АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ДЛЯ ИЗУЧАЮЩИХ
ИНФОРМАЦИОННЫЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ
ENGLISH FOR IT STUDENTS
Методическое пособие
по совершенствованию навыков чтения и говорения
на английском языке для студентов ФКСиС и ФИТиУ
дневной формы обучения
В 2-х частях
Часть 2
Минск БГУИР 2009
УДК 811.111(075.8)
ББК 81.2Англ я73
М 54
Составители:
Н.Г. Касперович, Е.В. Барановская, Н.И. Дубовец, Е.Д. Лысенок,
Р.Т. Максимчук, О.В. Пинчук, Л.Е. Синкевич, И.Г. Субботкина,
Н.Г. Украинец, Е.Н. Щекотович
| М 54 |
Настоящее методическое пособие предназначено для студентов ФКСиС и ФИТиУ дневной формы обучения. Содержит специализированные технические тексты по современным информационным технологиям и специально созданный комплекс заданий, направленных на совершенствование навыков чтения и говорения на английском языке. Содержание языкового и речевого материала подобрано в полном соответствии с программой неязыковых вузов и включает языковые явления, предназначенные для активного усвоения.
Вторая часть включает четыре темы для чтения, овладения активной лексикой и обсуждения в аудитории. Предполагается, что данный материал может стать базой для формирования совершенствования речевых навыков чтения аутентичных текстовых материалов по специальности и навыков ведения беседы по профессиональной тематике.
УДК 811.111(075.8)
ББК 81.2 Англ я73
ISBN 978-985-488-290-1
© УО «Белорусский государственный университет
информатики и радиоэлектроники», 2009
Unit 5. internet and lan TECHNOLOGY
Text A
Pre-reading. Match the terms with the appropriate definitions.
ProtocolsFunctions
1. HTTP(Hypertext Transfer Protocol) a) responsible for address packets
2. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) b) breaks a message or file into packets
3. POP (Post Office Protocol) c) allows users who are logged on to one host to access another host
4. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) d) provides secure data transfer over the Internet
5. IP (Internet Protocol) e) transfers mail from an e-mail server
to a client Inbox
6. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) f)exchanges information over the Web
7. IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) g) transfers e-mail messages from
client computers to an e-mail server
8. TELNET (Telecommunication Network) h) transfers files between local and
remote host computers
9. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) i) an alternative to POP
Reading. Read the text and try to guess the meaning of the words in bold. Check your variants in the dictionary.
INTERNET TECHNOLOGY
In 1969 was developed a project called ARPANET designed to help scientists communicate and share valuable computer resources.Educators and scientists used primitive command-line user interfaces to send e-mail, transfer files and run scientific calculations on Internet supercomputers. At that time finding the information was not easy. Only in the early 1990s software developers сreated new user-friendly Internet access tools and Internet became available to anyone. Although exact figure cannot be determined, it is estimated that with approximately 200 nodes and 500 million users, Internet traffic exceeds 100 terabytes each week.
The Internet is not “owned” or operated by any single corporation or government. It’s a data communication network that grew over time in a somewhat haphazard configuration as networks connected to other networks.
The Internet backbone consists of high-speed fiber-optic links connecting high-capacity routers that direct network traffic. Backbone links and routers are maintained by network service providers (NSPs). NSP equipment and links are tied together by network access points (NAPs).
Large ISPs connect directly to backbone routers. Smaller ISPs typically connect to a larger ISP to gain Internet access and supply it to their customers.
You can track the route of data you send using Internet utilities, such as Ping and Traceroute. An Internet utility called Ping (Packet Internet Groper) sends a signal to a specific Internet address and waits for a reply. If a reply arrives, Ping reports that the computer is online and displays the elapsed time for the round-trip message. Ping is useful for finding out if the site is up and running. Ping is also useful for determining whether a connection offers adequate speed for videoconferencing or online computer games.
Ping also shows whether packets were lost in transmission. Packets can become lost when signal interference or network congestion overwhelms Internet servers and routers. Too many lost packets during an online gaming session can cause the game to stutter or stall. And if packets don’t arrive in the correct order, your game character might seem to act randomly for a few seconds.
A utility called Traceroute records a packet’s path – including intermediate routers-from your computer to its destination.
An ISP operates network devices that handle the physical aspects of transmitting and receiving data from your computer. Many ISPs operate e-mail servers to handle incoming and outgoing mail for their subscribers and some also have Web servers for subscriber Web sites. ISPs can also maintain servers for chat groups, instant messaging, music file sharing, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and other file transfer services.
