Disadvantages of the Internet

undesirable materials

meeting strangers who may take advantage of you

phishing piracy

sex

loss of personal information

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LT 3.9 B. In the Internet discussion forum, a number of words which share similar meanings to that of

‘advantages’ or ‘disadvantages’ have been used. Find these words in the forum and fill in the word frames below. One answer has been given as an example.

advantages

benefits

disadvantages

opposite

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177

LT 3.9 (Answer Keys)

undesirable materials digital crimes

meeting strangers who may take advantage of you unreliable

information, rumours

virus/spyware infection

phishing

identity theft

piracy

violence

sex

bomb-making instructions

loss of personal information

176

LT 3.9 (Answer Keys)

Advantages of the Internet

widening social lives

flexibility to work and learn

convenience in daily lives

fast access to different kinds of information low cost/

free

providing room for expressing views

blogging YouTube

booking hotels, and movie and

flight tickets

paying bills Facebook

Twitter

177

LT 3.9 (Answer Keys)

Disadvantages of the Internet

undesirable materials digital crimes

meeting strangers who may take advantage of you unreliable

information, rumours

virus/spyware infection

phishing

identity theft

piracy

violence

sex

bomb-making instructions

loss of personal information

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179

LT 3.10 A. Intensifiers are adverbs which add force to the words they modify. English speakers often use these

words in everyday conversational English to put emphasis on a point or an argument. The following are some of the intensifiers used in the forum entries:

· I completely disagree that the Internet does more good than harm. (line 16)

· I greatly appreciate the ease of life that the Internet has brought to me. (lines 35 & 36)

· So, you are surely taking your own risks using the Internet. (lines 47 & 48)

B. Read the forum entries again and identify more intensifiers. Put them in the spaces below.

completely greatly surely

C. Imagine the government is planning to regulate Internet activities and websites and suggests that all computers should have an Internet filtering software pre-installed before they are sold. With the use of this filtering software, websites containing pornographic and violence materials as well as those for illegal downloading of copyrighted materials will be blocked. Moreover, this software also allows parents or business owners to track and record all Internet activities.

Now, you are participating in the ‘City Forum’ organised by the RTHK and would like to express your views on the debate whether the government’s proposal should be supported or not. Form groups of four and choose a role to play from the following role cards. Think about the arguments that support your views as stated in the role card. Then, draft a two-minute speech on the note card provided, and deliver your speech to your group members. Think about how you would use intensifiers to add force to your arguments, and the Internet-related vocabulary in your speech.

Role Cards

Mr/Ms So (Teacher)

You are a Liberal Studies teacher. You believe that:

· the Internet filtering software violates the freedom of press and hinders students’ learning

· the Internet is a treasure of knowledge

· students should be given a choice to decide which websites to visit and to express their opinions on the Internet

· students should learn to discriminate the good websites from the bad ones

· students should learn to see things from various perspectives through visiting different websites

Mr/Ms Chris Pang (Film Producer) You are a film producer. You believe that:

· the Internet filtering software can help stop illegal downloading of films, which has badly affected the box office and the sale of VCDs and DVDs

· the software may violate the freedom of press and speech and hinder the

development of creativity because all Internet activities can be tracked

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LT 3.9 (Answer Keys) B.

advantages

benefits (line 7)

good (lines 5, 16 & 38)

st re ng th s (line 37) a b les sin g (line 29)

disadvantages

drawbacks (line 8)

harm (lines 5, 8, 16 & 38)

weakn esses (line 37) a c urs e ( lin e 2 9)

opposite

179

LT 3.10 A. Intensifiers are adverbs which add force to the words they modify. English speakers often use these

words in everyday conversational English to put emphasis on a point or an argument. The following are some of the intensifiers used in the forum entries:

· I completely disagree that the Internet does more good than harm. (line 16)

· I greatly appreciate the ease of life that the Internet has brought to me. (lines 35 & 36)

· So, you are surely taking your own risks using the Internet. (lines 47 & 48)

B. Read the forum entries again and identify more intensifiers. Put them in the spaces below.

completely greatly surely

Role Cards

Mr/Ms So (Teacher)

You are a Liberal Studies teacher. You believe that:

· the Internet filtering software violates the freedom of press and hinders students’ learning

· the Internet is a treasure of knowledge

· students should be given a choice to decide which websites to visit and to express their opinions on the Internet

· students should learn to discriminate the good websites from the bad ones

· students should learn to see things from various perspectives through visiting different websites

Mr/Ms Chris Pang (Film Producer) You are a film producer. You believe that:

· the Internet filtering software can help stop illegal downloading of films, which has badly affected the box office and the sale of VCDs and DVDs

· the software may violate the freedom of press and speech and hinder the

development of creativity because all Internet activities can be tracked

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181

LT 3.10 (Answer Keys) B.

