Maria Grazia Bellino English for Information and

Transcription

new series
ESP
Maria Grazia Bellino
English for Specific Purposes
New I-Tech
English for Information
and Communications Technology
Maria Grazia Bellino
New I-Tech
English for Information and Communications Technology
New I-Tech
Realizzazione editoriale:
– Progetto e consulenza: Raffaele Polichetti
– Consulenza tecnica: Giampaola Genta
– Revisione linguistica: Stefan Cooper
– Impaginazione: Graphic Center - Torino
– Disegni: Mauro Borgarello
– Revisione testi: Lunella Luzi
– Registrazione audio: Ivano Atzori
L’autrice desidera ringraziare le prof.sse Raffaella Beolé e Paola Briano per il contributo didattico
dato nella realizzazione di quest’opera.
In linea con le disposizioni di legge e le indicazioni ministeriali, si attesta che l’opera è realizzata in
“forma MISTA”, cartacea e digitale. L’Editore mette a disposizione gratuitamente sul proprio sito diverse risorse didattiche online: materiali extra per attività di approfondimento e di esercitazione in parte
ad accesso libero e in parte riservati al docente.
L’opera è altresì disponibile in edizione DIGITALE per gli studenti diversamente abili e i loro docenti. L’Editore
mette a disposizione degli studenti non vedenti, ipovedenti, disabili motori o con disturbi speciici di apprendimento i ile pdf in cui sono memorizzate le pagine di questo libro.
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eventuali involontarie omissioni e inesattezze nella citazione delle fonti dei brani, illustrazioni e fotograie
riprodotti nel presente volume.
Stampato per conto della Casa editrice presso
La Graica, Boves, Cuneo, Italia
Printed in Italy
Ristampe
5
4
3
2
1
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2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
Presentazione
L’argomento
New I-Tech è rivolto agli studenti dei Nuovi Istituti Tecnici, Settore Tecnologico ad indirizzo
Informatica e Telecomunicazioni e in generale a coloro che hanno l’esigenza di utilizzare
la lingua inglese come strumento di studio e/o di lavoro in campo informatico.
Grazie alla ricchezza del materiale proposto, New I-Tech – concepito per promuovere un
apprendimento attivo basato sui contenuti (content based learning) – offre la possibilità
di scegliere gli argomenti sia in base ai programmi delle materie tecnico-scientiiche di
indirizzo, sia in base agli interessi e al livello di competenza linguistica degli studenti.
I contenuti sono stati ordinati secondo criteri di graduale complessità concettuale e linguistica
e vengono esplorati utilizzando le quattro abilità in modo omogeneo ed integrato. I brani,
tutti autentici, offrono un assortimento di stili, registri e livelli di dificoltà e sono tratti da
fonti diverse: giornali e riviste specializzate, testi scolastici inglesi e americani, materiale
promozionale, manuali tecnici e siti internet.
gLi obiettivi
New I-Tech si propone di:
• far acquisire le competenze necessarie per leggere e comprendere testi che presentano
termini, espressioni, strutture sintattiche e modalità discorsive speciiche del linguaggio
tecnologico settoriale;
• migliorare le capacità di ricezione e produzione, orale e scritta;
• arricchire il patrimonio lessicale;
• consolidare abitudini grammaticali corrette o approfondire alcune strutture;
• stimolare l’interesse e la partecipazione attiva degli studenti, dando spazio alla loro
esperienza personale e a problematiche di attualità.
La struttura
New I-Tech è diviso in sei Moduli, ognuno dei quali è ripartito in tre sezioni:
1 Technical Section – Divisa in Unità, contiene testi e attività che riguardano i contenuti
speciici della specializzazione già affrontati in L1. Ogni Unità è suddivisa in Capitoli
per favorire non solo uno studio più parcellizzato, ma anche la scelta antologica da parte
dell’insegnante. I testi vengono affrontati in modo graduale, attraverso esercizi di Before
Reading, While Reading, esplorazione del lessico tecnico, comprensione scritta e/o
orale, globale e speciica. Brevi ‘box’ di approfondimento, denominati Moving Deeper,
permettono di ampliare le conoscenze sull’argomento. Un ricco apparato iconograico
(con funzioni esplicative, non solo esornative) correda i brani di lettura, per ognuno dei
quali è previsto un esauriente glossario.
2 Revision and practice – Si occupa di contenuti inerenti alla disciplina ponendo
particolare attenzione all’arricchimento lessicale, strutturale e allo sviluppo delle quattro
abilità linguistiche. Presenta le seguenti ripartizioni:
• Vocabulary. Comprende speciiche attività per il consolidamento del lessico tecnico
più importante del Modulo. Costituisce anche uno strumento che gli studenti possono
utilizzare come rinforzo e ripasso degli argomenti del Modulo.
• Grammar. Propone il rinforzo delle strutture morfosintattiche più ricorrenti nel
linguaggio tecnico.
• Communication. Offre testi e attività di consolidamento dei contenuti appresi per
sviluppare le quattro abilità linguistiche: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing.
3 Language Immersion – È volta al potenziamento della lingua tramite materie in inglese
e certiicazione linguistica.
• CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning). Alla ine di ogni Modulo è
presente un CLIL CORNER che si collega alle tematiche presentate in alcune delle
discipline curriculari – Matematica, Statistica, Elettronica, Storia, Letteratura,
Geograia. Questo perché gli argomenti proposti possono favorire una didattica crosscurricolare, coinvolgendo docenti delle materie citate per eventuali approfondimenti
e/o progetti che permettono concretamente di studiare il medesimo contenuto da
diverse prospettive.
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Viene offerta la possibilità di
prendere dimestichezza con il più popolare test al mondo per la certiicazione del
livello di conoscenza della lingua inglese. Il test valuta in modo accurato la capacità
di comunicare in inglese considerando situazioni che si veriicano nella vita reale e
professionale.
RISORSE NLINE
Disponibili sul sito www.edisco.it:
– file audio formato MP3 con la registrazione delle attività di ascolto;
– materiali extra per attività di approfondimento e di esercitazione;
– Teacher’s Book: soluzioni degli esercizi – transcripts delle attività di ascolto – note
didattiche – prove di verifica collegate ai singoli Moduli – simulazioni della terza
prova dell’Esame di Stato.
contents
m o d u L e
0
Learning to Learn
UNIT 2 Get smart about learning!
UNIT 1 Welcome to the New I-Tech!
A. Something about yourself ............................. 8
B. Survival English ........................................... 10
m o d u L e
1
the basics of
ict system
UNIT 1 Computer terms and deinitions
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Computer terms and acronyms .................... 18
Deinitions of computer terms ..................... 20
An on-line advertisement ............................ 22
Writing deinitions ....................................... 24
The Internet and more computer terms ....... 26
UNIT 2 What is a computer?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Computer systems (1) ................................. 28
Comparing and rebuilding deinitions .......... 33
An on-line letter .......................................... 35
m o d u L e
2
hardware
and its evoLution
A. Study skills checklist .................................... 12
B. Tips for language learning success ............... 13
C. How to get better grades in school .............. 15
F. A magazine advertisement .......................... 36
UNIT 3 The computer programmer
A.
B.
C.
D.
The programmer’s activities ......................... 38
The computer programmer’s skills ............... 41
The ofice environment ............................... 42
Systems analysis .......................................... 43
revision and Practice
vocabuLary ......................................................... 46
grammar (Compound Nouns) ................................ 48
communication
Listening (Podcasts) ............................................. 50
Speaking (Computers and your future job) .......... 51
Reading (Reading a job advertisement) ............... 52
Writing (How to write an application letter) ...... 53
Language immersion
cLiL :
Mathematics (The binary system) ............... 54
What is IELTS? Academic Writing
Task 1 ........................................................ 56
ieLts :
UNIT 3 Storage devices
A.
B.
C.
D.
Internal memories ....................................... 82
Backing store: the hard disk ......................... 85
Other backing storage devices .................... 86
USB drives ................................................... 88
UNIT 1 Types of computers and their history
A.
B.
C.
D.
The main types of computers ...................... 60
The history of the computer ........................ 64
The Personal Computer ............................... 66
Computers at work ..................................... 70
UNIT 2 Peripherals (input-output devices)
A. Input devices ............................................... 72
B. Output devices ............................................ 76
C. More about output devices ......................... 78
vocabuLary ......................................................... 90
grammar (The Passive Form) ................................. 92
communication
Listening (Back up) .............................................. 94
Speaking (Input and output devices) ................... 95
Reading (Women in technology) ......................... 96
Writing (The history of the PC) ........................... 97
Language immersion
cLiL :
History (The Cold War) ................................ 98
Academic Reading 1 ................................. 100
ieLts :
m o d u L e
3
uses
of the comPuter
UNIT 3 The Internet
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
The Internet connection and services.......... 134
Suring the Net........................................... 139
Internet protocols ....................................... 141
Online communities ................................... 143
Suring safely ............................................. 146
PC protection when online ......................... 148
Tips for suring safely ................................. 150
UNIT 1 Text and image processing software
A.
B.
C.
D.
Word processors ........................................ 104
Graphics software ..................................... 108
CAD (Computer-Aided Design) ................. 111
DTP (Desk-Top Publishing) ........................ 112
UNIT 2 Databases, spreadsheets
and other uses
m o d u L e
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Databases .................................................. 116
Spreadsheets .............................................. 122
Email .......................................................... 126
Portable media players ............................... 129
Other uses of the computer ....................... 132
4
oPerating systems
and Programming
UNIT 1 Operating systems
A. Operating system functions and
components ............................................... 166
B. Types of operating system .......................... 169
C. The Unix operating system ......................... 172
D. The Linux operating system........................ 174
E. Reading a review........................................ 177
F. Using interfaces.......................................... 178
UNIT 2 Programming
A. How programs are made ............................ 182
B. Programming phases .................................. 184
vocabuLary ....................................................... 152
grammar (1. Plurals; 2. Preixes and sufixes) ........ 154
communication
Listening (It saves a lot of time)......................... 156
Speaking (Using the Internet) ............................ 157
Reading (Headlines) .......................................... 158
Writing (Useful phrases for letters and emails) .. 159
Language immersion
cLiL :
Literature (Frankenstein) ............................ 160
Speaking Section ...................................... 162
ieLts :
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Structured programming ............................ 187
Object-oriented programming.................... 191
Programming languages............................. 193
Java technology ......................................... 194
The C family............................................... 196
An example of simple programming ........... 197
vocabuLary ....................................................... 198
grammar (1. The -ing form; 2. False friends) ......... 200
communication
Listening (Pronunciation) .................................. 202
Speaking (How to describe a photo).................. 203
Reading (How to install a new operating
system on your computer) ............................. 204
Writing (Punctuation)........................................ 205
Language immersion
cLiL :
Statistics (What is Statistics?) ..................... 206
IELTS Test – Listening Section.................... 208
ieLts :
m o d u L e
5
teLecommunications
and networKs
C.
D.
E.
F.
Wireless networking .................................. 234
Network protocols ..................................... 235
Network topologies ................................... 238
Cloud computing ...................................... 240
UNIT 1 Telecommunications
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Telecommunications .................................. 212
What is information? ................................. 214
Transmission media: wires and cables ........ 215
Optical ibres ............................................. 217
Air transmission: antennas ......................... 219
Satellites .................................................... 220
Telecommunications and society ................ 224
UNIT 2 Networks
m o d u L e
A. Networking ............................................... 228
B. Networks components .............................. 232
6
ict security
and society
UNIT 1 ICT systems security
and best practices
A. How to start and stop a computer safely .... 256
B. How to store and keep data safe
and secure ................................................. 259
C. The risks of damage by malware ............... 262
D. Troubleshooting ........................................ 266
E. Hardware and software troubleshooting .... 268
F. Best practices ............................................ 270
vocabuLary ....................................................... 242
grammar (1. British English vs. American English;
2. Phrasal verbs) .......................................... 244
communication
Listening (A home network) .............................. 246
Speaking (Networks) ......................................... 247
Reading (Going from stand-alone computers
to networking) ............................................... 248
Writing (Wi-i networking technology).............. 249
Language immersion
cLiL :
Electronics (Electronics and Lab) ................ 250
IELTS Test – Speaking Section ................... 252
ieLts :
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
From ICT to culture ................................... 278
ICT and health .......................................... 280
ICT and work ............................................ 281
ICT and education ..................................... 282
Environmental impact ................................ 284
The surveillance society ............................. 285
vocabuLary ....................................................... 288
grammar (1. Connectors; 2. The more...
the better) ................................................... 290
communication
Listening (A home network) .............................. 292
Speaking (A job interview) ................................ 293
Reading (Getting a job) ..................................... 294
Writing (Job application helpful words) ............ 295
Language immersion
UNIT 2 ICT and society
A. Living in the digital age ............................. 272
B. Beneits to society of using ICT ................. 276
Geography (The relevance
of computers to Geography) ...................... 296
ieLts : Academic Writing ..................................... 298
cLiL :
technicaL gLossary ........................................ 300
comPuter and internet acronyms ................ 302
e
l
u
d
o
m
3
uses
of the computer
Unit 1 text and image processing software
A. Word processors
B. Graphics software
C. CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
D. DTP (Desk-Top Publishing)
Unit 2 Databases, spreadsheets and other uses
A. Databases
B. Spreadsheets
C. Email
D. Portable media players
E. Other uses of the computer
Unit 3 the internet
A. The Internet connection and services
B. Suring the Net
C. Internet protocols
D. Online communities
E. Suring safely
F. PC protection when online
G. Tips for suring safely
Why study this Module?