Computer connects to the Internet in one of two ways: it can link directly to an ISP using a device such as a voiceband modem, cable modem, satellite dish, or a DSL modem. Or, if your computer is part of a LAN, an Internet connection can be provided by a LAN link.
A local area network is called an intranet. Intranets are popular with businesses that want to store information as Web pages but not provide them for public access. An intranet that provides private external access is called extranet.
A computer can have a permanently assigned static IP address or a temporarily assigned dynamic IP address. As a general rule, computers on the Internet that act as servers use static IP address. Typically, ISPs, web sites, web hosting services, and e-mail servers are constantly connected to the Internet and require static addresses.
Although IP addresses work for communication between computers, people find it difficult to remember long strings of numbers. Therefore, many Internet servers also have an easy-to-remember name, i. e. nike.com. The official term for this name is “fully qualified domain name” (FQDN), but most people just refer to it as a domain name. Every domain name corresponds to a unique IP address that has been entered into a huge database called the Domain Name System(DNS).Computers that host this database are referred to as domain name servers. A domain name, such as travelocity.com, must be converted into an IP address before any packets can be routed to it.
The Domain Name System is based on a distributed database. This database is not stored as a whole in any single location; instead, it exists in parts all over the Internet. Your Internet connection is set up to access one of the many domain servers that reside on the Internet. Some domain names are not currently in use, but they are reserved. Internet entrepreneurs have made a business of registering high-profile domain names with the intention of reselling them.
Comprehension check. Mark the following statements as True or False.
1. The Internet backbone consists of high-speed fiber-optic links.
2. A local area network is called extranet.
3. A computer must have a permanently assigned static IP address.
4. The Internet is not “owned” by any single corporation or government.
5. Computer connects to the Internet only by linking directly to an ISP.
6. You can track the route of data you send using Internet utilities, such as Ping and Traceroute.
Vocabulary practice
1. Match the words with their synonyms.
computations congestion
knot node
connect find out
run calculations
overloading tie
learn base
backbone to be up
2. Fill in the blanks choosing from the variants given.
1. The Internet is not … a single company or country.
a) controlled b) operated by c) correspond to
2. The Internet backbone links and … are supported by network service providers.
a) wires b)connectors c) routers
3. Intranet allows businesses to store information but not provide them for ….
a) anyone b) public c) other companies
4. Packets can be lost if network congestion … Internet services.
a) overwhelms b) corrupts c) stops
5. Each Internet server’s name … the only IP address.
a) is converted into b) corresponds to c) acts as
6. Internet connection is set up to access domain servers that … on the Internet.
a) reside b) exist c) register
3. Make two-word combination using the words in columns and then fill in the gaps in the following sentences.
A: distributed B: modem
elapsed name
voiceband dish
dynamic interference
domain database
signal time
satellite address
1. Packets can become lost when … or network congestion overwhelms Internet routers.
2. Ping reports that the computer is online and displays the … for the message.
3. Most people refer to the name of many Internet servers as a ….
4. A computer can have either a permanent static address or a temporal ….
5. A … exists in parts all over the Internet.
6. … and … are used for direct connection of a computer to an ISP.
4. Fill in the gaps in the text.
Network service providers supply _ 1 _ links for the Internet backbone. The acronym _2_ refers to points were equipment and _ 3 _ from these companies intersect.
An Internet utility called _ 4_ helps you discover whether a host, such as a web server is “alive”. This utility reports the _ 5 _ for a packet to travel from your computer to the host and back. Another utility, called _ 6__,records the path of a packet as it travels from your computer to its destination. Most people access the Internet through an ISP, which provides modems, e-mail servers, domain name servers, and _ 7 _.
Speaking. Discuss the following questions.
1. How did the Internet get started?
2. How is the Internet structured?
3. Is it possible to track data as it travels over the Internet?
4. What kinds of network devices are parts of an ISP?
5. What’s a domain name?
Text B
Reading. Read the text and try to guess the meaning of the words in bold. Check your variants in the dictionary.
INTERNET ACCESS
1. One of the most challenging aspects of the Internet is selecting a connection. Although most subscribers begin with dial-up connection, many soon explore high-speed Internet options. Home based LANs and wireless Internet access have become very popular.
2. A dial-up connection uses POTS (plain old telephone services) to transport data between your computer and your ISP. With a dial-up connection, your computer’s modem essentially places a regular telephone call to your ISP, when the ISP’s computer “answers” your call, a dedicated circuit is established between you and your ISP. This circuit remains connected for the duration of your call and provides a communication link that carries data between your computer and the ISP.
