Лекция: COMPUTER USES

Ex. 1.Before you read the following passages, talk about these questions:what kind of computers do you use? What do you use computers for?

a) We are now living in what some people call the digital age, meaning that computers have become an essential part of our lives. Young people who have grown up with PCs and mobile phones are often called the digital generation. Computers help students to perform mathematical operations and improve their maths skills. They are used to access the Internet, to do basic research and to communicate with other students around the world. Teachers use projectors and interactive whiteboards to give presentations and teach sciences, history or language courses. PCs are also used for administrative purposes – schools use word processors to write letters, and databases to keep records of students and teachers. A school website allows teachers to publish exercises for students to complete on-line. Students can also enroll for courses via the website and parents can download official reports.

Mobiles let you make voice calls, send texts, e-mail 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 player, a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a GPS navigation system, all in one.

In banks, computers store information about the money held by each customer and enable staff to access large databases and to carry out financial 30 transactions at high speed. They also control the cash points, or ATMs (automatic teller machines), which dispense money to customers by the use of a PIN-protected card. People use a Chip and PIN card to pay for goods and services. Instead of using a signature to verify payments, customers are asked to enter a four-digit personal identification number (PIN), the same number used at cash points; this system makes transactions more secure. With on-line banking, clients can easily pay bills and transfer money from the comfort of their homes.

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.

b) We have many types of computers at our disposal. First, all employees receive PDAs and desktop computers. But we only use those for word processing and spreadsheets. Of course, some programs are too powerful for desktop. So many employees use the faster workstations. And we do have a few laptops and handheld PCs. However, employees only use them on business trips. Most employees just answer email with their cellular phones. The new server provides access to all printers. Finally, our mainframe processes our largest data files. No need for a supercomputer yet!

Ex. 2.Use the following collocations to complete these sentences.

1. Thanks to Wi-Fi, it’s now easy to … from cafes, hotels, parks and many other public places. 2. Online banking lets you… between your accounts easily and securely. 3. Skype is a technology that enables users to … over the Internet for free. 4. In many universities, students are encouraged to … using PowerPoint in order to make their talks more visually attractive. 5. The Web has revolutionized the way people …– with sites such as Google and Wikipedia, you can find the information you need in seconds. 6. Cookies allow a website to … on a user’s machine and later retrieve it; when you visit the website again, it remembers your preferences. 7. With the latest mobile phones, you can … with multimedia attachments – pictures, audio, even video.

Ex. 4.Listen to four people talking about how they use computers at work. Write each speaker’s job in the Table.

Electrical engineer, secretary, librarian, composer

Ex. 5.Listen again. Write what each speaker uses their computer for.

Ex. 6.Use the following collocations to complete these sentences:

GPS navigator, desktop computer, mp3 player, laptop (notebook), ATMs, PDA, tablet PC, workstation, cellular (mobile) phones, digital camera.

a) Until recently, I owned a 1. … which I used at home occasionally, carried around with me and took on business trips. However, I now have a 2. … which is a handheld computer and known as a palmtop. I can use it as a portable audio player and smart phone too. I work for an IT organization and we use a 3. … as it has the capability of hosting multiple operating systems. I’m in the Customer Order Processing department and we execute many programs concurrently. 4. … are used for word processing and spreadsheets. Most employees just answer e-mail with their 5. …

b) A 6. … allows photographs to be input to a computer for editing. 7. … let you surf the Net, send texts, e-mail people. 8. … dispense money to customers by the use of a PIN-protected card. 9. … can provide people who use it with their exact position on Earth, tell them how to get to another location, how fast they are moving, where they have been, how far they have gone and what time it is. 10. … allow the user to play music, podcasts and so on anywhere. They can be listened to with earphones or headphones, or played through speakers via an external amplifier, e.g. through a stereo system.

Ex. 7.In small groups choose one of the areas given below and discuss what you can do with computers in that area. Look at some expressions below to help you.

Formula 1 cars: design and build the car, test virtual models, control electronic components, monitor engine speed, store (vital) information, display data, analyze and communicate data.

Entertainment: download music, burn CDs, play games, take photos, edit photos, make video clips, watch movies on a DVD player, watch TV on the computer, listen to MP3s, listen to the radio via the Web.

Factories and industrial processes: design products, do calculations, control industrial robots, control assembly lines, keep record of stocks (materials and equipment).

School/University: access the Internet, enroll online, search the Web, prepare exams, write documents, complete exercises online, do research, prepare presentations.

People use computers to … . Computers are used to …. A PC can also be used for … .Computers allow (enable) …-ing. Computers allow (enable) people to … .Computers let people … .

Ex. 8.Listen again and decide whether these sentences are true or false. Correct the false ones.

1. A mainframe computer is less powerful than a PC. 2. A mainframe is used by large organizations that need to process enormous amounts of data. 3. The most suitable computers for home use are desktop PCs. 4. A laptop is not portable. 5. Laptops are not as powerful as desktop PCs. 6. Using a stylus, you can write directly onto the screen of a tablet PC. 7. A Personal Digital Assistant is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand. 8. A PDA does not allow you to surf the Web.

Ex.9.Write a short presentation summarizing your discussion. Then ask one person from your group to give a summary of the group's ideas to the rest of the class.