Unit 3: The Old and the New

1. Speaking Warm-up: Compare and contrast the old and the new devices shown in the pictures
below. Refer to design, capabilities, speed, storage capacity, user-friendliness, ergonomics,
portability etc.
 Use these introductory linkers to help you instantiate your views:

COMPARING CONTRASTING

Just like, as well as, likewise, the same Although, however, despite, in contrast…
as…
As compared to… …differs from….in that it…
Similar(ly) to…, similarly,… As opposed to…, on the contrary…

On the one hand,… On the other hand…

Either…or…, neither….nor… Unless…
Not only….(inversion), but …also While/whereas…
Both …., since they…. Instead…

Solution:
Mouses:
Mouses are not very complicated devices being built to serve just a simple
purpose: move the cursor on the screen and click. But despite its simple task,
the technology which makes this process possible has evolved very much.
The older models of mouses were wired, bulky and used a ball underneath
that mapped your mouse movement to keep the pointer going in the desired
direction (mechanical mouses). Now the today’s mouses use wireless or
Bluetooth technology instead of wires, have ergonomic designs and use
optical laser.
Laptops
In the past, laptops were not nearly as portable as today’s laptops. They had
a bulky design, almost like a box, they were very heavy and the screen edges
were very thick. On the contrary, the latest laptop models benefit from razor
thin screen edges, weight as little as 1.2 kg and have improved
performances, making them the perfect device for travelling.
Computers
The first computers for home-use has about 200 kilobytes of memory, cassettes for
data storage and were capable of doing basic calculations and tasks, with the help
of a basic programming language but with no graphic user interface. Similarly,
todays computers still use programming languages but they have built-on the
lastest operating systems like Windows, Linux, or Mac OS. A decent computer
now has about 1 terabyte of memory and the performance has vastly improved.

2. Vocabulary: Match the beginnings to the ends of the sentences bellow by deciding on the
correct verb-preposition combinations:

1. Great advances have been made in the a) – have become possible nowadays
techniques – b) – of engineering design, production
2. The application of computers relieved us technologies and management.
– c) – of much detailed routine mental effort.
3. In fact, computers can do many of the d) – of programming computers to act in
things we do –
remarkably intelligent ways.
4. Advances in computing has opened the
way to new effective methods – e) – but they do them faster and better.
5. Astronomers have been able to test f) – by following likely consequences on a
theories about the structure of stars – computer.
6. Very difficult and complex calculations
Solution:
1. B)
2. C)
3. E)
4. D)
5. F)
6. A)
3. Paragraph Matching
For Questions 1-6, read through the text and then choose from the list below the best phrase to
fill each of the spaces. Some of the suggested answers do not fit at all.

Example: (0) 'which is one that dates back thousands of years'

Letter writing - a forgotten art?

Writing letters is one of the oldest human activities, and (0) ...
Traditionally we have written letters for a variety of purposes,
(1) ... , invitations, love letters, correspondence to a newspaper
editor, business letters, letters of condolence, thank you letters,
and many more. We have a postal system (2) ... that a letter
can travel half-way round the world in just a few days.
But is letter writing relevant in today’s ever-changing world? With
competition from telephone, fax and email it is all too easy to argue
that letter writing is an old-fashioned activity (3) ... Just as equally,
however, one could argue to the contrary, (4) ... Be honest for
a moment. What would you prefer to receive at Christmas time?
A note on special stationery (5) ... or one of those ‘form’ letters that
are addressed to any number of recipients? There is undoubtedly a
romance surrounding writing and receiving letters (6) ... . That is
something that the cynics would do well to remember.

Solution:
B which uses pen and paper (1)
C that is simply absent from receiving mail on a computer screen (6)
D that had obviously been written just for you (5)
E which will soon become a forgotten art (3)
F which is that a handwritten letter gets the message across (4)
G which can include news updates
H that is speedy and reliable
I that gives you the latest news
J which is so efficient (2)

4. Writing- Study the article above about letter-writing and write a similar article entitled:
Email your way into the future! Emphasize the advantages of emailing as a form of
communication.
 Solution:

Email your way into the future!

Email is the oldest means of communication over internet. Email is one of those
benefits of the internet that has touched our lives in many ways. Letters have given way to
emails that had grown in prominence post 1980s and still continue to be one of the most
prominent formal, business and personal communication means.
The term ‘email’ is the abbreviated form of electronic mail. Email is advantageous and
preferred over letters because of its high speed, low cost, security, and one-to-one mode of
communication. Business communications are initiated solely on email message sending and
receiving. Email is received in a fraction of a minute and thus, is widely used in corporate
communications. The technology behind email has existed since the inception of computers,
internet and web users.
Today, email is the most preferred way of communication. To know in detail the
benefits of using email as a choice of communication, browse through the following section.

