First Steps on the Internet
FoundationThe internet links computers worldwide and makes searching and learning easy. Search with good keywords, check your sources, guard personal data and passwords, and tell an adult at once if anything goes wrong.
- The internet links the world's computers for searching, learning and messaging.
- Search with accurate keywords for results that truly fit.
- Judge information by comparing several reliable sources.
文體小知識：媒體素養說明文教我們聰明而安全地使用網絡，享受方便也保護自己。
§Text Passage
1The internet links the world's computers into one giant network. Through it we can search for information, watch teaching videos, message family and friends, and learn online. It is like an enormous library — but a library has librarians, while online we must judge for ourselves.
2Searching well means using good keywords. To learn about the Chinese white dolphin, typing Chinese white dolphin features works better than just dolphin. After finding information, compare several websites and check whether it comes from reliable sources such as government departments, museums or schools; when different sites agree, the information is more trustworthy.
3The most important lesson of online safety is protecting personal data: never casually tell people you know online your real name, home address, phone number, school or photos. Keep passwords secret and hard to guess, for example by mixing letters and numbers; using different passwords for different accounts is safer still.
4Netiquette matters as much as manners offline: do not say hurtful things, and do not pass on unverified news. If anything upsetting appears, if someone asks for your personal data, or if a stranger invites you to meet, close the page at once and tell your parents or teacher. Remember: however wonderful the online world is, trusted adults around you are the most reliable help.
1Summary 重點摘要
The internet links computers worldwide and makes searching and learning easy. Search with good keywords, check your sources, guard personal data and passwords, and tell an adult at once if anything goes wrong.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
The giant network linking computers all over the world.
A space on the internet made of web pages.
The tool that helps us find information on the internet.
The key words typed into a search engine, deciding how accurate the results are.
Information identifying you, such as name, address, phone number and photos.
The secret string guarding an account; it should be hard to guess and kept safe.
The practice of protecting yourself and your data while online.
The manners of the internet, such as never saying hurtful things.
Checking several reliable sources to confirm whether information is true.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know what the internet is forThe internet links computers all over the world and can be used in many ways. List three things you do online: searching General Studies facts for homework, watching teaching videos to practise sounds, and video-calling a cousin living abroad. The internet carries words, pictures and messages at great speed; using it well makes both study and life easier. Its uses also include online shopping, online banking and e-learning platforms, reaching into every part of life.
- Step 2: Search with good keywordsThe secret of searching lies in choosing the right keywords. To find the height of Lion Rock, type the two words Lion Rock height and the results come fast and accurate; type only mountain and thousands of unrelated pages appear. Before searching, think of the core words of the question, and add place or scope when needed — you will hit the target at once. Adding quotation marks searches a whole phrase, and the results come closer to what you want.
- Step 3: Check the sourcesNot everything online is true, so learn to check the sources. For the same question, open three websites and compare, preferring what government departments, museums and schools say; information from unknown sources should not be trusted at first. One extra check makes the facts in your homework stand up to testing and stops rumours spreading. Note the page's update date too: information that is too old may be out of date, so confirm it again before citing.
- Step 4: Protect personal dataOnce personal data leaks online, bad people may use it. If someone online asks which estate you live in or which school you attend, answer nothing; your name, phone number, photos and address must not be shared either — and tell your parents at once. Remember that people online may not be who they claim to be; protecting yourself begins with keeping secrets. On a public computer, log out of your account when finished, so the next user cannot see your information.
- Step 5: Set a strong passwordA password is like a door lock — too simple and it is easily broken. Mix letters and numbers, such as happy2026, and the longer the safer; use a different password for each account, so one leak does not open every door; tell the password to nobody, not even a good friend, and never write it where others can see. Avoid using your birthday, name or phone number in a password — others can guess those easily.
- Step 6: Ask for help at onceWhen something upsetting happens online, the right move is to ask for help at once. If you see disturbing content or receive an invitation to meet from a stranger, close the page immediately, do not reply, and tell your parents or teacher; never try to handle it alone in secret. Adults have the experience to judge what to do, and asking for help is always the right choice. Do not delete the messages or pages before asking for help; keeping the evidence helps adults understand and follow up.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: Yan met someone on a game platform. The person claims to be a pupil her age, asks where she lives and which school she attends, and invites her to meet alone at the weekend. What should Yan do?
- Name, address, school and phone number are all personal data — none of them may be revealed.
- Refuse to meet the person alone, because people online may not be who they claim to be.
- Tell her parents about the conversation at once, and keep screenshots as evidence if needed.
- Decide whether to continue or end contact with that person only with her parents' knowledge and agreement.
- Answer: Yan should refuse to reveal any personal data, decline to meet alone, tell her parents at once and keep the conversation as evidence, letting the adults judge and follow up — remembering that protecting herself always comes first.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What is the internet?
Q2Why use good keywords?
Q3How can we judge whether online information is trustworthy?
Q4What counts as personal data?
Q5What should we do if a stranger invites us to meet?
8Recap Recap
- The internet links the world's computers for searching, learning and messaging.
- Search with accurate keywords for results that truly fit.
- Judge information by comparing several reliable sources.
- Guard personal data; keep strong, secret passwords.
- For upsetting content or strangers' invitations, tell an adult at once.