3. The modem, you use with this type of connection, converts the signals from your computer into signals that can travel over the telephone lines. The word “modem” is derived from the words “modulate” and “demodulate”. In communications terminology, modulation means changing the characteristics of a signal, as when a modem changes a digital pulse into an analog audio signal. Demodulation means changing a signal back to its original state, as when a modem changes an audio signal back to a digital pulse.
4. Another option for Internet connection is cable Internet service; with it your cable TV company becomes your Internet provider. In order to provide this type of connection, satellite dishes are installed; usually they are installed for a community and are referred to as the head-end. From the head-end, a cabling system branches out, offering both television and Internet access. Bandwidth of each cable is divided among three activities: TV channels, downstream data (the data you receive) and upstream data (the data you send).Cable Internet service plans offer speeds up to 6 Mbps.
5. With this connection your computer becomes part of a neighborhood data network and in this case two issues become significant: bandwidth and security. Unlike a dial-up connection, cable Internet service provides an always-on connection, which is particularly vulnerable to hackers and virus attacks. As for the second issue, the cable you share with your neighbors has a certain amount of bandwidth, and as more people use the service, it might seem to get slower and slower.
6. Other options, such as DSL and ISDN, could be chosen to get a high-speed Internet access. DSL (digital subscriber line) is a high-speed, digital, always-on, Internet access technology that runs over standard phone lines. It is one of the fastest Internet connections that’s affordable to individual consumers. Several variations of this technology exist, including ADSL (asymmetric DSL, with downstream speed faster than upstream speed). DSL is digital, so data doesn’t need to be changed into analog form and then back to digital as it does when you use a dial-up connection. A DSL connection can simultaneously carry voice and data, if permitted by your DSL provider.
7. ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is an all digital service with the potential to simultaneously carry voice and data. ISDN is not fast as DSL or cable Internet service but faster than a dial-up connection. A device called an ISDN terminal adapter connects a computer to a telephone wall jack and translates the computer’s digital signals into signals that can travel over the ISDN connection. ISDN service is typically regarded as a high-speed Internet connection option for businesses that maintain small LANs.
8. There are two primary options for getting a wireless access of your home PC or LAN to the Internet: satellite Internet service or fixed wireless Internet service. Satellite Internet service uses a satellite to transmit computer data directly to and from a satellite dish, owned by an individual. A satellite modem connects the satellite dish to a computer. In many areas, satellite Internet service is the only alternative to a dial-up connection. But on the downside, satellite data transport is subject to latency delays of one second or more, which occurs as your data is routed between your computer and a satellite that orbits the Earth 22.200 miles above the Earth. Satellite transmission and reception can be blocked by adverse weather conditions, which make this type of data transport less reliable than most wired options.
9. Fixed wireless Internet service is designed to offer Internet access to homes and businesses by broadcasting data signals over areas large enough to cover most cities and outlying areas. Wireless technologies have less latency than satellite Internet service and can offer connection speeds suitable for online gaming and teleconferencing.
10. Also it is possible to connect to the Internet through a LAN. A LAN provides a cost-effective way to share one Internet connection among several computers. School computer labs and businesses usually provide Internet access over LANs. LAN Internet access is also feasible for home networks. A single cable Internet, DSL, ISDN, or satellite connection can be cabled into your home LAN and accessed by all its workstations.
Comprehension check. Indicate the paragraph where the following ideas are found in the text.
1. If a TV company has necessary equipment it can act as an Internet provider.
2. A lot of people soon switch from dial-up they use at the beginning to other types of connection.
3. If it’s allowed by provider, DSL can transmit both voice and data.
4. Satellite Internet service depends on the weather conditions.
5. With cable Internet service your computer is always connected to the Internet.
6. One of the cheapest ways to share Internet connection is LAN.
Vocabulary practice
1. Match up the words that are opposite in meaning.
always-on relaxing
outlying insecure
challenging favourable
feasible unstable
reliable close
adverse unsuitable
2. Fill in the blanks choosing from the variants given.
1. With a dial-up connection, a modem … the signals from your computer into signals that can be carried over the phone lines.
a) converts b) passes c) spreads
2. Using a satellite Internet service you can meet with … delays of a second or more
a) established b) latency c) elapsed
3. When a modem changes the characteristics of a signal it means that … is carried out.
a) transformation b) modulation c) conversion
4. If you choose cable Internet service you should remember that it provides an always-on connection that makes your PC … to viruses and hackers.
a) protected b) unseen c) vulnerable
5. In a dial-up connection, modem places a call to your ISP and you are remained connected with it for the … of your call.
a) duration b) whole c) most part
6. One of the most popular options to have high-speed Internet access is ADSL. In it … speed is slower then … speed.
a) downstream a) upstream
b) initial b) downstream
c) upstream c) terminal
3. Make three-word combinations using the words in columns and then fill in the gaps in the following sentences.
A: a) wireless B: communication C: speed
b) home terminal circuit
c) suitable Internet LANs
d) established connection adapter
e) SDN based access
f) provide dedicated link
1. Satellite Internet service is one of the options of getting ….
2. If you like to play online computer game it’s advisable for you to get fixed wireless Internet service since it can offer … for online gaming.
