Computer – a multifunctional machine

Before you read

1. Look at the following expressions used while talking about today’s computers and
information technology. Which items can be put together?

a. getting smaller b. costly c. users

d. multifunctional e. omnipresent f. more efficient

g. getting smarter h. getting cheaper i. aid

j. replace humans k. inexpensive l. affordable

m. used for ordinary n. used for special o. general-purpose

things purposes computer

p. faster q. repetitive tasks r. various spheres of life

s. invaluable tool t. extensive applications u. specialists

v. assist humans w. every aspect of human x. creative tasks

life

2. Read the text on the following pages quickly. Which of the paragraphs (1-6) below is about
the following (in some cases more than one answer is possible):

Topic Paragraph/s

A definition of the electronic society

Using computers in offices
Projections about the future
Computers vs. humans
Using computers in everyday life
The advantages of computer-aided manufacturing
Various fields of application of information technology
Benefits of using computers
Computer users vs. professionals
IT and education
While you read

Find the word/expression in each paragraph that matches the description given in the table.
Words from paragraphs 1 and 2 are together in one table:

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1.
Word/expression in the paragraph: Description/definition:
office work done in a traditional way
to see, understand, be aware of
used in
present everywhere
something else is the focus of attention now
precise
not expensive, affordable
common
to substitute
giving better results
professional, expert
sphere of human life
broad, of many different kinds
scientific work

Some people say that they have never used a computer, but they probably use computers
every day – they just do not realize it. This is because there are computers in so many
ordinary things: cars, televisions, CD-players, washing machines etc. Computers are
omnipresent.

Why do some people not realize they use computers every day?

2.
A computer, like any other machine, is used because it does certain jobs better and more
efficiently than humans. It can receive more information and process it faster than any
human. The speed at which a computer works can replace weeks or even months of
pencil-and-paper work. After the introduction of ENIAC, the first general-purpose
computer, during the Second World War, computers quickly proved that they were
faster and more accurate than humans at many tasks. Computers were not working at a
high level though. They assisted people, but not in an intelligent way. Today's intelligent
machines, such as the PC, are becoming more powerful and less expensive. Since they
are programmable, they can be used for many different tasks. This explains why they
are used so much in business, industry and research. As a matter of fact, they have
become so inexpensive that today they can be applied to every aspect of human life. Due
to all these extensive applications of computers to the various spheres of life, it can be
said that over the years the emphasis has shifted from the specialist to the user.

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 In what ways are computers more efficient than humans?
Which important circumstances have changed over the years?

3.
Word/expression in the paragraph: Description/definition:
a person whose job is to organize the affairs
of a company or an institution
obligatory
equipment or place used for a particular
purpose
a book used by teachers for entering marks
given in exams etc.
precious, extremely useful
doing a lot of different jobs
the moment of finishing high school/college
teacher, instructor
to enter new information
to create
plural of ‘phenomenon’
to arrange

The computer is a multifunctional machine. For the student, it can be a personal tutor, a
visual demonstrator of scientific phenomena, as well as an entertainment facility. For the
teacher, it can be a grade book used to analyze progress of individual students. For the
school administrator, it is an invaluable tool in registering students, scheduling classes,
generating monthly or yearly reports in addition to updating accounts. In most countries
computer education is compulsory for high school graduation. Owing to developments
in the field of satellite communication, specialized distant education has become
possible.
How can different people involved in education benefit from computers?

4.
Word/expression in the paragraph: Description/definition:
the digital office
to make something easier
to take a look at, analyze

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 to connect
LAN
called
teach the personnel the skills for their job

Consider the various uses of computers in the workplace. Word processors simplify the
creation and modification of documents. Electronic mail makes it easy to send messages
worldwide via computer communications networks. Office automation (OA) makes it
possible to link PCs, printers, database systems, and other tools by means of a local-area
network. An eventual goal of office automation has been termed the "paperless office."
Although it is efficient, office automation is not cheap since it is necessary to buy new
hardware and software and to train the staff to use the new technology.

Is this paragraph about advantages of disadvantages of office automation?

