3 The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web, usually referred.to as WWW or 3W, is a vast network of infor-mationrdatabases that feature text, visuals, sound; and even video clips. On the WWW you can do such things as go on a tour of a museum or a/t exhibition, see the latest images from outer space, go shopping, and get travel information on hotels and holidays. You can even view a hotel’s facilities before deciding to book!
4 Usenet
Usenet is a collection of newsgroups covering any topic. Newsgroup allow users to participate in dialogues and conversations by subscribing free of charge. Each newsgroup consists of messages and information posted by other users. There are more than 10,000 newsgroups and they are popular with universities and businesses.
5 Telnet
Telnet programs allow you to use your personal computer to access a powerful mainframe computer. If you are an academic, or just have a lot of number-crunching to do it can be very useful and cost-effective.
From “The European”
Individual assignment
Unit 9 Computers and Internet
1. Read the text given below. Write out all the words you do not know the meaning of. Pay special attention to the underlined words and abbreviations.
Windows 8 is coming
on Thursday, April 12, 2012
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Microsoft will probably launch their new OS in the next few months. So... What’s new? Basically, Windows 8 will be very similar to Windows 7 except for the Start Menu. The Start Menu will be replaced by the Metro interface which is very similar to Windows phone (touch screen friendly). And this will completely change the use of Microsoft Windows. |
There will be two interfaces and two completely different experiences.
Google and Apple both think about tablets as mobile devices using mobile Oss (iOS and Android). On the other hand, Microsoft thinks of tablets more like notebook with touch screen. That’s why they needed to change the interface and adapt it to our big and imprecise fingers. The result is called Metro. |
OMG! Where is the Start Menu? |
Icons are huge and interactive. You can see information and notifications before even opening the app, which is great. The way to install new application is the exact same way as on iOS are Android: through an app store. You cannot install a Metro application in another way. Application on Metro are full screen and you cannot run several applications in the same time.
But Microsoft must make sure that everything that worked on Windows 7 still works on Windows 8. So there is still the desktop interface. So Windows 8 has two interfaces with 2 sets of applications. It could be confusing but it’s not the end! Some applications like Internet Explorer 10 exist in both environments. On Metro Internet Explorer is a plug in free browser. This means no Flash, no Silverlight. When you browse a page with Flash content (for example for videos) you’re invited to use the desktop version.
Another drawback is the mouse navigation. Key feature is a real pain to use with a mouse. The Metro is barely accessible without a keyboard and ‘Charms’ (yet another menu to switch off the computer or to find an application) needs a complicated gesture to be found.
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On the right: Charms... a new menu on Windows 8 |
Conclusion. Microsoft tried to adapt their OS to the new way of using a computer. The success of tablets showed that they needed to have an application store and make an easy, user-friendly interface. They did great with this Metro environment which is so similar to mobile Oss. To sum it up, Metro is designed for entertainment and the desktop is designed for work. But it’s sometimes really confusing. In the end, Windows 8 is really innovative and therefore people will need to adapt to it.
(The text is retrieved from the Internet at http://www.mobiledia.com/news/105028.html
as of 25 March 2012 and modified as compared with the original)
2. Write down one paragraph describing the key features, drawbacks and differences of Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Student’s book
Unit 10
Conference
Lead-in (Speaking – Reading)
1. What is the conference? Have you got any experience of participating in it? What problems was it devoted to? What did you like or dislike about it? Was there anything unexpected for you? What were you impressed most of all? What is your best recollection of it? What is virtual event, Webinar or venue?
Discuss these questions in groups of two-three students (you have five minutes for discussion). After the group discussion, one student from each of the group will be requested to make a short presentation of the conclusion made (not more that three minutes for every presentation; not more that 12 minutes for all the presentations).
2. Choose one variant from A, B or C explanations of the word “conference” as a noun. Read all the meanings of the word and get ready to summarize briefly the paragraph you have chosen (you have six minutes for this activity).
A
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conference – a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda) group meeting, meeting – a formally arranged gathering; “next year the meeting will be in Chicago”; “the meeting elected a chairperson” seminar – any meeting for an exchange of ideas |
colloquium – an academic meeting or seminar usually led by a different lecturer and on a different topic at each meeting conferee – a member of a conference |
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B
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conference – an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members league association – a formal organization of people or groups of people; “he joined the Modern Language Association” big league, major league, majors – the most important league in any sport (especially baseball) bush league, minor league, minors – a league of teams |
that do not belong to a major league (especially baseball) baseball league – a league of baseball teams basketball league – a league of basketball teams bowling league – a league of bowling teams football league – a league of football teams hockey league – a league of hockey teams Ivy League – a league of universities and colleges in the northeastern United States that have a reputation for scholastic achievement and social prestige class, division – a league ranked by quality; “he played baseball in class D for two years”; “Princeton is in the NCAA Division 1-AA” |
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C
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conference – a discussion among participants who have an agreed (serious) topic group discussion give-and-take, discussion, word – an exchange of views on some topic; “we had a good discussion”; “we had a word or two about it” bull session – an informal discussion (usually among men) colloquy – a conversation especially a formal one |
consultation – a conference between two or more people to consider a particular question; “frequent consultations with his lawyer”; “a consultation of several medical specialists”
consultation, interview, audience – a conference (usually with someone important); “he had a consultation with the judge”; “he requested an audience with the king”
huddle, powwow – (informal) a quick private conference
news conference, press conference – a conference at which press and TV reporters ask questions of a politician or other celebrity
pretrial, pretrial conference – (law) a conference held before the trial begins to bring the parties together to outline discovery proceedings and to define the issues to be tried; more useful in civil than in criminal cases
round table, round-table conference, roundtable – a meeting of peers for discussion and exchange of views; “a roundtable on the future of computing”
session – a meeting for execution of a group’s functions; “it was the opening session of the legislature”
teach-in – an extended session (as on a college campus) for lectures and discussion on an important and usually controversial issue
teleconference, teleconferencing – a conference of people who are in different locations that is made possible by the use of such telecommunications equipment as closed-circuit television
(The vocabularies are retrieved from the Internet at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/conference
as of 30 March 2012 and modified as compared with the original)
3. Skim the text given below paying special attention to underlined words and word combinations.