In this Module you will read about the main
computer software applications, such as wordprocessors, graphics software, spreadsheets and
databases. You will also read about the Internet
and its services and how to surf safely.
Helpful sites
◆
Surf the Net and ind a site that
teaches English to foreigners and
contains grammar, vocabulary,
listening and reading exercises,
crosswords or other language
games, at different levels.
◆ Visit the site www.inglese.it
and ind what different kinds of
information it offers.
On
you can ind a tutorial
on desktop publishing called
“Photoshop CS4 Party Flyer
Tutorial”. Watch it and see if you can
ind any interesting information.
u N I t
1
text and Image
processINg softWare
In this Unit you will learn about the types of software used for text processing
and graphics applications, the most typical uses of computers today.
a. Word processors
1
Read the text below and underline:
• when word processing appears
• the differences with typewriting
• its advantages
Computers were well into their third decade
before word processing was at all common.
By the late 1960’s, IBM had developed modern
word processing software that ran on advanced
electronic typewriters but it became popular
only when computer hardware became cheap,
as happened in the mid 1970’s with minicomputers.
The early leader in the microcomputer word processing market was a program called WordStar,
followed by other competitive programs such as WordPerfect and in 1983 Microsoft’s Word
which, by the second half of the 1990’s, had become the safe choice, the program that is nearly
ubiquitous.
The very irst word processors were nothing more than computerised typewriters; they were
just used to enter and edit texts. Modern word processors are much more powerful, combining
graphics with different ways of presenting text and numerical information.
Today a word processor can produce letters, memos, CVs, questionnaires, reports, leaflets
containing graphics, newsletters, printed envelopes, personalised letters using mail-merge,
worksheets, labels, web pages and so on.
Written documents and documents produced using a typewriter share the same problem: once
created, they can’t easily be altered. Word processors changed all that.
Once text is entered, it can be processed (i.e. changed) easily. The appearance can be changed,
this is called text formatting. Also the contents can be changed, this is called text editing. The
text can be saved and reused; for example, a standard letter template can be created, and used
to send similar letters to different people.
104
Bellino - NEW I-TECH © EDISCO Editrice 2013
Answer the following questions.
a. What is a word processor?
b. What is it used for?
c. What are its advantages?
d. Do you know any graphics software packages?
e. What are they used for?
f. What are their advantages?
Professional-looking documents can be created by
just about anyone. That’s because it’s easy to correct
spelling mistakes, and to improve the appearance of
the document with graphics and text formatting.
2
Pair Work. In turns, ask and answer these questions.
a. When did the irst word processing software appear?
b. What are three examples of word processors?
c. What are the differences between the irst word processors and modern ones?
d. What kind of documents can a word processor produce?
e. What are the advantages of word processors over typewriters?
3
Write a short text (about 80 words) on word processors. Use the questions above as a guide.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
GLOSSARY
envelope: busta
label: etichetta
lealet: volantino, manifestino,
dépliant
mail-merge: stampa unione
nearly ubiquitous: quasi
onnipresente
template: modello (maschera)
105
module 3
4
Read the text and ind the English equivalents for the Italian words in the box below.
Working on a text
• There are three main text formatting methods:
1. Change the font, that is the character style.
There are many types of font, for example: Garamond and Arial.
Garamond is
a classic font
which has little
twiddly1 bits
at the tops and
bottoms of the
characters.
Arial is a linear,
modern font
which doesn’t
have twiddly bits
and is used,
for example,
if the text is arranged in boxes
on the page.
2. Change the size of the text. Emphasise headings and sub-headings by making them larger.
A font size between 10 and 12 points is easy to read for most people.
3. Highlight the text. There are four ways to make text stand out. Words can be in: bold
type; italics; underlined; colour.
Remember the golden rules: keep things simple, be consistent2 and don’t do them all at
once.
• There are four text editing methods:
1. New text can be inserted within existing text.
2. Existing text can be deleted by using the delete or backspace keys.
3. Text can be moved to another position on the page (e.g. by dragging highlighted text).
4. Text can be copied so that it appears more than once on the page. Highlight the text,
select “copy”, put the cursor where you want the duplicate text to appear and then select
“paste”.
dimensione
sottotitoli
formattazione
trascinare
titoli
neretto
incollare
spostare
cancellare
cursore
evidenziare
corsivo
5
Pair Work. Ask and answer these questions.
a. What are the main text formatting methods?
b. And the text editing methods?
c. What are the golden rules to remember?
1
2
twiddly: arricciati
consistent: coerente
106
TEXT AND IMAGE PROCESSING SOFTWARE
6
unit 1
Listen to this text “Mind your language with Spell-checkers and Grammar checkers” and
complete it with the missing words or expressions.
Most word processors can automatically correct your spelling and .................................................... .
This can improve the quality of your written .................................................... and avoid many little but
annoying1 mistakes. So, learn how to use them and don’t .................................................... to use them
systematically. They are a great help! But there are problems.
They only recognise misspelt words, not their .................................................... .
This is a problem with words like “were” and “where”.
If you use the .................................................... , the spell-checker won’t ind a problem.
Also, many words are spelt .................................................... in different parts of the English speaking
world: e.g. labor (American English) and labour (UK English). So you have to choose ........................
language you want to use.
Grammar-checkers can be unreliable and give confusing advice. This is because good grammar
...........................
7
on context, and most software isn’t powerful enough yet to take this into account.
Pair Work. Ask and answer these questions.
a. Have you ever used a spell-checker or spelling corrector?
b. Do you know how to use it? (e.g. how to choose the language)
c. Do you ind it useful?
d. Do you rely on it completely?
e. Or do you proofread2 your own work as well?
Sometimes
you have to
click on the
spellcheck
button. It
might look
like this one:
My friend has a goat called Bob. He spends most days out in the field,
but at nght he has to stay in the barn. It’s too cold outside at night for
goats.
He’s black and white, and he enjoys runnig around his field when the
weather’s nice.
Click on the correct
spelling and then click
on “Change”.
Spelling and Grammar: English United Kingdom
Sometimes
the mistakes
are underlined
automatically.
1
2
He’s black and white, and he enjoys runnig
around his field when the weather’s nice.
Spellcheckers
usually ask you
to choose the
correct spelling
from a list.
rung
ruining
running
runic
annoying: fastidioso
to proofread: rileggere attentamente
107
module 3
B. graphIcs softWare
8
Read this text and underline the main differences between bitmapped and vector images.
You can draw simple images using a word processor. But for good-looking graphics you need to
use graphics software.
There are two types of graphics software; images are stored as either bitmap or vector data.
• Painting software
With pixel-based software, images are created
and saved as a series of coloured dots (pixels) in
a ile called a bitmap. The bitmap can be stored
and reused when needed. It can take thousands
of dots to make up a whole picture. To edit the
image, you alter each dot individually, although
there are lots of different tools to make this
easier. Operating systems have collections of
letters, numbers and symbols that are pre-drawn
and ready for display or you can use a collection
of images, called clip-art.
• Drawing software
With vector-based or object-based software,
the image is built from mathematical formulas
rather than from a predetermined pattern of bits,
even though the inal image is still a bitmap,
i.e. a bunch of dots. The image is made up of
separate lines and shapes (objects) and is saved
as coordinates and equations making ile sizes a
lot smaller.
The image is edited by manipulating the objects.
You can stretch them, twist them, colour them
and so on with a series of tools.
The big advantage of the vector approach is in
scalability: one formula or set of formulas can
represent many sizes of an object. Vectors are
also easy to scale in another dimension: adapting
to different resolutions.
9
Vector cow
Bitmap cow
Pair Work. Describe the differences between pixel-based software and vector-based software.
GLOSSARY
although: sebbene
bunch: gruppo
even though: anche se, sebbene
pre-drawn: predisegnato
to twist: girare, ruotare
to stretch: tirare, allungare, allargare whole: intero
thousands: migliaia
108
10
unit 1
Listen to this deinition of clip-art and complete it.
Clip-art is graphics that has been created by someone else but made available for you .....................
......................
.
Some come ........................................... with software packages, others can be ..........................................
on CD-ROM.
It is possible to treat the ........................................... as a free clip-art source and copy ...............................
............
from web sites.
But lots of images are protected by ........................................... , so using them without permission can
be illegal.
You can import pictures from Clip-art
1 To import clip-art into
MS Paint, go to the
“Edit“ menu and click
on “Paste From”.
2 Then you’ll get a window
like this:
Find the “headphones”
clip-art ile that you want to
import and click on it. Next
click on “Open“.
o
3 After that, click on the
page where you want
the picture to go, and
it will appear. Now you
can resize it and move it
about the page as you
wish.
109
module 3
11
Complete the text below with the following terms.
ile size – bitmap – by hand – scanner – time-consuming – downloaded –
JPEG – resolution – digital – digital camera
• Input existing images …
Existing images (e.g. photographs) can be converted and stored as a ................................. image
(i.e. data). There are two main ways to do this:
1. Photographs on ilm or in a book, or hand-drawings on paper need to be converted into
a digital image using a ................................. . These images are usually stored as ......................
...........
iles, so the iles can be very large, though they can be converted to other formats,
e.g. JPEGS. A JPEG is a compressed bitmap; when you convert a bitmap to a JPEG, you
lose some of the picture quality, but in a way that is not noticeable to the human eye, e.g.
there might be slight colour changes. Compressing the image in this way can massively
reduce the ................................. .
2. New images can be made using a ................................. , and then ................................. onto
a computer. Digital photographs are initially stored as ................................. iles, which are
usually smaller than bitmaps, although the ile size will depend on the level of ........................
.........
you have chosen.
• … or Create your own images.
Producing your own graphics ................................. using the functions of the software is the most
creative and fun way, but it can be very ................................. , so it is often not worth doing if
there is a quicker way.
12
Match the term to its deinition.
resolution – JPEG – Clip-Art – pixel – bitmap – scalability
a. A pattern of dots.
...............................................................................................................................................
b. Collection of images you can buy and insert in any software program that will allow it.
...........
c. A coloured dot. ....................................................................................................................................................
d. Possibility of changing size and resolution of an image.
........................................................................
e. A compressed bitmap. .......................................................................................................................................
f.
The number of pixels making up the image.
.............................................................................................
An elaborate picture from Clip-Art.
110
c. cad (Computer-ai ded desi gn)
13
Read the text below and ind out:
– who uses CAD
.................................................................
– what it is used for
– what it can do
...........................................................
..................................................................
– what kind of software it is
...........................................
– advantages and disadvantages ...................................
Computer-Aided Design is a very powerful and specialised graphics software. It is used by
manufacturers and engineers to create computerised designs of objects which they will then
build. Examples of products designed using CAD include cars, bridges, buildings.
CAD is usually vector-based software; even so, CAD packages are very powerful and often
require a lot of memory to run them.
They can do four main things:
1. Objects can be designed in two dimensions (e.g. height and width) and then processed into
a three-dimensional design. The object can then be rotated to see how it looks from any angle.
2. Calculations can be performed, e.g. calculating the cost of the object based upon a database
of standard costs for the product’s components.
3. Some CAD software will suggest suitable materials and components to do a particular job.
4. Some CAD software will simulate how the object will perform under certain conditions.
But using CAD has pros and cons. Designs can be created very quickly, especially when the
system has a library of standard components. They can be changed quickly and easily. Good
systems can produce high-resolution images that are almost lifelike.
Professional CAD systems require powerful hardware such as microcomputers with special
chips. CAD software is very expensive and complex, so users need a lot of training in its use.
14
True or false? Correct the false statements.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
CAD lets you create designs very quickly.
It is slow to change designs.
CAD software is very cheap.
CAD is easy to use and users need very little training.
Good systems can produce high-resolution images.
Simulations help you design better products irst time round.
CAD software runs well on all computers and doesn’t require powerful hardware.
15
Write a short text on CAD following the points in Activity 13.
