Giáo trình tiếng anh chuyên ngành công nghệ thông tin

Laptop Hard disk drive Speaker Joystick Scanner Tracker ball Barcode reader Printer Mainframe System analyst Floppy disk Mouse Minicomputer Motherboard Bridge LAN Software engineer/ desi

Thai Nguyen University Faculty of Information Technology

English for

Information Technology

Thai Nguyen, 2012

We are grateful to the authors, publishers and others who have given the useful materials to help us complete this book Our special thanks go to M.A Vu Duc Thai and colleagues at the Faculty of Information Technology – Thai Nguyen University for their helpful suggestion and friendly encouragement.

For better preparation and design of English language materials, suggestions from colleagues and those concerned will be highly appreciated

Course description

English for Information Technology is a topic-based course To prepare students for their future job, the course is designed to introduce students to a full range of IT texts and to give students opportunities to practice their language skills in different

IT contexts The materials used in this book are arranged from general to more specialist content so that they can be understood by students easily.

1 Objective

English for Information Technology is designed to:

Provide students with vocabulary related to different major topics in the field of Computing Information Technology.

Introduce students to some basic knowledge in several areas of Computing and Information Technology.

Provide students with opportunities to practice and develop their language skills

in general as well as Information Technology contexts.

Develop students’ language skills in the context of computing and information technology with emphasis on reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

“It is user-friendly to both teachers and students and its clear layout, using both

photos and graphics, will make it a very popular choice for those wishing to

acquire what are now regarded by many to be mandatory skills for employees in

almost every part of the workforce” – Tesol Newsletter.

Table of Contents

Pages

Acknowledgment 2

Course description 3

Table of contents 4

Introduction 5

Lesson 1: Computer applications 6

Lesson 2: Configuration 12

Lesson 3: Inside the system 17

Lesson 4: keyboard and mouse 24

Lesson 5: Floppy disk and Hard drives 30

Review 1 34

Lesson 6: Spreadsheets and databases 39

Lesson 7: Graphics and multimedia 44

Lesson 8: Faces of the Internet 51

Lesson 9: Programming 58

Lesson 10: Future trends 63

Review 2 68

Further reading 71

Glossary 83

Reference

A How much do you know about the computer and computer related words? You can test your computer knowledge by putting these words and terms into the appropriate categories Do not worry if you cannot do this well now

Laptop

Hard disk drive

Speaker

Joystick

Scanner

Tracker ball

Barcode reader

Printer

Mainframe

System analyst

Floppy disk

Mouse

Minicomputer Motherboard Bridge LAN Software engineer/ designer Keyboard

Processor Fixed hard disk Hub

peripherals Star

Network support person

Laser printer Monitor Memory chips Expansion card Hardware engineer Software

Cache memory Clients

Ring Computer salesperson register

Notebook

Types of computers:

Input devices:

Output devices:

Storage devices:

Internet:

Other components of a computer:

Job:

B Make a list of other Information Technology (IT) words you know in English Then compare lists with a partner

LESSON 1: COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

a Look after patient records and medicines

b Look after the customers’ money

c Scan the price of the goods

d Catalogue the books and record the booksthat readers borrow

e Keep mark and records of the students

B Computers have many applications in a great variety of fields Look at these

photographs of different situations and match them with texts 1 to 4 below.

a

1 Computers can help students perform mathematical operations and solve difficult questions.

They can be used to teach courses such as computer-aided design, language learning,

programming, mathematics, etc

PCs (personal computers) are also used for administrative purposes: for example, schools usedatabases and word processors to keep records of students, teachers, and materials

2 Race organizers and journalists rely on computers to provide them with the current positions of

riders, and teams in both the particular stages of the race, and in the overall competition

Workstations in the race buses provide the timing system, and give up-to-the-minute timinginformation to TV stations In the press room, several PCs give real-time information on the state

of the race Computer databases are also used in the drug- detecting tests for competitors

3 Computers store information about the amount of money held by each client, and enable staff

to access large databases, and to carry out financial transactions at high speed They also controlthe automatic cash dispensers which, by the use of a personal coded card, dispense money toclients

4 Airline pilots use computers to help them control the plane For example, monitors display data

about fuel consumption, and weather conditions

In airport control towers, computers are used to manage radar systems, and regulate air traffic

On the ground, airlines are connected to travel agencies by computer Travel agents use

computers to find out about the availability of flights, prices, times, stopovers, and many otherdetails

Task 1: Match these captions with the pictures

In education, computers can make all the difference 1

Organizing a race demands the use of computer technology 1

Task 2: When you read texts like these, you do not always need to understand every word However, there are words which you can guess from the context Look at these words Are they nouns (n), verbs (v), or adjectives (adj)?

