Unit 1 Computer Literacy

Страдательный залог. Причастие I. Причастие II. Обороты с причастиями. Предлоги места и движения.

Словообразование: приставки размера, места, времени, порядка, количества, утверждения и отрицания.

Text A. Computer Literacy

Text B. Parts of the Computer.

Text C. Input Devices.

Text D. Output Devices.

Text E. Storage Devices.

Everyday English: Greetings

Exercise 1. Read and translate the text.

Let's look at the progress the computers have made in their development. Besides the great changes in size and speed, we now have machines which change numbers into pictures, words and sounds. The next big change will be when we get computers that will understand human language. But now if you want to programme your own computer, you must learn its language. It does not understand yours. For example you talk with an Englishman. You make one small grammar mistake «have» instead of «has». The man understands what you mean and the talk goes on. But if you make even the smallest mistake in computer language, the talk breaks down and you must go back to the beginning.

Exercise 2. Below is a short article about computers. Put the verbs in brackets into the passive voice. Choose the correct tense, or use the modal verb if one is given.

Computers Then and Now

The world's first electronic computer (build) at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946. Computers (sell) commercially for the first time in the 1950s, and a lot of progress (make) since then. Computers are now much smaller and more powerful, and they (can/buy) much more cheaply.

Computers (use) in many fields – in business, science, medicine and education, for example. They (can/use) to forecast the weather or to control robots which make cars. The computer's memory is the place where information (keep) and calculations (do).

A computer cannot think for itself – it (must/tell) exactly what to do. A lot of difficult calculations (can/do) very quickly on a computer.

And computers don't make mistakes. Stories (hear) sometimes about computers paying people too much money or sending them bills for things they didn't buy. These mistakes (make) by the programmers -- the people who give the computer its instructions. Some years ago, a computer-con-trolled rocket belonging to the USA went out of control and (have to /destroy). The accident (cause) by a small mistake in one line of the programme. This mistake cost the USA $18 million.

Criminals have found out that 'computer crimes' are often a lot easier than robbing banks. Hundreds or millions of dollars (steal) from American businesses every year by people changing the information in computers.

Large numbers of home computers (sell) recently, especially in the USA and Britain. People know more about computers than they used to, and computers are playing a bigger part in our lives. Progress (make) all the time. Many people believe we can look forward to the day when even our household jobs like cleaning (do) by computer-controlled robots.

The digital age

Match the captions (1-4) with the pictures (a-d).

1. In education computers can make all the difference ………….

2. Using a cashpoint, or ATM

3. The Internet in your pocket

4 Controlling air traffic …………….

How are computers used in the situations above? In pairs, discuss your ideas.

Look at the HELP box and then match the verbs (1-5) with the nouns (a-e) to make collocations from the text on pages 2-3.

HELP BOX: Collocations Verbs and nouns often go together in English to make set phrases, for example access the Internet. These word combinations are called collocations, and they are very common. Learning collocations instead of individual words can help you remember which verb to use with which noun. Here are some examples: perform operations, do research, make calls, send texts, display data, write letters, store information, complete exercises, carry out transactions.

give	a	money
keep	b	a PIN
access	с	databases
enter	d	presentations
transfer	e	records

Use collocations from A and the HELP box to complete these sentences.

1. Thanks to Wi-Fi, it's now easy to from cafes, hotels, parks and many other public places.

2. Online banking lets you between your accounts easily and securely.

3. Skype is a technology that enables users to ……………… over the Internet for free.

4. In many universities, students are encouraged to …………using PowerPoint in order to make their talks more visually attractive.

5. The Web has revolutionized the way people - with sites such as

6. Google and Wikipedia, you can find the information you need in seconds.

7. Cookies allow a website to on a user's machine and later retrieve it; when you visit the website again, it remembers your preferences.

8. With the latest mobile phones, you can with multimedia attachments - pictures, audio, even video.

Exercise 3. Tick (√) the computer uses mentioned in the following article.

home

hospitals

engineering

shopping

television

advertising

art

banking

libraries

film-making

schools

Computers are part of our everyday lives. They have an effect on almost everything you do. When you buy groceries at a supermarket, a computer is used with laser and barcode technology to scan the price of each item and present a total. Barcode items (clothes, food and books) requires a computer to generate a barcode labels and maintain the inventory. Most television advertisements and many films are graphics produced by a computer. In hospitals, besides terminals connected to the hospitals main computer allow doctors to type in orders for blood tests and to schedule operations. Banks use computers to look after their customers’ money. In libraries and bookshops computers can help you to find the book you want as quickly as possible.

Exercise 4. Fill in the gaps with articles.

The Walsh family have … computer at … home. … their … son uses … computer to help with … homework and to play … computer games. … their student daughter uses … computer for … projects and for … email. All … family use it to get … information from … Internet.

Exercise 5. Match the places in column A with the computer uses in column B.

