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Unit3AlienationandtheInternetWillBakerPartIWarmingupGroupDiscussion:1.Pleasedescribewhat’shappeninginthefollowingpictures,andyourunderstandingsconcerningwiththetopicoftheInternetandCommunication.2.DowebenefitfromtheInternetorfallvictimtoit?TheInternetisawonderfulsourcefromwhichwecanretrievevaluableinformation.Moreover,itfacilitatesourcommunicationwithpeoplefarawayfromusatacostsubstantiallylessthanthatoftraditionalmeansofcommunication.Also,itcanbeanimportantbuildingblocktochildren’slearningbecauseavastamountofinformationisonlyclicksaway.Thereisevidencesuggestingthatcomputeruseislinkedtoslightlybetteracademicperformance.Culturalinformation1ProsandConsoftheInternetCulturalinformation2However,thereissufficientevidenceindicatingthattheInternetcanexertaharmfulinfluenceonpeople.Forexample,itsaddictivepowerhasincreasedchildrenandyoungsters’timespentinfrontofthecomputerscreensattheexpenseofotherhealthierphysicalactivities,thusincreasingtheirchanceofgettingoverweightandshort-sighted.Inaddition,childrenhavelimitedabilityoftellingrightfromwrongandthereforearesubjecttothepotentialcontaminatinginfluenceoftheharmfulmaterialsontheInternet.PartIIGeneralReadingGlobalReading-Mainidea1TextanalysisIftheInternetallowsforthefreeexchangeofideas,ithelpstounifyus.Thenhowdoesitalienateuswhileunitingus?Howdoesitfragmentsocietywhileglobalizingideas?Thisistheissuethattheauthortacklesinthetext.TextanalysisAlteringthesocietyforthebetterProvidinganforumEnablingfreeexchangeofideasHelpingtheglobalizationofideasRealizinghumanpotentialFurtheringthefragmentationofsocietyAlienatingindividualusersLeadingtounintendednegativeconsequencesAlteringthesocietyfortheworseInternetTextanalysisRealizingglobalunificationFragmentingthesocietyEnablingfreeexchangeofideasAlienatingindividualusersStructuralanalysis1RhetoricalfeaturesTheseemingself-contradictionthattheInternetcanleadtoglobalizationontheonehandandcausethealienationoftheusersfromthepeoplearoundthemontheotherisreinforcedbytheuseofpairsofantonyms.Example:unification/alienation;Practice:moreexamplesofantonymsinthetext:Internetbinges/lonelydepressed;becomingdistancedfromtheirextendedfamilies/developon-linerelationshipswithfolksontheothersideoftheglobe;outsideplayingwithhisfriends/playhisgamesagainsthisfriendsinthecyberspace;reality/virtualexistence;notreal/trueStructuralAnalysisopeningbodyconclusionpresentshisthesissupportshispointwithevidencesandreasonsreiteratesmainideaPartI(Paras.1~2)IntroductionTheauthorstateshisthesis.PartII(Paras.3~6)BodypartTheauthorsupportshispointwithevidencesandreasons.PartIII(Para.7)ConclusionTheauthorreiterateshispoint.GlobalReading-Mainidea1Thethesisstatementofthetextisinthesecondparagraph:Theconcludingstatementappearsatthebeginningofthelastparagraph:“...theInternetmayberesponsibleforfurtheringthefragmentationofsocietybyalienatingitsindividualusers.”“Allthisbeingsaid,IbelievethatthekeytorealizingthepotentialoftheInternetisinachievingbalanceinourlives.”PartIIIDetailedReadingTheInternetprovidesanamazingforumforthefreeexchangeofideas.Giventherelativelyfewrestrictionsgoverningaccessandusage,itisthecommunicationsmodalequivalentofinternationalwaters.Itismypersonalbeliefthatthehumanpotentialcanonlyberealizedbytheglobalizationofideas.IdevelopedthispositionyearsbeforetheInternetcameintowidespreaduse.AndIamexcitedatthepotentialfortheInternettodramaticallyalterourglobalsocietyforthebetter.HoweverIamalsotroubledbythepossibleunintendednegativeconsequences.WillBakerALIENATIONANDTHEINTERNETDetailedreading11Detailedreading2Therehasbeenmuchtalkaboutthe“newinformationage.”ButmuchlesswidelyreportedhasbeenthenotionthattheInternetmayberesponsibleforfurtheringthefragmentationofsocietybyalienatingitsindividualusers.Atfirstthismightsoundlikeanapparentcontradiction:howcansomething,thatisontheonehandresponsibleforglobalunificationbyenablingthefreeexchangeofideas,alienatetheparticipants?Ihadarecentdiscussionwithafriendofminewhohaswhathedescribedasa“problem”withtheInternet.WhenIquestionedfurtherhesaidthathewas“addicted,”23Detailedreading3andhas“forced”himselftogooff-line.Hesaidthathefeltlikeanalcoholic,inthatmoderateuseoftheInternetwasjustnotpossibleforhim.Ihavenotknownthisfellowtobegiventoexaggeration,thereforewhenhedescribedhisInternetbinges,whenhewouldspendovertwenty-fourhoursonlinenon-stop,itgavemepausetothink.Hesaid,“theInternetisn’treal,butIwasspendingallmytimeonline,soIjusthadtostop.”Hewentontosaythatallofthetimethathespentonlinemighthaveskewedhissenseofreality,andthatitmadehimfeellonelyanddepressed.Detailedreading44Thefragmentationofsocietyhasbeenlamentedforsometimenow.ItseemstomethatitprobablybeganinearnestafterWorldWarIIwhenagenerationreturnedfromdoinggreatdeedsoverseas.Theywonthewar,andbyGodtheyweregoingtowinthepeace.Automobileownershipbecamecommonplaceandsuburbswerecreated.“Progress”wastheirmantra.SoevenpriortotheInternet’swidespreadpopularity,folkswerealreadybecomingdistancedfromtheirextendedfamiliesandneighbors.Andwhenwefast-forwardtotodayweseeanalmostcruelironyinthatpeoplecanandoft