Mode, drive, access, driver, multitasking, bus, ROM, device, motherboard, program

1. the main board in a computer, into which the circuits are plugged.
2. a combination of physical components forming a unit that performs a specific function, such as storage or I/O.
3. a type of memory chip that can be read but cannot be written on or altered.
4. a unit that reads and writes data on an external storage device.
5. a program that controls devices or other programs.
6. the ability to store or retrieve data.
7. a circuit for the transfer of data or electrical signal between two devices.
8. a method or condition of operation.
9. the technique of concurrently executing a number of related tasks in the same partition.
10. a logically arranged set programming statements defining the operation to be performed by a computer.

III. Read the words as they are used in the following sentences and try to come up with your own definition.

1. Using computers to create graphics and sounds, virtual reality makes the viewer believe he or she is in another world.

2. Three-dimensional images are created using technology that fools the viewers’ mind into perceptive depth.

3. Plug a terminal directly into the brain via a prepared skull and you can enter cyberspace.

4. I’ve got a set of eyephones, 3D goggles, a fiber optic glove and the rest of the gear.

5. There are many word substitutes for invalids, e.g. the handicapped, challenged by birth or by accidents, disabled people.

6. The bowman took a deep breath, aimed at the target and shot, but the arrow went astray.

Virtual reality – ………………………………….............

Three-dimensional (3D) – ………………………..……...

Cyberspace – …………………………………………….

Gear – …………………………………............................

Disabled – ………………………………………………..

To go astray – …………………………………………….

Grammar

Study the formation and the usage of the Present Perfect Tense in Grammar Appendix

1. Listen to the Present Perfect explanation from BBC Learning English and write down examples of Present Perfect.

2. Write down answers to the listening quiz (grammar challenge) and compare them with your partner.

3. Listen to the Present Perfect explanation from BBC Learning English once more.

4. Tell your partner what the audio file is about.

SPEAKING PRACTICE

I. Working in pairs. Look at the picture and discuss with your partner what computer parts are the main and what parts are not obligatory for work on a computer.

II. Divide into small groups and discuss the question:

What is important for optimum computer work (CPU clock, hard disk, motherboard, RAM, ROM, video card, audio card)?

III. Discuss with your partner for what purposes one can use a computer nowadays.

Homework

Refresh vocabulary from the first lesson of the section.

Study the second lesson new vocabulary.

Refresh grammar information about the Present Perfect Tense.

Prepare an imaginary story with the usage of the Present Perfect Tense.

Lesson 3

LEAD-IN

Discuss what words you need know to buy a new computer. Try to give definitions for these words.

Discuss the following questions:

1. Who has a computer? Is a computer important and why?
2. What problems did you face when you were buying your computers?

ACTIVE VOCABULARY

Give if possible definitions of the following words and word combinations and try to pronounce them correctly:

Pretty, to replace, to call, PC, a fan, fancy, cool, processor, memory, RAM, CD, DVD, a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, a speaker.

LISTENING TEXT

- Listen to the text “MAIN COMPUTER PARTS. BUYING A NEW COMPUTER” paying attention to pronunciation and to the discussed words and word combinations.

- Write down all explained in audio file words and word combinations.

- Listen to the audio file once more and check your notes.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

I. Read aloud explanations of words and word combinations which you have written listening to the audio text.

II. General understanding. Answer the following questions to the text.

· What’s happened with the computer of the main character?

· Whose help did she ask?

· What does she use her computer for?

· What is she going to try with her new computer in future?

· What computer specifications did her friend list?

· What did he say about her last question whether to choose PC or Mac?

III. Try to tell a story about buying a new computer by the main character.

Homework

Refresh vocabulary from the first two lessons of the section.

Refresh grammar information about the Present Perfect Tense.

Study this lesson new vocabulary.

Compose a story about the problems you’ve faced buying a new computer.

Lesson 4

Oral test on the homework

Your hometask was to compose a story about the problems you’ve faced buying a new computer. Tell your story to the class.