5.
Word/expression in the paragraph: Description/definition:
adapted to each particular user
production
series of identical products
the use of the time or money that is available
in a way that avoids waste
items, products, objects
number of faulty products
assisted by computers
related disciplines
possible, easy to get

In industry, two new fields have been created: computer-aided design (CAD) and
computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), often linked as co-disciplines under the title
CAD/CAM. CAD/CAM allows the mass production system to manufacture customized,
"handmade" articles. The machinery can be adapted to a particular product through
computer programming, enabling work on small batches to achieve many of the
economies previously available only through mass production of identical objects.
Automation doesn’t only give flexibility to production. It also results in lower production
costs, reduced error rate and higher quality.

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 • Which of the following items do you associate with 'BEFORE' and 'NOW':
customized small batches economical
inexpensive expensive identical objects
adapted machinery handmade articles mass production

• What makes it possible today to manfacture customized items at an affordable price?

6.
Word/expression in the paragraphs: Description/definition:
sensitive
to have, own
effect
control, monitoring
electronically
to make bigger
to work
uses
endless
to reach, enter
actions that are done in the same way
to have impact on

In an electronic society of the future most of the heavy repetitive tasks will be done (or at
least aided) by electronic means. Manufacturing, bank transfers, international
scheduling of meetings, electronic correspondence, security surveillance, home control
and so on are some of the possible applications of computers. The list seems to be
inexhaustible. Reducing the cost of hardware and software, as well as their constant
improvement, will have – and already has – a major impact on the individual. Lower
prices will continue to expand the PC market, thus enabling new products to be
designed. Smaller personal companions – PCs that are the size of a wallet – will become
common and affordable. The machines will operate independently, but they will
exchange data among themselves automatically by means of wireless technology. It is

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predicted that very soon almost everyone will be in possession of one type of computer
or another. Even today, an individual at home can access a data base to get updated
information on airline reservations, doctor's appointments etc. The answer to the
question how all these developments will affect - or are already affecting - our lives is a
particularly difficult (and delicate) one.

Do these paragraphs contain fact or ideas about the future?

What is the definition of ‘an electronic society of the future’?
After you read

1. Collocations (‘Word partnerships’)

A collocation is a combination of two words that typically go together in a certain language.
There are lots of verb + noun collocations.

Which nouns are missing from the following verb + noun collocations from the text?

verb noun
receive/process i__________
analyze p__________
schedule c__________ / app__________
generate r__________
update acc__________
register s__________
access a d___ b___
do repetitive t______
create / modify d__________
train the s_________
link p__________
manufacture customized a__________

2. Prefixes and suffixes

A prefix is a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning,
for example, ‘mega-’ in ‘megabyte’ or ‘anti-’ in ‘anti-virus’.

• Which prefixes are missing in the following examples from the text?
a) A computer is a _________functional machine.
b) Computers are ________present.
c) They are so ______expensive that today they can be applied to every aspect of human
life.

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 d) It is an ______valuable tool in registering students.
e) CAD and CAM are often linked as ________-disciplines under the title CAD/CAM.
f) The list seems to be _____exhaustible.

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to make another word, for
example, change a verb into a noun, as in ‘process’ > ‘processor’ or ‘automate’ >
‘automation’.

• Which suffixes are missing in the following examples from the text?

a) A computer, like any other machine, is used because it does certain jobs better and
more efficient_____ than humans.

b) For the student, it can be a person_____ tutor as well as an entertain______ facility.

c) Automat______ doesn’t only give flexibility to production. It also results in lower

product______ costs.

Generally speaking, suffixes do not change the meaning of the word, only its grammatical
category. There is, however, one example of a suffix in the text that is used to change the
meaning of the word. Find it.

3. False pairs
There are a lot of examples of words in English that have a similar form in Croatian, but their
meaning in these two languages is different. Such words are called false pairs.

• Find an example of a false pair in the sentence below.

An eventual goal of office automation has been termed the "paperless office."

There are also nouns in English that (can) have a different meaning in singular and plural.
• How do you translate the highlighted nouns in the following examples?

The machinery can be adapted to a particular product through computer programming,

enabling work on small batches to achieve many of the economies previously available only
through mass production of identical objects. Automation doesn’t only give flexibility to
production. It also results in lower production costs.

The answer to the question how all these developments will affect – or are already affecting –
our lives is a particularly difficult (and delicate) one.