completely greatly surely

entirely strongly absolutely

certainly totally much

definitely

180

T 3.10

You are a working parent of a 13-year-old child. You believe that:

the Internet filtering software can help monitor whether your child spends too much time on the Internet

the software can protect your child from being exposed to undesirable materials or meeting bad friends on the Internet

you can understand your child better by knowing how he/she uses the Internet through the tracking function

You are a 15-year-old teenager. You believe that:

the Internet filtering software causes a lot of inconvenience because filtering by keywords may block some websites which are useful

you will not feel comfortable chatting online as all conversations can be tracked and recorded

the Internet provides different forms of free entertainment, such as online games, free movies and songs, and this saves you a lot of money

181

LT 3.10 (Answer Keys) B.

completely greatly surely

entirely strongly absolutely

certainly totally much

definitely

182

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183

LT 3.12 A. Counter-arguments are important components in a debate speech. They are often used to challenge

the points raised by the opponents. Counter-arguments are also developed as debaters anticipate their opponents’ possible objections or concerns. Below is an example:

Admittedly, the Internet offers a larger choice for buyers and therefore one may argue that it is more fun shopping online. But is it really fun just watching the pictures of the products on the screen?… The real joy of shopping lies in the wide variety of shops that you can see in the shopping malls, the warm greetings of the shop assistants and the thrill of looking for the best deals.

Opponents’ arguments and counter-arguments are usually introduced by the following expressions:

Expressions Introducing

Opponents’ Arguments Expressions Introducing Counter-arguments

· It is true that …/True · But / However / Yet / Nevertheless

· Admittedly

· Undeniably/It cannot be denied that …

· Although/Though/In spite of/Despite

· It has been argued that …

· Some people may think that …

· Our dear opponent may say that …

· The first speaker of the opposition team has mentioned …

Read the debate speech ‘Internet shopping is a better way to shop’ again and identify the opponents’

arguments and counter-arguments in the speech.

opponent’s argument

counter- argument

182

LT 3.11 Mrs Karen Lam has given you a sample debate speech as reference. Study it and complete LT 3.12.

Chairperson, adjudicators, teachers and fellow students,

The motion for our debate is ‘Internet shopping is a better way to shop’. I’m speaking on behalf of the opposition team. Our team completely disagrees that Internet shopping is a better way to shop. Our dear opponent has defined the word ‘better’ as ‘more efficient and in higher quality’. However, I’d like to clarify the meaning of this word. It should not be confined to

‘efficiency’ and ‘quality’ but it should also be defined in terms of ‘safety’. My first speaker has already discussed some of the potential dangers of online shopping, which I will further elaborate. I’ll also talk about the inconvenience that may occur in online shopping.

First of all, I’d like to make some rebuttals. The first speaker of the proposition team has claimed that thanks to technological advancement, the Internet can now provide a safe platform for online transactions. People can order any items online and the payment transactions can be completed through the Internet. Nevertheless, a recent study done by The University of Hong Kong shows that the number of online frauds has increased by 53%! The increase is really alarming. Not only does it show that online transactions are not totally safe, but it also indicates that Internet shopping provides a convenient platform for crime. In fact, one of the greatest concerns of online shopping is the fear about personal or financial information being stolen.

There are always traps waiting for victims. Bad people may ‘phish’ around, trying to get personal information from consumers by creating fake websites. When shopping online and entering these websites, customers may fall an easy prey to them and the information attached to these transactions will definitely fall into the wrong hands. After all, safety is part and parcel of the shopping experience. Nobody is willing to take risks doing things that may be unsafe.

Undeniably, it will be difficult for shoppers who live a hectic life to spare time to shop in stores. The Internet is accessible around the clock every day. With just the click of a mouse, shoppers anywhere are able to purchase virtually any products anytime online. However, it must be noted that Internet shopping does not necessarily save time. In fact, it is much more convenient to pick up an item at any local stores than to deal with after-sale problems like receiving items different from what was expected, going through the process of sending them back and requesting a refund. Can you imagine how inconvenient it will be if you do not like the product you have purchased online or you find that it is damaged during shipping? It may take a longer time to return the product to the company and there is no guarantee that the replacement will be up to your expectation. Therefore, it is surely an advantage to shop in physical stores as you can always see and check the products you want.

Admittedly, the Internet offers a larger choice for buyers and therefore one may argue that it is more fun shopping online. But is it really fun just watching the pictures of the products on the screen? Scrolling up and down and looking at those bits and pieces on the screen is absolutely tiring. The real joy of shopping lies in the wide variety of shops that you can see in the shopping malls, the warm greetings of the shop assistants and the thrill of looking for the best deals. All these are the ‘real’ experience of shopping. Internet shopping is always second-rate when compared with shopping in physical stores.

After considering the pros and cons of Internet shopping, I’m sure all of you will agree that shopping is best done through physical stores while Internet shopping remains second-rate.

