Directions: Read the following passage and then talk on the following topic for at least 5 minutes. Be sure to make your point clear and supporting details adequate. You should also be ready to answer any questions raised by the examiners during your talk. You need to have your name and registration number recorded. Start your talk with “My name is ...” “My registration number is ...”
March 23, 2010 marks Google’s withdrawal from mainland China. From that day, users visiting Google.cn are being redirected to Google.com.hk. Earlier this year, Google’s spokesman announced, “We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn. ... We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.”
Topic: Censorship on the Internet
Questions for Reference:
1. What do you think of Google’s retreat? Is it simply a business scheme?
2. Is censorship necessary on the Internet?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of censorship?
Answer for Reference
Google’s withdrawal from China is not a simple business scheme as far as I am concerned. To some extend, it might be politically motivated. Some politicians in the United States may take the advantage of Google and make it a tool to export American values and seek hegemony. We cannot deny that the Internet has been playing an important role in our life, largely by changing the way we communicate with each other. However the same Internet can be a hotbed of such vulgar information as pornography and terrorism. Thus, censorship on the Internet is sensible and necessary. It is for sure that excessive censorship is a violation of privacy. A free flow of information should be maintained as one of the features of the Internet. And it is the government’s responsibility to secure the free flow of information. On the other hand, appropriate censorship is also needed to filter harmful information to reduce its negative effect on the society. As far as I know, Google practices censorship even in the United States. So it’s unfair to accuse China of censorship on the Internet. In summary, proper censorship is needed on the Internet to secure a healthy source of information.