4. Translation

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Translate all the underlined sentences/parts of sentences in paragraphs 1-6. Pay attention to
the following linking expressions:

due to though owing to since thus as well as

although by means of in addition to not only …, but also …

Present tenses
Look at the following sentences that contain examples of both present tenses. Where do you
think these sentences are from?

1. I think, therefore I am. 2. Big Brother is watching you.

3. Information technology is not 4. Science is a wonderful thing if one

getting simpler. It is getting more does not have to earn one's living at
complex. it.
5. Is Apple going Hollywood? 6. Dell recommends Windows XP
Media Center Edition

A. Present Simple
1. Present Simple: form
affirmative: -s/-es in third person singular (he/she/it)
interrogative: do/does + infinitive
negative: don't/doesn't + infinitive

affirmative: She gets 20 e-mails a day.

interrogative: Do you use a word processor?
*Which tool checks your spelling?
*Which edit command removes text or images?
(NOTE: In subject questions, ‘does’ is not used!)
negative: I don't work as a programmer.
I hardly ever use this shortcut.

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2. Uses of the Present Simple:
1. To talk about people's routines and habits – actions that happen regularly.

Mr Cheng phones head office every day.

They never go on business trips.

To express routines, adverbs or adverbs phrases of frequency are used, including:

100% always
every day/regularly
usually, normally, generally
often, frequently
sometimes
occasionally, from time to time
seldom, rarely
hardly ever
0% never

2. To describe permanent situations, facts and definitions.

A computer system consists of hardware and software.

I like computer games. Dell makes computers.
Gateway helps higher ed go high tech.

3. To talk about official timetables and schedules.

The class starts at 8. The exam is tomorrow.

The train leaves at 7.15.

4. There are some verbs that are usually not used in continuous.
They are called state verbs. For these, we use the present simple only.

I believe in strong management.

The firm belongs to the Pearson group.
I think I know the answer.

5. When you make an indirect question, starting with: Can you tell me…,
Do you know…, I wonder … etc., you don’t use do/does.
You use the affirmative form of the verb instead. There is no inversion in that case.

How does the computer work?

>> Tell me how the computer works.
(NOT: Tell me how does the computer work.)

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3. Present Simple practice:
1. Make the third person singular form of the following verbs:

catch deny do eat mix fly

go live make miss pass stay
push read reply destroy stand teach
think reach wait surf complete copy

2. Questions with HOW? Write questions to match the following answers.

1. I usually come to work by public transport.

2. It takes me about 45 minutes to get to work.
3. They employ over 2,000 people.
4. I see him three times a week.
5. I expect to earn at least $50,000 a year.
6. The head office is about five miles from the station.
7. We have a meeting every fortnight (every two weeks).

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4. People and technology (Present Simple)

1. How might the following professions use computers? Match A and B.

Example: secretary – keep a database of clients

A - profession B - application

a. architects generate monthly or yearly reports

b. interior designer compose music and play it back

c. secretary register students

d. farmer update accounts at regular intervals

e. school administrator schedule classes

f. landscape gardener design structures

g. musician write their assignments

h. salespeople analyse the progress of individual students

i. teacher compute grades for the entire class

j. managers keep a database of livestock

k. university students make office work much more efficient

email their tutor

experiment with different designs/colours/patterns

demonstrate alternative designs/solutions to clients

keep financial accounts

keep a database of clients

2. To make general statements in singular and plural, use present simple:

Architects can use computers to design structures.

use a computer
A musician can use a computer to compose music.

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 uses
Make some more general statements about professions in the table.
3. Make questions in the present simple based on the Table in Exercise 1.

an architect generate?

interior designers compose?

a secretary register?

What do farmers update accounts?

What does
school administrators schedule?

a landscape gardener design?

Who does musicians write?

Who do
salespeople analyse?

a teacher compute?

How often do managers keep?

How often does
university students email?

experiment with?

demonstrate to clients?

keep a database of?

Example:

• What does a secretary keep? (A database of clients)

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B. Present Continuous/Progressive

BE (AM/IS/ARE) + PRESENT PARTICIPLE (-ING FORM)

1. Present Continuous: form

affirmative: We are dealing with your order now.
He's looking for a job.

interrogative: Is technology evolving rapidly?

Are you using this program to generate reports?

negative: He isn't living in Dublin at the moment.