T
F
GLOSSARY
almost lifelike: quasi realistici
engineers: tecnici
height: altezza
manufacturers: costruttori
pros and cons: i pro e i contro
suitable: adatto
width: larghezza
111
module 3
d. dtp
16
Read the text below and ind:
• what DTP stands for
• what it is used for
..........................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................
• what kind of software it is
...............................................................................................................................
• advantages over a word-processor
...............................................................................................................
Desktop publishing software is used to build professional-looking pages – the ones that are
good enough to be published. Examples of documents produced using DTP software include
newsletters, newspapers, lealets, posters, etc. Pages are built up as a series of frames: text
frames containing text, graphics frames containing images.
DTP usually lets the user create text and simple pictures, but it often works best when the
source material is created in other specialised software (e.g. a word processor or a graphics
package) and then imported into the DTP package.
DtP software is usually frame-based.
Frame-based software means that information is put on pages in blocks, called frames, that can
be moved or resized. This means that it is very easy to edit a DTP document by moving pictures
or blocks of text around. Frames can also be moved from page to page.
You can create very professional-looking documents, even with relatively inexpensive DTP
packages (the quality of the printed document is often limited by the quality of the printer).
The layout of the document can be changed more easily using DTP than a word-processor.
DTP packages contain most features of a word processor and many others, giving you greater
power and lexibility.
Each picture or block of text forms its own frame that you can drag around separately.
112
unit 1
s17 Write ive questions about DTP publishing software and answer them.
18
Pair Work. Read the text below; then ask and answer four questions about it.
Frames
1
Most DTP
software can
insert column
guides or
guidelines (lines
that appear on
the screen but not
on the printed
3
2
PUT THEM IN COLUMNS
document)
to help position
the frames.
This keeps
the document
looking tidy,
and the layout
consistent.
LINK TEXT FRAMES TOGETHER
So any text not itting inside the
irst text frame will automatically
appear inside the next one. Frames
can even be linked across different
pages of the document – so they’re
handy if you want to continue a
story on a different page. This big
text frame here is...
...linked to this
little one here.
WRAP TEXT
You can see the
text wrap around
a picture, instead
of being covered
by it. This frame
of text has been
wrapped around a picture of a
sunbathing reindeer.
4
LAYERING FRAMES
That is, putting a frame on top of
another. E.g. you could put some
text over the top of a picture. This
text has been placed over a picture
of a dog eating a cake.
If I want to impress a woman online,
what font should I use?
Aristocrat Bold so she’ll think
I’m rich or Comic Sans
so she’ll think I’m funny??
GLOSSARY
even: anche, persino
frame: struttura, ordinamento
good enough: suficientemente
buono
most features: la maggior parte
delle caratteristiche
newsletter: circolare
113
module 3
19
Listen to this text on presentation software and complete it.
Presentations can be given with or without a speaker. The typical way to give a presentation
is with a speaker introducing ............................... projected onto a large screen. The audience can
read the information on the screen while the ............................... gives them more detailed spoken
information.
The other way is to give a presentation ............................... a speaker. For this to work well, the
slides have to be good enough to communicate all the required information by themselves.
...............................
presentation software can help by allowing a commentary to be recorded.
................ ...............
creates a series of slides in a single document and each slide contains a number
of ............................... (a bit like DTP software). This means that text and ............................... – and
even movies and sounds – can be put on the slide.
The really clever thing about presentation software is that the speaker can decide ...............................
each frame on a page appears, so each point in a list can appear on screen at just the right
moment.
Animation effects can even make the frames arrive on ............................... in different ways, e.g. a
line of text can appear one word at a time, or the whole line can ly into place from either side of
the screen.
The ...............
................
can either happen at set times1 (useful if there is no speaker), or they can
be ............................... by the speaker as he/she is talking, usually with the ............................... of a
mouse or a remote control button.
20
Pair Work. Presentation software has pros and cons: read the advantages and disadvantages
below and give your opinion.
• Advantages of using presentation
software:
– It produces professional-looking
presentations.
– Use of multimedia can help attract
and keep people’s attention.
– Presentations can be saved and used
again, with or without the speaker
being present.
– It is easy to edit presentations and
adapt them for different audiences.
• Disadvantages of using presentation
software:
– It is very easy to get carried away2
by the technology and produce
badly designed slides.
– The software needs expensive
hardware to run the presentation.
1
2
set times: tempi stabiliti
to get carried away: farsi trascinare/prendere
114
21
unit 1
Match these words to the appropriate picture.
a. Bar chart
b. Pie chart
c. Graph
d. Flip chart
e. Slide projector
f.
22
Overhead projector
Listen and repeat.
decade
envelope
image
cursor
character
highlight
although
even though
height
width
suitable
remote
feature
appearance
consistent
115
u N I T
2
DaTabases, spreaDsheeTs
and oTher Uses
In this Unit you will learn about databases, which are organised collections of
data; spreadsheets, which are clever calculators; and you will also read about
other uses of the computer.
a. DaTabases
A database is an organised collection of data. It is used when
you need to store lots of data. Data is organised into fields
and records. The key ield contains an item of data that
is unique to that record, so no records have the same
value in the key ield. The big beneit of databases is
that you can search them quickly to ind speciic data,
or use them to generate reports (i.e. results of a database
query), e.g. which books in a publisher’s database have
sold the most.
• Well-structured ields are really important.
The irst step in creating a database is to decide on what ields
you need. Then each ield needs a name, a description of its
contents, a data type and a format. The data type is very important, as different processes can
be performed on different types of data. The most common data types are:
TEXT e.g. characters
INTEGERS i.e. whole numbers such as 18
REAL NUMBERS e.g. 18,36
DATES e.g. 29-08-88 or 29/08/88
One way to reduce the ile size of the database is to use coding, e.g. use “M” and “F” instead
of “male” and “female”. This uses fewer characters and so takes up less memory.
• Relational databases
Relational databases store the data in separate tables and iles. All the data is linked together
by key ields and a DBMS (Database Management System) that controls who can access what;
e.g. a firm’s customer might be allowed access to information about a irm’s products, but not
to the cost of making them.
Relational databases are predominant today because they offer both tremendous lexibility
(separating information for different purposes) and tremendous power (as all the data is related,
it is possible to ask questions about them from almost any perspective).
116
Answer the following questions.
a. What is a database?
b. What is it used for?
c. What is a spreadsheet?
d. What is it used for?
e. What is an attachment?
f. What do you use an i-POD for?
Relational databases have their own special language for queries, Structured Query Language
(SQL, sometimes pronounced “sequel”).
• Non-relational databases
In lat-ile databases all the data is organised sequentially and into one table, which can be
viewed by opening one data ile. They can be created using all databases and most spreadsheets.
Network databases make it easier to have very complex relationships of data but they are
extremely complex to develop and to maintain.
Object-oriented databases can deal with unusual types of data. They can not only retrieve
data, but also perform an analysis on the data in each object. For example, in a database
that includes photographs, the object-oriented database’s method could return all photos with
certain combinations of colours.
In this table, each column is
a different field
Last Name
Department
Payroll
Number
Date of Birth
Salary
Witherspoon
Catering
100345
26/09/64
£19,000
Beforem
Customer Service
100346
12/08/76
£15,000
Dear
Marketing
100347
23/05/83
£18,000
Phil
Burton
Sales
100348
30/03/77
£17,000
Bill
Mullen
Finance
100349
22/05/79
£15,000
Stan
Porter
Purchase
100350
06/11/80
£8,000
First name
Doug
... and each row
is a record
Neil
Anita
Item of data
Key field
GLOSSARY
purposes: scopi
query: domanda, quesito
relationships: associazioni,
connessioni, relazioni
tremendous: enorme
117
module 3
1
Match these terms with the deinitions below.
record – extension – ile – directory – ield
a. An organised collection of data that is stored under one name. ..................................
b. It tells the operating system what type of ile it is and which program to use to open the ile.
..................................
c. A ile, but also a kind of index or database, containing information about other iles.
..................................
d. One complete unit of data, that will contain an item of data in each ield. ..................................
e. The different categories into which a record is organised.
..................................
DATA FILE
Record
Field
2
Field
Record
Field
Field
Field
Record
Field
Field
Field
Field
Answer these questions.
a. What is a database?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
b. How is it organised?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c. What do you use it for?
...................................................................................
...................................................................................
d. What types of databases do you know?
...................................................................................
...................................................................................
e. Do you know their different characteristics?
...................................................................................
...................................................................................
118
DATABASES, SPREADSHEETS AND OTHER USES
3
unit 2
Match these terms with the deinitions below.
ixed-length ield – sequential access – variable-length ield – direct access
ield length – serial access – data access
a. Records are stored one after the other in the order they were created.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
b. The number of characters (i.e. numbers, letters or symbols).
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c. It is only as long as it needs to be; e.g. a ield containing the surname “Jackson” will take up
seven characters, but one with “Smith” just ive.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
d. The way the computer inds and reads the data that it needs to process.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
e. Records are stored one after the other (like serial access) but they are sorted into a sensible
order (and this order can be chosen by the user).
....................................................................................................................................................................................
f.
The computer can go directly to any record without having to read lots of other data irst.
This can only be done if the ile is stored on a direct storage medium, like a hard disk or a
CD-ROM.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
g. It has a speciied number of characters; e.g. the ield surname might be 20 characters long.
The data ile will then allow exactly 20 characters for each surname, whether they are needed
or not
....................................................................................................................................................................................
119
module 3
4
Choose the correct meaning from context of the terms in italics in the text on pages 116-117.
a. field
prato
campo
b. an item of data
un dato
un tipo di dati
c. report
rapporto/relazione
riporto
d. contents
contento
contenuto
e. as
come
poiché/siccome
f.
meno (davanti a agg.)
meno (davanti a sostantivo plurale)
g. less
meno (davanti a agg.)
meno (davanti a sostantivo singolare)
h. e.g.
cioè, ovvero
per esempio
i.
i.e.
cioè, ovvero
per esempio
j.
firm
fermo
ditta
k. to deal with
trattare
commerciare
l.
to retrieve
ritirare
recuperare
5
Complete the questions, then answer them.
fewer
a. What is ................................... database?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
b. Can you name two data types ................................... can be used to describe a ield?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c. What is meant ................................... a key ield?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
d.
...................................
is coding used when storing some items of data?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
e. What is the ................................... between a lat-ile database and a relational database?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
f.
Can you ................................... two other non-relational databases?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
6
Pair Work. Databases have pros and cons: read the advantages and disadvantages below and
give your opinion.
Pros of databases:
– They are a fast and eficient way of storing and accessing large amounts of data.
– Much less storage space is required compared to a paper based system, and data is less likely to
get lost.
– Searching for speciic data is quicker and easier than using paper records.
– It is easier to perform calculations and use the database to create other documents.
Cons of databases:
– Large databases require expensive computer hardware and software.
– Users need to be trained how to use them properly.
120
7
unit 2
Listen to this text on “Modes of database operation”. In ten cases you will not hear the
same word, but a synonym for it. Note down the synonyms.
There are three different modes of database operation.
Transaction processing
In this mode, the database is able to make changes to its records. ..................................................
For instance, the clerk at a library desk checks a book out, and in so doing, changes the database
record to show that it is out and when it is due. ..................................................
Quick and reliable OLTP (online transaction processing) systems, for example those used by
airlines, require signiicant processing power and very fast I/O systems. ..................................................
..................................................
Query or decision support
Some databases allow you to look up information but not to change it. In a more sophisticated
use, such databases are used to sort through vast data sets to provide “what if” kind of
information to executives. ..................................................
..................................................
If considerable analysis is to be done, this database mode will require a great deal of
computational power. ..................................................
..................................................
Batch
Unlike the others, batch mode is not interactive. Instead, the database is given some instructions
(e.g. calculate electric bills) and runs unattended until the work is inished. ............................................
This is the least demanding function as far as the hardware is concerned. ...............................................
You aren’t in my data base.
How long did you say you had been dead?
121
module 3
b. spreaDsheeTs
8
Can you answer these questions? Check and complete your answers by reading the text
below.
a. What is a spreadsheet?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
b. How is it organised?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c. What do you use it for?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
d. What is a formula used for?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
e. How are cells treated?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
A spreadsheet is a clever calculator. It is simply a program that can display and process data in
a structured way. It can not only process numbers, it can handle text as well.
Spreadsheets can be used to:
– record data
– search for particular items of data
– perform calculations based on data
– produce graphs and charts.
Examples of uses include keeping records of patients in a doctor’s surgery, calculating the exam
results of students, producing graphs based on the results of a questionnaire. A spreadsheet is
made up of rows and columns. These divide the sheet into individual cells. Each cell can be
identiied using the column letter and row number as coordinates.
