Are Online Friends Real Friends?

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 ‘add on’ in any relationship.”

注釋：

1．Today these questions are the subject of lively debate.：現今這些問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.：當你瀏覽社交網站和進人聊天室聊天時，你會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.：他們有時會夸大自己的優點而掩蓋缺點，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.：他們認為，由于缺乏共同的經歷，與網友發展信任和聯系很困難。

練習：

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.

答案與題解：

1．F開頭第一句講了現代計算機技術給人類帶來了一種新型的人際關系，即網友。而這一句是對網友的定義，即人們通過網絡認識的朋友。第二句的開頭online friends與第一句的結尾online friendship承上啟下，是文章寫作的要素。

2．A本段講的是網上交友的有利因素：方便快捷；分享真情實感比社交場合容易得多。本句的開頭in addition (另外）引出對以上有利因素的補充。

3．B本段講的是網上交友的不利因素。本段第一句是一個總括句：網上交友有一大不利。本句說明這一不利是什么，即沒有而對而的接觸，人們很容易受騙，緊接著下一句講怎樣被騙：網友只會告訴你他們想讓你知道的信息。

4．D該句的前一句講的是：調查結果顯示，超過40%的受訪者認為“網上的友誼”同“線下的友誼”一樣牢固。而這一句是對上一句的進一步解釋：調查還顯示，網友轉變成現實中的朋友也不是不尋常的。also —詞也表明了該句和前一句的關系。

5．C該句的前一句和后一句都講的是網絡可以使人們多聯系，但耍使人們成為親密的朋友比較難。所以，該句（很多人也認同這一點）恰當地把它們連接起來。

譯文：網友算真正的朋友嗎？

現代計算機技術使得一種新的人際關系成為可能，即網友。網友，或稱虛擬朋友，是指在網上認識的人。網友是否能像現實中的朋友一樣互相幫助？交網友的利弊分別有哪些？網絡上能建立起牢固的聯系嗎？現金，這些問題引起了激烈的爭論。

有的人認為，網絡是結交朋友最好的方式。網絡不僅方便快捷，還能讓你聯系到全世界各種類型的人。當你瀏覽社交網站或進入聊天室聊天時，你會很容易找到志趣相投的人，信息更新和照片也能增進這種體驗。在網上交友對于內向的人來說尤其有利，因為他們在社交場合可能會感到不自在。在網絡上，分享思想和情感也變得更為容易。另外，虛擬的朋友能夠給人們以情感支持，減少人們的孤獨感，幫助他們解決問題。

網絡雖然可以增進友誼，但也存在不少缺陷。由于沒有面對面的接觸，人們很容易受騙。網友只會告訴你他們想讓你知道的信息。他們有時會夸大自己的優點而掩蓋缺點，讓你看不清他們的廬山真面目。正因如此，在不完全確定對方是誰之前，不要隨便將個人信息提供給網絡上的任何人。

網絡上的朋友能和現實中的朋友一樣有意義嗎？對此有許多不同的觀點。南加州大學的研究人員對美國2000戶家庭進行了一項調查，調查結果顯示，超過40%的受訪者認為“網上的友誼”同“線下的友誼”一樣牢固。調查還顯示，網友不能轉變成現實中的朋友也不是尋常的。與此相對的是，許多人認為與網友發展深厚友誼不太可能。拉麗莎·拉什米帕西是一名年輕的軟件工程師，她說：“同許多人保持聯系給人感覺很好，但是我網上的朋友不都是我親密的朋友。”很多人也認同這一點，他們認為，由于缺乏共同的經歷，與網友發展信任和聯系很困難。

人們還在為網友的問題爭論不休。不過，大部分人仍認為，虛擬的朋友不能代替現實中的朋友。正如一位人生導師說：“社交網站只能成為人際關系的助益，而不能取而代之。”

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