3. Recently … have become one of the most popular way of getting Internet access.
4. With a dial-up connection, when the computer of ISP ”answers” the call of your computer’s modem, you get so called … between you and ISP.
5. To translate the computer’s digital signal into signals that can travel over the ISDN connection you need a device called ….
6. An established dedicated circuit is used to … that caries data between the subscriber’s computer and the ISP.
4. Fill in the gaps in the text.
A cable modem provides Internet access over the TV cables that carry television signals from the cable company’s _ 1 _ to your home. With this connection two issues become significant: security and _2 _.
With _ 3_ connections, such as DSL and cable, the _4 _ can enter the Internet any time his computer is turned on. _5 _ Internet service provides another high-speed Internet access method, but it has higher latency _6 _.
Nowadays you can get Internet access through LANs. A LAN is considered to be really a _7_ way to share one Internet connection among several computers.
Speaking. Discuss the following questions.
1. How does a modem work?
2. What is the significance of becoming part of a “neighborhood network”?
3. What is a DSL?
4. What are options for wireless Internet access?
5. What are the pros and cons of satellite Internet service?
Text C
Pre-reading. Match the meaning of the following English words and their Russian equivalents.
| 1. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) 2. Uniform Resource Locator (URL) 3. Web-Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) 4. hypertext link 5. “Surfing” (the Internet) 6. Browser 7. File Transport Protocol (FTP) 8. E-mail server 9. Web site 10. HTML-tags | a) протокол передачи файлов; b) браузер, программа просмотра сайтов (Web); c) “путешествие” по сайтам (сёрфинг); d) Web-узел (сайт–разг.) страница, отображающаяся в браузере; e) унифицированный указатель информационного ресурса; f) язык гипертекстовой разметки; g) сервер электронной почты; h) “тэг” – элемент кода разметки документа; i) протокол передачи гипертекста; j) гипертекстовая ссылка; |
Reading. Read the text and try to guess the meaning of the words in bold. Check your variants in the dictionary.
THE WORLD WIDE WEB
The World Wide Web began in 1989 as a project by high-energy physics researchers in Switzerland to distribute research Internet to fellow physicists. Since then, the Web has rapidly moved into the forefront of Internet technologies. More people use the Web on the Internet than all other technologies on the Net combined. To most of the general public, the Web is synonymous with the Internet itself and is, in fact, thought by many to have played the dominant role in moving the Internet from an academic research tool to a household word.
The Web is an abstract (imaginary) space of information. On the Web, you find documents, sounds, videos, and information. On the Web connections are hypertext links. The Web uses a writing technology called hypertext. A hypertext is a group of unlinked files. Hypertext is a key concept for understanding today’s Web, but the idea of hypertext originated much earlier than the Web or even the Internet. Two of the most important elements of the Web- Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) – contain “hypertext” in their names.
HTTP is a protocol that works with TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) to get Web resources to your desktop. A web resource can be defined as any chunk of data that has a URL, such as an HTML document, a graphic, or a sound file. HTTP includes commands called “methods” that help your browser communicate with web servers. GET is the most frequently used HTTP method. The GET method is typically used to retrieve the text and graphics files necessary for displaying a Web page. This method can also be used to pass a search query to a file server. HTTP transports your browser’s requests for a Web resource to a Web server. Next, it transports the Web server’s response back to your browser.
HTML is a set of specifications for creating HTML documents that a browser can display as a Web page. HTML is called a markup language because authors mark up their documents by inserting special instructions, called HTML tags, that specify how the document should appear when displayed on a computer screen or printed.
On today’s Web, many aspects of hypertext have become a reality. A typical Web page is based on a document stored in a file and identified by a unique address called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). To access any one of these documents, you can type its URL. You can also click an underlined word or phrase called a hypertext link (or simply a “link”) to access related Web pages.
HTTP and HTML are two of the major ingredients that define the Web. If you add URLs, browsers, and Web servers to this recipe, you’ll have a pretty complete menu of the basic technologies that make the Web work.
A web server stores data from Web pages that form a Web site. One way to store data for a Web page is as a file called an HTML document – a plain text, document with embedded HTML tags. Some of these tags specify how the document is to be displayed when viewed in a browser. Other tags contain links to related document, graphics, sound, and video files that are stored on Web servers.
