Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

2. Minicomputer

• Bigger and more powerful than

microcomputers

• More expensive than

microcomputers

• Several users at the same time

• Used in small business companies,

banks or supermarkets

3. Mainframe computer

• Bigger and more expensive than

minicomputers

• Has very high computing power

• Can process millions of instructions

per second

• Capable of supporting hundreds of

users at the same time

• Used by governments and very

large organisations for bulk data
processing

4. Supercomputer

• Very fast

• Very expensive

• The most powerful computer in the

world

• Very large in size

• Works at an extremely high speed

• Used for

- weather forecasting

- space exploration

- research in various fields

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 Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

Quick Test

1. Rearrange the following types of computers according to their

computing power. Start with the lowest computing power.

Minicomputer, Supercomputer, Microcomputer, Mainframe computer

(1) ___________________________

(2) ___________________________

(3) ___________________________

(4) ___________________________

2. Tick (√) True or False next to each of these statements.

TRUE FALSE

Computers are classified into types according to

(a)
their size and computing power.

A microcomputer is more expensive than a

(b)
minicomputer.

A mainframe computer can be used by only 1 user

(c)
at a time.

(d) A supercomputer may be used for space research.

(e) A Tablet PC is an example of a minicomputer.

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Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

1.6 Basic troubleshooting techniques

Troubleshooting is the process of identifying and

resolving a problem in a computer system. It is used to
solve problems with hardware and software.

Common problems and possible solutions

1) Problem: The computer does not start

Solution 1: Check that the power cord is plugged securely

into the back of the system unit and the power socket.

Solution 2: Make sure that the power socket is working. You

can plug in another electrical device such as a lamp to check
whether the power socket is functioning properly.

Solution 3: If you are using a laptop, the battery may not be

charged. Plug in the AC adapter to the power supply. After a
few minutes, turn on the laptop again.

Note: Seek help from an adult when dealing with power

cords and power sockets.

2) Problem: The mouse or keyboard has stopped

working

Solution 1: If you are using a wired mouse or keyboard, make

sure it is correctly plugged into the system unit. If not, plug it
in properly.

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 Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

Solution 2: If you are using a wireless mouse or

keyboard,

(i) check whether you have plugged in the USB

receiver.

(ii) try changing the batteries. USB receiver

3) Problem: There is no sound

Solution 1: Check the volume level. Click the audio

button in the bottom-right corner of the screen to
make sure that the sound is turned on and increase
the volume level.

Solution 2: Check the cables. Make sure external

speakers are plugged in, turned on and connected
to the correct audio port or USB port.

4) Problem: The screen is blank

Solution 1: The computer may be in the ‘Sleep’

mode. Move/Click the mouse or press any key on the
keyboard to wake it up.

Solution 2: Check if the monitor is turned on.

Solution 3: If you are using a desktop computer,

make sure the monitor cable is properly connected
to the system unit and the monitor.

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Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

5) Problem: The computer freezes

If the computer freezes, you will not be able to click anywhere on the screen, open or close
applications, or access shut-down options.

Solution 1: Press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time. Then,
start the Task Manager. Select the program’s name, and click the End
Task button.

Solution 2: Press the on/off button to turn off the

computer manually. Press and hold the power button
for 5 to 10 seconds. Turn on the computer again.

Solution 3: If the computer, still, will not shut down,

switch off the power supply. If a laptop is being used,
remove the battery to force the system to turn off. Turn
on the computer again.

If the problem persists, seek professional help.

6) Problem: The printer is not working

Solution 1: Check if the printer is turned on. If not, turn

it on and try again.

Solution 2: Ensure that all cables are properly

connected. Try again.

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 Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

Solution 3: Check if the printer has a paper jam. If so, remove the
jammed paper, close the printer and try printing again.

Note: A printer requires ink and paper to produce printouts. Therefore, before printing,
check ink/toner levels and load paper in the sheet feeder.

7) Problem: The computer is running slowly

Solution 1: Run a virus scanner. There may be a malware (a harmful

program) running in the background that is slowing down the computer
system.

Solution 2: Your computer may be running out of hard drive space. Try deleting any files or
programs you do not need.

