Birmingham 2

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I'm so sorry! As a native English speaker, even I can hear how easily someone could mix up "A" and "8"! Are the tests especially tricky? In a real conversation, you can ask for clarification - there is this thing called the NATO phonetic alphabet, and it means that, if you're unsure whether the speaker said "A" or "8", you can ask "A as in Adam?" or Alpha or whichever you prefer. You probably can't ask that during tests though.. A possible tip for your tests would be that "8" will never be in a surname, and "A" will never be in a telephone number - unless the speaker says a string of numbers and then a word with enough letters to complete the phone number. I don't know if Russian phones have letters on the keypad under each number, but American phones do. That would just be cruel, I think, but my older brother has a friend who used to tell people his phone number was "8-5-5 GOAT", which was easy to remember, and is why some people (but mostly companies) do it. The harderst part, I think, would be flight numbers, because they can contain letters or numbers. I guess you have to just listen for the "t" sound at the end of "8". It's the only difference in pronunciation, and is hardly ever dropped in American English. Good luck!

Here's the thing - "what's" is one of those pesky contractions with more than one meaning. In the case of the phrase your teacher said, "what's that mean?", he or she is using it as "what does that mean?" However, it also means "what is". If someone said "what's that?" or "what's up?" ( as a colloquialism/slang/idiom for hello or how is everything), they would be using it as "what is that" or "what is up". So, the shorter answer: it means both "what is" and "what does", it just depends on the context. (It can also mean "what has", but that usage is less common, at least in American English.)

The Internet is the most important invention ever (contrasting ideas, linking expressions)...
 

Many years ago no one could ever imagine that such a thing as the Internet would be invented. Nowadays, life without the Internet for most people is unimaginable. In my opinion, every invention has its time, and the Internet is the greatest invention of ours.

First, the Internet provides an enormous amount of information. Everyone can find all kinds of information on a variety of topics, and on every subject they are interested in. However, this easy access to so much information can sometimes be dangerous. For example, a primary disadvantage is that children may be exposed to information that they aren’t supposed to access, such as pornographic materials or violent movies. The internet has also encouraged scammers who benefit from users who are easily convinced to give their bank details and send money to get fake products.

Second, people are using the internet for communication. Today, we can initiate real-time communication with someone who is in another part of the world. I, for one, use Skype all the time to communicate with my family and close friends.

People can participate in social networks like “Facebook” , “Twitter”, “Couchsurfing”, etc. They can keep in touch with their friends in distant places, or make new ones. Nevertheless, this way of communication can sometimes be inefficient. Face-to-face conversation, at least in my opinion, is much better. Another disadvantage is the ease with which a person can waste a lot of time on the internet. He or she can start surfing, and then realize far more time has passed than was intended. The internet and television have both added to the more sedentary lifestyles of people. Plus, the Internet allows for the access of personal information, such as our name and address, and the cluttering of personal accounts with unsolicited and unecessary email.

Last, but not least, the invention of the Internet could not have even been possible without some earlier inventions and discoveries. First it was the discovery of fire, then the invention of the wheel. Later it was electricity, the telegraph and the computer. All of this led to the invention of the Internet.

(Note from the editor: How did this lead to the invention of the internet? When you reference something in an essay, you should back it up whit evidence! I want to know how fire and the wheel led to the invention of the internet! ^_^)

It can be concluded that there are many great inventions, and every one of them was important for its time. The Internet, even with its flaws, is the most important invention of our modern time.