5. Imagine one day of your life in 5 years. How will automatic ma-chines help you to live through this day? Write a composition of 10-15 sentences.

HOME READING

Text 8D

1. Look through the text and find answers to the questions:

1. У чому цінність комп'ютерів?

2. Від чого розробники комп'ютерів намагаються захистити комп'ютер?

3. Чого побоюються користувачі комп'ютерів більш за все?

4. Які найбільш розповсюджені комп'ютерні злочини?

5. Що таке комп'ютерний вірус?

6. Які міри допомагають захистити комп'ютерні системи від вторгнення (breaking)?

7. Які проблеми може викликати несподівана поломка комп'ютера?

Translate the questions given above into English (in the written form) and ask your partners.

It’s interesting to read …

Problems of the Computer Age

Because computers provide such convenient storage for large amounts of information, less and less information is stored on paper. Much of the convenience of computers stems from their ability to form networks by means of telephone lines. But a computer that makes part of a network resembles a room with many doors Intruders who slip through these 'doors' are difficult to trace. For this reason, computer designers work to guard stored information from unauthorized access, as well as from system breakdown or failure.

Computers and privacy. Many people fear that their right to privacy is threatened by the possible misuse or unauthorized disclosure of information in computer databases. Databases often contain private and personal information, such as medical, banking, or tax records. Other databases pertain to business plans or inventions that a company must conceal from competing companies. Still other databases store top-secret military information or other kinds of data important to a nation's security. Today, laws control the disclosure of data.

Computers and security. Computer operating systems are designed to prevent unauthorized entry into a computer, but computer crimes sometimes occur. Industrial spies and thieves often use telephone lines to gain access to computers. Some of these criminals steal or change the information in a computer database. Others steal money by using the capability of computers to transfer funds electronically from one account to another. Major problems can result if someone obtains illegal access to secret information in government or corporate databases. Sometimes, people within an organization commit computer crimes. Other crimes are committed by outsiders who create chaos by breaking into computer systems.

In the late 1980's, computer experts became aware of a dangerous type of program called a computer virus. A computer virus is designed to do mischief, sometimes by deleting or changing information and sometimes by simply inserting a message. A virus eventually enters a computer's operating system. It spreads by rapidly making copies of itself, thus 'infecting' the other computer systems in a network. This process can quickly overload huge computer networks.

Various methods help safeguard computer systems and databases. Protective measures are built into many computer operating systems to prevent access by invaders. Many computers require a user to enter a secret password. Some systems automatically scramble information so that it can only be decoded by authorized personnel. Careful protection of these passwords and codes helps decrease the likelihood of illegal access. Antivirus programs are available to prevent computer viruses from doing mischief.

Other problems. Computers are valuable in many ways. But if a computer breaks or is damaged, the peo­ple who rely on it face great difficulties. Until the com­puter is fixed, these people may be worse off than if they never had a computer at all. For example, informa­tion may be lost if a computer system suffers damage in a natural disaster, such as a fire or flood. Computer breakdowns and faulty programming in business organ­izations delay transactions, disrupt work, and create in­conveniences for consumers. An undetected computer malfunction that occurs at an air traffic control centre could cause a collision. A computer failure at a national defence installation could have even more serious con­sequences.

Computers, together with their programs, are the most complicated machines in history – and, arguably, the most useful. As computers become more powerful and widespread, computer education must continue to increase as well.

ADDITIONAL READING

Murphy’s laws of PCs

There are some of the famous Murphy’s laws of PC. Match them with their explanations.

1. Murphy’s Law: “If something can go wrong, it will go wrong”.

b If your computer has ever bombed as you were getting ready to print that final report ten minutes before quitting time on a Friday afternoon, you know exactly what Murphy was talking about!

2. Murphy’s Rule of Lists: “ In any complete list, the most important item will be left off”.

d One of glories of the PC is the profusion of manufacturers, dealers, software developers, and all the other facets that make up the industry. Your options will seem limitless, and the prices between what look like similar machines may vary pretty wildly, too. But all these choices are also the bane of PCs. The options can make it pretty difficult to wend your way through the thick jungle of choices.

3. Murphy’s Laws of Machinery:

• If you disassemble a machine and then reassemble it, there will always be at least one part left over.

• You’ll never know what that extra part is for until you’ve thrown it away.

f You’ve just purchased that shiny new computer and a box of accessories, and now you’re ready to go home and start working on the great American novel… . Before you drive home with your new PC, you should do a quick inventory to make sure you’re getting everything you paid for, as well as everything you ought to have.

4. Murphy’s Law of Hardware: “Pandora should have opened a PC”.

e The computer case (that’s the box) is the heart of your computer system, and holds the brains as well as knobs, buttons, and thing-a-ma-jigs that are behind, on, and inside the box. Some of these are accessible to you, and you might use a few every day (like the on/off switch). Others are hidden deep inside the box, though you still might use them every day without particularly noticing. Still others, which might be inside or outside the case, you might not use at all.

5. Murphy’s Law of Hard Disks: “The bigger your hard disk seem the day you buy it, the faster it will seem to fill up”.

a Hard disks are big and can hold lots of data. So when a problem occurs there is an awful lot at stake that you really don’t want to lose. Good disk organization is the first step toward securing the safety of your data, the second step is your daily backup routine.

6. Murphy is Law of Printers: “If Gutenberg had only had a computer and printer, he may never have gotten the Bible printed”.

g You should clean and vacuum your printer every now and then to remove excess paper dust, toner, and dirt. Its documentation should describe just what needs cleaning. And remember to keep a dust cover on the printer when it’s not being used, especially if your cat likes to sleep on it. Laser printer can get pretty hot when they are working hard, and you should avoid putting a cover on one when it is hot.

7. Murphy’s Law of Risk: “You can’t prevent disasters, but you can diminish their frequency and severity”.

c Computers, like all electronic devices, are somewhat sensitive to the vagaries of everyday living. They’re not so sensitive that they can’t take some honest criticism every now and then, but are susceptible to magnetism, dirt, swings in temperature, vibration, and errant keystrokes on the part of the user.

Listening Comprehension