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THE ARTICLESecurity alert for Internet Explorer usersPeople surfing the web using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer need to be extra careful. A hole has been found in the browser’s security systems. The anti-virus software maker Trend Micro Inc. said the problem leaves people’s computers open to hackers. Trend Micro spokesman Paul Ferguson warned the hole could let in criminals who want to hijack computers. He said security holes like this are “a goldmine for criminals because users have few ways to fight off attacks”. Explorer’s flaw tricks users into visiting websites that then steals passwords and other personal and confidential information. The hackers then sell this for big money on the black market. It is a sizeable problem because most of the world’s computers use Internet Explorer.
Microsoft says it is investigating the flaw. Its website states that it is considering creating an emergency software patch to fix the hole. The company is advising users to try a complicated series of measures it calls “workarounds”. Microsoft said: “We are actively investigating the vulnerability that these attacks attempt to exploit. We will continue to monitor the threat.” The software giant assured people that it would “take the appropriate action to protect our customers”. A Microsoft anti-virus blog said 0.2% of computer users may be affected. Its advice was to “always exercise caution when browsing and try to go to sites that you trust”. Other experts advise switching to alternative browsers such as Firefox, Google Chrome or Opera.
WARM-UPS1. INTERNET: Walk around the class and talk to other students about the Internet. Change partners often. After you finish, sit with your partner(s) and share your findings. 2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently. 3. INTERNET SECURITY: You and your partner(s) will make a presentation about Internet security. Complete the table below. Share what you wrote with other students for more ideas. Decide as a class who is the best security person.
4. HACKERS: Students A strongly believe hackers will always be able to hijack computers; Students B strongly believe software companies will defeat the hackers one day. Change partners again and talk about your conversations. 5. HIJACKED: Would it be a big problem if a hacker hijacked your computer? Rank these things from 10 (= this would be a major disaster) to 1 (= this wouldn’t be a problem). Talk about your ranking with your partner(s). Change partners and talk again.
6. SURFING: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘surfing’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories. BEFORE READING / LISTENING1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one. combination is possible):
WHILE READING / LISTENINGGAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.
LISTENING: Listen and fill in the spaces.People surfing the web using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer ______________ careful. A hole has been found in the browser’s security systems. The ______________ maker Trend Micro Inc. said the problem leaves people’s computers open to hackers. Trend Micro spokesman Paul Ferguson warned the hole could let in criminals who ______________ computers. He said security holes like this are “a goldmine for criminals because users have few ways to fight off attacks”. Explorer’s ______________ into visiting websites that then steals passwords and other personal and confidential information. The hackers then sell this for big money on the black market. It is a ______________ because most of the world’s computers use Internet Explorer. Microsoft says it is investigating the flaw. Its website states that it is considering creating an emergency software ______________ the hole. The company is advising users to try a complicated series of measures it calls “workarounds”. Microsoft said: “We are actively investigating the vulnerability that these attacks _________________. We will continue to monitor the threat.” The software giant assured people that it would “take the appropriate ________________ our customers”. A Microsoft anti-virus blog said 0.2% of computer users may be affected. Its advice was to “always exercise caution when browsing and ______________ sites that you trust”. Other experts ______________ to alternative browsers such as Firefox, Google Chrome or Opera. AFTER READING / LISTENING1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘Internet’ and ‘explorer’.
2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.
3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…? 4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings. 5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:
STUDENT INTERNET BROWSERS SURVEYWrite five GOOD questions about Internet browsers in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
INTERNET BROWSERS DISCUSSIONSTUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
LANGUAGEPeople (1) ____ the web using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer need to be extra careful. A hole has been found in the browser’s security systems. The anti-virus software maker Trend Micro Inc. said the problem (2) ____ people’s computers open to hackers. Trend Micro spokesman Paul Ferguson warned the hole could let (3) ____ criminals who want to hijack computers. He said security holes like this are “a goldmine for criminals because users have (4) ____ ways to fight off attacks”. Explorer’s flaw (5) ____ users into visiting websites that then steals passwords and other personal and confidential information. The hackers then sell this for big money on the black market. It is a (6) ____ problem because most of the world’s computers use Internet Explorer. Microsoft says it is investigating the flaw. Its website states that it is considering creating an emergency software patch to (7) ____ the hole. The company is (8) ____ users to try a complicated series of measures it calls “workarounds”. Microsoft said: “We are actively investigating the vulnerability that these attacks attempt to exploit. We will continue (9) ____ monitor the threat.” The software giant assured people that it would “(10) ____ the appropriate action to protect our customers”. A Microsoft anti-virus blog said 0.2% of computer users may be affected. Its advice was to “always (11) ____ caution when browsing and try to go to sites that you trust”. Other experts advise (12) ____ to alternative browsers such as Firefox, Google Chrome or Opera. Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.
WRITING:Write about Internet browsers for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ HOMEWORK1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word. 2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about the different browsers available. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson. 3. HACKED: Make a poster about the dangers of the Internet. Provide advice on how to reduce these dangers. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things? 4. HIJACKED: Write a magazine article about someone whose life changed because their computer was hijacked. Include imaginary interviews with the person and the hacker. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s). 5. LETTER: Write a letter to an Internet security expert. Ask him/her three questions about the Internet. Give him three suggestions on what he/she can do to make the Internet better. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions. ANSWERSTRUE / FALSE:
SYNONYM MATCH:
PHRASE MATCH:
GAP FILL: Security alert for Internet Explorer usersPeople surfing the web using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer need to be extra careful. A hole has been found in the browser’s security systems. The anti-virus software maker Trend Micro Inc. said the problem leaves people’s computers open to hackers. Trend Micro spokesman Paul Ferguson warned the hole could let in criminals who want to hijack computers. He said security holes like this are “a goldmine for criminals because users have few ways to fight off attacks”. Explorer’s flaw tricks users into visiting websites that then steals passwords and other personal and confidential information. The hackers then sell this for big money on the black market. It is a sizeable problem because most of the world’s computers use Internet Explorer. Microsoft says it is investigating the flaw. Its website states that it is considering creating an emergency software patch to fix the hole. The company is advising users to try a complicated series of measures it calls “workarounds”. Microsoft said: “We are actively investigating the vulnerability that these attacks attempt to exploit. We will continue to monitor the threat.” The software giant assured people that it would “take the appropriate action to protect our customers”. A Microsoft anti-virus blog said 0.2% of computer users may be affected. Its advice was to “always exercise caution when browsing and try to go to sites that you trust”. Other experts advise switching to alternative browsers such as Firefox, Google Chrome or Opera. LANGUAGE WORK
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