II. Match the words from the Exercise I with the correct meanings (a-j).

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IV. Listen to four people talking about how they use computers at work. Write each speaker’s job in the table and what they use computers for.

V. In small groups, choose one of the areas stated below and discuss what you can do with computers in that area. Use the Useful language.

Formula 1 cars; entertainment; factories and industrial processes; schools/universities

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

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

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

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

I. Write a list of as many uses of the computer, or computer applications, as you can think of.

II. Read the text below and underline any applications that are not in your list.

Computers and microchips have become part of our everyday lives: we visit shops and offices which have been designed with the help of computers, we read magazines which have been produced on computer, we pay bills prepared by computers. Just picking up a telephone and dialing a number involves the use of a sophisticated computer system, as does making a flight reservation or bank transaction.

We encounter daily many computers that spring to life the instant they’re switched on (e.g. calculators, the car’s electronic ignition, the timer in the microwave, or the programmer inside the TV set), all of which use chip technology.

What makes your computer such a miraculous device? Each time you turn it on, it is a tabula rasa that, with appropriate hardware and software, is capable of doing anything you ask. It is a calculating machine that speeds up financial calculations. It is an electronic filing cabinet which manages large collections of data such as customers’ lists, accounts, or inventories. It is a magical typewriter that allows you to type and print any kind of document – letters, memos or legal documents. It is a personal communicator that enables you to interact with other computers and with people around the world. If you like gadgets and electronic equipment, you can even use your PC to relax with computer games.

Nowadays, we cannot imagine our life without computers and the fact is that they have become so important that nothing can replace them. They seem to be everywhere today. Since 1948, when the first real computer has been invented, our life has changed so much that we can call it real digital revolution.

First computers differed from today’s ones. They were so huge that they occupied whole rooms or buildings being relatively slow. They were not faster than modern simple watches or calculators. Nowadays they are also used by scientist and they may also be as huge as the old ones but they are millions times faster. They can perform many complex operations simultaneously and scientists practically can’t do without them. Thanks to them people has access to enormous amount of information. Gathering data has never been simpler than now. They are not only used in laboratories but also in factories to control production. Sometimes it is a computer who manufactures other computers.

But not only in science and industry computers are being used. Thanks to them modern medicine can diagnose diseases faster and more thoroughly. Also in banking system computers have become irreplaceable. They control ATMs, all data is stored on special hard disks and paper isn’t used in accountancy any more. Furthermore, architects, designers and engineers can’t imagine their work without computers. These machines are really everywhere and we depend on them also in such fields as criminology. They help police to solve crimes and collect evidence.

Moreover, computers are wide-spread in education. Except their classic tasks such as administration and accountancy they are used in the process of learning. Firstly, they store enormous amount of data which helps students to gain information. Secondly, thanks to special teaching techniques and programs they improve our skills of concentration and assimilation of knowledge. They have become so popular that not knowing how to use them means to be illiterate.