Text 2 Online Dating Goes Mainstream

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 stories 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 toUps for meeting other singles.

"My brother told me to take a dance class:' said David Collins, 28, who met his fiancee, 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. "T 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. "T hen, 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-if they just looked through a few hundred more profiles.

Ex.1 Define if the following sentences are true or false:

1. Ms Costello is convinced that she will find her life partner in the real world.

2. More than 45 million Englishmen visited online dating sites last month.

3. There are no many stories about liars.

4. Online daters never complain.

5. Majority of subscribers are looking for a serious relationship.

6. Many online daters never quit.

7. Online dating becomes more and more popular.

8. The Internet is filling the need for something old.

Ex.2 Find the antonyms for the next words:

1. single

2. enemy

3. old

4. question

5. to divorce

6. once

7. child

8. to lose

Text 3

Email friends can help you enjoy your day at work, but don't expect too much from them as many email friends prefer to stay online only.

One woman I spoke to recently, Patricia, met a new colleague, Howard, at a conference. They got on really well and on Monday morning when Patricia got to work there was an email from Howard in her inbox. She replied and they started an email relationship. They found that they had a lot in common. They shared memories, and talked about their workmates. Sometimes they swapped more than twelve emails a day, only stopping if one of them had a meeting. Patricia looked forward to receiving Howard's emails when she arrived at work. After a few weeks, however, Patricia asked Howard if he wanted to meet up after work, but he always found an excuse not to. Then she received a really strange email from him explaining how he didn't want to have a relationship and how he had decided to stop emailing her. That was the end of the story, and she never heard from him again.

You see, an email relationship takes a lot less energy and organising than a face-to-face relationship. So a lot of people who don't really want the responsibility of a relationship will try email friends instead. It's easier and, if you have an argument, you can always just shut down your computer!

Ex.1 Read the text and entitle it.

1 girlfriends and boyfriends

2 email relationships

3 penfriends

4 work relationships

Ex. 2 Choose the correct answers.

1 Email friends are good for

A going out with after work.

B spending time while you are at work.

2 Patricia and Howard

A were old friends.

B met at a conference.

3 They talked about

A their colleagues. B their problems.

4 They usually wrote

A lots of emails every day.

B one or two emails a day.

5 Patricia asked Howard to

A meet her after work.

B stop emailing her.

6 Howard

A wanted to go to the cinema with Patricia.

B didn't want to meet her in person.

7 Email relationships use

A more energy than face-to-face relationships.

B less energy than face-to-face relationships.

8 The advantage of an email relationship is that if you have an argument, you can

A switch off your computer. B meet for a coffee.