Run Disk Defragmenter which is a utility software

designed to increase access speed by rearranging files
stored on a disk.

8) Problem: Accidental deletion of a file

Solution 1: Open the Recycle Bin. Right-click on the file and click on Restore.

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Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

Solution 2: Press Ctrl + Z on the keyboard to retrieve the

file back.

Solution 3: Right-click where file was located. In the

pop-up menu, select “Undo Delete”.

Quick Test

1. Match each problem to its solution. One example is given.

PROBLEM SOLUTION

(a) No sound. (i) Unplug the power cable from

the power socket.

(b) The printer has a paper jam. (ii) Change batteries.

(iii) Make sure external speakers are

(c) The computer freezes and will
properly plugged in.
not shut down.

(iv) Press a key on the keyboard to

(d) Wireless mouse is not working. wake up the computer.

(v) Remove jammed paper, close

(e) Computer runs slowly.
printer and try printing.

(f ) Screen is blank. (vi) Scan your computer for viruses.

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 Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

2. Fill in the blanks with the following words:

wired slow sound freezes troubleshooting

(a) The process of identifying and resolving a problem is called _____________________.

(b) If you cannot hear_____________________ check the volume level.

(c) A _____________________ keyboard must be correctly plugged into the system unit.

(d) A malware may _____________________ down a computer.

(e) If a laptop _____________________, remove the battery to force it to turn off.

3. Circle the 3 keys that should be pressed on the keyboard to start the
Task Manager.

4. Give 2 ways to 'wake up' a computer which is in the ‘sleep mode’.

(1) ……………………………………………………………………………………………

(2) ……………………………………………………………………………………………

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 END OF UNIT QUESTIONS

1. Circle the following questions carefully and select the most appropriate answer. Circle

the correct letter A, B, C or D.

i) Which of the following set of devices are input devices?

A. Scanner, printer, microphone

B. Plotter, mouse, keyboard

C. Mouse, webcam, touchpad

D. Touchscreen, flash drive, joystick

ii) Which of the following shows different types of printers starting from the slowest to the

fastest?

A. Laser, Inkjet, Dot-matrix C. Inkjet, Laser, Dot-matrix

B. Dot-matrix, Inkjet, Laser D. Inkjet, Dot-matrix, Laser

iii) Which one of the following will store running programs and data while the computer is

switched on?

A. ROM C. SSD

B. RAM D. Hard disk

iv) CD-R is an example of .............................

A. SSD C. magnetic disk

B. optical disc D. primary storage

v) Very large amounts of data can be handled by .............................

A. Microcomputers and minicomputers C. Mainframes and microcomputers

B. Microcomputers and supercomputers D. Mainframes and supercomputers

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END OF UNIT QUESTIONS Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

2. Match the following types of hardware with its examples:

Keyboard

Internal Hardware

Motherboard

Graphics card

External Hardware

Speakers

3. Fill in the blanks with the following words:

Blu-ray microcomputers hardcopy secondary LED jam

a) A document printed on paper is called a _________________________.

b) _________________________storage devices store backup files for future use.

c) The _________________________ disc is an optical storage device.

d) Paper_________________________ occurs when sheets of paper get stuck

inside the printer.

e) Laptops, smartphones and PCs are all examples of ____________________.

f) _________________________ monitors are flat panel displays.

4. What do the following acronyms stand for? An example is given.

a) DVD Digital Versatile Disc

b) RAM .......................................................................

c) GB .......................................................................

d) ROM ......................................................................

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 END OF UNIT QUESTIONS

5. Put a tick (√) in the appropriate column to indicate whether the device is an input,

output or storage device.

Input device Output device Storage device

Hard disk

Sensor

CRT monitor

Keyboard

Flash drive

CD-RW

Touchpad

Video projector

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 Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

Additional Notes

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Unit 1 I Computer operations and fundamentals

Additional Notes

32
 2
Unit 2 I Word Processing

Unit
Word Processing
Learning Objectives
By the end of Unit 2, learners should be able to:

• Manipulate drawings and shapes

• Crop an image
• Format images (color, borders, picture effects and rotation)
• Position Text with Tabs, ruler and Indents
• Copy a particular formatting from one item to another using format painter
• Insert page color and watermark
• