Read the following text and do the task below:
How to Stay Safe Online
(1) Going on the internet is like going out on Halloween because everyone’s
identity is hidden, and if you don’t know what costume your friend is wearing, you
may not know who you’re talking to. Moreover, any stranger can pretend to be
your friend, and you have no way of knowing who they really are.
(2) The internet can be a very dangerous place, so in order to stay safe online, there
are some rules to follow that may protect you from its dangers.
(3) For a start, when it comes to emails, do not open emails (especially emails with
attachments) that come from people who you don’t know personally. Some email
attachments may contain viruses or other malware that may damage your computer
or steal your personal information.
(4) Do not respond to advertisements because this confirms that you have a
working email account, and you may end up receiving more junk mail. The best
solution is to either ignore or delete spam and unwanted email advertisements.
(5) Never give out personal information, including your full name, address,
telephone number, date of birth, etc. Check the privacy settings of the websites you
use most often and set them to private. This is very sensitive information that some
criminals can use to steal your identity. Once hackers steal your personal
information, they can use it to pass themselves off as you and write nasty things to
other people from your name—in other words, cyberbully them.
(6) Never arrange meetings with people you meet online without letting adults,
such as your parents, know about it. People you meet in chat rooms or on social
networks may pretend to be your peers, but in reality, they may be adults.
(7) In the end, the internet may be a wonderful place where you can play, shop,
make friends, and gather important information, but you need to be very careful
and follow the above rules.
Match the headlines listed from A to H with a proper paragraph. One
headline is extra.
A. Avoid meeting online strangers in person.
B. Email rules.
C. How to avoid junk email.
D. Keep your personal information private.
E. Making new friends online is always exciting.
F. Rules to follow in order to be safe online.
G. The Internet can be safe if you’re cautious.
H. Why the Internet is dangerous.
Vocabulary
Read the text again and find the words that match the definitions:
1. A person who uses a computer to gain unauthorized access to someone’s
information
2. Junk mail
3. To use the Internet to harm other people, especially by sending them
unpleasant messages
4. To keep someone or something from danger or harm
5. Computer software that is designed to damage the way a computer works
6. A person of the same age, the same social position, or having the same
abilities as other people in a group
7. To behave as if something is true when you know that it is not, especially in
order to deceive people or as a game
8. After all, ultimately
Follow-up Questions:
1. Do you follow any of the rules described in the text? Why / Why not?
2. Have you opened emails from total strangers?
3. Can you add any other rules to be safe online?
