SPEAKING 2: COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Think of the computer system that will meet the needs of office users (software
engineers, web designers, computer security specialists, gamers etc.), complete the
diagram, describe it and give reasons for your choice.
PC
HARDWARE

SOFTWARE
OS

APPLICATIONS

CPU

MEMORY

PERIPHERALS

RAM

INPUT

ROM

OUTPUT
STORAGE

LISTENING 2
TASK 1 (CD 2.1)
1. Complete the diagram of a PC system

2. In pairs compare your answers

3. Listen to a teacher explaining the diagram to her class and check your answers.
TASK 2 (CD 2.2)
1. Listen to a podcast interview with Bill Thompson, a program developer, and answer the following questions.
- Why is Windows so popular? Give two reasons
- Which Windows Vista edition is aimed at high-end PC users, gamers and multimedia professionals?

2. Listen again and complete the fact file

VOCABULARY 2: SOFTWARE

1. Match the terms with their definitions

flowchart
graphical user
interface

software

LINUX

schedule

disk operating system

debugging

bug

file

eliminate

computer
program
server
programmer
the collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions telling a
computer what to do: system software, application software;
the system software that allows all the hardware and software components to work together;
a set of programs that manages all the computer's resources;
an error in a computer program or system;
a person whose job involves writing programs for computers;
is the process of identifying and removing errors from computer hardware or software;
a computer operating system that controls and manages files and programs stored on disk;
DOS is a shorthand term for several closely related operating systems (MS-DOS, PC DOS, DRDOS etc.) that dominated the IBM PC compatible market;
graphical user interface (n) -LINUX (n) - a graphical representation of a computer program in
relation to its sequence of functions;
a visual way of interacting with a computer using items such as windows, icons, and menus,
used by most modern operating systems;
an operating system modeled on Unix, whose source code is publicly available at no charge;
a set of instructions that a computer follows in order to perform a particular task;
a plan for carrying out a process or procedure, giving lists of intended events and times;
completely remove or get rid of something;
holder, cover, case, box, etc. for keeping data;
a computer or computer program which manages access to a centralized resource or service
in a network;
a computer operating system developed in 1969 by K. Thompson and D. Ritchie; today is
used to describe any operating system that conforms to Unix standards, meaning the core
operating system operates the same as the original Unix operating system;

operating system
1
2
3
4
5
6

7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

2. Match the following words with their synonyms (A, B):

A
Acquaint
Coder
Series
Bug
Expel
Schedule
Execute
Operation
Version
Efficiency

B
Error
Introduce
Eliminate
Programmer
Time-table
Performance
Sequence
Edition
Carry out
Procedure

UNIX

3. Match a verb in A with a noun in B:

A
Load
Solve
Remove
Carry out
Control
Write
Debug
Meet
4. Complete the puzzle using the clues.

B
the net
a button
the system
data
signals
the expenses
specific tasks
two computers together

a graphical representation of a computer program in relation to its

sequence of functions

a program that controls the operation of a device such as a printer or scanner

t
i

an open-source version of the UNIX operating system

a set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving

operations, especially by a computer
the simultaneous execution of more than one task
by a single CPU

5. Match the prefixes with their meanings in the box. Two of them have the same meaning.
again
re-

not (negative)

before

means ______________________________________________________________

pre- means ______________________________________________________________

dis-

means ______________________________________________________________

un-

means ______________________________________________________________

Write a prefix in front of each word (some of them can take more than one prefix)
___ write

___ agree

___ appear

___ do

___ view

___ format

___ like

___ titled

___ finish

___ start

SPECIALIST READING 2: SOFTWARE

1. Before reading, answer the following questions.
COMPUTER-QUIZ

What is the purpose of a device driver?

What are apps?
What is the difference between Notepad and WordPad?
What functions does Adobe Reader perform?
What is DOS?

2. Read the text and study the information about processes called alpha testing, GUI-based software, UNIX
OS, a version of UNIX called Linux and debugging.
Two types of software instruct a computer to perform its tasks systems software and applications software.
Systems software is a permanent component of the computer that controls its fundamental functions.
Different kinds of applications software are loaded into the computer as needed to perform specific tasks for the user,
such as word processing. Applications software requires the functions provided by the systems software.
Modern operating systems provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to make the applications software easier to
use.
A GUI allows a computer user to work directly with an application program by manipulating text and graphics
on the monitor screen through the keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse rather than solely through typing
instructions on command lines. The Apple Computer company's Macintosh computer, introduced in the mid-1980s,
had the first commercially successful GUI-based software.
Another example of systems software is a database system. A database system works with the file system and
includes program that allow multiple users to access the files concurrently. Computers that use disk memory-storage
systems are said to have disk operating systems (DOS). Popular operating systems for PCs are MS-DOS and Windows,
developed by the Microsoft Corporation in the early 1980s and 1990s, respectively. Workstations, servers, and some
mainframe computers often use the UNIX OS originally designed by Bell Laboratories in the late 1960s. A version of
UNIX called Linux gained popularity in the late 1990s for PCs.
Software is written by professionals known as computer programmers. Most programmers in large
corporations work in teams, with each person focusing on a specific aspect of the total project. Computer programs
consist of data structures and algorithms. Data structures represent the information that the program processes.
Algorithms are the sequences of steps that a program follows to process the information. For example, a payroll
application program has data structures that represent personnel information, including each employee's hours
worked and pay rate. The program's algorithms include instructions on how to compute each employee's pay and how
to print out the paychecks.
Generally, programmers create software by using the following development process:
1) Understand the software's requirements, which is a description of what the software is supposed to do.
Requirements are usually written not by programmers but by the people who are in close contact with the future
customers or users of the software.
2) Create the software's specifications, a detailed description of the required tasks and how the programs will
instruct the computer to perform those tasks. The software specifications often contain diagrams known as flowcharts
that show the various modules, or parts, of the programs, the order of the computer's actions, and the data flow
among the modules.
3) Write the code the program instructions encoded in a particular programming language.
4) Test the software to see if it works according to the specifications and possibly submit the program for
alpha testing, in which other individuals within the company independently test the program.

