Part III. Speaking and Writing
UNIT 5
Computers & Networks
Chapter I. Computers
Part I. TEXT
1. Answer the questions:
1. What does the word “computer” mean?
2. What does the word “to compute” mean?
3. Computers have become an essential part of our lives. Computers are used in different areas of our lives. What do we use them for?
2. Look at the following international words and guess their meaning and check the pronunciation:
Design, sequence, arithmetic, logical, organizing, familiar, calculations, computations, image editing, virtual reality, identification, contactless, media, artificial, mathematical.
3. Here are the words and word combinations you have to learn:
Carry out, accessible, software and hardware’ developers, processing, image editing, virtual reality, a huge impact, transactions, dispense, built-in, face-to-face, the artificial environment, to perform operations.
4. Read and translate the text:
Computers
A computer is a programmable machine designed to automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The first use of the word “computer” was recorded in 1613, referring to a person who carried out calculations, or computations, and the word continued with the same meaning until the middle of the 20th century. From the end of the 19th century the word began to take on its more familiar meaning, a machine that carries out computations.
In the beginning, computers were as a big as a large room. It is only later that they have become smaller and smaller, accessible to anyone. This has given way to personal computers. Later software and hardware’ developers created new applications to help users perform many things from word processing and image editing to virtual reality applications.
Now computers have a huge impact on social relations. They have enabled new forms of social interaction, activities and information’s organizing.
In banks, computers store information about the money held by each customer and enable staff to access large databases and to carry out transactions at high speed. They also control ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines), which dispense money to customers by the use of a PIN-protected card (Personal Identification Number). E-commerce has become an essential part of our living activity. Using the online banking service, clients can easily pay checks and transfer money wherever they are. The worldwide payments systems such as PayPal, Visa PayWave, Mastercard PayPass, American Express, Google Wallet, Apple Pay, WebMoney, Qiwi and Yandex Money offer customers the service of contactless payments for the goods using smart phones.
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Smart phones let us make voice calls, send text, email people and download logos, ringtones or games. With a built-in camera you can send pictures and make video calls in face-to-face mode. New smart phones combine a telephone with web access, video, a games console, an MP3 (Media Player 3) player, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and a GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation system, all in one. And HMD (Head-Mounted Display) such as VR SHINECON, VR Box 2.0 Virtual Reality Glasses, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, Sony PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift allows us to enjoy virtual reality, the artificial environment of the latest video games.
To study well, computers help students to perform mathematical operations and improve their maths skills; they use application software to write essays, projects and to organize and present information. Teachers can create a virtual leaning environment (VLE)[1] for distance education such as Blackboard ( http://www.blackboard.com ), Moodle ( http://moodle.org ) and The Bonch-Bruevich Saint-Petersburg State University of Telecommunications’ E-Learning System ( http://lms.spbgut.ru ).
5. Prepare a short summary of the text using the following expressions:
Part II. Language
6. Make your own sentences with the words and phrases:
7. Fill in the blanks:
1. If you want to memorize basic facts through repetition you can refer to….
2. A computer can only… whether the answer is right or wrong.
3. … can’t find out why a student makes mistakes.
4. A computer can’t explain… so that the student will understand them.
5. As there are too many… the computer can’t deal with them successfully.
6. The computers are… in practicing simple skills.
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indispensable, variables, important concepts, a computer, evaluate, computer learning
8 .Make sentences using the given words in the correct order:
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1. but, we, mean, also, computers, we, quantity, and, high speed, when, a further development of, high technology, speak about not only.
2. electronic circuits, and, in laboratories, reliable, for more perfect, throughout the world, is going on, high speed, a continuous search).
3. operates, the ordinary computer, all, operation by operation, are being done, the supercomputer, does, simultaneously, the computations, operations, while, like a brain.
9. Fill in the blanks:
1. … is in the heart of every electronic device we use at present.
2. When speaking about further development of computers we first of all speak about….
3. … is going on in laboratories to work out more perfect, reliable and high speed electronic circuits.
4. The ordinary computer does the… operation by operation.
5. Some researchers think that with the invention of the fifth generation computers we approach what is called….
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true physical limit, high technology and high speed, a continuous search, computations, the integrated circuit
10. Complete the text using the appropriate tenses (Past Simple, Present Perfect):
Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change) a great deal. The first computers (be) simple machines designed for basic tasks. They (have, not) much memory and they (be, not) very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and customers often (pay) thousands of dollars for machines which actually (do) very little. Most computers (be) separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games.
Times (change). Computers (become) powerful machines with very practical applications. Programmers (create) a large selection of useful programs which do everything from teaching foreign languages to bookkeeping. We are still playing video games, but today's games (become) faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users (get, also) on the Internet and (begin) communicating with other computer users around the world. We (start) to create international communities online. In short, the simple, individual machines of the past (evolve) into an international World Wide Web of knowledge.
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Part III. Speaking and Writing
11. Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases in English:
a computer, to carry out calculations, developers, virtual reality, contactless payments, face-to-face, PDA, GPS, HMD, a virtual leaning environment (VLE).
12. Discuss the famous quotes about computers and technology in pairs. Prove your point of view using the phrases: I agree with that, Yes, that is what I think to, The author (famous person) is right, Yes, but don’t you think…?, True, but I think…, I see what the author (famous person) means, but…
1. Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them. (Steve Jobs)
2.To turn really interesting ideas and fledgling technologies into a company that can continue to innovate for years, it requires a lot of discipline. (Steve Jobs)
3. Computers have lots of memory but no imagination. (Author Unknown)
4. Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all. (John F. Kennedy)
5. The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow. (Bill Gates)
6. I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user. (Bill Gates)
13. Divide into 3 groups and prepare the presentations: “VR Gadgets”[2](the sites of developers and companies); “Contactless payment systems”[3]; “LMS: Learning Management System”[4].
[1] It is a software system designed to help teachers in the managements of educational courses for their students by creating a virtual classroom.
[2]https://lifehacker.ru/2016/05/01/vr-headsets/
[3]http://nearfieldcommunication.org/payment-systems.html , https://www.rsaconference.com/writable/presentations/file_upload/ht-w01-how-secure-are-contact-less-payment-systems_final.pdf
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http://www.smartcardalliance.org/publications-contactless-payments-what-who-why/
[4]http://www.blackboard.com , http://moodle.org , http://lms.spbgut.ru
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