Columns
A B C D E F
Rows
1
2
3
4
5
6
Cell
The pink cell
is in Column B
and Row 3 –
so its cell
reference is B3
Each cell can contain one (and only one) of three things:
1. Numerical data, e.g. numbers, dates, money. Most spreadsheets recognise dates and money
and convert them into a suitable format, so if you enter 12-4, it is converted to 12 April.
2. Text data, e.g. people’s names, titles of CDs. Column headings usually contain text. One
process that can be carried out on text is sorting it into alphabetical order.
122
unit 2
3. Formulas, these allow results of calculations to be displayed inside a cell. You can add up all
the numbers in a column and display the answer in a cell at the bottom of the column. If any
numbers are changed, the formulas are automatically updated.
Spreadsheets treat cells with any text in them as though they contained only text data, which
has a numerical value of zero. The golden rule is to put only one piece of data in a cell; this
means that you should not mix any types of data.
You can format the data in similar ways to
a word processor. You can use italics, bold
A
B
C
type, different fonts, colours, sizes, etc. to
MEMBERSHIP
FEES
OWING
1
make data stand out. Some spreadsheets
First name
Last name
Amount owing
2
allow conditional formatting: the
Teresa
Stone
£8.00
3
format of a cell is changed if the contents
Tanya
Lennon
£5.52
4
of a cell meet certain conditions, like if
a number’s negative. For example, the
Arthur
Miller
£0.00
5
cells may turn green if a person owes
Willie
Smith
£0.00
6
money. Some spreadsheets let you insert
Betty
Wesley
£33.67
7
graphics, movies and sounds.
GLOSSARY
as though: come se
as well: anche (sempre al fondo
della frase)
carried out: eseguito
clever: intelligente
surgery: ambulatorio
123
module 3
9
Give the English for these terms and phrases that you have met in the text above.
a. Graico, diagramma:
...........................................................................................................................................
b. Manipolare testo: .................................................................................................................................................
c. Riga:
.........................................................................................................................................................................
d. Un formato adatto:
e. Intestazioni:
f.
.............................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................
Ordinare, dare un ordinamento:
g. Al fondo della colonna:
h. Aggiornato:
.....................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................
i.
Grassetto:
j.
Una persona deve soldi:
10
Decide which of the following statements are true and which are false.
...............................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
T
F
a. Spreadsheets can display numbers but not text.
b. Spreadsheets can be used to record data.
c. They can search for particular items of data.
d. They can predict next month’s sales of notebooks.
e. They can perform calculations based on data.
f.
They cannot produce graphs and charts.
11
a. What is a spreadsheet formula?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
b. What are spreadsheets made up of?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c. What three things may be entered into a cell?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
d. Can a cell contain more than one data type?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
e. What can you do to the text in a spreadsheet to improve its appearance?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
f.
What is conditional formatting?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
g. What is the golden rule with spreadsheets?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
124
12
Listen to the short history of spreadsheets and complete the notes.
a. Visicalc is the name of the irst
b. It appeared in
........................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
c. The idea of organising numbers in rows and columns was
d. Visicalc was part of the
....................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
e. In 1981 ............................................. appeared
f.
unit 2
..................................................................................................
Its rival ............................................. provided linkage to
................................................................................
g. In 1985 ............................................. appeared whose ............................................. was even better.
h. Excel for the PC appeared in ............................................. and became the
13
.............................................
Look at this picture and answer these questions:
a. What is it?
b. What is used for?
c. Have you ever used it as a toy?
d. When was it in use?
The binary abacus is used to explain how computers manipulate numbers. The abacus
shows how numbers, letters and signs can be stored in a binary system on a computer, or via
ASCII. The device consists of a series of beads on parallel wires arranged in three separate
rows. The beads represent a switch on the computer in either an ‘on’ or ‘off’ position.
125
module 3
C. eMaIL
14
Answer these questions, then read the passage and check your answers.
a. What is meant by email?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
b. What do you do to send an email?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c. What is an attachment?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
Electronic mail (email) is a way of sending
messages and documents from one computer
to another. The messages are often text-based,
and are usually sent via a PC connected to
the Internet. But you can also use a WAP
(Wireless Application Program) mobile phone
or a digital television. You can also use a webbased email, which means you do not have
to be connected to a particular ISP (Internet
Service Provider). You get an email address by
registering at a web-site; then you can email
from any on-line computer in the world – ideal
if you are planning a round-the-world trip.
Five steps to sending an email
1. Create the message, e.g. using a word
processor or the email software on a computer.
2. Connect to the Internet.
3. Press the “send” button, then the machines
take over.
15
4. The message is sent from the sender’s ISP
to a “mailbox” in the computer system of the
recipient’s ISP.
5. The recipient later connects to the Internet,
opens their email account, and inds the new
message, which they then download and
open.
Take care opening attachments
As well as text, it is also possible to send other
iles via email; these are called attachments.
For example, you can email a picture or a
music ile to a friend. Unless you are expecting
to receive an attachment, treat any you receive
with suspicion; it is easy to get a virus from an
infected attachment. It is possible to view an
attachment without fully downloading it, or
you can use virus-checking software to scan it
before downloading. Both help to reduce the
risk of getting a virus.
Give the Italian for these terms or phrases taken from the text above.
a. Text-based
b. Via
.............................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
c. Wireless ...................................................................................................................................................................
d. Provider ...................................................................................................................................................................
e. A round-the-world trip
f.
As well as
g. Unless
......................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................................
h. Virus-checking software
....................................................................................................................................
126
unit 2
16
Pair Work. Report about the ive steps required to send an email in your own words.
17
Listen to the description of email’s beneits and problems, and take notes. You may need
more than one listening to complete your notes.
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Speed ............................................................................
Access ...........................................................................
Cost ...............................................................................
Address .........................................................................
Ease ...............................................................................
Spam ..............................................................................
Viruses ...........................................................................
18
Pair Work. Give an oral report about email advantages and disadvantages.
19
Read and complete the paragraph below about web-based email using the words in this box.
web browser – any – directly – store – local store – email
Web-based email does not use a local email client to ........................................... and forward ................
...........................
. Users of web-based email read their messages and compose new ones via a
...........................................
. The emails are retrieved from and transmitted ........................................... to
the users’ inboxes and outboxes on the ISP server. As web-based email does not use a .....................
......................
on a client PC, email can be read and written from ........................................... PC.
“Do you, Jason, take Karyn to have and to hold,
to email and fax, to page and beep,
until death do you part?”
“Didn’t you get my email?”
GLOSSARY
attachment: allegato
mailbox: casella postale
recipient: ricevente
to scan: (qui) controllare
suspicion: sospetto
to take over: subentrare
127
module 3
20
Read this text and anwer the questions below.
Email system: the most widely used Internet service
It works very much like the normal postal
system, except that the “letter” reaches its
destination by travelling through computers
and telephone wires, rather than by road,
sea or air.
To send email you need to know the email
address of the person you are writing to.
Email arrives within minutes of being
sent, even if the person you are sending it
to lives on the other side of the world. As
well as text, an email message can contain
photographs, sound, software or any other
type of computer document.
An email address looks something like this:
[email protected]
a. Why is email unlike the normal mail services?
lawson: is the person’s name
@: at
demon: is the service provider or company
name
co: commercial (edu = educational, gov =
government, etc.)
uk: United Kingdom (au: Australia, ca:
Canada, nl: Netherlands, it: Italy, etc.)
Email has dissolved the barriers of time
and space that traditionally restricted
communication. The phone, fax and airmail
are clumsy and expensive in comparison.
Nowadays telling someone your email
address is nearly more convenient and
simpler than swapping phone numbers!
...........................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
b. What are its advantages? ..................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c. What can you send by email?
.........................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
d. Explain this email address: [email protected]
....................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................................
To: [email protected]
From:
Bc:
[email protected] (Jim Schweizer)
Bcc:
Subject:
X-Attachments:
128
unit 2
D. porTabLe MeDIa pLaYers
21
Before reading the text below on MP3 technology, match these terms and expressions –
highlighted in blue in the following passage – with their Italian equivalent.
a. to hurt
sorprendente
b. in order to
piccolissimo
c. to ensure
piuttosto che
d. huge
assicurare
e. detectable
per, al ine di
f.
danneggiare, pregiudicare
rather than
g. tiny
avvertibile
h. amazing
enorme
♦ MP3
MP3 format is a popular digital audio encoding
and compression system for music. It was
designed to reduce the amount of data required to
represent audio. The MP3 format helps reduce the
number of bytes in a song without hurting the quality
of the sound: it removes information from the input in
order to save space but it works hard to ensure that the parts it removes cannot be detected by
human listeners, so it can gain huge savings in storage space with reasonable and acceptable,
although detectable, losses in idelity.
The goal of the MP3 format is to compress a CD-quality song by a factor of 10 to 14. With MP3,
a 32-megabyte (MB) song on a CD compresses down to about 3 MB. This lets you download
a song in minutes rather than hours, and store hundreds of songs on your computer hard disk
without taking up much space. Thanks to MP3 it is now extremely easy for you to:
– download an MP3 ile from a website and play it
– take a song from a music CD and encode it as an MP3 ile
– record a song yourself, convert it to an MP3 ile and make it available to the world
– convert MP3 iles into CD iles and create your own audio CDs from MP3 iles on the web
– store hundreds of MP3 iles on data CDs/DVDs
– load MP3 iles into tiny portable players and listen to them wherever you go.
To do all these amazing things, all you need is a computer with a sound card and speakers, an
Internet connection, a CD-R drive to create CDs and an MP3 player (a software application you
can download from the web in few minutes).
MP3 - MPEG is the acronym for Moving Pictures Experts Group, which developed compression systems
used for video data (e.g. DVD movies use MPEG compression systems). The MPEG system includes a
subsystem to compress sound, the MPEG audio Layer-3, known by its abbreviation, MP3.
129
module 3
22
Pair Work. Use the prompts below to ask questions about MP3 and answer them.
a. What / MP3 technology? ................................................ ?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
b. What / MP3 / designed for? ................................................ ?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c. How / MP3 / work? ................................................ ?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
d. How long / take / download a song? ................................................ ?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
e. What / need / download MP3 iles? ................................................ ?
....................................................................................................................................................................................
23
Write down the answers you have given and join them into a summary of the text on MP3
technology.
What is MP4 Technology?
Just like MP3s work by compressing music and audio iles
without inluencing the audio quality, MP4 iles are
compressed video iles. MP4 is also known as MPEG-4
AVC, or advanced video coding. This technology reduces
the size of video iles so that they are easier to work
with and support. What used to be massive video iles
of motion and audio are now compressed versions of the
same material, called MP4s.
Advantages of MP4 Technology
MP4s produce videos of DVD-quality at less than 1 Mbps
through a broadband connection. This means that with an MP4
player, you can retrieve videos through an Internet connection and
watch them with your MP4 player. MP4 players can also play lower MP
versions, such as audio MP3s.
Disadvantages of MP4 Technology
The same MP3s piracy issues arise with the
MP4 technology as with MP3s and there are
pirated versions of movies available on the
Internet.
130
24
unit 2
Complete the text below with these words.
according to – any – which – faster – show – size – marketed – does –
also – download – them – than
♦ The iPod
What is meant by iPod?
The iPod is a portable digital audio player (DAP) designed and
(a) ............................ by Apple Computer. It stores audio on a built-in harddrive (b) ............................ gives it a much larger capacity (c) ............................
portable audio players that rely on lash memory.
It can (d) ............................ serve as an external hard disk while connected to
a computer; a user can store (e) ............................ kind of ile on it.
Designed by Apple’s Industrial Design Group, iPods feature small
(f) ............................ , a simple user interface designed around a central scroll
wheel, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Figures (g) ............................ that iPods have
sold at a tremendous rate, (h) ............................ than the Sony Walkman of the
80s and 90s, which sold an estimated 300 million units during that time.
What does iPOD stand for?
Most people know what an iPod is, but what (i) ............................ this word mean?
According to one theory, it’s an acronym for “Interface Protocol Option Devices”. (j) ............................
another, “i” stands for “internet”, while Pod stands for “portable device”. A pod is also a natural
container; peas grow in a pod and iPod contains music.
Podcasting, on the other hand, is a variation of broadcasting. Now you can (k) ............................
programmes from the Internet onto your iPod, instead of listening to (l) ............................ on the
radio.
On October 28, 2004, Apple released
a black-and-red edition of the 4th
generation iPod called iPod U2 Special
Edition. It had a black front with a red click
wheel (the colors of U2’s latest album,
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb),
and featured the signatures of U2’s band
members engraved on the back.
GLOSSARY
broadcasting: trasmettere (via radio
o TV)
to feature: presentare
peas: piselli
pod: baccello
rate: passo, ritmo
to rely on: afidarsi a, basarsi su
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module 3
e. oTher Uses oF The CoMpUTer
25
In the text below you will read about more examples of uses of the computer. Match them
with their descriptions.
