Prepare 8. Unit 9. Reading (WB page 37)

Read the first paragraph quickly. Choose what you think the article is going to be about.

Lots of people enjoy the benefits of online shopping. You don't have to sit in traffic jams or wait at bus stops or at train stations. Because online stores are open 24 hours, seven days a week, you can sit at your computer and shop at your leisure. And you don't have to collect your product because they deliver it right to your door.

But shopping online isn't all great - you need to be very careful when deciding what to buy and where to buy it. Here are some tips for shopping safely online.

Read the article and choose the correct answer.

Lots of people enjoy the benefits of online shopping. You don't have to sit in traffic jams or wait at bus stops or at train stations. Because online stores are open 24 hours, seven days a week, you can sit at your computer and shop at your leisure. And you don't have to collect your product because they deliver it right to your door.

But shopping online isn't all great - you need to be very careful when deciding what to buy and where to buy it. Here are some tips for shopping safely online.

Use a secure connection

The easiest way of making sure the connection is secure is to look for the lock sign in the address bar. Another is to look at the start of the website address. If this starts with 'https', there is a secure connection because the letter 's' means 'secure'. If you see 'http' with no 's', don't enter the website or give your personal or bank details. It could be a false website that is trying to steal your money or personal information.

Use a secure payment method

Only shop on sites that offer secure payment methods, like credit cards and other payment systems. This gives you protection in a situation where you and the shop disagree - the shop can't say you did anything illegal, like using another person's credit card to pay. Banks usually contact you if they think something is wrong.

Create a strong password

A strong password is very important. It's usually a good idea to change your passwords every few months, just in case someone finds out what they are. Also, try to use a different password for different online shopping sites: once someone guesses one password, they can get access to everything you do online.

Check other customers' comments

Always check the seller's history when using online sites. You can get an idea by looking at other buyers' comments. If you are not sure about a product, you can always send the seller a question and the good sellers will reply fairly quickly.

What is the purpose of the article?

Read the article and choose the correct answer.

Lots of people enjoy the benefits of online shopping. You don't have to sit in traffic jams or wait at bus stops or at train stations. Because online stores are open 24 hours, seven days a week, you can sit at your computer and shop at your leisure. And you don't have to collect your product because they deliver it right to your door.

But shopping online isn't all great - you need to be very careful when deciding what to buy and where to buy it. Here are some tips for shopping safely online.

Use a secure connection

The easiest way of making sure the connection is secure is to look for the lock sign in the address bar. Another is to look at the start of the website address. If this starts with 'https', there is a secure connection because the letter 's' means 'secure'. If you see 'http' with no 's', don't enter the website or give your personal or bank details. It could be a false website that is trying to steal your money or personal information.

Use a secure payment method

Only shop on sites that offer secure payment methods, like credit cards and other payment systems. This gives you protection in a situation where you and the shop disagree - the shop can't say you did anything illegal, like using another person's credit card to pay. Banks usually contact you if they think something is wrong.

Create a strong password

A strong password is very important. It's usually a good idea to change your passwords every few months, just in case someone finds out what they are. Also, try to use a different password for different online shopping sites: once someone guesses one password, they can get access to everything you do online.

Check other customers' comments

Always check the seller's history when using online sites. You can get an idea by looking at other buyers' comments. If you are not sure about a product, you can always send the seller a question and the good sellers will reply fairly quickly.

According to the author, what are the benefits of shopping online?