LEXICAL EXERCISES

I. Give definitions to words and word combinations which you have learnt at the previous lesson and spell them:

To replace, a writable drive, to burn something, specs, a microprocessor, to be a whiz at something, PC, processor, to give someone your two cents worth, memory, to act up, heart of hearts, DVD, word processing, a monitor, to throw out something, a central processing unit, to be over your head, RAM, data, a mouse, a blank CD.

II. Learning new vocabulary for the theme “COMPUTER”. Match computer terms written in bold with option a-d. Then read matched pairs aloud and put between the term and its definition the verb “is”. For example,

Hit is a visit to a Web site.

cursor	A: coarse speaker B: indicator C: moneychanger D: technician
network	A: TV channel B: digital design C: system of computers D: filter
to download	A: to copy B: scramble C: erase D: delete
virus	A: flaw B: poison C: fatigue D: infection
browser	software that allows you toA: explore the Internet B: eavesdrop C: send a fax D: save a file
to boot	A: to fail gradually B: enlarge C: adjust D: start up
server	A: central computer B: speed control C: power supply D: trouble-shooter
modem	A: digital code B: keyboard C: visual display D: connecting device
glitch	A: flash B: excitement C: error D: stroke of luck
pixel	A: picture element B: programming oddity C: brief blur D: long delay
link	A: missing piece B: space station C: related site D: warning signal
scanner	machine that A: reproduces images B: translates files C: searches a document D: adds colour
shareware	A: hand-me-down clothing B: free hardware C: relic D: trial software
gigabyte	A:sudden shutdown B: unit of storage C: wide gap D: high pressure

III. Compose ten sentences using terms from the previous exercise using as many terms as you can.

IV. Listen to the audio text “Computer terms: Good Hackers, Bad Hackers and Busy Bloggers” and write down terms pronounced in the text and their definitions.

Listen to the text once more to check your answers and discuss them with your partner.

Try to tell a connected story about just written terms.

SPEAKING PRACTICE

Study the information about the Present Perfect Tense and Past Simple Tense in Appendix for self-study.

I. Working in pairs act the following dialogue in parts and then perform it to the class.

Henry: Hello Sheila. I didn't expect to see you here.

Sheila: Oh, I've been here for quite a while.

Henry: When did you arrive?

Sheila: Just after lunch.

Henry: Did Patrick pick you up from the station?

Sheila: No, it was a nice day so I walked.

Henry: Have you eaten anything since you've been here?

Sheila: Yes, I had afternoon tea with the girls.

Henry: What did you think of Penny?

Sheila: She's grown up a lot since I last saw her.

Henry: And how did you find Rebecca?

Sheila: She didn't join us. I haven't seen her yet.

II. Mini-conference. Answering questions.

One student answers the questions of his/her groupmates on the following points:

– What type of computers does he/she use?

– What does he/she use a computer for?

– What components does it contain of? And what does he/she want to add?

– What is more preferable a computer or a laptop?

III. Divide into groups (2 or 3 students) and make a short summary on topics under consideration (main computer parts, computer usage purposes, advantages and disadvantages of using a computer).

Homework

Refresh vocabulary from the first 4 lessons of the section.

Refresh grammar information about the Present Perfect Tense and the Past Simple Tense.

Lesson 5

LEAD-IN

Discuss the following questions:

1. What major problems are there with the e-mail? Are they opinions or facts? Would it be a problem for you?
2. Is there etiquette for e-mail messages? What is it? What are the examples of this etiquette? What is the reason for the origin of e-mail etiquette?

Reading text

Read the following text:

USING EMAIL

One of the first things I do each morning is to check my email. I open the email program on my computer and I check for new messages. It usually takes only a few seconds for my new messages to download from the server into my inbox unless there’s a large attachment. I can then click onto each new message to read it.

I reply to messages or forward them to someone else. The important messages I save by putting them into one of my mailboxes. The unimportant ones I just delete.

I really hate getting spam. Luckily, my email program allows me to set up filters so that spam messages are put into a separate mailbox automatically. I usually scan the messages to make sure real messages weren’t put into the mailbox by mistake and then I put them in the trash.

I don’t know what I would do without email, but I’m constantly checking it for new messages. I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse. I suppose it’s both.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

http://www.eslpod.com

Tell in what way you use your e-mail service.