As an alternative to HTML documents, Web servers can store Web page data in other types of files, such as databases. Data from product databases, college course schedules, and music catalogues can be assembled into HTML format “on the fly” in response to Web requests.
To surf the Web, you use Web client software called a browser. When you type a URL into the browser’s Address box, you are requesting HTML data for a specific Web page. Your browser creates a request for the data by using the HTTP “GET” command.
A Web server is configured to include HTTPsoftware. This software is always running when the server is “up” and ready to fulfill requests. One of the server’s ports is dedicated to listening for HTTP requests. When a request arrives, the server software analyzes it and takes whatever action is necessary to fulfill it.
The computer that runs Web software might have other software running on it as well. For example, a computer might operate as a Web server, as an e-mail server, and as an FTP (File Transport Protocol) server all at the same time! To efficiently handle these diverse duties, a computer devotes one port to HTTP requests, one port to handling e-mail, and another port to FTP requests.
A browser is a software program that runs on your computer and helps you access Web pages. Technically, a browser is the client half of the client/server software that facilitates communication between a personal computer and a Web server. The browser is installed on your computer, and Web server software is installed on servers connected to the Internet.
Your browser plays two key roles. First, it uses HTTP to send messages to a Web server – usually a request for a specific HTML document, second when it receives an HTML document from Web server, your browser interprets the HTML tags to display requested Web page. Today’s popular browsers are Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Google, Chrome.
A Web site is a group of related Web pages. The Web site is the master address, and the individual Web pages are like subdirectories to that root directory. Many business are creating Web sites for their customers to use. These sites may include a price list, information about products, and comparisons of product features with those of competing products. Many sites even allow customers to order products over the Web. Because your site is representing you on the Web, you will want the site to look impressive. For a professional-looking site, you may want to hire a firm that creates Web sites. Such firms employ HTML experts as well as graphic designers and marketing specialists.
Comprehension check. Choose the ending for each sentence from the two versions given.
1. One way to store data for a web page is
a) a file called an HTML document.
b) a unique address called a URL.
2. Some of these tags specify how the document is
a) to be displayed when viewed in a browser.
b) to be identified by a unique address.
3. Business sites may include
a) price list, information about products and comparisons of product features with those of competing products.
b) related document, graphics, sound and video files.
4. HTTP is
a) a protocol that works with TCP/IP to get Web resources to your desktop.
b) a set of specifications for creating HTML documents that a browser can display as a Web page.
5. Your browser creates a request for the data by
a) using the HTTP “GET” command.
b) using Web pages.
6. The Get method can be used to
a) pass a search query to a file server.
b) listen for HTTP requests.
Vocabulary practice
1. Which word does not belong to the group?
a) documents, specifications, protocols, commands;
b) file, database, data, directory;
c) screen, display, desktop, browser;
d) connections, links, addresses, sites;
e) query, request, response, port.
2. Complete the sentences using one of the given endings.
| 1.The WWW began as 2.HTTP is a protocol that works with 3.HTML is called a markup language because 4.A typical Web page is based on 5.A browser is a software program that runs 6.As an alternative to HTML documents, Web server can store | a)Web page data in other types of files, such as databases. b)on your computer and helps you access Web pages. c)a document stored in a file and identified by a unique address called URL. d)authors mark up their documents by inserting special instructions, called HTML tags. e)TCP/IP to get Web resources to your desktop. f)a project by high-energy physics researches in Switzerland. |
3. Fill in the blanks choosing from the variants given.
1) When you type a … into the browser’s address box, you are requesting HTML data from a specific Web page.
a) HTML b) URL c) HTTP d) TCP
2) A … is a software program that runs on your computer and helps you access Web pages.
a) Web server b) e-mail server c) FTP server d) browser
3) Your browser creates a … for the data by using the HTTP “GET” command.
a) response b) request c) message d) instruction
4) Technically, a browser is the client half of the client/server software that facilitates communication between a personal computer and a….
a) Web server b) e-mail server c) FTP server d) web site
5) HTML is a set of specifications for creating … that a browser can display as a Web page.
a) HTML documents b) graphics c) sound d) video files
4. Fill in the gaps with appropriate words.
Many software tools are available today that make it easy to create Web pages. A Web page author can use a _ 1 _ editor, such as Notepad, to create Web pages “from scratch” by manually embedding HTML tags within the text of a document. It is also possible to use the HTML conversion routines included with many standard software applications. Another route is to use specialized Web _2_ software, such as Microsoft FrontPage.
