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Taking computers for granted.doc
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1. Read and translate the text.

2. Check up your understanding.

  1. What news can you hear often?

  2. What happens with the company if a network fails?

  3. Is it worthwhile to take stock of the computers?

  4. What is the list of areas that the computers have changed? Is it completed or you can add something?

  5. Suppose you've been to a country where banking still runs on paper. What are your experiences?

  6. What can you tell about a modern watch?

  7. What can you tell about a computer and telephone service?

  8. What can you tell about a computer and calculating?

  9. Have you got a computer at home? Do you like it? When do you use it? What for?

  10. Is it effective to use computers in medical research?

  11. What is the advantage of using computers in air traffic control?

  12. What can you tell about computers and ticketing?

  13. Is computer useful at the gas service station?

  14. No doubt, you're a driver. What do you think about «electronic engine management»?

  15. Do you agree with such statement: «If kids can punch buttons to get a sum, they may not learn basic arithmetic»?

  16. Do you take computers for granted? If so, why?

  17. What's your opinion about the prospects of the computer technology?

  18. Can you submit your own nominees for future columns in the list of applications given above?

  19. Can you imagine what would happen if the computers were removed from our practical activity?

3. Retell the text briefly using the following expressions:

News comes, a spell-checker program, «corrects» a right word into a wrong one, every now and then, it's worthwhile, to take stock of the computers, wait in line, deal with a teller, accurate time, to lose or gain 10 minutes a day, hope for the best, by hand, to unlock the basic genetic code, to depend heavily on, with computers' help, apart, to slip one's card into, hit the road, electronic engine management, spark plug timing, a throwaway commodity.

4. What's missing? You can help yourself referring to the text.

  1. This spell-checker program «corrects» a right word ..... a wrong one.

  2. At times we feel ..... the machines' mercy.

  3. I've never been ..... a country where banking still runs ..... paper.

  4. The price of that was cashless weekends and the embarrassment ..... mooching ..... friends.

  5. You can spend as much as you want ..... watch.

  6. This watch will wake you ..... an alarm.

  7. Squeeze a button and it will turn ..... a stopwatch.

  8. We still hope ..... the best.

  9. You dial the digits and, ..... a few seconds, a telephone is ringing a continent ..... .

  10. There was a time when we balanced our checkbooks ..... hand.

  11. The huge human genome project depends very heavily ..... computer generated analyses ..... genetic structure.

  12. When the computers fail, the controllers shift ..... ..... the blips and have to space planes farther ..... .

  13. You can buy a ticket ..... Rolling Stones concert in Washington ..... anywhere ..... the country.

  14. There's space ..... the flight ..... San Francisco ..... Hawaii.

  15. You slip your card ..... the pump.

  16. It validates the card ..... a few seconds.

  17. It's not a possession to be saved .......

  18. Most ..... these things have been ..... the better.

  19. We can never go back and wouldn't want ..... .

  20. These ideas will turn ..... things that work.