1 workstation… 2 data…… 3 perform… 4 automatic… 5 monitor…

6 financial… 7 store…… 8 connected… 9 word processor 10 large…

Task 3: Now find the words in texts 1 to 4, and match them with the meanings below.

c connected with money 1 i powerful computer usually

d keep (safe) 1 connected to a network 1

III Speaking

Look at text 1 again and discuss these questions.

1 How are/were computers used in your school?

2 What other areas of study would benefit from the introduction of computers?

Example:

In my school, computers are used to

speed up the process of looking for

references in the library.

IV Language work: The passive

Look at the active and passive sentences below and answer the questions

1 Find the objects of the active sentences Are they: (1) before the verb; (2) after the verb?

2 Find the same words in the passive sentences? Are they: (1) before the verb; (2) after theverb?

3 The object of the active sentences becomes the subject of a passive sentence True or false?

4 Look at the first word of the verb in the passive sentences Is it a form of: (1) be; (2) do; (3) have.

5 Look at the second word of the verb in the passive sentences: Is it in: (1) the infinitive; (2) thepast simple; (3) the past participle?

6 Passive verbs consists of a form of be plus a past participle True or false?

7 Read all the sentences Does somebody appear in the active or the passive sentences?

8 Do we know who somebody is?

9 We can use the passive to talk about actions when we don’t know who performed them True

Facts and processes

When we write or talk about facts or processes that occur regularly, we use the present passive.Examples:

Active

1 We sell computers (simple present)

2 Babbage invented 'The Analytical Engine' (simple past)

Passive

1 Computers are sold (simple present)

2 ‘The Analytical Engine' was invented in 1830 (simple past)

Events

When we write or talk about past events, we use the past passive Let us look at some examples Examples:

1 COBOL was first introduced in 1959

2 Microsoft was founded on the basis of the development of MS/DOS

3 The organization was created to promote the use of computers in education

Exercise 1: Fill in the gaps in the following sentences using the appropriate form of the verb

3 The first digital computer 1………… (build) by the University of Pennsylvania in 1946

4 An operating system ………….(store) on disk

5 Instructions written in a high-level language ……….(transform) into machine code

6 Last year, more software companies ………(launch) than ever before

7 When a document arrives in the mail room, the envelope ………(open) by a machine

8 Once the index………… (store), a temporary key number………(generate) and

………….(write) on the document

9 Microsoft……… (found) by Bill Gates

10 C language………… (develop) in the 1970s

Exercise 2: Read the text below, which describes the insurance company's procedure for dealing with PC-users' problems Fill in the gaps using the correct form of the verb in brackets.

All calls (1)……… (register) by the Help Desk staff Each call (2)……… (evaluate) and then(3)………… (allocate) to the relevant support group If a visit (4)……… (require), the user

(5)………… (contact) by telephone, and an appointment (6) ………… (arrange) Most calls(7)………… (deal with) within one working day In the event of a major problem requiring theremoval of a user's PC, a replacement can usually (8)……… (supply).

V Listening: Computer uses

Listen to these people talking about how they use computers at work and write each speaker’s job in the table.

Electrical engineer secretary librarian composer

Now fill in the gaps in this paragraph about computer.

A computer has (1) part of our everyday lives It is a calculating (2) that speeds

up financial calculations It is an (3) filing cabinet which manages large collections of datasuch as customers' lists, accounts, or inventories It is a magical (4) that allows you to typeand print any kind of document -letters, memos, or legal documents It is a personal (5) thatenables you to interact with other computers and with people around the world If you likegadgets and electronic entertainment, you can even use your PC to (6) with computergames

LESSON 2: CONFIGURATION

I Warm-up

Label the elements of this computer system.

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10

II Reading

A Label this diagram with the correct terms.

Programs and data mechanical and electronic equipment

Physical units The “brain” of C B Read the text and check your answer. What is a computer? Computers are electronic machines which can accept data in a certain form, process the data and give the results of the processing in a specified format as information Three basic steps are involved in the process First, data is fed into the computer's memory Then, when the program is run, the computer performs a set of instructions and processes the data Finally, we can see the results (the output) Information in the form of data and programs is known as software, and the electronic and mechanical parts that make up a computer system are called hardware A standard computer system consists of three main sections: the central processing unit (CPU), the main memory, and the peripherals Computer system Main memory

Storage devices Input/ Output devices ROM M

Perhaps the most influential component is the central processing unit Its function is to

execute program instructions and coordinate the activities of all the other units In a way, it is the

'brain' of the computer The main memory holds the instructions and data which are currently being processed by the CPU The peripherals are the physical units attached to the computer.