Let me conclude by saying once again that Internet shopping is certainly not a better way to shop and therefore today’s motion should not stand. Thank you.

183

LT 3.12 A. Counter-arguments are important components in a debate speech. They are often used to challenge

the points raised by the opponents. Counter-arguments are also developed as debaters anticipate their opponents’ possible objections or concerns. Below is an example:

Opponents’ arguments and counter-arguments are usually introduced by the following expressions:

Expressions Introducing

Opponents’ Arguments Expressions Introducing Counter-arguments

· It is true that …/True · But / However / Yet / Nevertheless

· Admittedly

· Undeniably/It cannot be denied that …

· Although/Though/In spite of/Despite

· It has been argued that …

· Some people may think that …

· Our dear opponent may say that …

· The first speaker of the opposition team has mentioned …

Read the debate speech ‘Internet shopping is a better way to shop’ again and identify the opponents’

arguments and counter-arguments in the speech.

opponent’s argument

counter- argument

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185

Chairperson, adjudicators, teachers and fellow students,

The motion for our debate is ‘Internet shopping is a better way to shop’. I’m speaking on behalf of the opposition team. Our team completely disagrees that Internet shopping is a better way to shop. Our dear opponent has defined the word ‘better’ as ‘more efficient and in higher quality’. However, I’d like to clarify the meaning of this word. It should not be confined to

‘efficiency’ and ‘quality’ but it should also be defined in terms of ‘safety’. My first speaker has already discussed some of the potential dangers of online shopping, which I will further elaborate. I’ll also talk about the inconvenience that may occur in online shopping.

First of all, I’d like to make some rebuttals. The first speaker of the proposition team has claimed that thanks to technological advancement, the Internet can now provide a safe platform for online transactions. People can order any items online and the payment transactions can be completed through the Internet. Nevertheless, a recent study done by The University of Hong Kong shows that the number of online frauds has increased by 53%! The increase is really alarming. Not only does it show that online transactions are not totally safe, but it also indicates that Internet shopping provides a convenient platform for crime. In fact, one of the greatest concerns of online shopping is the fear about personal or financial information being stolen.

20 Undeniably, it will be difficult for shoppers who live a hectic life to spare time to shop in stores. The Internet is accessible around the clock every day. With just the click of a mouse, shoppers anywhere are able to purchase virtually any products anytime online. However, it must be noted that Internet shopping does not necessarily save time. In fact, it is much more convenient to pick up an item at any local stores than to deal with after-sale problems like receiving items different from what was expected, going through the process of sending them back and requesting a refund. Can you imagine how inconvenient it will be if you do not like the product you have purchased online or you find that it is damaged during shipping? It may take a longer time to return the product to the company and there is no guarantee that the replacement will be up to your expectation. Therefore, it is surely an advantage to shop in physical stores as you can always see and check the products you want.

Admittedly, the Internet offers a larger choice for buyers and therefore one may argue that it is more fun shopping online. But is it really fun just watching the pictures of the products on the screen? Scrolling up and down and looking at those bits and pieces on the screen is absolutely tiring. The real joy of shopping lies in the wide variety of shops that you can see in the shopping malls, the warm greetings of the shop assistants and the thrill of looking for the best deals. All these are the ‘real’ experience of shopping. Internet shopping is always second-rate when compared with shopping in physical stores.

After considering the pros and cons of Internet shopping, I’m sure all of you will agree that shopping is best done through physical stores while Internet shopping remains second-rate.

Let me conclude by saying once again that Internet shopping is certainly not a better way to shop and therefore today’s motion should not stand. Thank you.

Underlined words: opponent’s arguments Italicised words: counter-arguments

LT 3.12 (Answer Keys)

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LT 3.12 B. The following table indicates the structure and the main points in each paragraph of the debate

speech in LT 3.12. Complete the table by filling in the appropriate letters and numbers from Columns A and B.

Para 1:

_____

· addressing the chairperson and the audience

· stating your position

· _____

· _____

Para 2:

_____

· _____

· using statistics to back up the argument Para 3:

_____

· anticipating the opponent’s argument and putting forward a counter-argument

· presenting the argument that online shopping is not as convenient as expected

· _____

Para 4:

· _____

· using a rhetorical question to encourage the audience to think

· _____

Para 5:

_____

· reinforcing the central argument by comparing the experience of online shopping with shopping in ‘real’ stores

Column A Column B

a. Rebuttal b. Conclusion

c. Opponent’s argument and counter-argument

d. Introduction

1. making reference to what your team member has said to establish teamwork

2. acknowledging the argument(s) raised by the opponent(s) and rebutting

3. anticipating the opponent’s argument and putting forward a counter-argument

4. presenting the argument that online shopping is not fun

5. using a rhetorical question to encourage the audience to think

6. clarifying the motion

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