Email etiquette

To give you taste of netiquette, here are some highlights to consider:

1. Keep your message brief and to the point and make sure you clear up any spelling slips or grammatical gaffes before shipping it out.

2. Make sure the Subject lines of your message are detailed enough so they explain what your message is all about.

3. Don’t bother other people by sending them test messages. If you must test a program, send a message to yourself.

E-mailers make use of symbols called smileys (or emoticons) which can be written using standard letters and signs.

:-) Your basic smiley. This is used to mean I’m happy.

;-) Winking smiley. I’m flirting or being ironic.

;-( Frowning smiley. I didn’t like something.

8-) I wear glasses.

:-| I’m indifferent.

:-{) I have a moustache.

:-~) I have a cold.

C=:^) Head cook, chef-de-cuisine.

Q:^) Soldier, man with beret, boy scout.

*:O) Clown face; I’m feeling like a buffon.

:^9 Licking the lips; very tasty or delicious.

WRITING PRACTICE

Write three informal e-mails and submit them for the class consideration.

You have visited the Internet and explored there the most interesting places:

- sites for cooking

- free software sites

- sites for learning English

You are full of information and want to share this information with your best friends. Write three informal e-mail messages to your friends. You know who of your friends is interested in what. You should be able to arouse interest in them.

- Use an appropriate format and a chatty style. Try to use at least one smiley.

- Calling the sites in your e-mail messages, try to invent interesting names.

- Remember that e-mails should be brief.

GROUP DISCUSSION

During last several decades minds of scientists in the sphere of information technologies are concerned with the “immortal” questions:

What are the advantages of IT?

and

What are the disadvantages of IT?

You are a participant of the 5th international conference on IT.

You should act in one of the following three roles:

1. a scientist who delivers a report about advantages of IT
2. a scientist who delivers a report about disadvantages of IT
3. an uninterested in IT person

Scientists should prepare reports for a conference and be able to convince their opponents.

An uninterested person should follow the arguments of scientific opponents and in the end represent pluses and minuses of IT.

Homework

Prepare a presentation.

ROLE OF COMPUTERS IN MODERN SOCIETY

Introduction

You are investigators representing the internet generation and are tasked with updating the world on the history of computer-based programs, their use, their benefits and potentially harmful effects on society. It seems that computer-based programs aid the community in functioning, working and communicating with one another. It seems that people are learning to use more and more digital devices. Students should gather the information about the history of computer-based programs and functions using Internet resources.

Task

Each of you will research the history and current use of computer-based programs. Further, after completing their research, you will be responsible for creating and delivering a 10-15 minutes presentation (or computerized) and report back to the class.

Presentation: You will create some type of presentation to be done in front of the class. This can be done in PowerPoint and or with the use of handouts.

A presentation should include:

• Major components of the computer and how they work.
• Describe how computers change the ways in which people live, work, and communicate using computers.
• Finally, list some benefits and potential harmful effects computers may have on society.

Main Internet resources for a quest:

http://www.computerhistory.org/

http://www.apple.com/

http://inventors.about.com/library/blcoindex.htm

http://www.hitmill.com/computers/computerhx1.html

Evaluation

The tasks are assessed from the point of view of how well the research was carried out and how effective your presentation was in terms of grammar, use of active vocabulary, speaking skills.

Conclusion

During your research, you should think of how the different generations have used communication tools and how current technology differs from the past. How do different generations differ with respect to the different modes of computers and communication used?

Lesson 6

LISTENING

Last lesson you learnt something new about e-mails. Today you will listen to the text LANGUAGE OF ELECTRONIC MAIN.

After listening you should discuss with you partner the information from the text.

Discuss the following question:

Does electronic mail play an important role in computerization of our life?

Test on homework

The presentation on the web-quest ROLE OF COMPUTERS IN MODERN SOCIETY.

You had to research the history and current use of computer-based programs. Further, after having completed you research, you had to create and deliver a 10-15 minutes presentation (or computerized) and report back to the class.

Don’t forget that your presentation should include:

• Major components of the computer and how they work.
• Describe how computers change the ways in which people live, work, and communicate using computers.
• Finally, list some benefits and potential harmful effects computers may have on society.

GOOD LUCK!