Simulation – Burglar alarm – Expert systems – Virtual reality
GIS (Geographical Information Systems) – Embedded computers – Model – Weather forecasting
a. A good example of a computer-controlled system that uses feedback. The system constantly
collects data from an input sensor, and when the data suggests that an intruder is present the
system sends a signal to an output device, such as a loudspeaker or a siren. .............................
............................................
b. A computer where the input, process and output devices are all contained inside the machine
they are meant to control. Examples include microwave ovens, video recorders and modern
washing machines. .........................................................................
c. These systems combine information in a database and mapping software to produce an
output that is a map form. They help drivers showing them the quickest or shortest route on
a journey. .........................................................................
d. A weather map of an area can be produced using a geographical information system. The
images collected at different times are combined to create the effect of a moving image of
the weather systems. The same can be done for data collected by a weather satellite; this is
a photographic image converted into digital data. .........................................................................
e. An artiicial recreation of an object that should behave as the real thing, e.g. a model of a
sports car built for testing in a wind tunnel. .........................................................................
f. The model is used to carry out an activity that mimics real life, like when bridge designers
use a model to simulate the behaviour of the actual bridge. .............................................................
............
g. It aims to give the user a more complete experience. The
user might experience noise, movements and views
(using a special visor) similar to what would happen
in reality. These models tend to be large and complex.
.........................................................................
h. They model the knowledge of a human expert. They
contain a bank of data about a particular subject,
as well as a set of instructions for processing the
knowledge. The idea is that the computer asks
the user a series of questions: the answers will
help determine the next questions. Eventually the
computer has enough information to suggest a solution
to the problem. These can be used to give advice about illnesses
that match certain symptoms, or advice on tax/welfare benefits, etc.
.........................................................................
GLOSSARY
to aim: mirare
to behave: comportarsi
illness: malattia
journey: viaggio
oven: forno
noise: rumore
132
route: percorso
weather: tempo
wind tunnel: galleria del vento
26
unit 2
Give the Italian for the terms/expressions as they appear in italics in the text above. Watch
out: there are some false friends!
a. burglar alarm: ........................................................................................................................................................
b. embedded:
.............................................................................................................................................................
c. weather forecasting:
d. suggests:
...........................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
e. are meant to: .........................................................................................................................................................
f.
map:
.........................................................................................................................................................................
g. built:
.........................................................................................................................................................................
h. to carry out:
i.
actual:
j.
large:
......................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................
k. knowledge:
l.
...........................................................................................................................................................
as well as:
m. eventually:
............................................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................
n. enough information:
o. advice:
...........................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................
p. beneits:
..................................................................................................................................................................
27
Pair Work. Ask questions for your partner to answer about some of the uses of computers
above.
Ex: What is the difference between a model and a simulation?
What is meant by virtual reality?
What are the two parts of an expert system?
What is an embedded computer?
28
Listen and complete these notes on how computers are used in shops.
1. Bar code: a pattern of thin and thick .................................... you ind on most ....................................
.........................................
which contains details about the product.
2. EPOS: .................................... Point of Sale – i.e. .................................... tills. The details are
scanned by a laser scanner connected to the store’s .................................... which contains the
current ................................... so that the till can print the customer’s bill and .................................... .
3. Stock control: the computer reduces the recorded ......................................... and sends an
.........................................
for more stock automatically to the shop’s supplier.
29
Pair Work. Report orally about how computers are used in shops.
30
Listen and repeat.
record
directory
unique
length
ield
item
access
fewer
report
query
support
spreadsheet
recipient
viruses
virtual
133
U N I T
3
THE INTERNET
In this Unit you will ind information about Internet access and services, different
ways to search for web pages (search engines, URL, hyperlinks, web browsers)
and web sites.
a. THE INTERNET CONNECTION
1
and SERVICES
Listen and complete the text below.
The Internet is an international network of computer
networks. A computer gets connected by using a
normal …………….........…………….. line and a modem
that converts digital signals into the analogue
…………….........…………….. carried over telephone
lines and the other way round. The modem calls
and connects to a computer owned by an Internet
Service …………….........…………….. – ISP for short.
The connection between the user’s computer and
the Internet can be either a …………….........…………….. ,
dedicated connection or a temporary, dial-up one.
A dial-up connection offers the lowest …………….........……………..
but requires the user to wait for the connection to be established
each …………….........…………….. the modem is used. A dedicated connection uses a technology
called ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and is ready to use at all ……………......……….. .
It costs more but you can send more data at a …………….........…………….. speed.
There are alternative ways of connecting to the Internet: for example, with a mobile phone
contract or pay-as-you-go …………….........…………….. , which includes Internet access, or through
wireless communication (Wi-Fi), in which case the data travels through the air rather than
through cables.
The two most important pieces of software are a web …………….........…………….. – to display web
pages and interact with various kinds of Internet resources available on the WWW (World Wide
Web) – and an …………….........…………….. client, which transmits and receives email from a PC.
Web-browsers sometimes need plug-ins to play multimedia …………….........…………….. like videos.
The most popular browsers are: Internet Explorer (developed by Microsoft), Google’s Chrome,
Mozilla FireFox and Apple’s Safari.
134
a. What is the Internet?
..............................................................................................................................................
b. What do you need to get connected?
..............................................................................................................
c. In what decade did the Internet start?
..............................................................................................................
d. What do you usually surf the net for?
..............................................................................................................
e. What browser do you usually use?
2
....................................................................................................................
a. What is the Internet?
.........................................................................................................................................
b. What do you need to get connected?
..........................................................................................................
c. What are the two connection systems?
.......................................................................................................
d. What are the two most important pieces of software required?
e. What are the two most popular browsers?
..........................................................
.................................................................................................
WWW
The World Wide Web was developed in 1989
by Tim Berners Lee at CERN research centre; it is
an internet-based hypermedia system for global
information sharing. Documents on the net
are called hypertexts, that is, texts that contain
links to other relevant data and allow readers to
move between areas of a document, following
subjects of interest on a variety of different
paths. Hypermedia is a hypertext document that
contains, or has links to, other types of media
such as pictures, sound, video and so on.
GLOSSARY
to dial-up: comporre il numero
telefonico, chiamare al telefono
the other way round: viceversa
for short: in breve
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module 3
3
Tick the term deined in the text below.
Internet
Dial-up
Broadband
ADSL
The term has come to be used for any kind of Internet connection with a download speed of
more than 56 kbps, usually some kind of Digital Subscriber Line, e.g. ADSL. It is typically always
connected, in contrast to a dial-up connection, and a ixed monthly rate is charged. Domestic
such connections typically share a telephone line with normal voice calls and the two uses can
occur simultaneously without interference.
Broadband
Dialup and broadband use the same phone line, but
broadband uses it much more eficiently. Where dialup
sends only one voice or data signal down one channel,
broadband divides the line into multiple channels, each of
which can send data in parallel. Most channels (red) are
used for downloading; a few are reserved for uploading
(blue). You can also have a phone conversation at the same
time (using the green channel).
…
4
Match the Internet service to its function.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
WWW
email
FTP
VoIP
Blogs
chat-lines
SMS
videoconferencing
5
Read the text below, then give an oral report on:
– what videoconferencing allows you to do;
– what its advantages and disadvantages are.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
to send messages
to share information/documents
to talk on-line
for online meetings
to transfer any type of ile
to make phone calls over the Internet
to write online diaries
to send text messages
Videoconferencing allows face-to-face meetings to be conducted without the participants being
in the same room or even the same geographical area, but a good broadband connection is
needed. You will probably have seen videoconferencing systems used to interview people in
distant locations on the TV news.
Videoconferencing allows people to hold a “virtual meeting”. The people at the meeting can see
and speak to each other. They are also able to share documents and presentations.
136
THE INTERNET
unit 3
Advantages of using videoconferencing are:
• It improves family life as less time is spent away from home staying in hotels.
• It saves money, as businesses do not have to spend on travelling expenses, hotel rooms, meals,
etc.
• Meetings can be organized at very short notice without too much planning.
• Less stress as employees can avoid spending time travelling, and cut down on pollution.
• It improves the productivity of employees as they are not wasting time travelling.
Disadvantages of using videoconferencing are:
• The cost of the equipment, as specialist videoconferencing equipment can be expensive.
• Poor image and sound quality in some cases.
• Lack of real face-to-face contact may mean a discussion may not be as effective.
• Although documents and diagrams in digital form can be passed around, an actual product or
component cannot.
6
Read the “Start your own blog” box:
think of a title for your blog, then write
your irst message to get your friends
involved in your subject.
7
Read the “Join the twitterati” box: you
only have 140 characters to enter your
update in the “What’s happening?” box.
Write something interesting to get your
followers involved.
START YOUR OWN BLOG!
JOIN THE TWITTERATI
Why? Just for fun or to promote yourself
or your business
What you need: a computer, an Internet
connection and… an idea!
How? There are plenty of providers to
choose from, all pretty similar and free.
• Decide on the look and edit the
layout choosing from the style options
available.
• Give your blog a title that relects the
content ill in the “About” information
and then you’re ready to start blogging!
• Send your blog URL (web address) to
everyone you know.
Go further? Sign up to twitterfeed.com
to link your blog to Facebook and Twitter
– when you post a new blog, a message
pops up on your other social network
pages.
Why? To share short snappy updates on
your work or personal life.
What you need: a computer, a Twitter
account, an Internet connection and a
smartphone, if tweeting on the go.
How? Sign up at twitter.com.
On your computer:
• On the home page there’s a “What’s
happening?” box. Enter your update,
but you only have 140 characters, so
make it interesting!
• The more you tweet, the more
followers you’ll have!
• To ind people to follow, use the search
bar at the top.
From your smartphone:
• You’ll need a Twitter app, which you
can get for free from the App Store if
you have mobile Internet.
137
module 3
8
Listen and complete these notes on the main services of the Internet: for communication,
commerce, leisure and information retrieval.
The Internet is so useful it is hard to think of how we could cope without it. There are many
different uses for the Internet.
Communication:
• Email – much cheaper and ...................................... time consuming.
• File attachments or ile transfer – you can send anything that can be stored as a ile.
• Text messaging or SMS (Short Messaging Service) – fast, cheap messages can be sent from ........
..............................
devices.
• Instant messaging – you can chat by typing in ...................................... .
•
......................................
– this is like an online diary where people who are interested can ind out
what you have been doing.
• Social networking ...................................... – these allow you to keep in touch with friends.
E-commerce
Organizations use websites to sell goods.
Customers ...................................... online catalogues and buy goods.
Leisure
• Keeping in touch with friends and family using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), .......................,
social networking sites, chatrooms, etc.
• Researching places to go.
• Playing online ...................................... .
• Listening to music or the radio, ...................................... old TV programmes.
• Shopping.
Information retrieval
•
......................................
• Information about ...................................... , the weather forecast, taxes, illnesses, etc.
• Users can log into their organization’s ICT system from a remote location and use the
organization’s ...................................... to extract the information they need.
I decided to have the surgery because I need
the extra thumb for text messaging.
9
Pair Work. Describe the function of the Internet services you know in your own words.
138
THE INTERNET
unit 3
B. SURFING THE NET
10
Read this text and underline any information which is new to you.
The world-wide web is enormous, so you need to know how website
addresses are structured and how to locate them. To ind sites you can
use search engines.
Search engines are web sites that help you search for other web
sites. A search engine is a type of software that creates indexes of
databases or Internet sites based on the titles of iles, keywords, or
the full text of iles. It has an interface that allows you to type what
you are looking for into a blank ield. It then gives you a list of the
results of the search. When you use a search engine on the web, the
results are presented to you in a hypertext, which means you can click
on any item in the list to get the actual ile. However, no single search
engine will have data on every web site, so it is worth using more than one.
Various algorithms (processes) are used to decide the order in which pages will appear. For
advertisers it is important to appear near the top so that people will ind them easily. Businesses
can pay for advertisements to give them more prominence.
Finding resources is easier than ever. You can restrict the results to include only those from a
particular country or the type of websites you want to see. There are many extra services that
search engines provide. You can type “deine: dongle” and a list of deinitions of “dongle”
will appear. You can take a picture with a smartphone and it will be analysed and possibly
recognized so that you can look up information about landmarks, works of art or even people.
Another type of search is using more than one keyword and linking them together with logical
operators such as AND, OR, NOT or “ ” (quotation marks placed around multiple words) to
reduce the number of sites found in a search.
To ind information, you can also type in the URL, in other words, the address of a web page.
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. URLs contain no capital letters, spaces or certain
types of punctuation. But some full stops, colon and slashes are necessary, and they have to be
in exactly the right places. Type URLs carefully, otherwise you’ll either end up looking at the
wrong web site or, more likely, you will get an error message.
