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Chapter 6 Hobbies and Interests

Unit 3: Surfing the Internet

Billions of people browse the Internet for different reasons. Some use it for research,
work, business, or studies. Some simply want to use it for entertainment or recreation.
Discuss about the things you do online.

Answer A:
Despite all the mortification it has done to me, the Internet is still my best companion. How
many times have I furiously chased WiFi signals on the beach and in the mall so I could check
my Facebook and Naver? At one point my friend called me ‘the United Nations Ambassador’,
as I conversed with several friends and netizens through Skype from all over the world. It
made a mundane day seem a little brighter indeed. Of course, there’s this one activity that we
all love to do whether one admits it or not: To Google or not to Google one’s self. There is
something about Googling yourself that’s informative and also kind of creepy. First of all, you
have no control on what comes out on those search engines. My name is quite unique, and I
thank my parents for not giving me a name that’s the same with today’s hottest stars. Another
layer of Googling is Googling potential love interests. Oftentimes when I meet someone exciting,
I just can’t help myself. We research cameras, books and even the latest shoe trends on the
Internet - why not a love interest? Thus, with butterflies fluttering in my stomach, I type my
crush’s name with trepidation. All in all, with the Internet in hand, you always stay entertained
and informed.

Points to emphasize in answering:

Tell about the things you do online.
- Give details. Try to cite some experience.
[example: How many times have I furiously chased WiFi signals on the beach
and in the mall so I could check my Facebook and Naver?]
- Tell how it has affected your life.
[example: It made a mundane day seem a little brighter indeed.]

Conclude the discussion.
Vocabulary [example: All in all, with the Internet in hand, you always stay entertained

and informed.]

mortification - humiliation; embarrassment
furiously - frantically
netizens - people on the Internet
mundane - ordinary; dull
Googling - using a search engine to search information
potential - possible
trepidation - nervousness

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