Modern computer technology has made a new kind of human relationship possible: online friendship. ____(1)____. Are online friendships as beneficial as face-to-face friendships? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having virtual friends? Can people form strong bonds online? Today these questions are the subject of lively debate1.
Some people believe that the Internet is the best way to make new friends. It’s convenient, it’s fast, and it allows to make contact with different kinds of people from all over the world. When you use social networking websites and chat rooms, you can easily find people with interests and hobbies similar to yours2. Information updates and photos add to the experience. Making friends on the Internet is especially good for shy people who feel uncomfortable in social situations. It’s often easier to share thoughts and feelings online. ____(2)____. They can make people feel less lonely and help them solve problems.
Although the Internet can encourage friendship, it has a major disadvantage. ____(3)____. Online friends only tell you what they want you to know. They sometimes exaggerate their good qualities and hide the less positive ones, so you can’t be sure of what they really like3. That is why you should not give personal information to anyone online unless you’re totally sure of who that person is.
Can online friendship be as meaningful as face-to-face ones? There are different points of view. Researchers at the University of Southern California surveyed 2,000 households in the United States. The results showed that more than 40 percent of participants feel “as strongly about their online buddies”as they do about their “offline”friends. ____(4)____. In contrast, there are many people who believe that it’s not possible to have deep relationships with online friends. A young Indian software engineer, Lalitha Lakshmipathy，says，“it’s good to feel connected with many people, but all my e-buddies are not necessarily my close friends. ”____(5)____. They say that it’s hard to develop feelings of trust and connection when you don’t share experiences in person4.
People continue to express different opinions about online friendship. However, most of them would agree that virtual friendships must not replace face-to-face friendships. As one life coach says, “a social networking site should only be the ‘a(chǎn)dd on’ in any relationship.”
詞匯：
acquaint / əˈkweint / v.使熟悉
lively / ˈlaivli / adj.熱烈的
deceive / diˈsi:v/ vt.欺騙
exaggerate / igˈzædʒəreit / v.夸大
beneficial / ˌbeniˈfiʃəl / adj. 有益的
update / ˌʌp'deɪt / vt. 更新
buddy / ˈbʌdi] / n. 朋友
add on 補(bǔ)充
注釋：
1.Today these questions are the subject of lively debate.：現(xiàn)今這些問(wèn)題成了人們熱議的話題。
2.When you use social networking websites and chat rooms, you can easily find people with interests and hobbies similar to yours.：當(dāng)你瀏覽社交網(wǎng)站和進(jìn)人聊天室聊天時(shí)，你會(huì)很容易找到志趣相投的人。
3.They sometimes exaggerate their good qualities and hide the less positive ones, so you can’t be sure of what they really like.：他們有時(shí)會(huì)夸大自己的優(yōu)點(diǎn)而掩蓋缺點(diǎn)，讓你看不清他們的廬山真面目。
4.They say that it’s hard to develop feelings of trust and connection when you don’t share experiences in person.：他們認(rèn)為，由于缺乏共同的經(jīng)歷，與網(wǎng)友發(fā)展信任和聯(lián)系很困難。
練習(xí)：
A.In addition, virtual friends can offer emotional support.
B.When you’re not face to face, it’s much easier to deceive people.
C.Many people would agree.
D.Researchers also found that it’s not unusual for online friends to become face-to-face friends.
E.Online friends may be of help in many ways.
F.Online friends，or virtual friends，are people who have become acquainted with each other through the Internet.