They include storage devices and input/output devices

Storage devices (floppy, hard or optical disks) provide a permanent storage of both data and programs Disk drives are used to handle one or more floppy disks Input devices enable data to go into the computer's memory The most common input devices are the mouse and the keyboard Output devices enable us to extract the finished product from the system For example, the computer shows the output on the monitor or prints the results onto paper by means

a software b peripheral devices c monitor d floppy disk

e hardware f input g port h output i CPU

1 The brain of the computer

2 Physical parts that make up a computer system

3 Programs which can be used on a particular computer system.

4 The information which is presented to the computer

5 Results produced by a computer

6 Hardware equipment attached to the CPU

7 Visual display unit

8 Small device used to store information Same as “diskette”

9 Any socket or channel in a computer system into which an input/output device may beconnected

III Speaking

Read and guess

Read these slogans or quotations, and say what computer element they refer to

1 a 'Point and click here for power'

b 'Obeys every impulse as if it were an extension of your hand'

2 a 'Displays your ideas with perfect brilliance'

b 'See the difference -sharp images and a fantastic range of colors'

3 a 'I love this drive It's quiet and fast'

b 'With this, it's easy to back up your data before it's too late'

4 a 'Power and speed on the inside'

b 'Let your computer's brain do the work'

5 a ' a big impact on the production of text and graphics'

b 'Your choice: a laser powerhouse'

IV Language work: Contextual reference

Transitional markers are words used to link ideas together so that the text is easier to read

When pronouns such as it, they, them, I, he, she, which, who, whose, that, such, one, and demonstrative adjectives such as this, that, these, and those are used as transitional markers They

refer to a word, or words mentioned earlier in the sentence or paragraph Their function is to takeyour thoughts back to something that has already been mentioned Other words which are often

used to refer backwards are the former, the latter, the first, second, etc., the last.

Sample paragraph:

A computer like any other machine is used because It does certain jobs better and moreefficiently than humans It can receive more information and process it faster than any human.The speed at which a computer works means it can replace weeks or even months of pencil-and-paper work Therefore computers are used when the time saved offsets their cost, which isone of the many reasons they are used so much in business, industry and research

Exercise: Using the sample paragraph as a model, draw a circle around the word, or words, that the words in rectangles refer to Then, join the and the 1 with arrows.

Modern accounting firms use spreadsheet software to do complicated calculations Theycan provide their clients with an up-to-date report whenever it is needed This software hasmany functions and can be integrated with other software The spreadsheet's basic component is acell This may contain a formula which performs a mathematical operation It could also contain

a label or data The former describes the information on the worksheet The latter is theinformation itself

The worksheet is the basic work area of a spreadsheet program It is made up of cellsarranged in rows and columns The number of these varies depending on the software you areusing You can change the width and format of cells Such parameters are usually quite easy tochange with just a few keystrokes

V Listening

Listen and choose the correct answer.

1 According to the writer:

a a mainframe computer is less powerful than a minicomputer

b a mainframe is more powerful than a minicomputer

c a mainframe is not very powerful but can execute jobs very rapidly

2 Mainframe computers are used by:

a students and teachers in school

b executives and businessmen

c large organizations processing enormous amounts of data

3 ‘Multitasking’ means:

a access to a minicomputer through terminals

b doing a number of tasks at the same time

c connection to a ‘host’ computer network so that many users have access to data andprograms

4 the most suitable computers for home use are:

Complete the text below with the words in the box

Minis and Micros

Systems memory terminals desktop

CAD applications task

The first microcomputers, also known as (1) '……… ' PCs, were for single users only,and this clearly distinguished them from minicomputers Another important difference was that'minis' were much more powerful than 'micros': they could execute more than one (2)'……… ‘simultaneously and were used as file servers for (3) '……… ' andworkstations However, modern microcomputers have operating (4) '……… ' and networkfacilities that can support many simultaneous users Today, most personal computers haveenough (5) '……… ' to be used for word processing and business (6) ' ……….' SomePCs can even handle multitasking and (7) '……… ' applications As a result, the divisionbetween 'minis' and 'micro' is now disappearing

LESSON 3: INSIDE THE SYSTEM

I. Warm up

A Work in pairs Study this diagram of the inside of a computer Can you label these

components? Compare your answers with other students in your class.

1 hard disk drive

B Try to answer these questions (If necessary look at the Glossary)

1 What is the main function of a microprocessor?

2 What unit of frequency is used to measure processor speed?

3 What does 'RAM' stand for?

b input/output and secondary memory devices

c short for central processing unit

d physical electronic and electromagnetic devices

e hardware plus software

f hardware/software packages

g used for a specific job

h direct the computer

i the programs

j high-speed units used to store and controlinformation

B Read the text below and do exercises.

What is inside a microcomputer ?

