Text Book Exercise 1
Q. Work individually and circle one of the options to fill in the blanks. After completing the exercise, compare your answers with your partner.
According to the text, social media is a:
(a) good thing
(b) bad thing
(c) neither
(d) ✓ both
The social media is something that is used by:
(a) old people
(b) young people
(c) ✓ people of all ages
(d) children
In conclusion, the writer says that the social media should be:
(a) ignored
(b) ✓ used with care
(c) given up
(d) used every day
Text Book Exercise 2
Q. Work in pairs. Read the text and underline the following words. The meanings of all these words are given in the exercise below. Find out the word which has the given meaning and fill in the blanks.
Word Bank:
| revolutionized | stupendous | vistas | fantasy | accessibility |
|---|
| injudicious | tardy | detrimental | fraudulent | materialize |
| deterioration | consequences | disproportionately | addictive | obesity |
| devastating | mitigated | self-portrayal | inconvenience | prudent |
Meanings and Answers:
The meaning of stupendous is extremely great.
The meaning of inconvenience is trouble.
The meaning of obesity is being overweight.
The meaning of materialize is happen or take shape.
The meaning of prudent is caring for the future.
The meaning of tardy is late submitted.
The meaning of revolutionize is changed completely.
The meaning of disproportionately is not in the right amount.
- Answer: Disproportionately
The meaning of self-portrayal is showing off oneself.
The meaning of addictive is habit-forming.
- The meaning of accessibility is easy to reach.
- The meaning of fraudulent is dishonest, cheating.
- The meaning of vistas is prospects.
- The meaning of consequences is negative results.
- The meaning of devastating is highly damaging.
- The meaning of injudicious is unwise.
- The meaning of fantasy is imagining of impossible things.
- The meaning of mitigated is made less severe.
Text Book Exercise 3
Q. Work individually. Skim through the text and identify the paragraphs that give the following information. Write the paragraph number in the given blanks. After completing, compare your answers with your partner and make corrections where necessary.
| Information | Paragraph Number |
|---|
| (a) Lack of quality communication | (8) |
| (b) Promotion and identification of skills and talents | (4) |
| (c) Basic rules for minimizing the harmful effects | (12) |
| (d) Becoming a part of the global community | (2) |
| (e) Impact on mental health | (10) |
| (f) Using the social media prudently | (13) |
| (g) Advent of the Internet and the social media | (1) |
| (h) Psychological disorders | (11) |
| (i) Negative impact on the studies | (6) |
| (j) Effects on physical health | (9) |
| (k) Use of the social media for business purposes | (3) |
| (l) Fraudulent companies cheating people | (7) |
| (m) Connecting friends and families | (5) |
Text Book Exercise 4
Q. Read the text and mark the statements as true or false. After completing, compare your answers with your partner.
| S No | Statements | True | False |
|---|
| 1 | The social media has not affected the world in any major way. | | ✓ |
| 2 | Some vendors on the social media cheat their customers. | ✓ | |
| 3 | Use of the social media does not have any disadvantages. | | ✓ |
| 4 | Professionals do not use the social media. | | ✓ |
| 5 | Increase in the use of the social media has affected relationships adversely. | ✓ | |
| 6 | Students can contact teachers from any part of the world and learn from them. | ✓ | |
| 7 | Employers do not use the social media to look for people whom they want to hire. | | ✓ |
| 8 | Disproportionate use of the social media has devastating effects on physical health. | ✓ | |
| 9 | A careless user can get the benefits from the positive aspects of the social media. | | ✓ |
Text Book Exercise 5
Q. The following sentences have the wrong information. Work in pairs. Read the text and write the corrected sentences in the space provided.
Incorrect: With social media, one has become a part of the regional community.
Correct: With social media, one has become a part of a global community.
Incorrect: The speed with which social media users are increasing is slow.
Correct: The speed with which social media users are rising is stupendous.
Incorrect: The extended family members are not important in the Pakistani family structure.
Correct: The extended family members occupy an important place in the Pakistani family structure.
(4)
Original: Social media is a major cause of weakness in children and teenagers.
Corrected: Social media is a major cause of obesity in children and teenagers.
(5)
Original: Rumours travel very slowly on social media.
Corrected: Rumours travel very fast on social media.
(6)
Original: Posting selfies can lead to physical disorders.
Corrected: Posting selfies can lead to psychological disorders.
(7)
Original: Using social media has neither pros nor cons.
Corrected: Using social media has both pros and cons.
(8)
Original: One needs to see how one can maximize the harmless effects of social media.
Corrected: One needs to see how one can minimize the harmless effects of social media.
(9)
Original: The ills of social media can be reduced by following all the rules.
Corrected: The ills of social media can be mitigated if we follow certain basic rules.
(10)
Original: Giving up social media may be the only option we have today.
Corrected: Giving up social media may not be a realistic option.
Text Book Exercise 6
Q: Work in pairs, read the text, and write down the positive aspects and negative aspects of social media with respect to the following. Also, write down what needs to be done to reduce the negative impact, as stated in the text.
