Exercise 1

My friend Phil has just brought a computer, and doesn’t know much about it yet. His mistakes are in bold type. Help him by writing the correct technical terms in the spaces.

a virus CDs crash e-mails floppy hard internet keyboard modem monitor mouse processing scanner surf website

1. The colours on the television … are not the same as the printed pages.

2. What’ the difference between the left click and the right click on the rat …?

3. How many programs can I store on the hot … disk?

4. Should I make copies of everything on those little … disks?

5. Those big shiny disks …are great! There’s so much stuff on them.

6. I can’t understand all those extra buttons on the typewriter….

7. Computes! They drive you mad sometimes. You’ve put all your work on them and they just stop working….

8. I use mine mostly for word producing…, or whatever you call it.

9. I want to put my old photos onto the computer, so I’m getting one of those photocopiers … things.

10. You can get an incredible amount of information on the netscape ….

11. When I get connected, I’m going to send lots of digital letters … to people.

12. I might even make my own sight …. Which people can visit to check out my photos and so on.

13. But I am a bit worried about wasting a lot of time skating ….

14. Anyway, I haven’t yet got a thingamajig … to connect my computer to the phone line.

15. Apparently there’s a danger of getting bacteria … from files you download.

VOCABULARY

desktop computer	PC	monitor	screen	menu
toolbar	hard disk	CD-ROM drive	on/off button	speaker
printer	floppy disk	zip disk	caps lock	return
caps(capital letters)	cursor	icon	window	trash
keyboard	key	cable	mouse	mouse pad
back delete	forward delete	scroll up	scroll down	net
numeric keypad	laptop	palmtop	search engine	home page
website	password

switch on switch off load a program quit a program open a window close a window type a document select text highlight text copy text

cut text paste text find and replace insert a symbol save your work print out use shortcuts use the mouse click and drag

I haven’t got enough memory. My computer crashed. I’ve lost work. The screen’s frozen. My computer’s got a virus. I called the helpline. I like surfing the net. I go online between 8 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. I e-mail my cousin regularly. I sometimes forward jokes to my friends. He’s a computer genius. He’s a computer nerd. I’m computer literate. I’m a technophobe.

Exercise 2

Complete the text

m...., s....., t....., s....., t....., k....., m......, m...p...

1. How do you switch the computer on?

You press the on/off button. 5

2. How do I get a new document onto a screen?

You o4 your word-processing p7. You use the m5 to c5 on ‘File’. Then you s6 ‘New document’. It’s easy!

3. Let’s say I’ve typed a letter with three paragraphs. I decide I want to put paragraph 3 before paragraph 2. What do I do?

First, make sure the c6 is positioned at the start of paragraph 3. C5 the mouse, hold it down and h9 paragraph 3. Then use the mouse to d4 paragraph 3 before paragraph 2. And don’t panic!

4. How do I print out my document?

You just click the p7 icon on the t7. Click on the options you want and then click on ‘p5’.

5. When I’ve finished working, do I just pull the plug out of the socket?

NO!!! You should c5 all w7 you have opened and q4 the program. Then go to the ‘Special’ m4 and choose ‘Shut down’.

Exercise 3

How many expressions can you make by matching the words and phrases in column A with those in column B?

close 2	a document
find and replace 1	a program
load 1	a window
open 2	a word
print out 2	the net
save 2	work
switch 2	off
forward 1	on
surf 1
lose 1