The nerve centre of a microcomputer is the central processing unit or CPU This unit is

built into a single microprocessor chip -an integrated circuit -which executes program

instructions and supervises the computer's overall operation The unit consists of three mainparts:

1 -The control unit, which examines the instructions in the user's program, interprets each

instruction and causes the circuits and the rest of the components disk drives, monitor, etc -to beactivated to execute the functions specified;

2 -The arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which performs mathematical calculations (+, -, etc.) and

logical operations (and, or, etc);

3- The registers, which are high-speed units of memory used to store and control information.

One of these registers is the program counter (PC) which keeps track of the next instruction to beperformed in the main memory Another is the instruction register (IR) which holds the

instruction that is currently being executed.

One area where microprocessors

differ is in amount of data the number of bits

- they can work with at a time There are 8,

32, and 64-bit processors The computer's

internal architecture is evolving so quickly

that the new 64-bit processors are able to

address 4 billion times more information

than a 32-bit system (see Fig.1)

The programs and data which pass through

the central processor must be loaded into the

main memory (also called the internal

memory ) in order to be processed.

Thus, when the user runs an

application, the microprocessor looks for it

on secondary storage devices (disks) and

transfers a copy of the application into the

RAM area RAM (random access memory)

is temporary, i.e its information is lost when

the computer is turned off However, theROM section (read only memory) ispermanent and contains instructions needed

by the processor

Most of today's computers have

internal expansion slots that allow users to

install adapters or expansion boards Popularadapters include high-resolution graphicsboards, memory expansion boards, andinternal modems

The power and performance of acomputer is partly determined by the speed

of its microprocessor A clock provides

pulses at fixed intervals to measure andsynchronize circuits and units The clockspeed is measured in MHz (megahertz) andrefers to the frequency at which

pulses are emitted For example, a CPUrunning at 500 MHz (500 million cycles persecond) is likely to provide a very fastprocessing rate and will enable the computer

to handle the most demanding applications

The new generation of

processors

Figure 1 shows the 600 MHz

Alpha microprocessor from

Digital, with a 64-bit RISC

Task 1: Decide sentences 1 to 8 whether the sentences are true (T) or false (F), and rewrite the false ones to make them true.

1 The CPU directs and coordinates the activities taking place within the computer system

2 The arithmetic logic unit performs calculations on the data

3 32-bit processors can handle more information than 64-bit processors

4 A chip is an electronic device composed of silicon elements containing a set of integratedcircuits

5 RAM, ROM, and secondary storage are the components of the main memory

6 Information cannot be processed by the microprocessor if it is not loaded into the mainmemory

7 'Permanent' storage of information is provided by RAM (random access memory)

8 The speed of the microprocessor is measured in megahertz One MHz is equivalent to onemillion cycles per second

Task 2: Contextual reference What do the words in “bold” and “italics” print refer to?

1 … which executes program instructions and supervises….

2 the instruction that is currently being executed.

3 ……the amount of data - the number of bits - they can work with at a time.

4 the microprocessor looks for it on .

5 its information is lost when the computer is turned off.

6 expansion slots that allow users to install adapters or expansion boards.

III Language work: Relative clauses

Study these sentences:

1 The microprocessor is a chip

2 The chip processes the information provided by the software

Both these sentences refer to chip We can link them by making sentence 2 a relative clause:

The microprocessor is a chip which processes the information provided by the software The relative clause is in bold italics Note that' The chip' in sentence 2 becomes 'which'.

Study these other pairs of sentences and note how they are linked.

3 The teacher has just arrived

4 The teacher is responsible for the computer centre

The teacher who is responsible for the computer centre has just arrived.

Exercise 1: Link these sentences using a relative clause.

1 The microprocessor coordinates the activities

These activities take place in the computer system

2 Last night I met someone

He works for GM as a computer programmer

3 A co-processor is a silicon chip

The chip carries out mathematical operation at a very high speed

4 A megahertz is a unit of frequency

The unit is used to measure processor speed

5 A password is a secret word

The word must be entered before access is given to a computer system

6 A gateway is a device

The device is used to interconnect different types of networks

7 A USB port is a gateway

The gateway is used to connect all kinds of external devices to your computer

8 Virus is destructive software

This software causes damage to the data, the information or the hardware of the computer

Exercise 2: Add to the statements (1-10) using the extra information (a-j) Then use relative clause to connect them.

1 A barcode is a pattern of printed black lines

2 A floppy is a disk

3 A motherboard is a printed circuit board

4 A password is a secret set of characters

5 A monitor is an output device

6 A disk drive is a unit

7 An expansion card is an electronic board

8 A CD-ROM drive is a common storage

device

9 A notebook is a portable computer

10 The system unit is the main part of the

computer

a it contains the main electroniccomponents

b it adds features to a computer

c it is about the size of a piece of paper

d supermarkets use them for pricing

e it reads and writes to disks

f it can hold 1.44 Mb of data

g it allows access to a computer system

h it controls all the other boards in acomputer

i it displays data on a screen

j it reads data from a CD-ROM disk

IV Listening:

A You are going to hear two people making enquiries in a Macintosh computer shop The shop assistant is telling them about the two models below Listen and fill in the missing information.

