Chapter One

Learning Goals:
- Defining “digital age” and “digital generation”
- Describing the fields in which computers are important
- Reviewing some vocabulary items related to computers and computing
- Listening to videos dealing with the same theme
- Word building

Starter
Your teacher will draw a bubble on the board. Fill it with all the words that come
up to your mind and which relate to the topic of the chapter

Reading:
Living in a digital age

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 We are now living in what some people call the digital age, meaning that computers
have become an essential part of our lives. Young people who have grown up with PCs and
mobile phones are often called the digital generation. Computers help students to perform
(1) mathematical operations and improve their math’s skills. They are used to access the
Internet, to do basic research and to communicate with other students around the world.
Teachers use projectors and interactive whiteboards to give presentations and teach
sciences, history or language courses. PCs are also used for administrative purposes - schools
use word processors (2) to write letters, and databases to keep records of students and
teachers. A school website allows teachers to publish exercises for students to complete
online (3). Students can also enroll for courses via the website and parents can download (4)
official reports.
Mobiles let you make voice calls, send texts, email people and download logos,
ringtones or games. With a built-in (5) camera you can send pictures and make video calls in
a face-to-face mode. New smartphones combine a telephone with web access, video, a
games console, an MP3 player, a personal digital (6) assistant (PDA) and a GPS navigation
system, all in one.
In banks, computers store (7) information about the money held by each customer and
enable staff to access large databases and to carry out financial (8) transactions at high speed.
They also control the cashpoints, or ATM, which dispense money to customers by the use of
a PIN-protected card. People use a Chip and PIN card to pay for goods and services. Instead
of using a signature to verify payments, customers are asked to enter a four-digit PIN, the
same number used at cashpoints; this system makes transactions more secure. With online
banking, clients can easily pay bills and transfer money from the comfort of their homes.
Airline pilots use computers to help them control the plane. For example, monitors (9)
display data (10) about fuel consumption and weather conditions. In airport control towers,
computers are used to manage radar systems and regulate air traffic. On the ground, airlines
are connected to travel agencies by computers. Travel agents use computers to find out
about the availability of flights, prices, times, stopovers, and many other details.
Source English Grammar in Use

Reading Comprehension
Exercise
Use your own words to summarize the main idea of the text

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Exercise
How are computers helpful in the following sectors. Give some examples
Teaching/earning Communication Banking Air traffic

Listening
Can you think of other sectors that are not mentioned in the text? Give a few examples.
Go to the following YouTube video and find some more examples of computer uses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgZdbhEy4YI
Exercise
Find expressions which correspond to the words written in bold typeface in the text:
- Competence/talent (P1) skill
- keep a written account or photographs of it so that it can be referred to later (P2)
- officially register as a member of an institution or a student on a course (P2)
- forming an integral part of a structure (P3)
- distribute or provide (a service or information) to a number of people (P4)
- a machine that dispenses cash or performs other banking services when an account
holder inserts a bank card; hole in the wall (P4)
Exercise
What do the following abbreviations refer to
- ATM (P4)
- PIN (P4)
Exercise
Find the words (1-10) in the text above. Can you guess their meaning from the context? Are
they nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs? Write n, v, adj or adv next to each word:
1. perform 2.word 3. online 4. download 5. built-in
processor

6. digital 7. store 8. financial 9. monitor 10. data

Exercise
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Match the words in the previous exercise with the correct meanings (a-j).
a. keep, save b. collection of c. execute, do d. describes e. monetary
information that is
facts or figures recorded or
7 1 broadcast 6 using
8
10 computers
f. screen g. program used h. integrated i. copy files from j. connected to
for text a server to your the Internet
manipulation 5 PC or mobile
9 3
2 4
Writing
Look at the text again and write a short paragraph to describe:
1. How are/were computers used in your institute/school/work?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- Exchange papers with your classmate and try to correct each other’s mistakes.
Exercise
Find words that fit in the blanks:
connect from cafes, hotels, parks and many other public
1. Thanks to Wi-Fi, it’s now easy to ______
places.
switch between your accounts easily and securely.
2. Online banking lets you ______
3. Skype is a technology that enables users to ______
surf over the Internet for free.
4. In many universities, students are encouraged to study
______by using PowerPoint in order to
make their talks more visually attractive.
5. The Web has revolutionized the way peoplesearch
______ with sites such as Google and
Wikipedia, you can find the information you need in seconds.
6. Cookies allow a website to ______ on a user’s machine and later retrieve it; when you visit
store information
the website again, it remembers your preferences.
7. With the latest mobile phones, you can ______
create with multimedia attachments pictures,
audio, even video.

- Here are the missing words of the exercise above. See whether you got the same
answers. Fit them in the correct place:
access the Internet, transfer money, do research, make calls, send texts, give presentations, write letters,
store information, complete exercises, carry out transactions

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Exercise
Think about words to fill in the missing data:
A computer can ………. and ……….. information. This information is called ………. and can be
words, numbers or …….. To process data, the computer uses a ………, which is a set of
instructions stored on the computer’s ……… . To ……….. data, you can …… it using the ….. . . If
you want to store this data, you …….. it in the computer’s … . Data can also be stored in other
external devices such as …….. or …….. . Large amounts of information, such as books, music
and movies can be stored on a ……….. ………… or an …….. ………… .

- Here are the words needed for the sentences above. Now, check your answer by
placing them in the correct spaces:
store, process, enter, hard drive, data, save, program, graphics, input, keyboard,
memory, CD-ROMs, external drive, flash disk, disks

Grammar
Word-building
Exercise 1
Form nouns from the adjectives using the suffixes
Adjectives: available:………… dark: …………. Possible:…….. real: ………..
difficult: …………. weak: ……………

Exercise 2
Write the verbs from the corresponding nouns.
Consumption: ……….. introduction: …………… organizer: …………… participation: ……………
computer: ………… information: …………… instruction: ………….. programmer: …………..
entertainment: ………….. calculator: ……………

Exercise 3
Form nouns, from the verbs below, using the following suffixes:
-ment, -er/-or, -tion, -ssion, -ness, -ance/-ence
Verbs: to compute to generate to apply to operate to measure to produce to inform to
determine to process to teach to manage to exist to perform to relax to execute

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Exercise 4
Look at these extracts from various websites. Are the words in bold verbs, nouns, adjectives
or adverbs? Say how you come to know that:
1. Click here to begin your download.
2. Download the MP3 file now!
3. Buy now by visiting our store.
4. We will not store your details for more than 14 days.
5. Click here for an online discount.
6. Buy online by clicking here.

Spot the error and explain

Translation
Translate the following sentences into English, paying attention to the use of tense-forms.
Elle travaille souvent avec un ordinateur. 2. Il a bien préparé ses leçons hier. 3. Nous sommes
fatigués, nous préparerons nos leçons demain. 4. Nous finirons le travail demain. 5. Le plan
a été discuté il y a 2 jours. 6. Elle travaille avec un ordinateur. 7. Il préparait son rapport
lorsque nous sommes venus le voir. 8. Nous préparerons nos cours toute la soirée de demain.
9. La carte mère est en cours de vérification. 10. Le plan a été discuté toute la journée d'hier.

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Nb Review the vocabulary cards in groups of four

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