5) Debug the program to eliminate programming mistakes, which are commonly called bugs. (The term bug
was coined in the early 1940s, when programmers looking for the cause of a mysterious malfunction in the huge Mark
I computer discovered a moth in a vital electrical switch. Thereafter the programmers referred to fixing programming
mistakes as debugging.)
6) Submit the program for beta testing, in which users test the program extensively under real-life conditions
to see whether it performs correctly.
7) Release the product for use or for sale after it has passed all its tests and has been verified to meet all its
requirements.
These steps rarely proceed in a linear fashion. Programmers often go back and forth between steps 3, 4, and 5.
If the software fails its alpha or beta tests, the programmers will have to go back to an earlier step. Often the most
difficult step in program development is the debugging stage. A program is considered to have bugs if it is slower or
less efficient than it should be.

VOCABULARY IN USE
3. Replace the italicized words with the equivalents from the box:
hard

get rid of

contain

explanation

stable

basic

parts

order

1. System software is a permanent component of the computer that controls its functions.
2. Most programmers in large corporations work in teams.
3. Often the most difficult step in a program development is the debugging stage.
4. When you debug the program you eliminate programming mistakes.
5. The programs algorithms include instructions.
6. Algorithms are the sequences of steps that a program follows to process the information.
7. Software specifications are a detailed description of the required tasks.
8. Large programs consist of dozens of modules broken up into smaller units.

4. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate words:

encoded

interface instructions programmers

loaded

programs

sequences

eliminate

bugs

1. Applications are ________ into the computer as needed to perform specific tasks for the user.
2. Modern operating systems provide graphical user ________ to make the applications software easier to use.
3. A database system includes ________ that allow multiple users to access the files concurrently.
4. Software is written by ________
5. The code is the program instructions ________in a particular programming language.
6. To debug the program is to ________ mistakes, which are called ________
7. Algorithms are the ________ of steps that a program follows to process the information.
8. The program algorithms include a set of ________

PROBLEM SOLVING
5. Which IT professionals are described here? Complete these definitions with jobs from the box.
software engineer
DTP operator

computer security specialist

blog administrator help desk technician

hardware engineer network administrator webmaster

1. A _________________________ designs and develops IT devices.

2. A _________________________ writes computer programs.
3. A _________________________ edits and deletes posts made by contributors to a blog.
4. A _________________________ uses page layout software to prepare electronic files for network.
5. A _________________________ manages the hardware and software that comprise a publication.
6. A _________________________ designs and maintains websites.
7. A _________________________ works with companies to build secure computer systems.
8. A _________________________ helps end-users with their computer problems in person, by email or over the
phone.
COMPREHENSION CHECK
6. Give definitions to the following notions:
algorithm

instruction

specification

requirement

module

7. Mark the following statements as true or false, correct the false ones. Find information in the text if
necessary.
True
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A database system is another example of systems hardware.

LUNIX is another reimplementation of UNIX.
UNIX-like systems were run in the early 1990s and were applied for PCs.
The Macintosh Computer company had the first commercially successful GUI-based software.
Algorithms are the sequences of steps that a program follows to process the information.

8. Answer the following questions:

1. Why is it so important to understand the software requirements?
2. What does it mean to write the code?
3. For what purpose should programmers debug the program?
4. What is an algorithm?
5. When did The Apple Computer Companys Macintosh computer appear?

False

GRAMMAR 2: CONDITIONALS

1. Underline the correct form of the verb.

1. If system software were not / was not / is not a permanent component of the computer, it wouldnt / does not
control its fundamental function.
2. If a database system wont include / doesnt include / didnt include programs, it isnt possible / wasnt possible
/ wont be possible to allow multiple users to access the files concurrently.
3. If we manage / can manage / managed to store endless amounts of data, probably, it wouldnt be necessary to
have such hard storage devices we have now.
4. Even if a program works / will work / worked correctly it will have bugs, if it is slower or less efficient that it
would be.
5. If the name UNIX wasnt / werent / isnt a trademark of The Open Group, it wouldnt license it for use with any
operating system that has been shown to conform to their definitions.
6. If operating system was not responsible / were not responsible / is not responsible for the management and
coordination activities of the computer, it wouldnt serve as an interface between hardware and user.
2. Complete these sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
1. If you (bring) __________ your digital video camera, we can make a movie on my PC.
2. If you (like) __________ entertainment, you will love the latest multimedia video games.
3. If we had upgraded our computer we (not get) __________ this problem.
4. You won't be able to play those video files if you (not have) __________ the correct plug-in.
5. If you (want) __________ to make a movie on your computer, first you would need to use special software.
6. If you (want) ______________ to create your own MP3 files from your CDs, you must have a CD ripper.
7. If the marketing manager (have) __________ PowerPoint, she could make more effective presentations.
8. Will the data be saved, if you (unload) ________________ the computer?
9. If I were you, I (get) ____________ a new MP3 player.
10. If I could afford it, I (buy) __________ a new game console.
11. If you (reset) _________ the computer system, perhaps, all data wont be saved.
12. If different kinds of applications software werent loaded, the computer (not perform) ______________ specific
tasks for the user.
13. If I had the money, I (invest) __________ in some new multimedia software.