Power Macintosh G3

Processor speed RAM standard

Hard disk capacity

Price $1,720

B Now listen again and fill in the gaps below.

Assistant: Do you need any help?

Paul: Um yes, we're looking for a personal computer Have you got any fairly basic ones?

Assistant: Yes, sure If you'd like to come over here

Paul: What different (1) are there?

Assistant: At the moment we've got these two models: the iMac, which has a

(2) operating at 266 megahertz, and the Power Macintosh G3 which has a processor(3) at 400 megahertz

Sue: So the Power Macintosh G3 is the (4) one And which one has the most memory? Imean -which has the most RAM?

Assistant: Well, the iMac has 64 megabytes of (5) , which can be (6) up to 256, and thePower Macintosh G3 has 128 megabytes which can be expanded up to (7) It all depends onhow much memory you think you're going to need

V Writing

Task 1 Read the text and completes it with the phrases in the box.

a All the information stored in the RAM is temporary

b Microcomputers make use of two types of main memory

c ROM chips have 'constant' information

d The size of RAM is very important.

Main memory: RAM and ROM

The main memory of a computer is also called the 'immediate access store', as distinctfrom any storage memory available on disks (1) ………… : RAM and ROM, both contained in

electronic chips connected to the main board of the computer RAM stands for 'random access

memory' and is the working area of the computer, that is, the basic location where themicroprocessor stores the required information It is called 'random access' because the processorcan find information in any cell or memory address with equal speed, instead of looking for thedata in sequential order (2)……… , so it is lost when the machine is turned off.Therefore, if we want to use this information later on, we have to save it and store it on a disk.When running an application, the microprocessor finds its location in the storage device (thefloppy or hard disk) and transfers a temporary copy of the application to the RAM area.Consequently, (3)…….If we want to increase the performance of a computer when severalapplications are open at the same time or when a document is very complex

The RAM capacity can sometimes be expanded by adding extra chips These are usuallycontained in single in-line memory modules or SIMMs, which are installed in the motherboard ofthe computer We can designate a certain amount of RAM space as a cache in order to storeinformation that an application uses repeatedly A RAM cache may speed up our work, but itmeans that we need enough internal memory or a special cache card.

ROM is an acronym for 'read only memory', which implies that the processor can read

and use the information stored in the ROM chip, but cannot put information into it (4)……including instructions and routines for the basic operations of the CPU These instructions areused to start up the computer, to read the information from the keyboard, to send characters to thescreen, etc They cannot be changed and are not erased when the power is turned off For this

reason, the ROM section is also referred to as firmware

Task 2: As we have seen, there are three types of memory used by computers: RAM, ROM and secondary storage Look through this list of features and decide which type of memory they refer to.

1 Any section of the main memory can be read with equal speed and ease

2 It is available in magnetic, optical and video disks

3 A certain amount of this memory can be designated as 'cache' memory to store information inapplications that are used very frequently

4 It stores basic operating instructions, needed by the CPU to function correctly

5 Memory which can be expanded by adding SIMMs of 8 MB, 16 MB, 32 MB or other majorincrements

6 Information is permanent and cannot be deleted.

7 You can save and store your documents and applications

VI Vocabulary quiz

In groups of three, write answers to these questions The winners are the group that answers themost questions correctly in four minutes

1 What are the main parts of the CPU?

2 What is RAM?

3 What memory section is also known as 'firmware'?

4 What information is lost when the computer is switched off?

5 What is the typical unit used to measure RAM memory and storage memory?

6 What is the meaning of the acronym SIMM?

7 What is a megahertz?

8 What is the ALU? What does it do?

9 What is the abbreviation for 'binary digit'?

10 How can we store data and programs permanently?

VI Speaking: Your ideal computer system

A Make notes about the features of the computer that you would like to have

Minimum/maximum RAM: ……… Monitor: ………

B Now describe it to your partner.

Useful expressions

It has got

It's very fast It runs at

The standard RAM memory and it is

expandable.

The hard disk can hold

I need a Super VGA monitor because

As for the Internet

LESSON 4: keyboard and mouse

I Warm - up

Interacting with your computer

Input devices are the pieces of hardware which allow us to enter information into thecomputer; the most common are the keyboard and the mouse We can also interact with a

computer by using one of these: a light pen, a scanner, a tracker ball, a graphics tablet, a joystick

or a voice recognition device

Look at the illustrations and see if you can name them .

