Oxford English for

Keith Boeckner P. Charles Brown

Oxford University Press

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Italy

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_Contents

Unit i Personal computing The processor	Page 4 4 8	Unit 9 Computers in education CALL	Page 100 100 103
Language focus A Contextual reference	11	Language focus 1 Giving examples	108
Unit 2 Portable computers Operating systems	13 13 20	Unit 10 Computers in medicine Data storage and management	110 110 115
Language focus В Word formation prefixes	24	Language focus J Explanations and definitions	120
Unit3 Online services Data transmission	28 28 32	Unit 11 Robotics Robot characteristics	123 123 128
Language focus С Word formation suffixes	36	Language focus К Compound nouns	131
Unit 4 Programming and languages С language	39 39 44	Unit 12 Virtual reality VR input devices	134 134 139
Language focus D Organizing information	49	Language focus L Classifying	142
Unit 5 Computer software Comparing software packages	52 52 57	Unit 13 Machine translation AI and expert systems	145 145 148
Language focus E Making comparisons	61	Language focus M Cause and effect	152
Unit 6 Computer networks Network configurations	66 66 70	Unit 1Д Multimedia Computer-to-video conversion	155 155 160
Lanru<-ne f^cus F Time sequence	75	Language focus N Making predictions	164
Unit 7 Computer viruses Computer security	78 78 81	Unit 15 Computer graphics 24-bit colour	167 167 172
Language focus G Listing	86	Aormnrffv 1 Letter writing	176
Unit 8 Computers in the office Information systems	88 88 94	Appendix 2 Glossary of terms	197
Language focus H The passive	97

Task1 a

Personal computing

Start-up

Name these devices. What are they used for?

Listening

Task 2 You will hear two interviews between a market researcher and visitors to a

computer exhibition. As you listen, fill in the missing information in the table opposite.

Interview 1 Interview 2

N ame:

Occupation:

Type of PC used:

Reasons for choice: 1 ......

2 ■

3

Task 3 fej Read this extract from Interview 2 and fill in the gaps. To help you. the first

letter of each missing word is given.

Interviewer: Do you own a pc?

Enrique: Yes, I have an Apple Macintosh.

interviewer: Why did you с ! a Mac as opposed to an IBM or an

IBM с ²?

ENRIQUE: I think Macs are e ³ to use than IBM PCs. I use the

m. - feature a lot. which is s * on all Macs. Then

there's the graphical user interface and the windows. interviewer: Graphical user interface? Could you explain that? ENRIQUE: Well, put simply, it means that you click on i ⁶ instead of

typing in с '.

interviewer: I see. You mentioned windows. Doesn't IBM also use windows?

о

ENRIQUE: Yes, but I think their windows are harder to s

u - In any case, I m u ._ t the Mac.

Now listen again to the interview and check your answers.

Reading

Task 4 Before reading the texl on the lollowing page, match each word with the

correct definition:

1. mainframe a the set of software that controls a computer system

2. mouse b a very small piece of silicon carrying a complex

electrical circuit

3. icon с a big computer system usecj for Urge-scale operations

4. operating system d the physical portion of a computer system

5. software e a device moved by hand to indicate position on the

screen

6 hardware f a visual symbol used in a menu instead of natural

language

7 microchip • g data, programs, etc., not forming part of a computer,

^; but used when operating it.

IS) Now read the text and decide on a suitable title for it.

25 years old, to write their operating system.

Bill Gates founded Microsoft on the basis of the development

60 of MS/DOS, the initial operating system for the IBM PC. Digital Research have continued to develop their operating system, DR/DOS, and it is considered by

65 many people to be a better product than Microsoft's. However, without an endorsement from IBM, it has become a minor player in the

70 market. Novell, the leaders in PC networking, now own Digital Research, so things may change. The original IBM PC had a

75 minimum of 16K of memory, but this could be upgraded to 512K if necessary, and ran with a processor speed of 4.77MHz. Ten years later, in 1991, IBM were

80 making PCs with 16Mb of memory, expandable to 64Mb, running with a processor speed of 33MHz. The cost of buying the hardware has come down

85 considerably as the machines have become commodity items. Large companies are considering running major applications on PCs, something

90 which, ten years ago, no one would have believed possible of a PC. In contrast, many computers in people's homes are just used to play computer

95 games.

The widespread availability of computers has in all probability changed the world for ever. The microchip technology which

100 made the PC possible has put chips not only into computers, but also into washing-machines and cars. Some books may never be published in paper form, but

105 may only be made available as part of public databases. Networks of computers are already being used to make information available on a world-no wide scale.

In 1952, a major computing company took a decision to get out of the business of making mainframe computers. They 5 believed that there was only a market for four mainframes in the whole world. That company was IBM. The following year they reversed their decision.