An HTML document is divided into two sections. The _ 3_ section contains information used to define global properties for the document. The _ 4 _ section contains the text you want the browser to display, the HTML tags that format the text, and a variety of links. In addition to embedding HTML tags within the text, a Web page can be formatted with a _ 5_ style sheet, which allows Web page designers to change formats throughout an HTML document without modifying individual HTML tags. To control the position of text and graphics on a Web page, many authors place these elements in the cells of a Web page _ 6_.
Text D
Pre-reading. Match the meaning of the following English words and their Russian equivalents.
| 1.search engine; 2.content; 3.SEO (search engine optimization); 4.marketing; 5.database; 6.relevance; 7.indexing; 8.root directory; 9.web masters; 10.domain; 11.(to) parse; 12.spam. | a)маркетинг, торговля; b)степень соответствия; c)база данных; d)индексация; e)корневой каталог; f)практически бесполезная; информация; g)содержание, информационное наполнение; h)разбор; анализ i)домен; j)оптимизация поисковых систем; k)поисковая программа; l)разработчик Web-страниц; |
Reading. Read the text and try to guess the meaning of the words in bold. Check your variants in the dictionary.
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
To find information on the Web, you may need to use a search engine. A search engine is a piece of software that gives you the ability to search for Internetresources. Search engines are usually accessed through Web browser software. Each search engine provides different searching options and has its own look. Search engines also differ greatly in the number of resources they allow you to search. Some search engines have both searching and browsing capabilities. The major search engines are Google, Yahoo and Yandex.
If you want to promote your website in the search results of the major search engines, you should use SEO (search engine optimization). Search engine optimization is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results. Usually, the earlier a site is presented in the search results, or the higher it “ranks,” the more searchers will visit that site. SEO can also target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.
As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its content and HTML coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.
The acronym “SEO” can also refer to “search engine optimizers”, a term adopted by an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients, and by employees who perform SEO services in-house. Search engine optimizers may offer SEO as a stand-alone service or as a part of a broader marketing campaign. Because effective SEO may require changes to the HTML source code of a site, SEO tactics may be incorporated into web site development and design. The term “search engine friendly” may be used to describe web site designs, menus, content management systems and shopping carts that are easy to optimize.
The leading search engines use crawlers to find pages for their algorithmic search results. Pages that are linked from other search engine indexed pages do not need to be submitted because they are found automatically. Some search engines operate a paid submission service that guarantee crawling for either a set fee or cost per click. Search engine crawlers may look at a number of different factors when crawling a site. Not every page is indexed by the search engines. Distance of pages from the root directory of a site may also be a factor in whether or not pages get crawled.
To avoid undesirable content in the search indexes, webmasters can instruct spiders not to crawl certain files or directories through the standard robots.txt file in the root directory of the domain. Additionally, a page can be explicitly excluded from a search engine’s database by using a meta tag specific to robots. When a search engine visits a site, the robots.txt located in the root directory is the first file crawled. The robots.txt file is then parsed, and will instruct the robot as to which pages are not to be crawled. As a search engine crawler may keep a cached copy of this file, it may on occasion crawl pages a webmaster does not wish to be crawled. Pages typically prevented from being crawled include login specific pages such as shopping carts and user-specific content such as search results from internal searches. In March 2007, Google warned webmasters that they should prevent indexing of internal search results because those pages are considered search spam.
SEO techniques can be classified into two broad categories: techniques that search engines recommend as part of good design, and those techniques of which search engines do not approve. The search engines attempt to minimize the effect of the latter, among them spamdexing. Industry commentators have classified these methods, and the practitioners who employ them, as either white hat SEO, or black hat SEO. White hats tend to produce results that last a long time, whereas black hats anticipate that their sites may eventually be banned either temporarily or permanently once the search engines discover what they are doing.
An SEO technique is considered white hat if it conforms to the search engines’ guidelines and involves no deception. As the search engine guidelines are not written as a series of rules or commandments, this is an important distinction to note. White hat SEO is not just about following guidelines, but is about ensuring that the content a search engine indexes and subsequently ranks is the same content a user will see. White hat advice is generally summed up as creating content for users, not for search engines, and then making that content easily accessible to the spiders, rather than attempting to trick the algorithm from its intended purpose. White hat SEO is in many ways similar to web development that promotes accessibility, although the two are not identical.
Black hat SEO attempts to improve rankings in ways that are disapproved of by the search engines, or involve deception. One black hat technique uses a text that is hidden, either as a text colored similar to the background or positioned off screen. Another method gives a different page depending on whether the page is being requested by a human visitor or a search engine, a technique known as cloaking.
Search engines may penalize sites they discover using black hat methods, either by reducing their rankings or eliminating their listings from their databases altogether. Such penalties can be applied either automatically by the search engines’ algorithms, or by a manual site review.
