|
|
Computers are everywhere nowadays. Here is the text about some of their possible uses.
Computers and microchips have become part of our everyday lives: we visit shops and offices which have been designed with the help of computers, we read magazines which have been produced on computer, and we pay bills prepared by computers. Just picking up a telephone and dialing a number involves the use of a sophisticated computer system, as does making a flight reservation or bank transaction. We encounter daily many computers that spring to life the instant they're switched on (e.g. calculators, the car's electronic ignition, the timer in the microwave, or the programmer inside the TV set), all of which use chip technology. What makes your computer such a miraculous device? Each time you turn it on, it is a tabula rasa that, with appropriate hardware and software, is capable of doing anything you ask. It is a calculating machine that speeds up financial calculations. It is an electronic filing cabinet which manages large collections of data such as customers' lists, accounts, or inventories. It is a magical typewriter that allows you to type and print any kind of document - letters, memos or legal documents. It is a personal communicator that enables you to interact with other computers and with people around the world. If you like gadgets and electronic entertainment, you can even use your PC (personal computer) to relax with computer games.
PCs are also used for administrative purposes: for example, schools use databases and word processors to keep records of students, teachers and materials. 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 timing information 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. 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 control the automatic cash dispensers which, by the use of a personal coded card, dispense money to clients.
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 other details.
3. Answer the questions: 1. What can computers do? 2. Can you live without any computers? 3. Have you got a computer? 4. Are you a good computer user? 5. How do computers help you? 6. What computer programs do you use? 7. Have you got a personal coded card? 8. Do you know how to use an automatic cash terminal? 9. How do airline pilots use computers? Many common English words have different meanings when they are used to talk about computers. Look at the pictures. What are the meanings of these words?
Use the correct forms of the words in the pictures to complete the sentences. Use each word twice. Common Usage a) Could you open the window! It's hot in here. b) My ______ is 223 Oak Street. c) I went to the ______ store to buy a hammer. d) The _____ ran into its hole. e) I’m hungry, but I don’t see anything I like on the _______. f) Marilyn Monroe is a movie ______ from the 1950s. g) When I was in California, I went ______ every day. h) He accidentally _______ his car into a tree.
Computer Usage a) My computer ________. Can you fix it? b) Pug the _________ into the keyboard. c) He is always __________ the net for the later news. d) Open the other web page in a new ________. e) An____________ is a small picture on a computer screen. f) The __________ is the machinery inside a computer. g) First, click on an item in the ___________. h) Do you know her e-mail ___________.
6. Match the computer terms with their meanings:
7. Read and translate the text: Types of Computers There are a lot of terms used to describe computers. Most of these words imply the size, expected use or capability of the computer. While the term computer can apply to virtually any device that has a microprocessor in it, most people think of a computer as a device that receives input from the user through a mouse or keyboard, processes it in some fashion and displays the result on a screen. |
|