Example: http://www.the-times.co.uk/news
This is the URL of the British daily newspaper “The Times”.
– http
– www
– the-times
– .co
– .uk
– /news
This stands for hypertext transfer protocol, which is the language the
web uses. You don’t have to type it usually, as most web browsers add it
automatically. It contains the protocol. Alternatively, it can be “ftp” – File
Transfer Protocol.
This means that it’s a web site.
This is the domain name; it is usually the name, nickname, initials, of the
company, organisation, government department or whatever.
This is the domain type; “co” means the web site is run by or for a
company.
This is the country code and tells the computer that the web site is held on
an ISP in the United Kingdom.
This tells the computer exactly which page within the site you are after.
139
module 3
Other common country codes are:
– fr
– de
– it
– nz
France
Germany
Italy
New Zealand
The USA doesn’t have a country code, which is a bit weird considering they invented the
Internet in the irst place. Just assume that if there is no country code in the web address, it is
American.
Main domain types:
– com
– co
– gov
– ac
– net
– org
11
business (mainly American)
business (non-USA)
government
university/academic
general, often business
other organizations, e.g. charities
a. What are the three main ways to ind pages on the Internet?
.............................................................
b. How do search engines help you to ind information on the Internet?
c. What do the initials “http” and “URL” stand for?
d. What are the main parts of a URL address?
.............................................
...................................................................................
...............................................................................................
e. What is the country code for the USA? ........................................................................................................
12
Write down the answers you have given and join them into a summary of the text above.
13
Give the names of the different parts of these URLs.
http://www.wordreference.com
http://www.amazon.co.uk
14
Write a deinition of these terms.
• Search engine:
• URL:
..........................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
• HTPP:
..........................................................................................................................................................................
GLOSSARY
actual: vero e proprio
to be worth: valere la pena
blank ield: campo/spazio vuoto
charities: istituti di beneicenza
colon: due punti
in the irst place: prima di tutti, per
primi
more likely: più probabilmente
otherwise: altrimenti
to type: dattiloscrivere, digitare
140
to type in: digitare
weird: strano
whatever: quant’altro
you are after: stai cercando
THE INTERNET
unit 3
C. INTERNET PROTOCOLS
15
Read the text below and underline the main protocols and standards that the Internet uses
and the reasons why the Internet has become so successful.
The Internet is an infrastructure that uses TCP/IP protocols to share data. Protocols are standards
or rules that deine the structure of data and how it is transmitted. The Internet has become
a success because rules have been laid down to allow all computers to communicate to each
other, no matter what type they are.
TCP/IP means Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. It consists of several different
protocols, such as:
PROTOCOL
PURPOSE
HTTP – HyperText Transfer Protocol
Sending web pages
FTP – File Transfer Protocol
Sending iles of all types
POP – Post Ofice Protocol
One method for sending emails
♦ Sending data
One reason the Internet is so successful is because there
are many alternative routes that data can take. A message
is broken into packets and these can travel by various
routes from A to B. The packets are put back together at
the destination. If one route is busy or blocked, another
can be found.
A
B
♦ Standards
Many standards have become common on the Internet. This helps to make sure that all
connected computers can communicate in much the same way. These include:
– DNS (Domain Name System): each computer on the Internet has an address called an IP
address. This is so that data can be sent to the right place. The address is made from a set
of numbers; however, because numbers are hard to remember, the DNS lets us use easyto-remember names, such as wikipedia.org. This is the URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
of a resource such as a web page. Special domain name servers change this name into the
numbers so that we can ind what we want.
– HTML (this is the set of standards for writing web pages).
16
Pair Work. Describe the main
protocols and standards that
the Internet uses; also, give two
reasons why the Internet has
become so successful.
Internet vs. www
It is common to confuse the Internet with the World Wide
Web. Remember: the Internet is the structure, while the
World Wide Web is the collection of web pages!
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module 3
17
Pair Work. Answer these questions. Then read the text below and check your answers.
a. What is a bookmark?
d. What is a hyperlink?
b. What can it do?
e. What is its function?
c. What is a bookmark called by Microsoft Explorer?
♦ Bookmarks and Hyperlinks
You can also ind pages using bookmarks and hyperlinks.
Bookmarks are standard features of web browsers that help your navigation. A browser can
save URLs you often use by adding them to a special list, so you don’t have to type them each
time to access that particular site or page. Microsoft Explorer calls this feature “favourites”.
If you want, you can save favourites in groups, which makes it easier to ind the one you want,
e.g. you might want to put all your favourite music sites together.
Browsers usually keep a list of all the web sites you have visited, this is called the history. If you
want to revisit a web site, you can get the URL from the history list.
If you have followed a series of hyperlinks but want to go back to a page you saw earlier, then
the browser can retrace its steps, and go back one page at a time. And once you have gone
backwards, you can also go forwards.
Hyperlinks are references to URLs that are often coloured
blue and underlined and that you click on to go somewhere
else. The pointer of the cursor changes to a hand when you
hover over a hyperlink. Hyperlinks connect the different parts
of the web; to the computer, they are an instruction to open a
speciied ile, which is located along a particular path; to us,
we click on a hyperlink and that is where we go next.
18
Match the words below, in italics in the text above, with their Italian equivalent.
a. bookmark
1. digitare
b. to type
2. segnalibro
c. to hover
3. in avanti
d. earlier
4. gironzolare
e. backwards
5. prima/precedentemente
f.
forwards
6. all’indietro
19
Translate the following paragraph into Italian.
Downloading web pages can take a long time, especially if they have got lots of graphics and
animation. So the computer usually saves all web pages you view onto its hard drive. Then if you
want to see a page again, the computer can use the version on disk rather than reload everything
down the phone line. This store of temporary pages is called a cache.
Other iles, like software updates or music iles, can be compressed to reduce their size and this
means they will take less time to download. To actually use the ile once you have downloaded it,
you need to have the correct software to decompress it.
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unit 3
D. ONLINE COMMUNITIES
20
Read the text below and , the main
information.
Websites were once depositories of information
put on a web server by someone so that “surfers”
could look at it. More recently, there have been
more websites that encourage interaction. Their
content is continually added to by the users.
The use of the Web in order for users to add
content is known as Web 2.0.
Many websites encourage the formation of
communities, that is, like-minded people
from all over the world who can meet online,
exchange information, discuss things, make
friends, arrange dates and work together. They
encourage interactions that were never possible
before. There are hundreds of such sites, but
they tend to have certain facilities in common
that have made them so successful.
Industrial and social media technologies enable
anyone to reach a global audience because:
• they are easy to access
• they cost nothing or very little to use
• anyone can provide content
• they are up-to-date – material is always being
added to them
• they can be edited.
♦ Social network sites and leisure
Social network sites allow people with shared interests to meet. They usually have a proile
submitted by the user, plus social contacts. Other services vary between sites, such as photo
sharing, game playing, downloading applications, instant messaging and email.
When using these sites, users need to be careful not to give away too much information about
themselves because this information becomes public. These sites are regularly used by criminals,
employers, police, security agencies, credit agencies and the press to gain private information
that has been carelessly put there.
Privacy settings give some control over this, but choosing the right level of privacy needs careful
thought so that you can meet the people you want without giving away your details to others.
Blogs (web logs) are websites maintained by individuals. Comments are put there on a regular
basis and others can usually make comments in return. There are huge numbers of blogs, but
some have become very inluential. Brief message blogs, such as Twitter, enable fast publication
of comments and are often useful when a news story is breaking.
Video sharing sites such as YouTube are a good way to publish video clips or even longer
videos. They are used for entertainment, making statements and showing clips from shows and
musical events.
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module 3
As well as clips that can be downloaded and played, video can be streamed so that it plays as
it is being downloaded. This is becoming a popular way to view TV programmes, because they
can be watched whenever you like without having to bother recording them.
♦ Social Network Sites and Work
Where the focus is the group and not the individual, some online communities take a different
approach and can often become highly productive and develop software, such as open source
software. There is plenty of irst-rate software available online from communities who work for
the fun of it, to improve their members’ skills and for the general good.
Some online communities have less admirable aims and may help criminals to coordinate their
activities.
♦ Wikis
A wiki (Hawaiian for “fast”) is a website that lets users create linked web pages. The users can
edit each other’s work and cooperate on projects. One of the most successful is Wikipedia.
Wikipedia is a free, collaboratively edited and multilingual Internet encyclopedia. Its articles
are written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be
edited by anyone with access to the site. As of July 2012, there are editions of Wikipedia in 285
languages. It has become the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet.
Wikipedia was launched in January 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. Sanger coined the
name Wikipedia from the Hawaiian word wiki, meaning “quick” and encyclopedia.
In its 2006 “Person of the Year” article, Time magazine recognized the rapid growth of online
collaboration and interaction by millions of people around the world. It cited Wikipedia as an
example, in addition to YouTube.
I’m updating the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet. In my version,
they are destined to be apart forever because he’s on Twitter
and she’s on Facebook.
GLOSSARY
aim: scopo
breaking news: dare le notizie
dell’ultima ora
to bother: preoccuparsi
to coin: coniare
facility: facilitazione, servizio
irst-rate: ottimo
huge: enorme
144
like-minded people: persone che la
pensano allo stesso modo
setting: impostazione
thought: pensiero
THE INTERNET
21
unit 3
a. What is a blog?
b. Give an example of social network for leisure.
c. What type of website is designed to enable the creation of web pages by a team of users
working together?
d. What type of software is created by an online community and made available to anyone?
e. Why should you think carefully about the level of privacy you set on your computer?
22
Match these expressions with their translation.
a. provide content
11. combinare appuntamenti
b. make friends
12. lavorare per divertimento
c. arrange dates
13. fornire contenuto
d. make statements
14. correggersi il lavoro l’uno con l’altro
e. improve skills
15. farsi degli amici
f.
16. rendere dichiarazioni
edit each other’s work
g. work for the fun
17. ogni volta che vuoi
h. whenever you like
18. migliorare le capacità
23
Prepare an oral report on communities, social network sites for leisure and social network
sites for work.
145
module 3
E. SURFING SaFELY
24
The paragraphs in the text below are not in the correct order. Number them in the right way.
On-line shopping (or e-commerce or on-line retailing) has got much more popular recently.
The basic idea is that the retailer puts details of their products on a web site. Customers can
put what they want to buy into an electronic shopping basket by clicking on a button. They
then pay by using a credit card, and the goods are delivered soon after.
A big problem with the Internet is that data is transmitted using
telephone technology, which means unauthorised users can
intercept the data relatively easily.
In theory, only the retailer’s web site can access the information,
so even if someone intercept the transmission, they won’t be able
to use the data. Websites that encrypt details like this are called
“secure” and display a padlock icon at the bottom of the browser.
Encryption software can reduce this risk. Sensitive information like credit card details is
encrypted by the web site into a code which can only be decoded with the right software
and a special password called a key.
Some people don’t like on-line shopping because they are worried that their credit card
details might be intercepted and used to make unauthorised purchases.
25
Read the paragraph below and then give it a
suitable heading.
..............................................................................................
Some web sites restrict access to authorised users
only. Schools allowing students and parents to
access materials on their intranet might do this to
prevent other people accessing the information.
An intranet is like a private mini-Internet that
can only be viewed by people connected to a
particular organisation. For example, a hospital
might use an intranet to circulate information to
its employees. On-line magazines also do this, so
that only subscribers can access certain materials.
The usual ways to restrict access is to issue user
names and passwords.
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THE INTERNET
26
unit 3
Which of these alternatives is the best heading for the passage below? Tick as appropriate.
What is a virus?
Virus and anti-virus software.
Get protection from hackers and viruses.
Keep hackers out.
Illegal activities.
Hacking means accessing a computer system and its iles without permission. It is totally illegal,
and once inside a system, the hacker might be able to view, edit, copy or delete important
iles, or plant a virus. Organisations can protect themselves with passwords, ile encryption and
hacking-detection software.
A virus is a program deliberately written to infect a computer, and make copies of itself. They
often corrupt other iles and even operating systems. They move between computer systems by
attaching themselves to harmless computer iles and emails.
The main way to reduce the risk of viruses is to use anti-virus software, but it is important to use
an up-to-date version because new viruses are detected practically every day.
Nobody owns the Internet…
One of the greatest things about the Internet
is that nobody really owns it. It is a global
collection of networks, both big and small.
These networks connect in many different
ways to form the single entity that we know
as the Internet. In fact, the very name comes
from this idea of interconnected networks.
Since its beginning in 1969, the Internet has
grown from four host computer systems
to tens of millions. However, just because
nobody owns the Internet, it doesn’t mean
it is not monitored or maintained in different
ways. The Internet Society, a non-proit
group established in 1992, oversees the
formation of the policies and protocols that
deine how we use and interact with the
Internet.
