The Reading / Listening - World Wide Web - Level 1

The creator of the World Wide Web has warned of big Internet dangers. He said people are misusing the web. The first danger is companies are creating fake news to make money or change politics. He said fake news "spreads like wildfire". The second danger is political advertising used in "unethical ways". It can stop voters from voting. His final worry is the misuse of personal data. Governments kill people because of the websites they use.

Tim Berners-Lee invented the web in 1989. His vision was for a platform that would let everyone, everywhere share information, access opportunities and work together across borders and cultures. He said there were now difficult problems with no simple answers. He wants to return control of personal data to people and stop governments from misusing it. He said this affects free speech. He also wants to fight fake news. He asked all Internet users to help.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    World Wide Web - Level 0 World Wide Web - Level 2   or  World Wide Web - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39246810
  • https://www.newscientist.com/article/2124201-web-creator-tim-berners-lee-speaks-out-on-fake-news/
  • http://webfoundation.org/2017/03/web-turns-28-letter/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The creator of the
  2. warned of big
  3. He said people are misusing
  4. companies are creating fake
  5. spreads like
  6. It can stop voters
  7. His final worry is the misuse
  8. kill people because of the websites
  1. the web
  2. they use
  3. wildfire
  4. Internet dangers
  5. of personal data
  6. World Wide Web
  7. from voting
  8. news

Paragraph 2

  1. Tim Berners-Lee invented
  2. His vision was for a
  3. let everyone, everywhere
  4. access
  5. across
  6. difficult problems with
  7. free
  8. He asked all Internet
  1. no simple answers
  2. users to help
  3. opportunities
  4. speech
  5. the web in 1989
  6. platform
  7. share information
  8. borders and cultures

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The (1) ___________________ World Wide Web has warned of big Internet dangers. He said (2) ___________________ the web. The (3) ___________________ companies are creating fake news to make money or change politics. He said fake news "spreads like wildfire". The second (4) ___________________ political advertising used in "unethical ways". It can stop voters from voting. His final worry is (5) ___________________ personal data. Governments kill people (6) ___________________ websites they use.

Tim Berners-Lee invented (7) ___________________ 1989. His vision was for a platform that would let (8) ___________________ share information, access opportunities and work together across (9) _________________. He said there were now difficult problems with (10) ___________________. He wants to return (11) ___________________ personal data to people and stop governments from misusing it. He said this affects free speech. He also wants to fight fake news. He asked all Internet (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThecreatoroftheWorldWideWebhaswarnedofbigInternetdangers.He
saidpeoplearemisusingtheweb.Thefirstdangeriscompaniesarecreati
ngfakenewstomakemoneyorchangepolitics.Hesaidfakenews"sprea
dslikewildfire".Theseconddangerispoliticaladvertisingusedin"unethi
calways".Itcanstopvotersfromvoting.Hisfinalworryisthemisuseofpe
rsonaldata.Governmentskillpeoplebecauseofthewebsitestheyuse.Ti
mBerners-Leeinventedthewebin1989.Hisvisionwasforaplatformtha
twouldleteveryone,everywhereshareinformation,accessopportuniti
esandworktogetheracrossbordersandcultures.Hesaidtherewereno
wdifficultproblemswithnosimpleanswers.Hewantstoreturncontrolof
personaldatatopeopleandstopgovernmentsfrommisusingit.Hesaidt
hisaffectsfreespeech.Healsowantstofightfakenews.HeaskedallInter
netuserstohelp.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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