1. Read the article and mark the statements true (t) or false (f).

1. A computer virus is the result of a destructive program that someone has written and placed inside a computer program

2. The virus affects the computer's ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory) and your computer disks.

3. If the virus is on your disk or hard drive, it will return to the computer when you use the program again.

4. If you switch from one program to another without shutting down the machine, the new program won’t be tampered with.

5. Most people create destructive programs just as a challenge.

6. You should use detection programs just to scan the computer's hard drive once a month.

2. Read the article again and answer the questions.

1. What is a computer virus? 

2. What are some of the things that viruses can do? 

3. Where do viruses come from? 

4. Why do people create viruses? 

5. How do computers acquire viruses?

6. Can a virus affect the ROM of a computer? 

7. What can be done to avoid getting a computer virus? 

8. What can be done when someone knows they have a virus?  

3. Match a verb from a with a word or phrase from b to make phrases from the article.

A	B
shut erase fix perform make shut switch communicate cause duplicate crowd arrive	mischieferase all the information small changes over telephone lines by modem itself like a disease out your data major system problems off your computer from one program to another down the machine l. suspect programs

4. Find words in the article which fit these meanings.

1. a piece of electronic equipment that allows information from one computer to be sent along telephone wires to another computer

2. the part of a computer where information can be stored

3. information in a form that can be stored and used, especially on a computer

4. the part of a computer that acts as a temporary store for information so that it can be used immediately

5. the part of a computer where permanent instructions and information are stored 

6. the part of a computer where information and programs are stored, consisting of hard discs and the electronic equipment that reads what is stored on them

7. free or cheap computer software, usually produced by small companies, that you can use for a short time before you decide whether to buy it

5. Use the words from Exercise 4 to complete these sentences.

1. There are two versions of this utility, ………. and for-fee.

2. When deciding on a system, I start by choosing the chipset because the chipset decision then dictates the processor, ………., input/output, and expansion capabilities.

3. Select the option to program the new BIOS file into the FLASH ………..

4. Like its predecessor, Windows Me, Windows XP Home supports networking, ………. sharing, and other fancy tricks.

5. By backing up data you rarely use and deleting the original data from your ………., you free up space once occupied by that data.

6. Most are fixed size, but a few, such as the buffer cache and certain page table structures, depend on the amount of ………. available.

7. If you select this option, ………. will be exported using Automation.