Storage devices Magnetic storage (Group a)

Magnetic devices store data magnetically. A disk drive spins the disk at high speed and reads its data or writes new data onto it.

A floppy disk drive uses 3.5 inch diskettes which can only hold 1.44 MB of data; it’s often called A:drive and is relatively slow. It is called so because it consists of a flexible sheet of plastic, coated with a magnetizable material.

Most PCs have one internal hard disk, usually called C:drive, which can hold several gigabytes of data. It’s used to keep the operating system, the programs and the user’s files easily available for use. When you format a disk, or prepare it for use, its surface is divided into concentric circles called tracks. Each track is divided into a number of sectors. The computer remembers where information is stored by noting the track and sectors numbers in a directory.

A portable hard drive is an external unit with the drive mechanism and the media all in one sealed case. You can use it to make a backup, a spare copy of your file, or transport data between computers (from ‘Professional English in Use ICT’).

Optical Storage (Group b)

Optical discs can store data at much higher densities than magnetic disks. They are therefore ideal for multimedia applications where images, animation and sound occupy a lot of disc space. Furthermore, optical discs are not affected by magnetic fields, meaning that they are secure and stable, and can be transported through airport metal detectors without damaging the data. However, optical drives are slower than hard drives.

CDs (compact discs) can store up to 650–700 MB of data. CDs come in three different formats: CD-ROMs (read-only memory, read-only units, meaning you cannot change the data stored on them); CD-R (recordable discs, write-once devices which let duplicate CDs) and CD-RW (rewritable discs, enabling you to write onto the many times, like a hard disk.

DVDs (digital versatile discs) are similar in size to CDs (both are 1.2mm thick), but they differ in structure and capacity. DVDs have more tracks and more pits (tiny holes) per track, and can store from 4.7 GB to 17 GB of data. DVDs also come in several formats: DVD-ROMs, DVD-R or DVD+R, DVD-RW or DVD+RW.

A Blu-ray disc has a capacity of 25 GB (single layer), 50 GB (dual layer) and 100 GB (four layer). Unlike DVDs, which use a red laser to read and write data, Blu-ray uses a blue-violet laser, hence its name. Blu-ray discs can record and play back high-definition television and digital audio, as well as computer data (from ‘Infotech. English for Computer Users’).

Flash Memory (Group c)

Flash memory is solid-state, rewritable memory. It’s non-volatile, so it retains data when the power is turned off. Its name was invented by Toshiba to express how much faster it could be erased – ‘in a flash’ which means very quickly. Flash memory is used in several ways:

• USB flash drives also known as thumb or pen drives, are connected to a USB port of the computer. They are used to save and move MP3 and other data files between computers. They are more easily transported than external hard drives because the use solid-state technology, meaning that they don’t have fragile moving parts that can break if dropped.

• New U3 smart drives allow users to store both applications and data. They have two drive partitions and can carry applications that run on the host computer without requiring installation.

Flash memory cards are used to store images on cameras, to back up data on PDAs, to transfer games in video consoles, or record voice and music on MP3 players or to store movies on MP4 players. Some formats include: CompactFlash, Secure Digital, MultiMedia Card, miniSD card and xD-Picture card (from ‘Infotech. English for Computer Users’).

Note: disc (optical media); disk (magnetic storage media).

Exercise 37. Which do you think is the best solution for each problem? More than one solution is possible for some of problems.

a. Try a USB flash drive.

1. I want to make a copy of a music CD.

2. I want to store some files. I may need to update them in the future.

b. Use a CD-R.

c. You need an external hard drive.

3. I want to back up data from my computer. I want to update it every day.

d. Perhaps you need a new internal CD drive.

4. My computer’s having problems with reading and writing CDs.

e. Put them on a CD-RW.

5. I want to add 100MB of extra storage to my computer.

f. Perhaps you need to defragment the hard drive.

6. My computer’s running slowly.

Grammar. Expressing future. Revision of tenses.

Exercise 38. Match the tenses in bold with the correct description.