II Listening: The keyboard

A Study this keyboard The keys are in four sections Can you name any of the sections?

B Listen to this description of the keyboard in A Label each section of the diagram.

C Match these descriptions with the names of keys on the right Then find them on the keyboard.

1 A long key at the bottom of the keyboard Each time it is pressed, it

produces a blank space

2 It moves the cursor to the beginning of a new line It is also used to confirm

commands

3 It stops a program without losing the information from the main â

memory Sometimes, its use depends on the applications

4 It works in combination with other keys to produce special

characters or specific actions

5 It removes the character on the left of the cursor or any selected text

6 It produces UPPER-CASE characters (or the upper-case character of the key)

7 It produces upper-case letters, but it does not affect numbers and symbols

8 It moves the cursor horizontally to the right for a fixed number of

spaces (in tabulations and data fields)

9 They are used to move the cursor, as an alternative to the mouse

III Reading

A Work with a partner Discuss these questions

1 How is the mouse connected to the computer?

2 What does the mouse pointer look like on the screen?

3 What are the functions of the mouse buttons?

4 What are the advantages of a computer mouse over a

A computer keyboard looks similar to a typewriter, with a number of extra keys for special

purposes Data is entered when one or more keys are pressed to represent a character or specialfunction If a key representing a character is pressed, the character appears where the blinking

rectangle, or cursor, is on the screen The cursor indicates the user's current position on the

screen

The keyboard is the main device that you use to communicate with your computer

Some of the special keys include:

Enter or Return:

- used to inform the computer to act on an instruction (command) or to move the cursor

to a new line

- allows you to stop the execution of a command

- used in combination with other keys to perform special tasks

- used in a similar way to the control key (not found on all keyboards)

THE MOUSE

A mouse is a pointing device that can be used to point the cursor at the desired position on thescreen It enables the user to move the cursor to different parts of the screen very quickly A

button on the mouse allows the user to select a character or command from the screen display.Other common input devices include the light pen, joystick, scanner, touch screen and trackball.

Task 1: Write down whether the following statements are true or false.

1 The mouse does not allow the user to move the cursor quickly

2 Input devices take data from the computer system

3 The cursor indicates the user's current position on the screen

4 Data can be entered into the computer using a keyboard

5 The mouse is part of the computer's software

6 Computers do not have any intelligence

7 The software follows instructions contained in a computer's hardware which command it toperform a particular task

8 The Escape key allows you to stop the execution of a command

9 The Enter or Return key is used in combination with another key to perform a special task

10 The Backspace key deletes the character immediately to the left of the cursor

Task 2: Here are some basic mouse actions Match the terms in the box with the

explanations below.

a click b double-click c drag

1 Position the pointer on something, then rapidly press and release the mouse button twice (You

do this to load a program, open a document, or select text or graphics)

2 Position the pointer on something, hold down the mouse button, and move the mouse to thedesired position, then release the button

(You do this to move an image to a new location on the screen)

3 Position the pointer on something, then press, and release the mouse button

(You do this to place the insertion point, to choose an option, or to close a window)

IV Language work: Describing function

We can describe the function of an item in a number of ways Study these examples

Using the Present simple

1 ROM holds instructions which are needed to start up the computer

Used to-infinitive, Used/or + '-ing' form

2 ROM is used to hold instructions which are needed to start up the computer

3 ROM is used for holding instructions which are needed to start up the computer

Emphasizing the function

4 The function of ROM is to hold instructions which are needed to start up the computer

Exercise: Now, match each item in Column A with its function in Column B Then describe its function in other ways.

a controls the cursor

b inputs data through keys like a typewriter

c displays the output from a computer on a screen

d reads DVD-ROMs

e reads and writes to removable magnetic disks

f holds instructions which are needed to start up the computer

g holds data read or written to it by the processor

h provides extremely fast access to sections of a program and its data

i controls the timing of signals in the computer

j controls all the operations in a computer

V Writing

With the help of this table and the listening, write a brief description of a keyboard The first paragraph is done for you.

Main keyboard Centre Each letter, digits 0 – 9

Punctuation, common symbols Input all kinds of data

Can program them

Insert, delete Control cursor

Numeric keypad Far right Digits 0 – 9

Mathematical operations Input numerical data

Most keyboards have four sections The main keyboard has keys for each letter and thedigits 0 – 9 It also has keys for punctuation and other common symbols It is used for inputtingall kinds of data

VI Speaking

Work in pairs Write down the list of terms (1-10) in language work on a piece of paper Withoutreferring to your book, take turns to ask and answer questions about their functions

VII Word - play

Find the hidden words in this square Some appear vertically, some horizontally, andsome diagonally They may be upside-down or back to front Use the clues below to help you.The number of letters in each word and the first letter of the word appear in brackets after theclue The first one has been done for you