GLOSSARY
goods: merci
padlock: lucchetto
purchases: acquisti
sensitive: sensibile
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module 3
F. PC PROTECTION WHEN ON-LINE
27
Read this article about security on the Internet: underline the suggestions it gives you to
guarantee your security and the integrity of the sites you visit, then rewrite at least eight of
them as short instructions/suggestions.
Ex.: Think about your personal privacy.
Never divulge personal information to anyone unless you know them.
Choose shopping web sites that use “encryption”.
a.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
b.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
d.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
e.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
f.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
g.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
h.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
The Internet newcomers are naturally concerned about security. They worry about whether
it’s safe to send credit card details over the Internet, or whether children will come across
undesirable material. Concerns over the privacy of email and the unauthorised issue of email
addresses are also common.
All these concerns are valid, but there are measures you can take to guarantee the integrity of
the sites your family visits, and that your own personal details are kept conidential.
Keeping it safe and sound
Whether shopping, browsing or emailing, there are ways to guarantee your security on the
Internet. Use them!
Shopping and security
If a shopping Web site states that it uses ’encryption’
technology to transfer credit card details (a complex
and almost unbreakable scrambling system), there
should be no security problem. However, a good Web
site will also offer alternative methods of payment,
such as issuing an invoice, offering to call you and
take details over the phone, or faxing or posting an
order form.
Children and the Internet
The best way to protect children from coming across
undesirable material on the Internet is to use special
software. There are programs, that block access to
sites known to have unsavoury content.
You can also get software that creates a log of all the
sites that have been visited from your PC, and so keep
148
THE INTERNET
unit 3
a check on what your children have seen. You can also use the
History button on your Web browser to do a similar job.
Email
Watch out! It is possible, but very unlikely, that your email could
be intercepted as it is sent across the Internet. However, anyone
who uses your PC could read your email once it has been received,
which is a good reason for being discreet in what you write.
Watch out – When you are communicating with others over the
Internet, remember to think about your personal privacy. Never
divulge personal information such as your address and phone
number to anyone unless you know them or feel sure you can
trust them.
Viruses and the Internet
Computer viruses can seriously damage your PC. The best way to
avoid getting a virus from the Internet, or from any other source, is to use an anti-virus utility.
For added security when downloading iles, ensure the ’Always ask before opening’ box is
ticked on your virus scanner. Only disable this function if you are conident that a ile or ile
type is safe to open.
There is also a risk of infection from ’macro viruses’ that enter your PC via email attachments.
If you are buying anti-virus software, try to choose a package that automatically scans incoming
messages and attachments.
Safeguard your email address
Sometimes, your email address is obtained by companies or individuals who send you junk
email, known as ’spam’. You can try to avoid this by omitting your email address from forms
that you fill in, either by hand or on the World Wide Web.
Only give your email address to individuals of your choice. Good Internet trading companies
should give you the option of withholding your address, even from reputable, third-party
vendors.
GLOSSARY
concern: preoccupazione
to ill in: compilare
forms: moduli
incoming: in arrivo
to issue an invoice: emettere una
fattura
junk: spazzatura
rating: valutazione
refunds: rimborsi
returns policy: facoltà di reso
scrambling system: sistema di
protezione
unbreakable: sicuro
unlikely: improbabile
unsavoury: disgustoso
to withhold: riiutare, negare
whether: se (o no) dubitativo
149
module 3
G. TIPS FOR SURFING SaFELY
28
Read the tips for suring safely below and rephrase them in simple terms.
Ex: a. Choose websites of shops you know or are recommended by friends.
b.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
c.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
d.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
e.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
f.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
a. If you’re unsure, stick to websites of shops you know – but do look in on other less
known ones, just to see what they’re up to. Check out tried and tested websites which are
recommended by friends.
b. While you’re browsing a site, check the Help/Customer Service section to ind out any
hidden costs such as delivery charges. You may save if you buy several things together, but
always look out for prices that don’t include VAT and beware of handling costs, especially
on American sites.
c. If you do buy something, always double-check your order before you submit it – you don’t
want to end up with 20 of something instead of two.
d. Try to save the order form or print it out for future reference. The site should send you an
email with conirmation of your order. Save and print this out too.
e. Don’t assume everything is cheaper online. Check out as many sites as possible.
f. Note the guarantee/warranty and returns policy when you’re shopping for clothes, accessories
or for larger electrical items. Try to discover if they offer refunds or exchanges and ind out
the cost of returning such items.
150
THE INTERNET
29
unit 3
Find these expressions in English in the text above.
che cosa offrono
nascosto
..............................................................................
..............................................................................................
spese di consegna
diversi/e
............................................................................
..............................................................................................
IVA .........................................................................................................
attenzione
...........................................................................................
costi di gestione
................................................................................
far salire (un conto)
facoltà di reso
rimborsi
.........................................................................
....................................................................................
...............................................................................................
controllare due volte
garanzia
.......................................................................
...............................................................................................
abbigliamento
...................................................................................
articoli elettrici
...................................................................................
30
Listen and repeat.
remote
research
allow
issue
average
response
environmental
dial-up
search engine
advertising
weird
unbreakable
returns policy
thought
unreliable
successful
Caution
It is important that you use a secure server when transferring
personal information like credit card numbers over the Internet,
because any stop along the way (in theory) could log your
credit card number. When you use a secure server, the number
is encrypted (coded) and looks like gibberish1 to every computer
except the one you are sending the number to. Look for a “secure
server” option before entering your credit card number online.
GLOSSARY
beware: attenzione
several: diverse, parecchie
delivery charges: spese di consegna they’re up to: che cosa offrono
handling costs: costi di gestione
VAT (Value Added Tax): IVA
hidden: nascosto
1
gibberish: gergo incomprensibile,
nonsense
151
o
d
u
l
e
3
revision and practice
m
vocabulary
These are the key words you have met in this module.
UNIT 1 • bitmap – bold type – CAD – clip-art – cursor – dot – DTP – font – italics – JPEG – pixel –
resolution – software package – spell checker – template – text editing – text formatting – vector –
word processor
UNIT 2 • bar code – database – directory – email – embedded computer – EPOS – expert system –
ield – ile – model – MP3 – query – record – simulation - spreadsheet – stock control –
virtual reality
UNIT 3 • blog – bookmark – browser – chat-line – dedicated connection – dial-up connection –
domain – e-commerce – encryption – hacker – hyperlink – hypermedia – hypertext – intranet –
modem – provider – search engine – social network – URL – videoconferencing – virus – Web –
Web page – Web site
Now use some of the keywords to complete the sentences below.
a.
....................................... is a live connection between people in separate locations for the purpose of
communication, usually involving audio and often text as well as video.
b. A ....................................... usually refers to any text available on the web that contains links to other
documents.
c. A ....................................... is a software program that allows you to view and interact with various
kinds of Internet resources available on the World Wide Web.
d.
....................................... is a method of coding data to prevent unauthorised access, most commonly
used on the Internet to protect email from unauthorised access.
e. The ....................................... is the unique name that identiies an Internet site. It always contains
two or more parts separated by dots.
f.
....................................... is the degree of sharpness of a displayed or printed character or image. It is
expressed as the number of horizontal dots (columns) by the number of vertical lines (rows).
g. A ....................................... is someone who enjoys exploring computer systems, often applied to
people who undertake such explorations illegally.
h.
.......................................
refers to computer simulations of real-world environments that use 3-D
graphics.
i.
....................................... is a system for producing professional-quality reports, booklets and
magazines on a computer.
j. A ....................................... is the physical unit of data in a record.
k. A ....................................... is an application package in which data can be manipulated to produce
calculations.
152
Choose the correct option.
a. Today, word processors are more/less powerful because they can combine graphics, text and
numerical information.
b. Spell-checkers will not/will only recognise misspelt words, not their context.
c A JPEG is a compressed/expanded bitmap.
d. The disadvantage of making a JPEG is that some of the sound effects/picture quality are lost.
e. Spreadsheets are made up of/contained in rows and columns.
f. Expert systems are one type of computer simulation/model.
g. Virtual reality systems need less than/more than just graphics to give the user a sense of realism.
h. Internet is a set of web pages all linked together/computers connected by high-speed
communication lines.
i. URL stands for Unique Resource Link/Uniform Resource Locator.
j. Web-based email uses/does not use a local store on a client PC.
a. What is a virus?
b. How can an organisation prevent unauthorised access to its intranet?
c. What do the initials EPOS stand for?
d. How do search engines help you to ind information on the Internet?
e. What is the difference between lat-ile and relational databases?
f. What is conditional formatting?
g. What is CAD used for?
h. What can you produce with DTP?
i. What is the difference between text editing and text formatting?
j. What is an embedded computer?
Using the list below, choose the most suitable facility needed for each task listed.
database – shopping cart – broadband
encryption – checkout – customer reviews – search
TASK
FACILITY NEEDED
Go straight to a product if you know a description.
A place to put items you want to buy.
A fast Internet connection that allows you to browse
quickly.
The system to ensure the security of credit/debit card
details.
You can see what others say, before you buy.
The place where you pay for goods.
The basis of the online catalogue of goods for sale.
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module 3
Grammar
1. PLURALS
In technical English, some words keep a Latin plural, for example: datum-data1.
Words ending in -is in the singular, end in -es in the plural, for example, crisis-crises.
With the help of a dictionary, give the plural forms of the words below.
analysis: .................................................
series: .................................................
phenomenon: .................................................
formula: .................................................
hypothesis: .................................................
criterion: .................................................
symposium: .................................................
curriculum: .................................................
2. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES
Knowing the meaning of the main preixes (letters added to the beginning of a word) and sufixes
(letters added to the end) help us to understand many new terms, when we know the base word.
The table below shows common preixes and sufixes in technical English.
• A preix changes the meaning of a word.
Preix
a - dis
in (il - im - ir)
un - non
mis
mal
over
under
out
fore
re
Meaning
opposite of / not
opposite of / not
opposite of / not
wrong(ly) / bad(ly)
wrong(ly) / bad(ly)
too much
not enough
surpassing
in front of / in advance
again
Example
asymmetry/disagree
illegal/impossible/irrevocable
unable /non-stop
misunderstanding
malfunction
overestimate
underdeveloped
outnumber
foreground
reset
Give the opposite of these words.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
1
stability
superable
reliable
advantage
possible
responsible
understand
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
continuous
avoidable
suficient
agree
employment
regular
tidy
In Information Science, data can be used for both the singular and plural form (the verb will accordingly be singular or plural).
154
• A sufix changes the function of a word.
Adjectival sufix
ful
less
able-ible
proof
like
Meaning
Example
full of
without
capable of
that can resist sthg.
similar to
useful
useless
responsible
waterproof
robotlike
quality of being
doing the action of
state
state
state
executor of the verb
status
responsibility
programming/planning
development
communication/expansion
usefulness
programmer/computer
ownership
modality
in the direction of
in the direction of
in the direction of
safely/easily
backward(s)/forward(s)
sideways
clockwise
Noun sufix
ability-ibility
ing
ment
tion/sion
ness
er
ship
Adverbial sufix
ly
ward(s)
ways
wise
Give the noun form of these words.
a. powerful: .................................................
e. meaningful: .................................................
b. useless: .................................................
f. available: .................................................
c. subtract: .................................................
g. read: .................................................
d. divide: .................................................
h. advertise: .................................................
Give the adjectival form of these nouns.
a. easiness: .................................................
d. effectiveness: .................................................
b. help: .................................................
e. care: .................................................
c. probability: .................................................
f. dependability: .................................................
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module 3
communication
Listening
IT SAVES A LOT OF TIME
Judi Wilkinson, 29, is a PA (Personal Assistant) from London. She’s currently designing a Web page
for a friend who’s a DJ.
Match the questions to the answers in the interview below. Then listen and check.
a. How do you search for sites?
b. Any others?
c. What are your top websites?
d. What else have you learnt?
e. Has the Net helped you avoid queues and crowds?
I love www.care2.com – a site for sending electronic greeting cards. And www.bbc.co.uk is
packed with everything from what’s on BBC TV to news, sport, travel and the weather.
I work for Friends of the Earth so I often look at our website at www.foe.co.uk/yell/ff/ which has
everything you need to plan a night out at the cinema. It certainly beats scanning all the papers!
Yes! I do all my banking on-line at www.co-operativebank.co.uk. I can log on at any time to
check my statement, transfer money or order a cheque book. It saves a lot of time – and I can
make inancial transactions at 3am!
I visit sites I’ve heard about from adverts, magazines and newspapers. It cuts down the frustration
factor if you have a site address.
I recently did an evening class in Web design. It’s pretty simple, so you can teach yourself quite
easily – I’m designing a Web page for my friend who’s a DJ.
