Basic English for Computing / Basic English for Computing (Units) / UNIT 20
.doc20 Interview: Analyst/Programmer
Tuning-in
Task 1 Colin is an analyst/programmer. Study this screen display from one of his projects, Dante, and answer these questions.
1 What does Dante teach?
2 What kind of students is it for?
3 What do you think the calculator is for?
4 What happens if you get the answer wrong?
5 What happens if you get the answer right?
Listening
Task 2 In Part 1 of the interview Colin shows the fire engine page and subsequent pages to the interviewer. Listen and check your answers to Task 1.
Task 3 Listen to Part 2 of the interview and answer these questions.
1 What was the problem the programmers tried to solve with Dante?
2 What does the administrative package provide for the teacher?
3 What information does the program provide on use of the modules?
4 What does 'You can't debug your own code' mean?
5 Who tests the programs?
6 What do they try to do?
7 What problem did they have with graphics?
8 Colin discusses three types of error. What are they?
Task 4 Listen to Part 3 of the interview and answer these questions.
1 Is programming stressful?
2 What does Colin do as a break from programming?
3 Where do the team do much of the design work?
4 How many people work with him?
5 What do they do?
6 How long did Dante take to write?
7 Why was it easy to split?
8 Tick (γ) the languages he mentions.
9 How does he keep up with developments in his field?
10 Why does he hate to go home sometimes?
Task 5 Listen to the whole interview again. Tick the stages in the production of a program that Colin mentions.
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Language work: Present simple vs Present continuous |
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Study these examples of the Present simple and the Present continuous from the interview with Colin. Which tense does Colin use for: 1 routines and procedures? 2 things happening now? 3 likes and dislikes which are always true? |
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Present continuous an example of what we're working on at the moment there are three main areas we're working in I'm, at the moment, trying to learn how to use Active Server pages we 're now using a system called Visual Failsafe |
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Present simple we speak to the users we offer solutions we don't spend a full day programming we go to the canteen and work it out I enjoy my work |
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We use the Present simple to describe routines, standard procedures, and things which are always true, such as likes and dislikes. We use the Present continuous for actions going on at the moment. |
Task 6 Complete these sentences by putting the verb in brackets into the Present simple or Present continuous.
1 At the moment I__________ (work) on a program for schools.
2 We always ____________(ask) the users, not the managers, what
they need from the system.
3 Paul is a database expert so usually he____________ (do) anything
on databases and I______________ (get) the interfaces.
4 We_____________ (use) Active Server for this project because it's
Web-based.
5 Commonly we____________ (use) С++and JavaScript.
6 Whenever we____________ (finish) part of a project, we put a copy
of the software in a sub-folder as a record.
7 I___________ (subscribe) to two magazines.
8 Right now I____________ (try) to learn how to use Active Server
properly.
9 At the moment we___________ (develop) a Web-based project.
10 It's a magazine for people who know what they_________ (do).
Task 7 Write four sentences about any project you're working on at this moment, and about your daily routine.
Example I'm working on a project about... I start classes each day at...
I'm designing a... I finish at...
Computing words and abbreviations
Task 8 Sort these words about General Purpose Packages into these sets.
bold cell column draw field fill font
formula justify paint record rotate row scale
search selection rules sort spelling checker
tab tool palette underline
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Word processing |
Databases |
Spreadsheets |
Graphics |
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Task 9 Verbs with prepositions are common in spoken English.
Example to work something out = to solve a problem
Study these verbs with prepositions from this interview and earlier interviews. Try to use them in the correct form in sentences 1 to 10.
burn down give up come across keep up with come up
pickup divide up put out find out take up
1 If the fire engine doesn't arrive on time, the house will _________.
2 I subscribe to magazines to__________ developments in
programming.
3 In programming you often ____________ the coding among a team
of programmers.
4 If a site takes too long to download, people _____________ and go to
another site.
5 In the hardware class we ___________ about things inside
computers.
6 People may ____________ your website by chance when they're
browsing the net.
7 If you get the answer right, the fire engine _____________ the fire.
8 When you test a program, different kinds of problems ____________.
9 Reading about new developments ____________ a lot of Colin's free
time.
10 He tries to ___________ a copy of Dr Dobb's Journal when he can.
Speaking
Task 10 Work in pairs, A and B. Logic errors often occur when you are testing a
condition before branching or exiting from a loop. Each of you has a short program which contains a logic error. Dictate your programs to each other line by line. Then together identify the logic error in both programs.
Student A Your program is on page 118.
Student В Your program is on page 119.