2. Uses of the present continuous

1. To talk about an event at the moment of speaking.

I'm afraid Mrs Bell can't speak to you at the moment. She's talking to someone on
the other line.
Windows is shutting down.

2. To describe current situations, trends, processes and projects; also, to talk about
transformation (get/become):

We're designing a new advertising campaign.

The world is becoming smaller and smarter.
Flat monitors are getting cheaper.
Microsoft is working overtime to fend off user-created Linux.

3. To describe temporary situations.

He is studying for an important exam. He's not going out much these days.
I'm taking driving lessons this year.

4. You use the present continuous to talk about personal future arrangements, especially when
the time and/or place are given too.

I'm helping John finish his presentation tonight.

What are you doing at the weekend?

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3. Practice: Present Simple or Continuous?
1. Put the verbs into the present simple or the present continuous.

a. They LAUNCH ___________a new project in Indonesia.

b. Good management INVOLVE ___________both technical competence and people skills.
c. The new model COST ___________ $10,000.
d. She WORK ___________in a travel agency to get some practical experience.
e. Philips MANUFACTURE ___________a wide range of consumer goods.
f. He OWN ___________49% of the business.
g. A laptop ENABLE ___________you to work on the plane as you FLY ____________to
your next meeting.
h. Sorry, I'll be late for the meeting – I SIT ___________in a traffic jam.
i. I'm sorry about the noise. They PUT IN ___________a new central heating system.
j. The agency TRY ___________to create a logo that LOOK ______attractive.
k. I NOT UNDERSTAND ___________your comment.
l. What you MEAN ___________by 'effective'?
m. My boss always CRITICISE ___________ my work. (!)

2. Find synonyms among the following verbs. They all express some kind of change.

go up go down get better get worse drop

improve get bigger evolve get more advanced
get smaller get smarter rise grow

Say what's happening to some of the following. Express a transformation – use get, become
or any other transformation verb in present continuous.

the world's population the price of computers technology

your English demand for IT professionals children
big cities the political situation unemployment
oil China cars students
virtualization tools globalization

Example: The demand for IT professionals is going up/growing.

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3. Present Simple or Continuous? Translate the following sentences. Identify uses of present
tenses in the sentences.

a. Što znači kratica OA? Znači 'uredska automatizacija'.

b. Sve više se otvara tržište za područne mreže.

c. Naši operateri rade u sustavu od tri smjene.

d. Gdje ona živi? Inače je iz Londona, ali trenutačno živi u Bruxellesu.

e. Voliš li programiranje? Da, sviđa mi se sve što ima veze s računalima.

f. Sljedeći tjedan leti za Nizozemsku.

g. Obično dolazi u ured ranije, ali nazvao je prije nekoliko minuta i rekao da danas dolazi
u 10.

h. Mobiteli svakim danom postaju sve manji.

i. Roboti polako zamjenjuju ljude u proizvodnom procesu.

j. Svatko tko radi u Londonu nužno ne živi u Londonu.

k. Možeš li mi reći kako radi grafička kartica?

l. Pitam se kako radi ovaj novi softver za optičko prepoznavanje teksta.

m. Koja naredba otvara datoteku?

n. Koja naredba za umetanje ti omogućava da umetneš prijelom stranice?

Citizens of the New Digital Democracy

Read the following text about a member of the web generation. The missing verbs are given
before each paragraph. Use them in the positive or affirmative form of the present.

study struggle mean describe

Lonelygirl 15 is one of the most viewed YouTube users of all time. She's young and pretty, with a
complicated and absolutely compelling personal life. She's also a work of fiction—lonelygirl15 was
created by two professional screenwriters and an actress from New Zealand, of all places. Well—to
paraphrase Woody Allen—you can't have everything.