A B

Banks control machines

Factories calculate the bill

Homes look after patient records and medicines

Hospitals provide entertainment and information

Shops control our money

Exercise 6. Fill in the gaps in this paragraph about computer uses.

Computers are now part of our everyday life. In shops they …. . In factories they …. . In ….. they look after patient records and medicines. When we have a bank account, a computer …. . In our homes computers ….. .

Exercise 7. Study these details of different types of computer. Find the answers to these questions. Which type of computer is:

1. the most common?

2. small enough for a pocket?

3. the most common portable?

4. used by many people at the same time?

5. used like mainframes?

6. also called a handheld computer?

7. the most powerful?

8. not suitable for a long typing?

Types of computer

Notes

Mainframes Minicomputers Microcomputers or Personal computers (PCs)

Large, powerful, expensive. Multi-user systems – used by many people at the same time. Used for processing very large amounts of data. The most powerful mainframes are called supercomputers. Used like mainframes. Not as big, powerful, or expensive as mainframes. Less common now because microcomputers have improved. The most common type of computer. Smaller, cheaper, less powerful than mainframes am\nd minicomputers.

Types of Portable	Notes
Laptop Notebook Subnotebook Handheld or Palmtop	About the size of a small typewriter. Less common now because smaller and lighter portables are available. About the size of a piece of writing paper. The most common type of portable. Not quite as big as notebooks. Can fit into a jacket pocket. Small enough to fit into the palm of one hand. Not easy to type with because of their size. Often used as personal organizers.

Exercise 8. Choose the correct adjective. Then fill in the gaps with the correct form of the adjective.

1. light/heavy Laptops are ____________ than desktop computers, but ___________ than notebooks.

2. large/small The mainframe is the ________________ type of computer. A minicomputer is ________________ than a microcomputer.

3. common/good Personal computers are ___________ than mainframes but mainframes are ___________ than personal computers at processing very large amounts of data.

4. powerful/expensive Minicomputers are _______________ than mainframes but they are also ____________.

5. fast/cheap New computers are _______________ and sometimes _____________ than older machines.

6. powerful/expensive Laptops are often ____________ than PCs but they are not as ________.

Exercise 9. Put the words in brackets into the right form.

There are different types of computer. The (large) and (powerful) are mainframe computers. Minicomputers are (small) than mainframes but are still very powerful. Microcomputers are small enough to sit on a desk. They are the (common) type of computer. They are usually (powerful) than minicomputers.

Portable computers are (small) than desktops. The (large) portable is a laptop. (Small) portables, about the size of a piece of writing paper, are called notebook computers. Subnotebooks are (small) than notebooks. You can hold the (small) computers in one hand. They are called handheld computers or palmtop computers.

Exercise 10. Decide what sort of computer is best for each users.

1. John Wilmott is a salesperson and he spends a lot of time visiting customers. He wants a computer to carry with him so he can access data about his customers and record his sales.

2. Pat Nye is a personnel officer. She needs a computer to keep staff records and to keep diary appointments. She also needs a computer for writing letters.

3. The University of North needs a computer to look after its accounts, its network, the records of all students and staff, and to help with scientific research.

4. The James family wants a computer for entertainment, writing letters, the Internet, and for calculating tax.

2. Give it a name.

   1. an electronic device for storing and processing data;

   2. the programs and data used in a computer;

   3. determine by mathematics;

   4. the part of a computer system that is used for storing programs and data;

   5. a set of instructions written in a computer language that controls the behavior of a computer;

   6. a sequence of vertical parallel lines used to give items a unique identification number;

   7. a label that is used to attach a barcode to an item;

   8. an optical input device that uses a reflection of a light beam to read barcode labels.

Exercise 11. Study the vocabulary of text A.

computer literacy [km'pjute 'litsrasi] — компьютерная грамотность problem-solving device — устройство, обеспечивающее решение задачи

be aware of [bi a'wesr ov] — понимать, сознавать

opportunity [opa'tjirniti] — возможность

basics ['beisiks] — основы

application [apli'keijn] — применение; использование

to restate [n'steit] — пересмотреть, переосмыслить

significant [sig'mfikant] — значительный

achievements [a'tfrvmsnts] — достижения

computing [kam'pjuitin] — вычисление; счет; работа на компьютере

to embrace [imb'reis] — охватывать

dimension [di'menjn] — измерение

instruction [m'strAkfn] — команда, инструкция, указание

to direct the operation — направлять работу

to process [prou'ses] — обрабатывать

subscription magazine [ssb'sknpjh iruegs'zhi]— журнал по подлиске

data processing system ['deits prs'sesin 'sistsm] — система обработки данных

store manager ['sta 'm^n3d33] — директор магазина

to have much in common — иметь много общего

Exercise 12. Read and translate the following text. Прочтите текст и скажите, как вы понимаете термины «информационное общество» и «компьютерная грамот­ность».

TEXT A. COMPUTER LITERACY

Informed citizens of our information-dependent society should be computer-literate, which means that they should be able to use computers as everyday problem-solving devices. They should be aware of the potential of computers to influence the quality of life.

