Computers in the Classroom
Kids are going all over the world without ever leaving their school. They are using their computers. A school in California could be (21)______ in America. They are wired to the Internet (22)_____.
Thirty students are able to use the Internet every day. The kids are between the grades of kindergarten and fifth grade. The teacher says that it is hard (23)_____ from the computer. They do not even want to go to recess.
Internet has opened the world to many people. Now students can go to (24)____. They can get information. They can visit a child in another country.
Laura Bacon likes to visit with other students. She’s going to Peggy’s page. Peggy is (25)____ in London, England. She put (26)___ on the Internet. It included pictures of Peggy, her school, her mom, dad and friends. You can send her mail, too.
A scientist helped to wire the school. He says, “There is a plan to connect 12 thousand California schools (27)_____.”
Wiring schools in California, however, can cost a lot of money. It needs to be done on volunteer effort or schools will not be able (28)____ . They think that it will cost as much (29)___.
Some people say that the money should be spent (30)___ instead of computers. Some people say that it would be worth it to wire all of the classrooms.
any library on earth
to afford it
her own home page
through their computers
a school student
on teachers
to get them away
to the Internet
the most wired school
to few people
as fifty billion dollars
Part 2. Vocabulary
Assignment 4. Read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C, or D best fits each space
DO-IT-YOURSELF COMPUTERS
Building your own computer may appear a difficult task. But is you have had one (31)___ and have even progressed to being able to, say, (32)___ a video card, you are ready to enter the do-it-yourself PC business.
In choosing the components, even something as basic as the case can (33)____ a difference. (34)____ the computer magazines and you will see that cases come in all sort of shapes and sizes: small, tall, wide and narrow – whatever you (35)____.
If you think you would like to have ten hard disks in your computer, you can find a case to (36)____ your needs. If you want a case that will (37)_____ in a drawer, that is available too. You can (38)____ your requirements and get exactly the machine you want: everything, from the sound card and graphics card to the backup device of your (39)____.
Of course, (40)____ or later, something will go wrong. If you get (41)____ crashes, is it the memory chip, the CPU, the hard disk or the software that is ( 42)____? You could (43)___
yourself having to deal with all the various manufacturers of the different pieces in order to find out (44)____ piece or program is causing the problem.
So, if you want to become a DIY expert, start by upgrading your existing machine, and you may soon have the (45)___ you need to continue.
31. A in time B for a while C at the moment D since then
32. A put B install C place D set
33. A make B do C give D take
34. A Revise B Control C Check D Inspect
35. A dream B fancy C hope D long
36. A respond B call C fill D meet
37. A arrange B conform C fit D get
38. A satisfy B notify C qualify D specify
39 A choice B pick C selection D pleasing
40. A before B sooner C earlier D after
41. A occasional B seldom C rare D sometimes
42. A in trouble B by mistake C out of use D at fault
43. A get B leave C find D stop
44. A their B who’s C the D whose
45 A trust B confidence C belief D wish
Assignment 5. Fill in the blanks with the proper words. Mind there is an odd word there. You must use each word only once.