I. An online couple, Jenna and Mark, fell in love in the virtual world Second Life but in reality were users from England and Liverpool. II. Second Life allows users to take on virtual identities and have experiences they couldn't in real life, and some form romantic relationships. III. The creators of avatars can become so immersed in their online romance that they neglect their real lives and relationships.

1. Name Mark4 Unit Test
Optional Reading Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
Virtual Romance
I Mark and Jenna met and fell madly in love. After a short and intense romance, the couple married. It seemed like
the perfect love story, except that Jenna and Mark don’t exist. They are avatars, online characters that exist in
Second Life, a popular Internet fantasy world. “Jenna” is actually 40-year-old Mary Emmett, a single mother from
Newcastle in England. In reality, “Mark” was created by Steven Jackson, a 35-year-old teacher from Liverpool.
II Second Life is an online fantasy world. Its residents live in a parallel world which is just like real life, only much
better. It’s a world where people become whoever they wish to be. In Second Life, they can have the kind of
experiences that they would never have in real life. Some, like Jenna and Mark, fall in love.
III As the avatars’ relationship develops, their creators spend hours online controlling everything they do. In fact,
people become so involved in their avatars’ romance that they often begin to neglect their real-life commitments
and relationships.
IV In some cases, the real people behind the avatars arrange to meet in real life and find that their feelings for one
another are just as strong as they are in the online world. Often these online relationships do not transfer into the
real world; when the people behind the avatars actually meet, they usually find that they have very little in
common.
V However, despite the fact that a relatively small number of people actually find a romantic partner in online games,
people continue to look for love online. Psychologists claim that people enjoy the control they have in these
relationships. They like the fact that they can reveal what they want about themselves. Furthermore, they suggest,
it is very easy to get close to someone online as people may feel more comfortable telling their secrets to a virtual
person than to a real one.
VI More than 15 million people around the world are involved in online fantasy games and more are joining every
day. But if people are really interested in finding love, perhaps they should switch off their computers and begin
living in the real world.
1 Choose the correct answer. (2 x 3 = 6 points)
1. Second Life … .
a. is less exciting than real life
b. is nothing like the real world
c. allows people to act out their fantasies
d. is not very popular
2. The writer of the article believes that … .
a. people shouldn’t look for love via computer games
b. online fantasy games can improve real relationships
c. it is a good idea to look for love online
d. online fantasy games help people to appreciate their real lives
2 Complete the sentences. (2 x 3 = 6 points)
1. In an online relationship, you are in control because you don’t have to ...........................................
........................................................................................................................................................ .
2. People who do not like telling secrets to real people are more likely to ...........................................
........................................................................................................................................................ .
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2. 4 Unit Test
3 Decide if the following sentences are true (T) or false (F). Find evidence in the text to justify your answers.
(3 x 3 = 9 points)
…… 1. Avatars control their creator’s actions.
.................................................................................................................................................
…… 2. Online fantasy games can have a negative effect on real life.
.................................................................................................................................................
…… 3. Many people find real love in an online game.
.................................................................................................................................................
4 Find words or expressions in the text that mean: (4 x 1 = 4 points)
1. powerful (paragraph I) ……………………
2. inhabitants (paragraph II) ……………………
3. pay no attention to (paragraph III) ……………………
4. expose (paragraph V) ……………………
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