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L2b Comprehension Set 9 – The Computer Revolution

Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions in complete sentences.
Nowadays, almost everyone has a personal computer. They allow us to write
documents, send emails and connect to the Internet, as well as to play video games, watch
movies and listen to music. There are many different types of computers made by many
different companies, and they range from very cheap to very expensive. It is hard to imagine
our lives without these amazing machines. However, personal computers have not been
around forever. Before the 1970s, computers were huge machines which could only do very
simple tasks. They were mostly used by scientists to solve mathematical problems. To most
people, the idea of having a computer in their house would have been unbelievable.

Things started to change in the late 1960s. An Italian company called Olivetti made
a machine called the P101 – the first desktop computer. People were first able to buy the
P101 in 1965. It cost $3,200, which is the equivalent of $23,000 today. It is unsurprising that
not many people bought a P101! Even so, these computers were used by important
organisations such as NASA (the space agency of the United States of America). They used
P101s to plan the first ever moon landing in 1969, an event of huge importance in human
history.

From the 1970s on, personal computers got better and better. More importantly,
though, they got cheaper and cheaper. This meant that more people were able to buy them.
It also meant that many more companies entered into the market. The Apple company, which
started making computers in the 1970s, became hugely successful and continues to be so
today. Meanwhile, companies like Microsoft made programs to put onto these computers,
for example word processing software and fun games. Nowadays, there are hundreds of
computer companies making hardware (meaning the machines themselves) and software
(meaning the programs on the computers).

Over the coming years, many people predict that personal computers will disappear.
This is because smartphones, tablets and other wearable devices are becoming more and
more popular. It is not clear what will happen in the future. Something as revolutionary as
the P101 might be just around the corner, but it is difficult to imagine what that might be.
1. What does “they” in line 1 refer to?
2. Who mostly used computers before the 1970s?

3. What word in paragraph 1 means “not able to be believed”?

4. Why do you think is it “unsurprising” that not many people bought a P101?

5. Give two results of personal computers becoming cheaper and cheaper.

6. Which of the following statements are TRUE? Underline the true statements?
a) Computers are always very expensive.
b) The first desktop computer was made by an Italian company.
c) The Apple company is still successful today.
d) The quality of computers got worse in the 1970s.

7. Which word best describes the writer’s attitude in the last paragraph? Cite a sentence
from the paragraph to support your answer.
a) confused
b) uncertain
c) excited
d) disappointed

8. Are you excited about the future of computers? Why or why not?