There was a time when only privileged people had an oppor­tunity to learn the basics, called the three R's: reading, writing, and arithmetics. Now, as we are quickly becoming an informa­tion-becoming society, it is time to restate this right as the right to learn reading, writing and computing. There is little doubt that computers and their many applications are among the most sig­nificant technical achievements of the century. They bring with them both economic and social changes. "Computing" is a con­cept that embraces not only the old third R, arithmetics, but also a new idea — computer literacy.

In an information society a person who is computer-literate need not be an expert on the design of computers. He needn't even know much about how to prepare programs which are the instructions that direct the operations of computers. All of us are already on the way to becoming computer-literate. Just think of your everyday life. If you receive a subscription magazine in the post-office, it is probably addressed to you by a computer. If you buy something with a bank credit card or pay a bill by check, computers help you process the information. When you check out at the counter of your store, a computer assists the checkout clerk and the store manager. When you visit your doc­tor, your schedules and bills and special services, such as labo­ratory tests, are prepared by computer. Many actions that you have taken or observed have much in common. Each relates to some aspect of a data processing system.

3. Просмотрите текст 1 еще раз. Ответьте на вопросы, используя информацию текста.

1. What does "a computer-literate person" mean? 2. Are you aware of the potential of computers to influence your life? 3. What do the people mean by "the basics"? 4. What is the role of computers in our society? 5. What is "computing'? 6. What is a program? 7. Prove that we all are on the way to becoming computer-literate. 8. Give examples of using computers in ev­eryday life.

4. Прочтите, переведите и запомните следующие выраже­ния:

An information-dependent society; a computer-literate cit­izen; an everyday problem-solving device; to be aware; to in­fluence the quality of life; to have an opportunity; to learn the basics; to learn computing; the most significant technical achievements; to embrace computer literacy; to prepare pro­grams; to direct the operations of a computer; to be on the way of becoming computer-literate; to process information; to have much in common; a data processing system.

5. Вспомните образование и случаи употребления The Past Simple Tense.

А. Назовите три формы следующих неправильных глаго­лов:

То be; to have; to mean; to learn; to become; to bring; to know; to think; to buy; to pay; to take; to do; to begin; to give; to make;, to keep; to get; to read; to show.

Б. Преобразуйте следующие предложения в Past Simple.

1. Many people have an opportunity to use computers. 2. There is no doubt that computers solve problems very quickly. 3. Instructions direct the operation of a computer. 4. Computers bring with them both economic and social changes. 5. Comput­ing embraces not only arithmetics, but also computer literacy. 6. It is well known that computers prepare laboratory tests. 7. Those persons are computer literate and think of buying a new computer. 8. They receive a subscription magazine once a month. 9. My mother is ill and visits her doctor every other day. 10. Experts know much about how to prepare programs.

Exercise 13. Read the following computer terms, give their Russian

equivalents and translate the sentences.

1. Hardware means the different types of equipment a computer consists of.

2. A computer's hardware comprises a central processing unit (CPU) which is the heart and brain of the computer.

3. Input and output devices capable of putting information into a computer and getting it out of it are types of peripheral equipment.

Peripherals are the units connected to the CPU: input devices, output devices and storage devices.

4. The simplest and most common type of input device is a keyboard, containing a typewriter keyboard.

5. A laser printer is a kind of output device to print information.

6. Software means the programmes needed to operate computer equipment.

7. These programmes are on disks, the hard disks inside the computer, or floppy disks, or on CD-ROMs, that is, Compact Disk Read Only Memory, which you can put on or store a large amount of information. A disk is a storage device made of flat circular plates with magnetizable surfaces. A hard disk is a disk made from a solid magnetic material and used as a storage device. A floppy disk (also called diskette) is a disk made of flexible plastic material upon which data are stored on magnetic tracks. Tracks are areas marked on the surface of a disk. A disk drive is the electronic mechanism that actually reads what is on a disk. In hard disks, the disk and the drive are built into a single unit.

8. A word processor is a computer used to write documents, letters and reports, or the software that is used for this purpose.

9. Databases are programmes, which allow you to store, look at or change a large quantity of information quickly and easily.

10. Graphics are pictures and symbols a computer program can produce.

11. An extra copy on a floppy disk is called a back-up copy, a copy of data or software, usually kept in case the original disk is damaged or destroyed.

12. A bug possible in a computer operation, also a virus is a software problem or error in a program. Debugging means correcting programme errors or bugs.

13. People send e-mail (electronic mail) messages with the help of the Internet, a system that lets computers connect by telephone lines. A laptop is a portable computer weighing about 2-4 kg.

14. With a device called the mouse you can do a number of things by clicking on different icons.

15. A mouse is a small input device, on the top of which there are one or more buttons for communicating with the computer.

16. Clicking is a basic mouse action to place a cursor to close a window, etc.

17. An icon is a small picture representing an object, process or function.

Exercise 14. Read and translate the text.