C1 – Advanced
Jack Cator was your normal teenage school boy; defying and challenging the rules. But what he got out of that persistent attitude was quite extraordinary.
Read the article below to know more about Jack and his business and its humble beginnings.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32702501
Discussion Questions:
1. In your own words, explain how Jack was able to come up with his business.
2. What do you know about VPNs? Is this something you use?
3. Have you experienced doing business remotely with people you’ve never met before? Describe that experience.
8 replies on “How Misbehaving Made One Man a Multimillionaire”
1. Basically, he got bored given class constraints (that prevented him to use the computer to play games or listen to music) and decided to create a VPN that allowed him to connect to the web, safely and anonymously. He initially by-passed the school preventive methods by using standard VPNs but found too much advertising in there thus, decided to build his own VPN…which took him one afternoon to do!
2.VPNs=Virtual private networks are used to surf in the web. This is a safer route than using public internet, whilst, in reality is a local extension.
3.I have been working remotely for 28 years. It is a way of working that requires trust, organization and communication. Working remotely enables you to connect with people from all over the world, thus flexibility and open-minded are ´a must´ to have yet, also, you get to know people, cultures very different from yours thus a very rich experience! …my only advice, watch up the time! you can keep on working for the full day…
You are doing a good job practicing your writing.
Take a look at some corrections you can make in these sentences to improve them:
Keep on writing to improve more and more.
1. In your own words, explain how Jack was able to come up with his business.
He developed a website that concealed a computer’s digital fingerprint by routing it through a remote server, enabling users to browse the internet privately and anonymously. This facilitated access to music and gaming websites.
2. What do you know about VPNs? Is this something you use?
Yes, I am aware of it. I have used it in a professional manner to access my company’s private servers.
3. Have you experienced doing business remotely with people you’ve never met before? Describe that experience.
Doing business with people you’ve never met can be both exciting and challenging. Usually someone from my company has already met them in person. There are several challenges likewise: building trust with someone remotely; communication barriers and accountability.
Great work sharing your own experiences.
To express the idea in this sentence better, you may use the following expressions instead:
Keep at it!
1. Jack developed the idea out of a necessity. That’s how great businesses most of the time are originated.
2. I use the VPN at work, for security.
3. I work remotely right now. 8 hours a day. Is really good for life balance.
It’s great that you try to stay consistent with your writing practice. That could help you a lot in improving your skills.
Here is a better way to write this sentence:
Keep going with this exercise and see your skills get better in time.
1. In your own words, explain how Jack came up with his business.
He sat on his parents’ couch and gave the website an ironic name: Hide My Ass (HMA).
2. What do you know about VPNs, and is it something you use?
We sometimes use it at work so I’m familiar with the program
3. Have you had the experience of doing business at a distance with people you did not know? you did not know? Describe that experience.
Yes, in my job we telework and there are many people I have not seen at all and that does not hinder my work.
Great going with your writing practice!
Here is another way to write this sentence:
Yes, in my job we telework and there are many people I have not seen at all and that does not hinder my work.
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