according to the above chart, the number of the people who go on the internet has increased from 620 thousand in 1997 to 58 million in 2002. this indicates that internet has gained its popularity in china at a very high speed.

　　there are many reasons for internet’s rapid development in china. first, as a convenient source of information as well as efficient means of communication, internet becomes more and more useful to our study and work. second, due to fierce competition computer companies have lowered the price of their products. the cheaper computers become, the more users there are. with computer, they can easily have access to the internet. in addition, with the development of our society and the improvement of our living standard, people in china pursue a more colorful life with internet, some even often do some shopping through the internet.

　　internet is also a sword with two edges. it brings about troubles for us. one common problem is computer viruses. they spread very quickly through the internet and cause great damage to computer users. another is crime committed through the internet. as a result, we feel happy about the rapid development of internet in china but at the same time we should guard against its negative effects.