5. Speaking: Study the evolution of Apple company and write a 150-word account of what you
notice in the picture. Make associations, inferences, deductions, speculate, compare and
contrast information.
 Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15197288

6. Reading: In order to further your understanding of the events in the exercise above,
reconstruct the following sentences by drawing arrows:

22 Jan 1984 The Macintosh advert,
directed by Ridley Scott, is screened on
primetime US TV during the Super Bowl.
The visually striking commercial alluded
to George Orwell's
over product direction. Jobs had wanted to
cut the price of the firm's Macintosh
computers to drive sales.

13 Sep 1985 Steve Jobs resigns from telling them he has had surgery for pancreatic
Apple after clashing with chief executive cancer.
John Sculley

20 Dec 1996 Apple announces plans to iPod. Initially it was only compatible with
 buy NeXT, Macintosh computers. Analysts gave it a
mixed reaction. They criticized its price and
were unsure about the appeal of its unusual
scroll wheel.

16 Sep 1997 Steve Jobs becomes Apple's novel 1984 and was regarded as Apple
striking a blow against the conformity of its
rival, IBM.

23 Oct 2001 Steve Jobs unveils the first of absence to focus on his health.

1 Aug 2004 Steve Jobs sends email to the $599 price tag was less popular. The firm
Apple staff eventually cut the cost and offered early
adopters a $100 store credit.

7 Jan 2007 The first iPhone is unveiled for being little more than a giant version of
by Steve Jobs. The design was widely Apple's iTouch. More than one million were
praised but sold in the first 28 days of its release.

5 Jan 2009 Steve Jobs announces he is and is replaced by Tim Cook.

taking a six-month leave

28 Jan 2010 Steve Jobs unveils the first chief executive, initially on an "interim"
iPad. Critics attack the computer tablet basis.

17 Jan 2011 Steve Jobs says he is taking a bringing back Steve Jobs as an "informal
second leave adviser".

24 Aug 2011 Steve Jobs resigns on of absence for medical reasons.

grounds of ill health as Apple's chief
executive

7. Speaking: How many of the 21st century's greatest IT achievements have you used in recent
years?? Explore the following list of the domains that boast top technological achievements
and discuss the various applications of Information Technology and computing to each
category. Initialize a debate on the topic ‘which achievement is the greatest?’
 Health
Technology Mechanisation Transport technologies Communication

Agricultural Medical Radio and

Automobile
Computers mechanization Imaging television

Industrial Robotic surgery

Water supply Aeronautics Mobile Phones
mechanization
and distribution

Laser and
Household Highways fiberoptics
Electronics appliances

High Spaccraft
performance
materials

Use the language suggested below (adapted from

http://myenglishonline.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/100-Phrases):

PHRASES FOR EXPRESSING PHRASES FOR INTERRUPTING

OPINION
I think…. I believe…. I feel…. I
suppose…. I guess…. According to me….
In my view…. In my opinion…. In my
eyes…. It seems to me that…. From my
perspective…. From my point of view….
From my view point…. As far as I’m
concerned…. Personally, I think…. I’d like
to point out that…. What I mean is….
Generally it is thought that…. Some people
say that…. Well, it is considered that…. It
is generally accepted that…. My impression
is that…. It goes without saying that…. I
hold the view that…. I’m of the opinion
that…. You’ve got to be kidding…. Well, I
don’t quite agree with you…. I find that
very difficult to accept…. We don’t seem to
agree here…. Not necessarily…. That’s not
always true…. There is no way I could
agree with that…. I don’t think so…. No,
I’m not sure about that because…. I’m
afraid, I disagree…. We don’t seem to be in
complete agreement
PHRASES FOR EXPRESSING
AGREEMENT I agree…. I totally
Sorry to interrupt, but…. Can I add
something here…. Is it ok if I jump in for a
moment…. If I might add something…. If I
may interrupt…. Can I throw my two cents
in…. Do you mind if I add something….
Umm, well not really…. Excuse me, but in
my opinion…. Are you saying that….
Excuse me for a second, but…. Sorry, but
I’m not done yet…. Let me interrupt you for
a moment…. May I say something here….
Excuse me for interrupting, but…. Sorry to
cut you off, but…. Well, that reminds me
that…. So, you’re telling me…. I don’t
mean to intrude, but…. Well, if that is the
case…. Sorry, but can you let me finish….
Wait a minute…. Before you go on, I’d like
to say something…. Before you move on,
I’d like to say something…. Just a moment,
I like to add something here….
PHRASES FOR EXPRESSING
DISAGREEMENT I see your point, but….
 agree…. Definitely…. I couldn’t agree
more…. Absolutely…. Precisely…. I see
your point…. I see what you are getting
at…. I’d go along with that view to a
point… Sure, that’s one way of looking at
it…. I have to side with you on this one…. I
suppose so…. I think so too…. I’d go along
with that…. That’s a good point…. I see
exactly what you mean…. You’re right,
that’s a good point…. Actually, I think
you’re right…. That’s true…. Well, I agree
with you here…. You have my full
agreement…. I second that…. Ok, that’s
convincing…. I take your word on it….
You took the words right out of my
mouth… we are on the same page…
I see what you are getting at, but…. That’s
one way of looking at it, however…. I
completely disagree…. Well, I see things
rather differently…. Umm, I’m not sure
about that…. I’m not sure I go along with
that view…. I don’t really agree with that
idea…. I agree up to a point, but…. You
could say that, however…. I wouldn’t quite
put it that way myself…. I still have my
doubts…. I can’t/ couldn’t go along with
that…. That’s out of question….