1. I think, I’ll go home now.

2. The bus for Brighton departs in an hour.

3. We’ll be sailing around the islands this time next month.

4. The men are delivering the furniture tomorrow.

5. Look at the baby! He is going to eat that worm!

6. Perhaps we’ll see Nicky at the club tonight.

7. He’s going to take a few days off next week.

8. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful holiday.

9. Will Jo be staying with you this Easter?

a. action which may (not) happen in the future

b. action in progress at a stated future time

c. fixed arrangement in the near future

d. evidence that something will definitely happen

e. timetable / programme

f. decision taken at the moment of speaking

g. asking politely about people’s arrangements

h. action intended to be performed in the near future

i. prediction about the future

Exercise 39. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense.

1. What you … (to do) here? – I … (to wait) for a friend. 2. He not … (to see) me as he … (to read) when I (to come) into the room. 3. He … (to speak) French? – Yes, he … (to speak) French quite fluently. 4. It … (to rain) hard last night when I … (to leave) the office. 5. I … (to wait) for you at five o’clock tomorrow. 6. Listen! Someone … (to knock) at the door. 7. Tomorrow at this time you … (to sail) down the river. 8. You … (to hear) anything? – I … (to listen) hard but I … (not/to hear) anything. 9. Every day the boss … (to enter) the office at nine o’clock. 10. When I … (to enter) the office yesterday the secretary … (to type) some letters. 11. They … (to go) to the Hermitage last week. 12. After the university yesterday he… (to come) home, … (to have) dinner, … (to read) the article from the latest magazine and … (to begin) doing his homework. 13. When your friend … (to return) from the south? – She … (to return) yesterday. – You … (to go) to the station to meet her? – No, I … (to be) very busy. 14. Tomorrow I … (to begin) preparing my report as soon as I … (to come) from university. I … (to write) this report from three till six. After that I … (to go) to English courses. 15. You always … (to spend) summer at the seaside? – Yes, as a rule. Last summer I … (to go) to the mountains, but I … (not/ to find) the rest there as pleasant as near the sea. 16. Why you always … (to follow) me? I’ve got tired of it. 17. I promise, I’ll join you when I … (to finish) my work. 18. You … (to be) late for the concert if you (not/ to take) a taxi.

Exercise 40. Translate into English.

1. Не говоріть так голосно. Я Вас добре чую. 2. Вона постійно говорила про свою дитину. 3. Темніє. 4. Коли туристи повернулися, машина чекала їх біля готелю. 5. Я їду до Парижу наступного тижня. 6. Ви запізнитесь на літак, якщо не візьмете таксі. 7. Я чую кроки. Хтось йде сюди. 8. Чи ти знаєш про що я зараз думаю? 9. Коли Девід приїхав, гості чекали його в кімнаті. 10. Вчора вона написала тест без помилок. 11. Чому Ви так уважно дивитесь на мене? 12. Я не впевнений, що він виступить на зборах. 13. Заняття в університеті починаються о восьмій годині. 14. Вона завжди запрошувала нас провести вихідні в її будинку біля річки. 15. Я впевнений вона Вам сподобається, коли Ви її побачите. 16. Як правило, вона не обговорює такі важливі питання по телефону. 17. Вчора був вихідний. Я пізно прокинувся і пізно поснідав. Я визирнув у вікно і побачив, що їде сніг. Оскільки погода була поганою, я вирішив не йти на прогулянку. Весь день я дивився телевізор і читав журнали. 18. Коли ти закінчиш писати свою книгу, ти покажеш її мені? – Думаю, я покажу її тобі через місяць.

Writing

Exercise 41. Which storage device or format would be the most suitable for storing these things? Explain your choice. You may use the following phrases: For this use, the … is the most appropriate because…; The … has… so I’d choose it for…; … is good for… because…; It would be a good idea to… .

a) the operating system and the programs on your home computer;

b) the photos taken with a digital camera;

c) a movie in digital format’

d) an electronic encyclopedia, dictionary or a game;

e) your favourite music tracks;

f) high-definition video;

g) all the files generated by a big company in one day.