Listen and repeat. Pay attention to the stress.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
advertising
inance
engine
hierarchy
perform
develop
analyze
accept
responsible
avoid
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
advertisement
inancial
engineer
hierarchical
performance
development
analysis
acceptable
responsibility
avoidable
GLOSSARY
to avoid: evitare
adverts (short for advertisements):
annunci pubblicitari
crowds: affollamenti
greeting cards: cartoline
packed with: pieno di
156
pretty simple: piuttosto semplice
queues: code
Speaking
USING THE INTERNET
Pair work. Make a dialogue similar to the one in the listening activity on page 156 by asking
questions about your way of using the Internet.
Pair work. Give deinitions for these terms.
• hyperlink
• clip-art
• DTP
• ISP
• pie-chart
• search engine
• record
• ield
• intranet
• CAD
• hacker
• encryption software
Group work. In a group discuss the following points. The group speaker will report to the class
about your discussion.
a. Have you ever used painting software or drawing software?
Are they dificult to use?
What are their advantages and disadvantages compared to traditional graphics?
Do you think digital graphics will replace traditional one?
b. Have you ever recorded sound using the Windows sound recorder?
Have you ever used sound in a presentation?
Is it dificult to use sound on the computer?
Do you download music from the Internet? How do you do that?
Do you use an mp3 audio player?
What kind of music do you download?
c. Are you familiar with the Microsoft Ofice package?
Can you use “Word”, “Excel”, “Power-Point”,
and “Access” properly?
What have you used them for?
What are their main advantages? Any
disadvantage?
d. How often do you connect to the Internet? What
for?
Do you always ind the information you are
looking for?
Is the information you get always reliable and to
the point?
Have you ever shopped online?
157
module 3
Reading
HEADLINES
Understanding newspaper and magazine headlines sometimes can be very hard. It’s not only a
problem with the language but also with knowledge of the subject.
Read these headlines or subtitles taken from magazines: what are they about?
A bilingual dictionary may help you.
a. European law enforcement agencies are trying to
make the Web safe for e-commerce.
It’s much easier to steal information by sneaking
into a computer network than physically entering
premises.
b. Advanced wireless tech and security software give
Europe an edge in the booming mobile market.
c. Interactive television offers everything from online
shopping to email, to personalized news and
entertainment – all channeled through your home TV.
It’s a couch potato’s paradise.
d. KNOW-HOW - Shortcuts to update your IT savvy –
Never have time to read the instructions on
your gadgets? Let technology expert Nikki Moore of
girlgeekchic.com show you some shortcuts.
e. The farmers and ishermen of this tiny state are
trading their plows and nets for the Internet.
Do you know the meaning of these two Internet jargon terms below? If not, read their
deinition.
• Netiquette, or net etiquette, refers to etiquette on the Internet. Good netiquette involves
respecting others’ privacy and not doing anything online that will annoy or frustrate other people.
Three areas where good netiquette is highly stressed are email, online chat, and newsgroups. For
example, people that spam other users with unwanted emails or lood them with messages have
very bad netiquette. You don’t want to be one of those people... If you’re new to a newsgroup
or online chat room, it may help to observe how people communicate with each other before
jumping in.
Before asking a question, read the messages already in the group and read the group’s FAQ if it
has one.
Be proud of your postings but don’t post just to see your name in pixels. Remember: your future
employer may be reading.
• Newbie BrE /’nju:,bi/; AmE /’nu:,bi/
Originally from British public-school and military slang variant of “new boy”, a newbie is an
inexperienced user of computer technology or the Internet.
GLOSSARY
couch potato: detto di persona
sempre seduta sul divano (couch)
a guardare la tv
edge: vantaggio, margine
plow: aratro
savvy: conoscenza pratica
158
shortcut: scorciatoia
to sneak into: introdursi
furtivamente
Writing
USEFUL PHRASES FOR LETTERS AND EMAILS
FORMAL
INFORMAL
Opening
Dear Mr / Ms Lawson,
Further to our phone call, …
With reference to your letter of …
I’m writing to conirm …
Apologising
We hope you will accept our apologies. Sorry I’m late.
Please accept our apologies.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Thanking
We thank you for sending us …
Thank you in advance for your help.
Many thanks for sending me…
Thank you for your help.
Asking for information
Could you please provide information
about the following: …
Please let me know …
I’d like to know a little more about …
Making a request
Could you please send us …?
We would be grateful if you could
send us …
Can you please email …?
Can you send me …?
Giving information
We are pleased to inform you that …
Please note that …
Giving instructions
For further information, please contact Call me if you need any more
our ofice on 5453 75645
information.
Final sentence
We look forward to hearing from you.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Looking forward to seeing you.
Closing phrase
Yours sincerely,
Best wishes. Best regards.
Kind regards. All the best.
Hi Julie / Hello!
I’m writing to let you know about …
Thanks for your report.
Complete the following emails with words from the table above.
• Dear Ms Davies,
with ................................... to your last email, I am ................................... to conirm that I will be able to
attend the meeting next Tuesday.
I am looking ................................... to meeting you.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Clifton
• Hi George,
I'm writing to ................................... my travel plans next week.
I’m arriving at the airport on Monday at 2.15. I’ll take a taxi to your ofice and hope to be there
by about 4 pm.
...................................
to seeing you again.
All ................................... ,
Mary
159
l clil clil clil
lanGuaGe immersion
LITERATURE
Frankenstein
Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus1 is a novel written
by Mary Shelley about a creature produced by an unorthodox
scientiic experiment. Shelley started writing the story when
she was eighteen and the novel was published when she was
twenty-one. The irst edition was published anonymously in
London in 1818. Shelley’s name appears on the second edition,
published in France in 1823.
Shelley had travelled in the region in which the story takes
place, and the topics of galvanism2 and other ideas similarly
considered “occult” at the time, were themes of conversation
among her companions, particularly her future husband, Percy.
The storyline emerged from a dream. Mary, Percy, Lord Byron
and John Polidori decided to hold a competition to see who
could write the best horror story. After thinking for weeks
Mary Shelley
about what her possible storyline could be, Shelley dreamt
about a scientist who created life and was horriied by the creature he had made (often referred
to as Frankenstein’s monster or, incorrectly, Frankenstein). She then wrote Frankenstein, at a
time when the world was amid the turmoil of change and progress.
Frankenstein relects fear of the scientiic revolution and symbolizes many aspects of the
revolutionary spirit of the era. Victor Frankenstein combines ancient sciences and new ones, such
as chemistry and anatomy, and his interests and studies lead him to discover the secret of creating
life and he becomes obsessed with the project of making a creature similar to a human being.
Victor frequents graveyards and slaughter-houses to obtain materials for his project, and after
working on the creature for two years, inally infuses life into it. After doing so, he is horriied
at what he has created, and Frankenstein’s creature becomes a plague to him. He constantly
suffers depression and his life is ruined as he is overwhelmed by despair – both at the thought
of his creation and the murders which it eventually commits.
Victor exclaims, “None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements
of science. In other studies, you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing
more to know; but in a scientiic pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder.”
With this statement, Shelley shows some of her feeling of contempt for science because it
investigates the unknown and often changes basic beliefs held in the world. She analyses
and criticises the dangerous implications of the scientiic method and its practical results; she
contrasts what she considers “good science” – detailed description of the workings of nature –
with what she considers “bad science” – manipulation of the elemental forces of nature to serve
man’s private ends.
1
In Greek mythology, Prometheus was the Titan who created mankind. Prometheus was also a myth told in Latin but this was a very
different story. In this version, Prometheus makes man from clay and water, a very relevant theme to Frankenstein, as Victor rebels
against the laws of nature (how life is naturally made) and as a result is punished by his creation.
2
In Biology, galvanism is the contraction of a muscle that is stimulated by an electric current. In Physics and Chemistry, it is the
induction of electrical current from a chemical reaction, typically between two chemicals with differing electronegativities.
160
Frankenstein also relects the industrial revolution’s effect on Europe, primarily the working
classes’ appeals for suffrage and other rights. The industrial revolution spawned the creation
of large factories with wealthy owners but also led to a working class with long working hours
and very low wages. Women were paid half mens’ wages, and children a quarter. This led to the
development of labor unions and working class demands for voting rights and a less demanding
labor environment.
Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement and is
considered one of the earliest examples of science-iction.
The story of people creating new life through machines continues to engage ilmmakers and
other storytellers in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Choose the correct or most appropriate option.
1. Shelley started writing the story when she was:
a. twenty-one.
b. eighteen.
c. thirty-eight.
2. The storyline emerged from:
a. a dream.
b. a horror story.
c. the stage adaptation by Peggy Webling.
3. Shelley wrote Frankenstein after dreaming about:
a. ghosts and monsters.
b. a scientist who created life and was horriied by
what he had made.
c. a mad scientist who based his experiments on
Darwin’s theory.
4. Frankenstein is considered the irst:
a. example of a Gothic novel.
b. true horror story.
c. example of a science-iction story.
5. a. Shelley criticises the dangerous implications of the
scientiic method and its practical results.
b. She considers science dangerous and it only serves
man’s private ends.
c. She considers science good because it describes the
workings of nature.
6. a. Women were paid half wages and children that
worked were paid a quarter wages.
b. Women were paid a quarter wages and children
that worked were paid half wages.
c. Women were paid like men and children that worked were paid half wages.
GLOSSARY
contempt: disprezzo
demanding: impegnativo
enticement: lusinga
graveyard: cimitero
murder: assassinio
novel: romanzo
overwhelmed: sopraffatto, travolto
plague: tormento, lagello
pursuit: ricerca, inseguimento
slaughter-house: macello
storyline: trama
turmoil: tumulto, confusione
union: sindacato
161
elts ielts ielts
Speaking Section
The Speaking Section takes between 11 to 14 minutes. It consists of an oral interview between
the candidate and an examiner. Candidates are assessed on their use of spoken English to
answer short questions, speak at length on a familiar topic, and also to ask questions and
interact with the examiner.
In the Speaking Section there are three parts:
In Part 1 the candidates answer general questions about themselves, their homes/families,
their jobs/studies, their interests, and a range of similar familiar topic areas. This part lasts 4-5
minutes.
In Part 2 the candidate is given a verbal prompt on a card and is asked to talk on a
particular topic. The candidate has one minute to prepare before speaking at length, for
between one and two minutes. The examiner then asks one or two rounding-off questions.
In Part 3, the examiner and candidate engage in a discussion of more abstract issues and
concepts which are thematically linked to the topic prompt in Part 2. The discussion lasts 4-5
minutes.
PART 1
• Good morning/afternoon. My name is ............................. . Can you tell me your full name please?
• Thank you.
• Can I see your identiication, please?
• Thank you, that’s ine.
• Now I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself.
Let’s talk about your home town or
village.
• What kind of place is it?
• What’s the most interesting part of your
home area?
• What kind of jobs do the people in your
town/village do?
• Would you say it is a good place to live?
Why?
Please note these are possible questions.
Let’s talk about what you do. Do you work
or are you a student?
OR
Work
• What’s your job? Why did you choose
that kind of work?
• How long have you been doing it?
• Are there things your don’t like about
it? What are they?
Study
• What subjects are you studying?
• Why did you choose those subjects?
How long have you been studying
them?
• Do you enjoy them? Why?
162
r e v i sli ao n g au na dg e p sr ea c t i oc ne
The examiner will now choose two of the following boxes. These are examples.
Family
Language learning
Leisure
Accommodation
Can we talk about your
family?
Do you have a small or
large family? How much
time do you spend with
them? What things do
you do together?
Let’s talk about learning
English.
How long have you
been learning English?
Where did you learn it?
What is easy/difficult?
What opportunities do
you have to speak? Is it
important?
Let’s move on to what
you do in your spare
time.
Hobbies and interests?
When/How did you
become interested?
How do you spend your
holidays? Is there any
place you would like to
visit? Why?
Let’s move on to talk
about accommodation.
Where do you live?
How long have you
lived there? What kind
of accommodation
would you like?
Daily routine
Festivals
Visitors
Food
I’d like to talk about
your daily routine.
Are all your days the
same? Your typical day?
Your typical weekend?
What would you like
to change? What’s the
balance of work/study?
Let’s talk a little about
the festivals in your
country.
What are some festivals
in your country?
Any special food or
activities? What do
you enjoy most? Are
festivals important?
Now I’d like to talk
about visitors to your
country.
What should visitors
to your country see
and do? What kind
of tourists visit your
country? How has
tourism changed your
country?
Moving on to talk about
food…
What kind of food do
you like? What are
typical foods from your
country?
Is cooking a man’s or
woman’s job? How do
you like foreign food?
163

Maria Grazia Bellino English for Information and

Transcription

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