C

L

IP

ANETETCDLU

ATADEGVSVR

RPELSRKTER

IIEANILYIE

TDBFODMLYT

PALMTOPUSN

LEXIPTYSTI

RETEMPLATE

1 a computer that is small enough to hold in the hand (7, P)

2 an electronic pen (6, S)

3 to erase or omit (6, D)

4 one type of portable computer which operates with an electronic pen (9, C)

5 the information that the computer processes (4, D)

6 a network of lines crossing at right angles (4, G)

7 a signal to a processor to suspend temporarily the current sequence of instructions.(9,I)

8 a pattern used as a guide for creating letters or characters (8, T)

9 an individual dot on a computer screen (5, P)

LESSON 5: STORAGE DEVICES

I Warm up

A Look at the picture and give the names of the following storage devices.

II Reading

A Try to answer these questions.

1 What do you know about the storage devices?

2 What is the main function of a hard disk?

3 Which unit is used to measure hard disk capacity?

4 Can you think of one advantage that hard disks have over

floppies?

B Read the text again and make a list of the technical aspects that you should consider when buying a hard disk

When buying a hard disk

Hard disks have important

advantages over floppy disks: they spin at a

higher speed, so you can store, and retrieve

information much faster than with floppies

They can also hold vast amounts of

information, from 500 MB up to several

gigabytes Apart from this, both types of

disks work in the same way To directly

access the necessary information, the

read/write heads of rigid disks seek the

required tracks and sectors, and then transfer

the information to the main memory of the

computer or to another form of storage, all

of which is done in a few milliseconds (ms)

Bearing in mind that you always

need disk storage, it is good sense to ask

yourself some vital questions: What size

capacity do I need? What speed can I use?

What kind of storage device is the most

suitable for my requirements? If you only

use word- processing programs, you will

need less storage capacity than if you use

CAD, sound and animation programs Formost users, 2 GB on the hard disk is enough

Now let's turn our attention to speed.Access times vary from 8 ms to 20 ms.'Access time' -or seek time - is the time ittakes your read/write heads to find anyparticular record You have to distinguishclearly between seek time (e.g 20 ms) and'data transfer rate' (the average speedrequired to transmit data from a disk system

to the RAM, e.g at 20 megabits per second).Remember that the transfer rate also depends

on the power of your computer

When buying a hard disk you shouldconsider the kinds of drive mechanisms andproducts available There are 'internal' and'external' drives which are both fixed harddrives, i.e rigid disks sealed into the driveunit, either within or attached to thecomputer A third type of hard drive, known

as 'removable', allows information to be

recorded on 'cartridges', which can be

removed and stored off-line for security

purposes

Popular removable hard disks

include Jaz and Zip drives A Jaz cartridge

can store up to 2 GB of data, whereas a Zip

drive can store up to 250 MB of data

Finally, a few words about 'optical'

technology: CD-ROMS and CD-Recordable

drives have become a reality However,magnetic hard disks are still preferred forpersonal data storage, whereas optical discsare used for recording large amounts ofinformation such as a dictionary orencyclopedia

Task 1: Now read these sentences and decide if they are true (T) or false (F)

1 Hard disks use rigid rotating disks

2 'Seek time' refers to the average time required for the recording heads to move and access data

3 If you use multimedia applications, you need the same storage capacity as required for wordprocessors

4 'Access time' and 'data transfer rate' mean the same

5 Optical disks are magnetic

6 Each Jaz cartridge can hold up to 1,000 MB of data

7 CD-ROM disks are used for storage of massive amounts of information

Task 2: Complete the advertisement for the Mega Mind hard disk with the words in the box.

Megabytes drive compatible highest time

Mega Mind XT

Today's personal computers are very powerful, but to handle large applications likedatabases, (1) …… DTP(desktop publishing) and CAD, you need to have more than 200 (2)… inyour hard disk That's where Mega Mind XT comes in: a reliable hard (3) .with 6 gigabytes

of capacity; 8 ms average seek (4)………… and 13 mbits/sec average data transfer rate; and adrive unit with a five-year warranty

You also receive software utilities that let you easily manage and (5) … your data Oursoftware provides formatting, partitions, disk optimization, and password (6) …… Mega Mind

XT is (7)…… with IBM PCs as well as Macintosh computers As with every Mega Mindproduct - hard disk or optical, 1 GB to 6 GB -the XT gives you the (8)……

performance So call us today on (0181)796 0402 Or (9)… to Mega Mind, PO Box 673,London, N22 1 XB.

III Listening: Hard disk drive

Task 1: Study this diagram of a hard disk drive Match these labels to the diagram.

6 1 gap between disks

Task 2: Listen to Part 1 of this description of a hard disk drive to check your answers Task 3: Study this diagram Answer these questions.