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But that ________________ there aren't real lonelygirls out there. Take Leila. She's 20 and lives in
Maryland, where she _____________ to be a social worker. Her personal life really is complicated.
Online she _____________her ethnicity as Middle Eastern—she's half Lebanese—and her religion as
Muslim. She ______________ with depression and her crush on the guy at the 7-Eleven. You know—
complicated.

speak give out Run play

Like lonelygirl15, Leila—she __________________ her last name—is a video blogger. Leila has
posted 49 videos on YouTube under the user name pppppanic (that's five ps). She _____________
directly into her webcam about her life, her opinions, her shifting moods, what she did that day. She
says um and ah a lot. She has been known to drink and blog. Sometimes she doesn't speak at all, just
____________ words across the screen while melancholy singer-songwriter stuff _____________ in
the background.

have take love find

This isn't what YouTube was designed for—to be the public video diary of a generation of teens and
twentysomethings. But sometimes the best inventions are the ones people ___________ their own uses
for. "You ____________ people from all walks of life wanting to share a piece of their life with you,"
Leila says. "The feeling of togetherness is unbeatable. It's a beautiful thing."

There's certainly a narcissistic quality to video blogging—who _______________ talking about him—
or herself?—but the interest that bloggers _________ in their own lives is matched by their fascination
with one another's. Leila no longer even bothers with TV.

know find guess put

"I think people are bored with the mainstream media. I've been so caught up in watching other people's
videos. I _____________it more entertaining. Much more real than the run-of-the-mill 'reality' show."
Of course, in the post-lonelygirl15 era, there's always that question mark: How authentic are these
faces on the computer screen? "I ___________ that's the only flaw," says Leila. "You can never really
_______________ the whole side of the story. You just get bits and pieces. You have to
_____________ blind faith in who the person is."

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The English tense system
Look at these sentences. Do you recognize the tenses?

a. He is downloading an interesting file from the Internet.

b. I'm going to finish the paper about the European Union this weekend.

c. She saved the file before leaving the office.

d. A lot of businesspeople in USA will speak Japanese in future.

e. I created my first webpage 2 years ago.

f. This year we have employed 5 new people in our department.

g. We were receiving your mail when the lights went out.

h. This week they are making a lot of phone calls.

i. I have been reading magazines in English since high school.

j. Most of our students can do programming in C++.

k. We have bought a new software package.

Use the sentences above to make questions and negative sentences.

Example:

+ He is downloading an interesting file from the Internet.

? Is he downloading ...? What is he downloading ..?
Where is he downloading the file from??
- He isn't downloading ...

1. When it comes to their form, all English tenses are combinations of the following elements:

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 TENSES IN THE ACTIVE
AUXILIARY VERB + MAIN VERB
BE + -ING (PRESENT PARTICIPLE)
DO + INFINITIVE
HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
WILL + INFINITIVE
TENSES IN THE PASSIVE
AUXILIARY VERB + MAIN VERB
BE + PAST PARTICIPLE

2. The name of the tense depends on the tense the auxiliary verb is in (present/past/future) and
the form of the main verb. In the table below you can find the forms of the most commonly
used English tenses.

TENSES IN THE ACTIVE

AUXILIARY VERB + MAIN VERB TENSE
BE

am/is/are + -ING = Present Continuous

was/were = Past Continuous
have been/has been sitting = Present Perfect Cont.

DO*
+ INFINITIVE
do/does = Present Simple
did like = Past Simple

*only in questions and

negative sentences
HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

have/has seen = Present Perfect Simple

had = Past Perfect Simple

WILL + INFINITIVE

will buy = Future Simple

Optional written assignment

Consider the following ways in which English words can be changed by using a prefix by
looking at a list of most common prefixes (Table 1).

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Then look at the list of some words in which prefixes are used (table 2).

Do the following tasks:

• Choose 5 of the words listed below and explain their meaning, including the
meaning of the prefix. Use a dictionary.

AND:

• Use the Web to find 10 sentences containing any word with a prefix listed in table
1. The sentences should all be IT- or business-related.

Example: You can maximize your chances of finding a job if you are bilingual.

Table 1.

Negative/positive* Size Location Time/order Number

un- mini- inter- post- mono-
dis- semi- super- retro- penta-
in- macro- trans- pre- quad-
im- hyper- peri- ante- oct-
il- maxi- sub- dec-
anti- infra- mega-
mis- extra- multi-
de- bi-
non- tri-
over-* quadr-
re-*

Table 2.

antistatic illegal malfunction semiconductor

microcomputer misunderstand reorganize retroactive
antedated infrared subway pentagon
hexagon macroeconomics unload non-payment
multitasking inexpensive invaluable supersonic
postgraduate undergraduate superhighway hypertext
October interface extraordinary ultraviolet

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