Extra your reading and vocab (written by B.Zakhour)

[center][b]Who's in control - The Internet or You?[/b][/center]
Do you know any people like these? They are part of a new addiction called INTERNET addiction.According to researcheers,Internet addicts spend at least thirty or forty hours online every week.The use of the Internet can be an addiction like alcoholism or drug use.People lose control of the time they spend on the Internet.
For example,one college student was missing for several days.His friends were worried,and they called the police.The police found the student in the computer lab :he was surfing the net-for SEVEN DAYS STRAIGHT.
Current studies estimate that about 6 to 10 percent of Internet users become addicted.And some researchers worry particularly about young people because the Internet is taking the place of the real world of friends and family.
Is "surfing the net" a hobby or an addiction for you? You may have a problem if you have these symptoms:
1. You do not go to important family events or you do not do school projects because you like to spend hours on the Internet.
2. You can't wait for your next online session.
3. You are determind to spend a brief time online, but then you spend several hours.
4. You go out with your friends less and less.
What is the cure ? There is counseling to help Internet addicts-even onlin.Some experts recommend that people set strict limits on theirfor Internet use.You have to control it.The Internet shouldn't control you.
Written by B.Zakhour

Words you might found difficult:
addiction:[i]Something you can't stop doing[/i].
Ex1:Her previous novel dealt with her recovery from drug [b]addiction.[/b]
ex2:[i]Patrick is trying to cure himself of his [b]addiction[/b] to alcohol[/i].
According:as stated by.
Ex1:[b]According [/b]to Sarah they're not getting on very well at the moment.
Ex2:[b]According[/b] to our records you owe us $130.
Surfing:[i]to spend time visiting a lot of websites.[/i]
Ex1:Many towns and cities have cybercafés where you can [b]surf[/b] the Internet.
Ex2:I was [b]surfing[/b] until midnight last night.
Estimate: [i]an approximate calculation or judgment of the size, value, amount, cost, etc.[/i]
Ex1:We'll accept the lowest of three [b]estimates[/b] for the building work.
Ex2:The number of people who applied for the course was 120 compared with an initial [b]estimate[/b] of between 50 and 100.
Symptoms:[i]any feeling of illness or physical or mental change which is caused by a particular disease.[/i]
Ex1:He's complaining of all the usual [b]symptoms[/b] of flu - a high temperature, headache and so on.
Ex2:He's been HIV-positive for six years, but just recently he's started to develop the [b]symptoms[/b] of AIDS.