Complete this essay with the discourse markers in the box.

although for example in conclusion in my

opinion however secondly to begin with
when

A Most people agree that the Internet affects society in many

different ways. 1_____________, the most prominent effect of the
Internet is that it has strengthened democracy. I feel this way
for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.

B 2__________, online investigative reporting plays a major role

in exposing political corruption and keeping politicians honest.
In the past, there were only a limited number of news outlets
and they often had deep connections to powerful politicians
and were hesitant to criticize them. These days, 3___________,
there are many independent publications on the Internet that
are willing to expose political misbehavior. 4___________, an
online magazine recently published a story revealing that the
mayor of my hometown had taken bribes from a property
developer. The report was so detailed and well-researched
that the mayor had no choice but to resign. 5_____________ the
evidence was not hard to locate, only this independent website
was willing to write about it. This example demonstrates how
the Internet helps to strengthen democracy in the modern
world.

C 6____________, the free exchange of ideas found online

motivates people to become politically active. In countries all
over the world, people use social networking sites to share
their ideas and opinions. While in the past people might have
thought that they were alone in their beliefs, they can now
realize that others share their ideas. My own experience
demonstrates this concept. 7____________ I was a university
student, I learned that a municipal park near my residence was
going to be demolished to make room for a parking lot. This
bothered me a lot because I enjoyed spending time in the
park. At first I thought that there was nothing that I, as an
individual, could do to stop this from happening. However, I
later joined a Facebook group dedicated to opposing the plan.
When the members of the group learned how many people in
the city loved the park we were happy to get together and
enthusiastically protest in front of city hall until our voices were
heard. I think that finding each other on that Facebook group
gave us the courage to actively protect our park.

D 8________________, I strongly believe that the Internet has

strengthened democracy in modern society. This is because
online investigative journalism plays a big part in keeping
politicians honest, and because social networking sites
encourage people to be politically active.