1 What sort of things can damage a hard disk?

2 How big is the gap between the read/write heads and the disk?

3 How can we protect a disk drive from damage?

Now listen to the description to check your answers

IV Speaking

How can I prevent users from connecting to a USB storage device?

To prevent users from connecting to USB storage devices, use one or more of the followingprocedures

If a USB storage device is already installed on the computer

If a USB storage device is already installed on the computer, you can change theregistry to make sure that the device does not work when the user connects to the computer Tohave us fix this problem for you, go to the “Fix it for me” section If you would rather fix thisproblem yourself, go to the “Let me fix it myself” section

Fix it for me

To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix this problem link Then, click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in this wizard.

Note: if you are not on the computer that has the problem, save the Fix it solution to a flash

drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the problem

Let me fix it myself

If a USB storage device is already installed on the computer, set the Start value in the following

registry key to 4:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor

When you do this, the USB storage device does not work when the user connects the device to

the computer To set the Start value, follow these steps: (Rearrange the steps in the correct order)

1 Click Start, and then click Run.

2 Locate and then click the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor

3 Exit Registry Editor

4 In the Value data box, type 4, click Hexadecimal (if it is not already selected), and then click OK.

5 .In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.

6 In the details pane, double-click Start.

V Vocabulary game

The phrase hard disk consists of the adjective hard and the noun disk Make other phrases or, words by combining hard and disk with these words Give the meaning of each phrase or word in

your own language (Use your dictionary if necessary)

time labor copy

Review 1

I Beneath each sentence you will see four words or phrases, marked (A), (B), (C), and (D) Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

1 You can use your PC with computer games

2 Information in the form of data and program is seen as

A peripheral B hardware C processor D software

3 You can store data and program

A permanent B permanence C permanently D permanency

4 The program and data passing through the central processor must into the main

memory

5 holds instructions which are needed to start up the computer

6 To access the necessary information, the read/write heads seek the required tracks andsectors

7 The electronic and mechanical parts that make up a computer system are called

A peripheral B hardware C processor D software

8 Information in is permanent and cannot be deleted

9 displays the output from a computer on a screen

10 A standard computer system includes 3 main parts; the CPU, the and main memory

A input device B output device C storage device D peripheral

11 A keyboard is used for data

12 performs mathematical calculations

13 These are used to start up the computer, or to read the information from the keyboard

A instruct B instruction C instructive D instructions

14 is known as “firmware”

A RAM B secondary storage C ROM D main memory

15 Each tiny dot on the screen of a computer a picture element

16 controls all the operations in a computer

17 We can protect a disk drive from damage in a

18 controls the timing of signals in the computer

19 are the physical units attached to the computer

A peripherals B hardware C processors D software

20 She that she could not attend classes next week

A said her processor B told her processor C is telling her processor D all of them

21 There are many ………institutes that teach computer programming

A education B educational C educated D educationally

22 It is possible that by the year 2000, a well-……… person will have to have a

good knowledge of computer science

A education B educational C educated D educationally

23 There are many fields of ……… today that use computers as teaching tools

A education B educational C educated D educationally

24 Because of their ……… microcomputers are becoming more popular than

minicomputers

25 Microcomputers have a more ……… set of instructions than Microcomputers

II Using the suggested words to rewrite the following sentences without changing the

4 This computer hangs or freezes because of the memory problem.

This computer

5 Notebook is too expensive for her to buy

Notebook

III.Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense.

1 Bill (work) for the company for the last twenty – five years

2 He (graduate) in business studies and (take) a job in London

3 He (train) as a systems analyst while he (work) in London

4 Now he (look after) all the system used by the Technical Services Division

5 At the moment, he (develop) a system for handling repairs

6 When something (go) wrong in a pub, a service engineer (send) to fix it

7 Details of every repair (download) to the company’s mainframe each night

8 No changes can (make) until the system (test)

9 Bill thinks that communications (get) faster and faster in the future

10 He thinks that a paper-free office (not happen)

IV Choose the one option - a, b, c or d - that best completes the passage.

The World Wide Web is ……….(1)……… million of sites ………(2)…… by anybodyfrom multimedia corporations to ………(3)………… people like you and me On the web youcan read online newspapers or magazines; you can watch videos, …………(4)……… music orbuy anything …….(5)………… a CD to a holiday

You can go into a ……… (6)……… and ……… (7) to other people all over theworld or ………….(8)……… a newsgroup for more serious debate If you are really ambitiousyou might even like to try creating your own ……… (9)…… Then you can ……….(10)………your holiday pictures to the whole world

1 a make up b made up of c made from d made of

2 a taken b discovered c invented d created

6 a talk room b CD-ROM c chat room d speaking