10 In 1980, IBM decided that there was a market for 250,000 PCs, so they set up a special team to develop the first IBM PC. It went on sale in 1981 and set a world-wide

15 standard for IBM-compatibility which, over the next ten years, was only seriously<challenged by one other company, Apple Computers. Since then, over seventy million

20 PCs made by IBM and other manufacturers have been sold. Over this period, PCs have become commodity items. Since IBM made the design non-proprietary, anyone

25 can make them.

The history of the multi-billion dollar PC industry has been one of - mistakes. Xerox Corporation * funded the initial research on

30 personal computers in their Palo Alto laboratory in California. However, the company failed to capitalize on this work, and the ideas that they put together went

35 into the operating system

developed for Apple's computers. This was a graphical interface: using a mouse, the user clicks on icons which represent the function

40 to be performed.

The first IBM PC was developed using existing available electrical components. With IBM's badge on the box it became the standard

45 machine for large corporations to purchase. When IBM were looking for an operating system, they went initially to Digital Research, who -were market leaders in command-so based operating systems (these are operating systems in which the users type in commands to perform a function). When the collaboration between IBM and Digital Research

55 failed, IBM turned to Bill Gates, then

► Vocabulary

commodity items (1. 23) - items which can be produced and traded freely non-proprietary (1. 24) - not belonging to any single company capitalize on (1. 33) - profit from, turn to one's advantage

Task 6

When you read the text to decide on a title, which of the following did you do? you:

read the text slowly and try to understand every word? read quickly and try to understand the main theme? underline or mark sentences that you thought were important? make notes about important points?

Which of these reading strategies do you think is most appropriate for this kind of task? Which do you think is least appropriate?

Task 7

1 2 3 4

5 6

7

8

Answer these questions about the text.

How many mainframes did IBM think it was possible to sell in 1952?

How many PCs have now been sold?

Who paid for the initial research into PCs?

Which company later used the results of this research to develop their

operating system?

What are command-based operating systems?

DR/DOS is an acronym. What does it stand for?

Since the invention of the IBM PC, many of its features have been improved.

Which of the following features does the text not mention in this respect?

a memory

b speed

с size

d cost

Give three examples from the text of how the availability of computers has In

all probability changed the world for ever'.

Task 8		Using the line references given, look back in the text and find words that have a
		similar meaning to:
	1	international (lines 10-15)
	2	contested (lines 15-20)
	3	errors (lines 25-30)
	4	paid for (lines 25-30)
	5	buy (lines 45-50)
	6	first (lines 60-65)
	7	recommendation (lines 65-70)
	8	improved (lines 75-80)

Waiting

Task 9

Translate the sixth paragraph (starting 'The original IBM PC...') into your own language. Look carefully at the tenses before you start.

1

2

Speaking

The article states that 'many computers in people's homes are just used to play computer games¹.

Discuss the following questions:

In what other ways are computers used at home, or outside work?

If you already have a PC, how do you use it? (If not, how would you use one?)

The processor

Reading

Task 11 Read this passage about the structure of the processor and fill in the gaps using

the words below.

Structure of the processor

The processor consists of a , which is a circuit board on

which are mounted I chips, memory chips, and other

components linked together by _T lines or channels in the

form of control, address, and da*a ___. In addition, a processor

has L__ _. , which are electronic circuits providing specialized

functions such as graphics, or which connect a system board to

1 The system board also consists of electronic devices, such

as an electronic ' for controlling the speed of operation:

I _. . which store numeric data during the course of professing;

and various _______ including sequence control register, address

register, and function register.

adaptor boards registers microprocessor

clock conductive buses

system board accumulators Input or output devices

Reading

Task 12

Use the information in the reading passage and the diagram to help you match the terms below with the appropriate explanation or definition.

A processor consists of many different electronic circuits and devices for performing control functions, arithmetic and logic operations, and data transfers. Data may be transferred from backing storage to the internal memory or from the internal memory to the arithmetic unit by means of conductive channels known as buses. The part of the processor which controls data transfers between the various input and output devices is called the control unit.

Microprocessor chip

Arithmetic-logic unit

Control bus

Connecting cable

Input devices

>

>

Registers

Address bus

Periphera bus

Input port

>

>

г

Data bus

>

HLIUI 1 ILHcHUI Ь

>

>

>

Peripheral bus

Connecting cable

Clock

Random access memory chip (RAM)

Read only memory chip (ROM)

Output

\

devices

Output port

1. microprocessor chip a

2. registers b

3. accumulators с

4	control bus	d
5	address bus	e
6	data bus	f
7	clock	g
8	RAM	h
9	ROM	i

used to send address details between the memory and the address register

consists of an arithmetic-logic unit, one or more working registers to store data being processed, and accumulators for storing the results of calculations a group of signal lines used to transmit data in parallel from one element of a computer to another groups of bistable devices used to store information in a computer system for high-speed access an electronic circuit, usually a quartz crystal, that generates electronic pulses at fixed time intervals to control the timing of all operations in the processor used for storing part of the operating system and application software known as 'firmware': can only be read; cannot be written to or altered in any way used to store numeric data during processing a group of signal lines dedicated to the passing of control signals

used for the temporary storage of application programs and data; can be written to and read from

Task 13

Speaking

Work in pairs. Write down the list of terms (1-9) in Task 12 on a piece of paper. Without referring to your book, take turns to ask and answer questions about their functions.