8. Speaking/Writing: Make your own list of top five most important items of technology that
have changed the world and explain why you consider they are important.

Solution:
The Wheel
Some people consider the wheel to be the greatest invention of all time. The concept of a
rolling cylinder wasn’t impossible to imagine, but it was challenging to make. By the time the
wheel was created by the Sumerian people in Mesopotamia, basket weaving, sewing needles,
woven cloth, and the boat had already been invented. The wheel led to other innovations, including
wheelbarrows and chariots, and changed the way people lived, worked and traveled.
The Elevator
Mechanisms for vertical transport date back thousands of years. In 236 BC, Greek
mathematician Archimedes designed a rudimentary elevator operated with the use of ropes,
pulleys and a capstan. The elevator as we know it was created in 1854, when Elisha Otis
produced an elevator with a safety device. His safety hoist prevented elevators from falling if
a chain or rope broke. His company’s designs were groundbreaking at the time, and the Otis
company continues to be the leader in the elevator industry today.
The Printing Press
The oldest known printed text was a Buddhist scroll made in China, using block printing.
However, in 1436, Gutenberg refined printing in a way that forever changed history. Once the
printing press caught on, books, pamphlets and papers became more accessible and affordable, and
European literacy increased beyond the elites of society. 
Vaccines
The concept of inoculation is an old idea. But it was British doctor Edward Jenner who
pioneered the field of vaccinology with his development of the smallpox vaccine in 1796.
From there, Louis Pasteur made advances in the field, developing cholera, anthrax and rabies
 vaccines. The invention and evolution of vaccines have saved countless lives around the
world.
The Computer
It’s hard to think of an aspect of modern society that hasn’t been affected by the computer.
Although many people contributed to what we call a computer, several great minds are
especially noteworthy. The idea of an automatic digital computer dates back to mathematical
prodigy Charles Babbage. He envisioned a device that could execute math operations and
would include a memory unit. A huge leap forward came in 1946, thanks to John William
Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert. These two scientists at the University of Pennsylvania
created the first general-purpose computer — the Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Computer (ENIAC).

9. Writing /Speaking Write a paragraph about the most significant events of your past life up
to the present moment. Use the prompts below to reconstruct essential events in your life:
BE BORN
GROW UP/ LIVE (IN …..)
MOVE HOUSE/ MOVE TO ANOTHER TOWN
START PRIMARY/SECONDARY/HIGH SCHOOL
DISCOVER AN INCLINATION TOWARDS SCIENCE
DEVELOP A PASSION FOR COMPUTERS
FINISH SCHOOL/LEAVE SCHOOL
DECIDE TO STUDY COMPUTER SCIENCE
GET A JOB/DECIDE NOT TO GET A JOB
START TO LEARN ABOUT PROGRAMMING
START/GO TO UNIVERSITY
BECOME UNEMPLOYED/ APPLY FOR ANOTHER JOB or TRAINING PROGRAM
BECOME FREELANCE
IMPROVE QUALIFICATIONS BY TAKING ADDITIONAL COURSES

10. Writing: write 3 paragraphs to draw a parallel between important years of your life and
events in computer history.