THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPUTERS
Many of the things we do, depend onã receiving information from other people. Catching a train, making a phone call and going to the cinema all involve information ( 1) is stored, processed and communicated. In the past ã this information used to (2). ã kept on paper in (3) form of, for example, books, newspapers and timetables. Now more and more information is put on computers.
Computers play a in our everyday lives, sometimes ( 5) us even realizing it. Consider the use ( 6) computers. in both shops and offices. Big shops especially chain stores with branches (7) over the country, have to deal with very large amounts of information. They have to ã make (8) there are enough goods on the shelves for customers to buy, they need to be able to re-order before stocks , ____ out, to decide which things are selling well and (10) on.
All these processes ( 11) performed quickly and efficiently by computers.
A (12) of office work in the past involved inforàiation on paper.
Once it had been dealt ( 13) by people, the paper was put (14) . ,for future reference. This way of working was (15) ___ _ particularly easy or fast. A computerized system is much more'efficient.
V9 Put the following sentences into the passive or the active ..
1. The city attorneys have discovered new evidence.
2. The wheel was invented thousands of years ago.
3. I have been using this computer for two years ..
4. Is the Mediterranean Sea surrounded by three continents?
5. They will not provide pencils at the test, so please bringã your own.. '
6. Has Mai been offered the opportunity to study abroad?
7. Is that airplane being flown by a student pilot?
8. All the delicious food had already been eaten by the time we caine.
9. Alan's knowledg;e about science and technology doesn't impress me.
IO. They are going to build a new hospital just outside of town.
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VI. Some lines of the following passages. ãare correct, and some have an unnecessary word. If a line is correct, put a tick cv ). If a line has an unnecessary word, underline and write it in the space provided.
WHY I DISLIKE COMPUTERS
Almost everyone says that computers are wonderful and that th.ey are changing our own lives for the better by making everything faster and •'
more reliable, but I'm not so much sure that this is the case.
The other day I was standing in a large department store ttntil
0/ ---,v'
00/ own 1/ ---- 2/ ---- waiting to pay for a couple of films for my camera when the assistant 3/ ___ _ announced that the computer which controlled the till it had stopped 4/ ---- working. I didn't think this was a big problem and I set myself off to 5/ . ----
ãfind another counter, but of course, all the machines are one part.of 6/ ---- the same system. So there we were: a shop full of customers, money 7 / -�-- at the ready, waiting to make our purchases, but it was quite clear that 8/ ___ _ none out of the assistants knew what to do. They weren't allowed to 9/
take our money andcgive to customers a written receipt because the sales wouldn't then have been recorded on the computer system.
----
10/ __ _ 11/ --- In the end, like with many other people, I left my shopping on the 12/ --- counter and walked out. Don't you think so that's ridiculous? It would 13/ --- never have happened before computers, and that, for me, is all the 14/ ---
problem: we-are beginning to depend on these machines for so 15/ --- completely that we simply can't manage without them any more.
VII. Fill in the blanks with who, whom, which, that, whose, or fJ.
1. What do you say to people ____
you don't want to answer?
ask you personal questions that 2. People ____ live in New York City are called New Yorkers.
3. Tina likes the present I gave her for her birthday.
4. George Washington is the president picture is on a one-dollar bill.
5. Have you seen the movie is playing at the Fox Theater?
6. Do you know the woman Michaeli s engaged to?
7. That's Tom Jenkins. He's the boy pare'nts live in Switzerland.
8. A thermometer is an instrument measures temperature.
9. A high-strung person is someone is always nervous.
10. The man ____ I told you about is standing over there.
VIII. Read the passage below and choose one correct answer for each question.
Please follow these procedures in order to make a machine withdrawal from your City Bank checking or savings accounts:
1. Insert your card face up into the card slot on the machine teller.
2. Enter your digit identification number on the numbered buttons.
- 3. Press the withdrawal button for checking or the button for savings.
4. Enter the amount'of withdrawal, either fifty or one hundred dollars, on the numbered buttons, and wait for your receipt to be printed.
5. Remov:e your card from the slot. The drawer will open wi�h receipt and your cash withdrawal in fifty-dollar packets.
All customers are limited to t�o withdrawals in one twenty-four-hour period.
If you attempt to withdraw more than. the limited number of times, your card w_ill be retained in the machine, and you will have to reclaim it in person at your main branch bank.
1. What is the main idea ofthis passage?
A. How to open an account at City Bank.
' \
B. Bow to use the City Bank machine teller.
C. How to get a City Bank card.
D. How .to make deposits and withdrawals at City Bank.
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2� What happens when you remove your card. from the machine?
A. Your identification number appears on a screen.
B. The drawer opens with your cashãin it.
C. The process stops.immediately.
D. Your receipt is printed.
3. All of the following steps must be performed in order to withdraw money from your accounts EXCEPT __ __;.__
A. The identification number must be entered.
B. Your card must be inserted in the machine.
C. The amount of the withdrawal must be entered.
D. The card must be reclaimed in person from" a bc;mk teller.
4. The word "slot" in this passage is closest in meaning to ____
A. envelope B. drawer C. opening
5. It may be. concluded. from this passage that ____
A. a fifty-dollar withdrawal would be received in two packets.
B. a typical identification number would be 10227.
D. box
C. the maximum amount of money that may be withdrawn in one day is $200.
D. withdrawals may be made from checking accounts only.
IX .. Finish the second. sentence so that it has a similarã meaning to the first one, beginning with the given words or phrases.
1. Our teacher was sick a week ago, and he is still sick ..
Our teacher has---
2. I last received my brother's e-mail five months ago .. ã
I haven't ---
3. The last time I talked to him was one year ago.
It has---
4. I have never used a laptop before.
It is ---�---
5. H'1;s anyone ever operated this TV with a remote control before?
Has this TV ---
X. Use the prompts below to build up a set of written instructions.
HOW TO OPERATE A WASHING MACHINE 1. First / sort / dirty washing / piles.
2. Then/ put/ clothes/ machine. Take care/ not/ overload/ machine.
3. Select/ programme/ require.
4. Fill (appropriate/ compartment I washing power.
5. Make sure/ not/ use I too I powder!
6. Close / door / careful / press / red button.
7. Not/ attempt/ open/ door/ until/ programme/ be/ completed!
8. As soon I machine i'stop, /remove/clothes/ prevent/ creasing.
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FUN CORNER
There is a computer error in each of the eight sentences. In the first one, for example, the :omputer has printed P instead of L. Correct the .)entences, and then put them in the pictures.
> SHAPP I CAPP A DOC:OR J_
> ã SHALL I BPEN THE DBBR FBR YBU?
> CET'S GO FOR A WACK.
> I'll CUD DHE DOMADOES 1
- YOU WASH DHE LEDDUCE.
> SHYLL WE TYKE Y TYXI?
I > WHY DCN'; WU GO -o
I THU (!NUMA THIS
UVUNING) I
> WFERE SFALL I PUT TfiS (FAIR? I
> KHO SHALL KE INVITE TC I
THE KEDDING? l
,---\
..,,..-=---' \ \ s 'i
aIDIIDID: j
SHALL I CALL A DOCT01<l
..
Unit 6