creative guy who will do his best to make everyday the best he can for her.
Anchor: Sounds good. Did you meet him in person?
Michelle: But then, he turned the ad into a quiz: “If you’re interested in contacting me, try this; ask me four good questions. Make?m good, you’ll be graded on sincerity and creativity. Please also have a photo.” I don’t want a quiz. I don’t want to be graded to “win” the chance for a date. I wonder what would happen if I met BB on the street, at a party, bumped into him in a museum. Would I react differently? Would I want to get to know him better? This ad turns me off.
Real World Speaking
Answers for Reference
1) They met in a chat room on a subject that they both are interested in.
2) They chatted on the Internet for almost a year before they finally met.
3) They discovered they had a lot in common.
4) They called and sent email greetings and even flowers to each other.
5) He had spoken to her friends, which made the relationship more real.
6) They felt so comfortable and secure with each other.
Self-study
Answers
1-e, 2-i, 3-b, 4-g, 5-a, 6-f, 7-j, 8-c, 9-h, 10-d |