The survey found that 45% of internet users, or around 60 million Americans, said the internet helped them make important life decisions in the past two years, up from 40% in 2002. Specifically, an estimated 21 million used the internet for career training, 17 million to choose a school or help with an illness, 16 million to buy a car or make financial decisions, 10 million to find a new home, 8 million to change jobs, and 7 million to research a health problem. The convenience of broadband and better online content may be contributing to the internet's increasing role in major decisions.

1. Upper Intermediate Instant Lesson™
The Answer Lies Online
Pre-Reading Activities
A: What Do You Do?
Answer these questions in pairs.
1. If you have to find a new job, which of these below would you do in finding the job?
(Choose more than one, if you wish.)
You'd talk to your cat.
You'd talk to your
grandparents.
You'd talk to a car salesperson. You'd talk to your best friend.
You'd use your computer. You'd go to your local library.
You'd talk to your parents. You'd look in a newspaper.
2. Here are some other decisions that most people have to make.
You have to buy a car.
You have to find information about a serious
illness.
You have to choose which
college to go to.
You have to find a new place to live.
Look again at the list of things you could do in 1. Which of them would you do in making
these decisions?
Example Answer: I'd probably talk to a car salesperson if I were buying a new car. I
wouldn't talk to my grandparents, my cat or use my computer or go the library. I might
ask my parents and I'd definitely look in a newspaper. Usually, I'd go to different car
salesyards and see what they have for sale.
Reading Activities
A: Reading For Specific Information
Read the article very quickly and answer this question.
Which thing are more people doing to help make decisions?
Talking to their
cat.
Talking to their
grandparents.
Talking to a car
salesperson.
Talking to their best
friend.
Using their
computer.
Going to their local
library.

2. Internet plays bigger role in life
decisions: poll
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ed Apr 19, 2006 WASHINGTON
Reuters) - Nearly half of U.S. users of the
nternet went online for help with major
ife decisions such as finding a college for
heir child or looking for a new place to
ive, according to a survey released on
ednesday.
t
he results show that the Internet is
ecoming increasingly important to users
n their everyday lives, according to the
ew Internet and American Life Project, a
onprofit group which conducted the
urvey.
I
ome 45 percent of Internet users, or an
stimated 60 million Americans, said the
nternet helped them make big decisions
r face a major moment in their life during
he previous two years, the survey found.
hat was up from 40 percent of Internet
sers who answered the same survey
uestions in 2002.
d
pecifically, the survey asked 2,201 adults
ast month if the Internet played a crucial
r important role in making at least one of
ight major life decisions.
T
n estimated 21 million Americans turned to
he Internet when seeking more training for a
areer, while 17 million used it to choose a
chool for a family member or to help another
erson with a major illness, the Pew Internet
roup said.
ome 16 million Americans used the Internet
hen buying a car or making a major
nvestment or financial decision, it said. An
stimated 10 million Americans used the
nternet when looking for a new place to live, 8
illion when changing jobs and 7 million
hen dealing with their own major illness or
ealth condition, the survey said.
It seems likely that the convenience of
roadband draws more users to the Internet to
eal with some decision," the Pew Internet
roup said. However, better online content and
ore widely advertised web sites may also
ontribute to the rising use of the Internet with
ajor life decisions, it said.
he survey results were posted on the Internet
t www.pewinternet.org.
Article © 2006 Reuters Limited. Lesson © 2006 www.english-to-go.com
Talking to their
parents.
Looking in a
newspaper.
B: Complete The Table
Here is a summary of the survey's findings, produced in a table. Read the article and
complete the gaps in the table.
Number of people interviewed in survey ______
Date survey was carried out ______
Internet users who said it was very helpful when thinking about
something very important in 2006.
_____
%
Internet users who said it was very helpful when thinking about
something very important in 2002.
_____%
Estimated numbers of Americans who used the Internet for making these
life decisions in the last 2 years:
__ training for a career
__ choosing the right school
__ looking for information about a disease to help someone else
__ choosing a car

3. __ finding out how to invest money
__ looking for somewhere to live
__ finding a job
__ looking for information on their own health problem
C: Choose The Best Summary
Which of these is the best summary of today's article?
1. The Internet is now an important way to find information about big
decisions for many Internet users in America.
2. Over 50% of American Internet users now go to the Internet when trying
to make life decisions.
3. Almost half of Americans now use the Internet to find information about something
important to them.
D: True, False Or Not Given
Decide if these statements are true (T), false (F) or there is no information given in the
article (NG).
1. The Pew Group surveyed all American Internet users.
2. The survey will be repeated in 2008.
3. More people used the Internet to find out about a friend's illness than their own health
problem.
4. The survey results showed that people went to the Internet for help because it is easy to
use.
5. The organizers of the survey think higher quality of information on the Internet could
be one of the reasons for its increasing popularity.
Post-Reading Activities
You may do one or more of these.
A: Language
Read this part of the article again. In each line find the word that is in the incorrect form
and correct it. If you think a line is correct, write 'Correct'.
(Do not look at the article again until you have finished!)
1. An estimating 21 million Americans turned to the Internet when seeking
2. more training for a career, while 17 million used it to chose
3. a school for a family member or to help another person
4. with a major ill, the Pew Internet group said.
5. Some 16 million Americans using the Internet when buying
6. a car or making a major investment or financial decision, it said.
7. An estimated 10 million Americans used the Internet when looked
8. for a new place to live, 8 million when changed jobs
9. and 7 million when dealing with their own major illness
10. or healthy condition, the survey said.

4. B: What Do You Think?
Write a short essay saying whether you agree or disagree with the following statement:
Over the next twenty years the Internet will slowly replace libraries, newspaper
employment pages and phone information lines as the main way of getting information
about jobs, study or illnesses.
C: Editing And Proofing
When you have finished your essay from Post-Reading Activity B, ask another student
to read it. Ask them first to look at:
1. your ideas and arguments - Have you said your ideas clearly? Have you explained
them and used supporting evidence or arguments?
2. your grammar and vocabulary - What mistakes can they find?
3. the organization of your essay - Is the essay clearly organized?

5. TEACHERS' NOTES AND ANSWER KEY
Pre-Reading Activities
A: What Do You Do? - Notes
1. and 2. Answers will vary, but of course very few people would ask their cat for help in looking for a job!
Reading Activities
A: Reading For Specific Information - Answer
Using their computer.
B: Complete The Table - Answers
Number of people interviewed, 2,201
The survey was carried out in March, 2006.
Internet users who said it was very helpful when thinking about something very important in 2006. - 45%
Internet users who said it was very helpful when thinking about something very important in 2002. - 40%
The following estimated numbers of American Internet users used the Internet for making these life
decisions in the last 2 years:21 million - training for a career
17 million - choosing the right school
17 million - looking for information about a disease to help someone else
16 million - choosing a car
16 million - finding out how to invest money
10 million - looking for somewhere to live
7 million - looking for information on their own health problem
8 million - finding a job
C: Choose The Best Summary - Answers
1. is the best summary.
(2. is incorrect because it is less than 50% and 3. is incorrect because it talks about Americans instead of
Americans who have the Internet.)
D: True, False Or Not Given - Answers
1. False, 2. NG (It was done in 2002 as well, but the article does not say whether it will be done in another
four years.), 3. T, 4. F (The Pew Internet group speculated that this might be the case, but the survey results
did not show this.), 5. T.
Post-Reading Activities
A: Language - Answers
1. estimating estimated
2. chose chose
3. Correct
4. ill illness
5. using used
6. Correct
7. looked looking
8. changed changing
9. Correct
10. healthy health