► Useful expressions What is/are...? What does/do... do?

Word-play

Complete the puzzle and find the key word in 12 down.

Task 14

12

1

2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11

1 2 3 4

5 6

8

9

10

11

Across

A conductive line such as a data bus. (7)

A visual symbol used in a menu to represent a file or program. (4)

An input device used in computer games. (7)

An device converts the electrical signals inside a computer into a form

that can exist outside the computer. (6)

The name given to system software that is held in ROM. (8)

A device with one or more buttons used to point at locations on a computer

screen.(5)

The part of the CPU that transmits co-ordinating control signals and

commands to the computer. (7,4)

1,048,576 bytes. (8)

A large store of computerized data. (8)

The system was first used commercially on the Apple Macintosh

computer, but is now widely used on IBM machines. (7)

A signal route dedicated to sending information about locations within a

computer. (7,3)

Down

12 A register containing the results of an operation performed by the arithmetic- logic unit. (11) ^

Language focus A

_{Contextual reference}

Transitional markers are words used to link ideas together so that the text is easier to read. When pronouns such as it, they, them. I he, she, which, who, whose, that, such, one, and demonstrative adjectives such as this, that, these and those, are used as transitional markers, they refer to a word, or words, mentioned earlier in the sentence or paragraph. Their function is to take your thoughts back to something that has already been mentioned. Other words which are often used to refer backwards are the former, the latter, the first, second, etc., the last

Sample paragraph:

A j computerj^like any other machine, is used becausejjt/loes certain jobs better and more efficiently than humans.ut)can receive more

information

and procesaiyfaster than any human. The speed at which a

computer works means it can replace weeks or even months of pencil-and-

Dusiness,

paper work. Therefore] computers [are used when jthe time saved offsets cost^whic^is one of the many reason^the^kre used so much in

industry, and research.

Exercise 1

Using the sample paragraph as a model, draw a rectangle around the word, or words, that the circled words refer to. Then join "the О and the □ with arrows.

Modern accounting firms use spreadsheet software to do complicated calculation (They)can provide their clients with an up-to-date report whenever it is needed(This) software has many functions and can be integrated with other software. The spreadsheet's basic component is a ceH(Xhi&biay contain a formula(which)performs a mathematical operation.iltjcould also contain a label or data.([he formeg)describes the information on the worksheet. vThe lattecis the information itself.

The worksheet is the basic work area of a spreadsheet program. (lt)is made up of cells arranged in rows and columns. The number of^heseVaries depending on the software you are using. You can change the width and format of cells. (§udb parameters are usually quite easy to change with just a few keystrokes.

11

Exercise 2 Using the line reference given, look back at the reading passage in Unit 1, page 6, and find the reference for the words in italics.

1. anyone can make them (line 25)

2. the ideas that they put (line 34)

3. This was a graphical interface (line 3 7)

4. it became the standard machine (line 44)

5. these are operating systems (line 50)

6. it has become a minor player (line 68)

7. this could be upgraded (line 76)

Portable computers

'This is the smallest, most powerful computer in the world.'

'Those? Those are the batteries.'

Taski

Start-up

Discuss the following questions:

1. How small do you think computers can usefully become?

2. To what exterit does the size of a computer iiiiluence what it can be used for? Think of examples to illustrate your answer.

13

Listening

Task 2

Listen to the following extract from a rad ₀ talk show called Computcrworks in which the host talks with Sandra Cavancf-_{]f a wr}iter with a computer magazine. As you listen, fill in the missing information about the various portable computers.

pounds

Portable

Power: Weight: Screen size: Input device:

Prison.

between 15 and

^about ten inches diagonally keyboard

Power:	runs on rechargeable!__
Weight:	generally between 8 and 1 5 pounds
Screen size:	aboul;5 diagonally
Input device:	keyboard
Notebook
Power:	batteries
Weight:	as little as pounds
Screen size:	as small as inches
Input device:	keyboard
Clipboard
Power:	8 — batteries
Weight:	beiween 9 and 6 pounds
Screen size:	— ^ si|nilcir to notebook and laptop
Input device:	10

		=
1	г QoeuooooeooBGa Ш 1 ooooooooooe» ;1 tv oooooooooeeu I J| p: oooooooeeoo Ш
■

Power: Weight: Screen size: Input device:

^can operate on

** than 11

small

12

batteries

14

a	clipboard	1
b	stylus	2
с	screen	3
d	grid	4
e	voltage	5
f	pixel	6
g	template	7

Task3

T ask 4

Reading

Before reading the text, match these words with their definitions:

surface on which pictures or data are shown

electrical force

pattern used as a guide for creating letters or characters