Comprehension check. Match the beginnings of the sentences in the first column with the endings in the second.
| 1.To find information on the Web 2.Search engine optimizers may offer SEO 3.The term “search engine friendly” may be used 4.One black hat technique uses a text that is hidden, 5.Search engines may penalize sites they discover using black hat methods, 6.Distance of pages from the root directory of a site | a)may also be a factor in whether or not pages get crawled. b)either by reducing their rankings or eliminating their listings from their databases altogether. c)either as text colored similar to the backgrounds. d)to describe Web site designs, menus, content management systems and shopping carts that are easy to optimize. e)as a stand-alone service or as a part of a broader marketing campaign. f)you may need to use a search engine. |
Vocabulary practice
1. Fill in the blanks in the sentences with the necessary word(s); all the letters of the word(s) are given on the right.
| 1. A search engine is a piece of … that gives you the ability to search for Internet resources. | E T A O F W T R S |
| 2. The term “search engine friendly” may be used to describe Web site designs, menus, content … systems and shopping carts that are easy to optimize. | A G T E E M A M N N |
| 3. To avoid … content in the search indexes, web-masters can instruct spiders not to crawl certain files | E L D U E I R N S A B |
| 4. SEO … can be classified into two broad categories. | Q E S T U I N H C E |
| 5. Black hat SEO … to improve rankings in ways that are disapproved of by the search engines, or involve deception. | T A T S M T P E |
| 6. Search engines may … sites they discover using black hat methods. | E P Z E A N L I |
2. Fill in the blanks choosing from the variants given.
1. If you want to promote your … in the search results of the major search engines, you should use SEO.
a) computer b) host c) website d) disk
2. Such programs usually guarantee inclusion in the …, but do not guarantee specific ranking within the search results.
a) index b) database c) code d) charter
3. To avoid undesirable content in the search indexes, … can instruct spiders net to crawl certain files or directories.
a) workers b) admins c) customers d) webmasters
4. Black hat SEO attempts to improve … in ways that are disapproved of by the search engines.
a) rankings b) costs c) velocity d) quality
3. Match the beginnings and the endings of the description given and put them into correct order.
| 1.As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers. 2.The leading search engines use crawlers 3.In March 2007, Google warned webmasters that they 4.An SEO technique is considered white hat if 5.Black hat SEO attempts to improve rankings in ways 6.Search engines may penalize sites they discover | a)using black hat methods, either by reducing their rankings or eliminating their listings from their database. b)that are disapproved of by the search engines, or involve deception. c)it conforms to the search engines guidelines and involves no deception. d)should prevent indexing of internal search results because those pages are spam. e)to find pages for their algorithmic search results. f)how search engines work and what people search for. |
4. Fill in the gaps in the text.
Webmasters and content providers began _ 1 _ sites for search engines in the mid-1990s, as the first search engines were cataloging the early Web. Initially, all a webmaster needed to do was submit a page, or URL, to the various engines which would send a spider to “crawl” that page, extract links to other pages from it, and return information found on the page to be _ 2_. The process involves a search engine spider downloading a _ 3_ and storing it on the search engine’s own server, where a second program, known as an indexer, extracts various information about the page, such as the words it contains and where they are located, as well as any weight for specific _ 4 _, as well as any and all links the page contains, which are then placed into a scheduler for crawling at a later date.
Site owners started to recognize the value of having their sites highly ranked and visible in search engine _ 5 _, creating an opportunity for both white hat and black _ 6_ SEO practitioners. According to industry analyst Danny Sullivan, the earliest known use of the phrase search _ 7 __ optimization was a spam message posted on Usenet on July 26, 1997.
Critical thinking. Read the article and express your opinion on the problem.
Censorship on the Web
The Internet offers instant access to information across national and cultural borders, but along with helpful information the Internet hosts a disturbing amount of unsavory material. Militias and hate groups use Web sites to recruit new members and spread their views. International terrorists use Web sites as recruiting tools and for boasting about suicide bombings. Criminals, anarchists and dissenters post guidebooks and tips on how to do all kinds of illegal activities, from making suitcase bombs to spreading viruses.
Some netizens advocate cyber censorship to irresponsible Web sites, blogs and discussion groups. Cyber censorship typically means blocking access to Web sites, but it can also mean closing sites and removing them from host servers. Censorship advocates are opposed by free speech supporters. The controversy over censorship is not new. In most cases words are acceptable, whereas actions can be punishable. But in some cases, words are punishable, too.
A second censorship guideline hinges on local standards of morality. Local communities can apply their own standards to determine whether material is obscene. However, local standards are difficult to sort out on the Internet where a Web surfer in Tennessee can easily access Web sites, bulletin boards and chat groups that originate from anywhere in the world.
