1.1 Read the text carefully and say whether these statements are True or False. Quote from the text.
1 The so called “dot com” companies exist only on the Internet.
2 Some youngsters leave school to get into web business.
3 Soccernet was created by Ben Cohen.
4 Youngsters are so successful on web business because they are creative and hardworking.
5 Teenagers who want to create their own business need a lot of money.
Some people are making a fortune in cyberspace. We looked at the teenage Internet entrepreneurs who are showing the adults how to do it. Most companies have their own websites these days, but some companies exist only on the Internet. They are sometimes called “dot.com” companies. A lot of them don’t make a profit from selling products and some companies only provide information to the general public. They usually make money from advertising. Some of the most successful Net entrepreneurs are teenagers who are still at school. Tom Hadfield, 16, started a footlball results website called Soccernet in his bedroom and it became a business worth £80 million. Cyber-Britain.com and Jewishnet were started by Ben Cohen who is 18. David Hands, of the Federation of Small Businesses, says: “Children are at ease with the Net and new technology. They can now start a small business from their bedrooms and it doesn’t cost them much money”.
Ben Cohen’s story is a classic example. When he was 13 he became very ill and couldn’t leave his house. “I hadn’t been into the Internet much before that, but I started using it to keep in touch with the world. I realised how powerful it was for reaching people at a low cost,” says Ben. He borrowed £150 from his dad to buy the domain name Jewishnet.co.uk and contacted the venture capitalist who had given money to support Soccernet. Despite the success of his web business, Ben has continued a normal life. He still goes to school and took his A levels last summer. Jewishnet is a successful website for the Jewish community. You can find links here to sites on everything from bar mitzvahs to teenage chat rooms. Ben also started Cyber-Britain.com which is the fastest growing online network in Europe.
1.2 Find equivalents in the first paragraph.
1 getting rich 2 people who set up businesses
3 financial gain 3 give
1.3 Answer the following questions.
1 How did Ben Cohen become an Internet entrepreneur?
2 Did the success affect his normal life? Why?
2.1 Link the clauses together by using the following conjunctions: as whereas although when
1 Most companies have their own websites these days. Some companies exist only on the Internet.
2 Tom started his website in his bedroom. He could never imagine it would become a business worth millions.
3 Some companies make profits from selling products. Some others make money from advertising.
4 Ben couldn’t leave his house. He started using the Internet to keep in touch with the world.
2.2 Report the following statements.
1 “Children are at ease with the Net.”
David Hands said …
2 “I started using the Net to keep in touch with the world”. Ben Cohen told us that …
3 “I contacted a venture capitalist who gave me money to support Soccernet.” He added that …
4 “I took my A levels last summer.” Ben said that …
2.3 Predict or express intention.
1 Tom Hadfield has made plans to start a new website.
2 He is willing to make it a business worth billions.
3 Ben Cohen has no intentions of leaving his house.
4 Cohen intends to go to university.
3.1 Write this paragraph in English.
A tecnologia tem mudado a escola e a forma como as pessoas aprendem. No futuro os edifícios escolares serão mais atractivos, rodeados por espaços verdes. As salas de aula terão grandes ecrãs nas paredes em vez de um quadro para que os professores possam observar o trabalho que os alunos estão a realizar nos seus computadores de mão.
