Read the text and do the activities.

FIGHTING THE VIRUS

We have all heard about computer hackers, but have you ever thought about how difficult
it is to find them? Take for example the case of the hacker Simon Vallor, known as
“Gobo”. It took more than three weeks to track down this unemployed man from North
Wales whose viruses had crippled tens of thousands of computers in 46 countries. After
spotting Vallor's viruses on the internet, the FBI computer crime unit discovered that
they had originated in Britain. They alerted the British police; however, the only
information they could supply was the hacker's nickname- Gobo.

Vallor's viruses- GoKar, Redesi-B and Admirer- were all transmitted by e-mail. They look
like ordinary e-mails and had inviting messages such as “Happy Birthday” or “Secret
Admirer”. The GoKar virus had the potential to jam or shut down the e-mail system and
was rated the third most widespread of all time. When a person received and opened the
message, the virus sent itself to every contact on that person's e-mail address, repeating
the action when those people opened their e-mails. The Redesi-B and Admirer viruses
caused even more damage, while the former had a delay mechanism, which eventually
destroyed all the material stored on the computer's hard disk, the latter could destroy
material even before the user was able to save it.

Amazingly, Vallor saw nothing wrong in his actions. After his arrest, he even wrote on his
site that he had “caused no harm, endangered no one, hurt no one and damaged nothing”,
and complained that he could be sent to prison while drunk drivers and even murderers
are frequently left off.
The judge, however, disagreed and sent Vallor to jail for two years. He said that Vallor
had committed a serious offence because his viruses had disrupted the lives of many
people. He further stated that Vallor's sentence should serve as a warning to all potential
computer hackers.

1. Make a list of all the new words you have found reading the text.

Verbs Adjectives Nouns Adverbs Expressions

cripple=espenyar
 2. Decide if the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE. Justify your answers.

a) The FBI computer experts found out that Vallor was operating in Britain.

b) “Happy Birthday” was one of Vallor's viruses.

c) Vallor felt guilty and apologised publicly in his site .

d) The judge sent Vallor to prison for two years.

3. Find synonyms in the text.

Find where someone or something is

usual, normal
kept, put in a safe place
possible
4. Answer the questions using YOUR OWN WORDS.

a) Who is “Gobo”? Give details.

b) What is the damage caused by the Valor viruses?

c) According to the judge, why was Vallor sent to prison?

5. Composition:
The effects of computers on our lives. Give your opinion.

Adapted from Valid Choice 1. Burlington Books