The U. S. Supreme Court supports the concept of cyberzones that limit net access to certain materials. It is possible to construct barriers in cyberspace and use them to screen for identity, making cyberspace more like the physical world and more amenable to zoning laws. As an example, AOL is trying to develop a family - friendly Internet portal by enforcing policies against offensive speech.
But in some countries cyber citizens have no choice but to use a government-controlled ISP. In many countries, free speech is not a basic right conferred to all citizens. Many dictatorial regimes want their citizens to receive news from the outside world only after government censor has screened it. Officials in more than 20 countries use sophisticated tools to block Web sites, filter e-mail, and censor discussion groups.
China has some of the most rigorous Internet censorship in the world. The “Great Firewall of China” as it is sometimes called, blocks Internet content by preventing IP addresses of objectionable sites from being routed through its gateways into China. In Iran, government censors monitor political and news Web sites. In Saudi Arabia if you tried to open “Rolling Stone”s magazine’s Web site, you would find that access has been denied. The Saudi government claims its censors the Internet to preserve culture and heritage. That argument in many ways reflects the concept of cyberzones that conform to local standards of morality. Even free-speech activists seem to agree. They say: “We do think that information should be free, but we do need to find a balance for respect for sovereign states to preserve their own culture.”
Despite such cultural sensitivity, technology giants, such as Microsoft, Yahoo! and Cisco Systems have been criticized for providing foreign government with tools for blocking culturally objectionable sites.
What do you think?
1. Should government be allowed to block access to Web sites based on local religions, politics and customs?
2. Do you believe that a privately held ISP like AOL has the right to censor the data posted on Web sites it hosts?
3. Should companies like Microsoft, Yahoo! and Cisco Systems provide blocking technology to foreign government?
Projects. Perform the project given.
1. Worldwide, communication capabilities are growing quickly. Nevertheless, there is a great disparity in communication capabilities among countries. For this project, use any resources to gather information about the communication options that are available throughout the world. Consider available technologies and the number of people who use them. Your research can include the following: land-based phones, cellular phones, dial-up connection for Internet, cable Internet, such services as DSL and ISDN, wireless Internet, LAN. Consider how they might affect lifestyles and economies of different regions. Suppose that you are organizing a debate about global communication technology and you must devise a controversial question on which the debate will be based and write it down. You should also write three ”pro” and “con” paragraphs just to make sure that both sides will have substantial material to debate.
2. Many companies have a Web site that provides information on their products and services. Use a search engine to locate a company in your career field. Suppose you are a recruiter for that company and you’ll be attending a series of college career fairs. Create a one-page information flyer that you can hand out to prospective recruits. It should include: company’s name, location(s) URL; a brief description of the company’s mission, products, and services; a description of typical working conditions; instructions on how to submit a resume electronically.
Final test. Do the tasks in the following test.
1. … is a utility that records a packet’s path from your computer to its destination.
2. HTTP is a classified a(n) … protocol, which maintains no record of previous interactions and handles each request based entirely on information that comes with it.
3. … is a high-speed, always-on Internet access technology that runs over standard phone lines.
4. HTML tags are enclosed in angle brackets. (True/False)
5. You may experience … delays of 1 second or more when using satellite data transport services.
6. HTML is abbreviation for ….
a) Hypertext machine link c) Hypertext markup language
b) Hypertext makeup language d) Hypertext mail link
7. Which of the following protocols is responsible for addressing packets so that they can be routed to their destination?
a) IP b) TCP c) POP d) FTP
8. Which of the following are examples of browsers?
a) Mozilla b) Opera c) Netscape Navigator d) all of the above
9. The Internet grew out of the …, which was created in 1969.
10. … is a set of specifications for creating documents that browser can display as a Web page.
11. In communication technology, … means the change of characteristics of a signal.
12. In everyday conversation the term “Web page” is often used for the HTML document as well as the Web page you see on your screen, even though technically they are not the same. (True/False)
13. Networked computers are vulnerable to … access to data.
14. HTML documents do not actually contain graphics. (True/False)
15. Domain name … are computers that host a database called the Domain Name System.
16. HTTP is a protocol that works with … to get Web resources to your desktop.
17. If permitted by your DSL provider, you can use your DSL connection for voice
calls as well as for transmitting data. (True/False)
18. A browser uses … to request a specific HTML document from a web server, and then interprets the HTML tags in order to display the requested Web page.
19. A … area network is a data communications network that connects personal computers within a very limited geographical area – usually a single building.
20. A permanently assigned IP address is referred to as a … IP address.