Exercise 4

Try this questionnaire to find out how much you know about computers

LOG ON…

1. How long do you spend online each week?

1. More than 10 hours

2. Between 5 and 10 hours

3. Less than 5 hours

2. How many e-mail letters do you send each week?

1. More than 20

2. Between 5 and 20

3. Fewer than 5

3. How many programs do you know how to use?

1. More than 5

2. Between 1 and 5

3. 0-1

4. How many search engines do you use on a regular basis?

1. More than 5

2. Between 1 and 5

3. 0-1

5. Have you got your own website?

1. Yes, of course

2. Not yet

3. What’s website?

6. Do you know how much memory your computer has got?

1. Of course

2. No, but I know how to find out

3. I can’ remember

7. Do you ever forward e-mails?

1. Yes, I forward lots of jokes

2. Yes, sometimes

3. No

8. Do you know how to attach a document to an e-mail?

1. Yes, for both PCs and Macs

2. Yes

3. Sorry?

9. Has your computer got a DVD-ROM drive?

1. Of course

2. No, but I’d like one

3. A what?

10. How often have you phoned the helpline in the past six months?

1. Never

2. Occasionally

3. They know me by name

11. Do you use shortcuts?

1. Yes. Lots

2. A few

3. I’m bored now

12. Do you save your work onto floppy disks or zip disks?

1. Zips. Who uses floppies nowadays?

2. Floppy disks

3. Zzzzzzz

ANALYSIS

Mostly As Are you a genius or a nerd?

Mostly Bs You know enough to get by, and perhaps even more. Well done!

Mostly Cs You’re either a technophobe or you’re so creative that you think computers are waste of time.

What is a computer?

The term computer is used to describe a device made up of a combination of electronic and electromechanical (part electronic and part mechanical) components. Computer has no intelligence by itself and is referred to as hardware. A computer system is a combination of 5 elements: hardware, software, people, procedures and data/information.

When one computer system is set up to communicate with another computer system, connectivity becomes the sixth system element. In other words, the manner in which the various individual systems are connected – for example, by phone lines, microwave transmission, or satellite – is an element of the total computer system.

Software is the term used to describe the instructions that tell how to perform a task. Without software instructions, the hardware doesn’t know what to do. People, however, are the most important component of the computer system: they create the computer software instructions and respond to the procedures that those instructions present.

The basic job of the computer is the processing of information. Computers accept information in the form of instruction called a program and characters called data to perform mathematical and logical operations, and then give the results. The data is raw material while information is organized, processed, refined and useful for decision making. Computer is used to convert data into information. Computer is also used to store information in the digital form.

Vocabulary

characters data decision device hardware instruction intelligence manner microwave procedures purpose

raw to come to life to connect to convert to create to evaluate to refer as to to refine to respond transmission various

Exercise 5

General understanding

1. What does the term “computer” describe?

2. Is computer intelligent?

3. What are five components of computer system?

4. What is connectivity?

5. What is software? What’s the difference between hardware and software?

6. Why people are the most important component of a computer system?

7. In what way terms “data” and “information” differ?

8. How does the computer convert data into information?

Exercise 6

Which of the terms have Russian equivalents?

Internet, diskette, metal, processor, scanner, information, data, microphones, printer, modem

Exercise 7

TRUE/FALSE

1. Computer is made of electronic components so it is referred to as electronic device.

2. Computer has no intelligence until software is loaded.

3. There are 5 elements of computer system: hardware, software, people, diskettes and data.

4. The manner in which computers are connected is the connectivity.

5. Without software instructions hardware doesn’t know what to do.

6. The software is the most important component because it is made by people.

7. The user inputs data into computer to get information as an output.

8. Computer is used to help people in decision making process.

Exercise 8

Match the following:

program	…doesn’t come to life until it is connected to other parts of a system.
information	…is the term used to describe the instructions that tell the hardware how to perform a task.
processing of information	…create the computer software instructions and respond to the procedures that those instructions present.
software	Information in the form of instruction is called a …
connectivity	The manner in which the various individual systems are connected is…
computer	The basic job of the computer is the …
people	…is organized, processed and useful foe decision making.

Exercise 9

Group discussion

1. Why so many people are still “computer illiterate”?

2. What are the most important applications of computer?

3. Are computer games just a waste of time or is it a nice hobby and a lot of fun?

4. What do you use the computer for?