Business
Positive Aspects:
Businesspersons can initiate a business with the click of a button, rather than with the touch of a finger. They can post their products and invite buyers from every nook and corner of the world. They can interact with their customers on a case-by-case basis and readily respond to their queries, comments, and needs. Social media has facilitated online business and the promotion of skills and talents.
Negative Aspects:
One may get cheated by fake virtual companies and organizations. Hence, despite the innumerable benefits of online business, it may be misused by fraudulent companies. People may suffer financial loss by paying for goods that may be of poor quality.
Business (Reducing Negative Impact):
One should be discreet when selecting online products or responding to online offers of jobs and other opportunities.
Students
Positive Aspects:
Social media has opened new vistas for students and professionals, who can easily interact with their counterparts in any part of the world and exchange views on matters of mutual interest. Students can also easily interact with educators and researchers globally and gain knowledge and wisdom from them.
Negative Aspects:
Its injudicious use often results in incomplete school assignments, tardiness, and poor academic performance. Moreover, when students accumulate pending work, they often resort to online distractions, such as social media websites, cutting down their study time. This harms their academic growth and performance. Furthermore, students without access to such services may fall behind in their studies.
Reducing Negative Impact:
Creating a balance between study time and physical activities is essential for achieving academic and personal growth.
Communication with Friends and Family
Positive Aspects:
Social media has not only made constant connection with distant relatives possible, but it has also reconnected long-lost friends and relatives. Thanks to its affordability and accessibility, it has strengthened the bond of love and care among family members living far apart. Today, all family members can participate virtually in events when physical participation isn't possible.
Negative Aspects:
Increased time on social media has limited face-to-face communication, leading to compromised relationships. People now spend more time on social media, resulting in a decline in the quality of one-on-one conversations with both immediate and extended family members. This trend diminishes meaningful interactions that play an important role in Pakistani family culture. Although social networks allow quick interaction with many people, these interactions are often superficial and cannot replace meaningful face-to-face conversations. The lack of quality communication can weaken relationships, with negative consequences over time.
Reducing Negative Impact:
We should limit our time on social media and prioritize real-world interactions with family and friends. Strengthening face-to-face relationships will allow us to share each other’s joys and sorrows more meaningfully.
Promotion of Skills and Talents
Positive Aspects:
Social media has made the promotion of skills and talents very easy, leading to the opening up of innumerable avenues for many people. Skilled and talented individuals no longer need to seek contacts or venture out to showcase their capabilities. They can display their talents and promote their skills and products through virtual platforms, achieving great heights and recognition in their respective fields. Social media allows people to advertise their skills and capabilities, making it easier for employers to find the right candidates for vacant positions.
Negative Aspects:
Those aspiring for good jobs and better opportunities may face physical harm by participating in fake interviews.
Reducing Negative Impact:
One should be discreet when selecting online offers of jobs and other opportunities.
Text Book Exercise 7
Q: Answer the following questions:
How has social media revolutionized the concept of communication?
Ans: Social media has changed the way we communicate and with whom we interact. It allows people to communicate across geography, cultures, and languages, creating a globally interconnected community. Social media makes it possible to connect with friends and relatives in distant places at a much lower cost. Family members can also virtually participate in family events when physical presence is not possible.
How is social media assisting students and professionals in their respective fields?
Ans: Social media has opened new vistas for students and professionals, enabling them to interact with peers worldwide and exchange views on topics of mutual interest. Students can also connect with educators and researchers from different parts of the world, gaining knowledge and insights to enhance their learning.
How can a business be initiated on a virtual platform?
Ans: Social media has emerged as a fast-growing platform for online businesses. Entrepreneurs can start a business with the click of a button, rather than with the touch of a finger. They can post products and invite buyers from across the globe. Through social media, businesses can interact with customers on a case-by-case basis and respond to their queries, comments, and needs.
How can employers hunt for the right candidates for their job positions?
Ans: Skilled and talented people can advertise their skills and capabilities through social media, making it easy for employers to hunt for the right people for any vacant position that they might have. Moreover, employers looking for people with specific qualifications and capabilities can also freely use their social media groups to advertise their vacant positions. 5. Why can people easily have a constant connection with relatives in distant parts of the world?
Ans: Social media has not only made a constant connection with distant relatives possible, but it has also helped establish contact with long-lost friends and relatives. Due to its affordability and easy accessibility, it has aided and strengthened the bond of love and care between family members living in distant parts of the world. Today, all family members can virtually participate in any family event in which physical participation is not possible for any reason.
6. How is social media affecting the relationships of people?
Ans: Humans are social animals, and for strengthening social bonds, the physical sharing of moments of joy and grief is important. Increased time on social media has limited face-to-face communication, leading to weakened relationships. This increased usage has reduced the frequency and quality of close, one-to-one communication between both immediate and extended family members, who occupy an important place in the Pakistani family structure. While social networks enable interaction with a large number of people, these interactions are often shallow and cannot adequately replace everyday face-to-face communication. This lack of quality communication can weaken relationships, which may, in turn, have damaging consequences.
