Online Dating Goes Mainstream

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4. __________________________________

3. ___________________________________

2. ___________________________________

Use Common Sense

Don't give out personal information such as your name, telephone number, or address until you are comfortable. You may want to use your first name only or use a fictitious name until you feel safe. When you feel safe enough to talk on the telephone, don't give out your home number. Get his or her number, or give them your work number, or your cellular phone number. Get together in a public place for the first date. Tell people where you are going or bring along some friends.

Tell the truth. If you send a photograph, make sure it's up-to-date. Telling the truth you will avoid anger and disappointment later.

Get to know someone before getting romantic. Send e-mail messages for a while before you talk on the telephone or meet face-to-face. If he or she won't wait until you're comfortable, you should wonder why.

You can meet liars and cheaters on the Internet just like you can in real life. Look for the signs. Beware of Internet friends who try to persuade you to do something or make a lot of promises. Save your messages. If you think someone's lying, you can look back at what they said before. Previous messages may give you a clue.

Before getting close to someone online, find out if the person is real. Ask for his or her home phone number, work number, and even references. It's easy to create a fake identity in cyberspace.

Internet dating can be as exciting as dating in person. Enjoy yourself but move slowly. Don't jump right into romance.

3) Give English equivalents to the following. Use them in the appropriate context: сайт знакомств, заполнить анкету, обращать внимание, победитель с большим отрывом, спортивный костюм, респондент, утонченный/ изысканный, предсказуемый, рисковать, касаться, выдавать (информацию), вымышленный/ фальшивый, актуальный/ современный, встретиться лично, лгуны и обманщики, дать ключ к разгадке, фальшивая личность, персона, закрутить роман, становиться популярным, быть убежденным, быстро, случайный секс, преувеличивать, бары для одиноких, устроить, организовать (свидание), удовлетворять потребность, социальный институт, физическая привлекательность, «химия» между партнерами, бросать/ уходить.

4) Find the words in the text: convince, in person, basic facts of someone's life, before, not real name, danger, current, new, comfortable clothes for exercising, strong feeling of dislike or hate towards someone.

5) Explain the meaning of the words: runaway, sports-minded, sophisticated, predictable, fictitious.

6) Make a sentence with each verb: go out with, give out, get together, bring along, make sure, get to know, beware of, look back at, find out, jump into.

7) Answer and discuss the questions: What did Janice Walker want to find out?What did she send to each Internet dating service?How was each one different?Which picture was the most popular?Was she surprised at the results? Why or why not?Where should you meet an Internet date in person for the first time?Why is it important to tell the truth?What should you do with the messages you receive? Why?How can you find out if a person is real?How does the writer of Reading 1 feel about online dating services?What other rules might the writer of Reading 2 add to the list?Do you think online dating is a good way to meet people? Why or why not?Do you know anyone who has met someone online? What happened?

Patricia Costello, 33, e-mailed 120 men in her first four months of Internet dating. She talked to 20 of them on the telephone at least once and met 11 in person. Of these, she dated four several times and then realized she had not found the one.

One of the first lessons that subscribers to Internet dating sites learn is that life partners are difficult to find. But Ms. Costello isn't ready to give up. She is convinced that she has a better chance to find her life partner in cyberspace than in the real world.

Online dating is rapidly becoming a normal part of single life for adults of all ages in the United States. More than 45 million Americans visited online dating sites last month, according to comScore Media Metrix, a Web tracking service. Although the Internet has a reputation as a meeting place for people interested in casual sex, a majority of subscribers now say that they are looking for a serious relationship.

There are still many stones about liars. Many online daters are married and don't admit it. In fact, people are almost expected to lie a little or exaggerate their good qualities. Nonetheless, singles say that the Internet is still better than singles bars, dates set up by friends, or church groups for meeting other singles.

"My brother told me to take a dance class," said David Collins, 28, who met his fiancée, Sharon West, 27, on Match.com. "I tried it and met some nice people, but no one that I wanted to go out with."

"The traditional ways for getting people together are not working as well as they did before." said Linda Frankel, a sociology professor at the University of Southern Idaho. "There's a need for something new, and the Internet is filling that need."

"Twenty or thirty years ago, most American couples met in high school or college," Professor Frankel explained. "But people now marry at an older age, and there have not been any social institutions to replace the traditional ones—-local communities, families, and schools. The Internet may be the answer."

Daniel Weston, author of the article "Find the Mate You Want Now." agrees. I he Internet not only allows you to meet people, but it allows you to choose from thousands of them. If you work hard enough, you can find the exact kind of person you are looking for."

Of course, Internet dating isn't perfect. Online daters often complain that it is difficult to judge physical chemistry through computer communication. "Certain things look really good on paper," said Regina Coughlin, a computer consultant in Manhattan. "Then, in real life, it's a completely different story."

After a few disappointing meetings, many online daters just quit. Those who find partners say they often think that they might find someone better-—it they just looked through a few hundred more profiles. 

8) Answer and discuss the questions:

1) Tick the ways people in your culture meet:

· through family

· through friends

· at school

· at work

· at places of worship (church, temple, mosque)

· through personal ads

· in bars and clubs

· other ____________________________________

2) Compare the way people in your culture traditionally meet with meeting people on the Internet. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both? Are traditions in your culture starting to change? If so, how?

3) What would you look for in someone’s personal profile if you wanted to date online?

9) Translate into English: 1) Если бы мне предложили заполнить анкету для сайта знакомств, я бы использовала образ изысканной леди и вымышленное имя.2) Люди в наше время посвящают карьере молодые годы и выбирают себе спутника жизни довольно поздно. Этим объясняется рост популярности сайтов знакомств.3)Когда я увидела его в первый раз, между нами вспыхнула «химия». «Он то, что надо!» - подумала я и немедленно закрутила роман.4)В Интернете лжецов даже больше, чем в реальной жизни, потому что там гораздо легче создать фальшивую личность и долгое время ее поддерживать без угрозы быть разоблаченным.5)Всегда контролируйте, с кем общается ваш ребенок в интернете. Дети доверчивы и легко могут стать жертвой обманщиков и преступников. Социальные сети в этом смысле наиболее опасны.6)Одно из правил онлайн знакомств не рекомендует быстро сближаться с вашим респондентом и выдавать личную информацию. Для начала удостоверьтесь, что вам говорят правду и в профиле выложена актуальная фотография. 7)Пару раз я попадала на свидания, подстроенные моими друзьями. Первое оказалось полным провалом: у моего визави пахло изо рта так, как будто там кто-то умер. Я даже не могла с ним разговаривать, не прикрывая нос рукой. На втором я познакомилась со Стивом. Он оказался как раз моим типом, и мы встречаемся уже 6 месяцев. 8)Традиционные способы знакомства через друзей, семью, коллег по работе по-прежнему работают; они безопаснее, потому что всегда найдется общий знакомый, который может дать рекомендацию человеку.9)Считается, что в Интернете ищут только непродолжительных отношений и случайного секса. Однако социологи утверждают, что многие люди обращаются на сайты знакомств с целью построить серьезные отношения.10)Не отчаивайтесь, если ваша восьмая попытка свидания лично не удалась. Помните, что в мире живет более 6 миллиардов людей. Рано или поздно вы встретите ваш идеал и влюбитесь удачно.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29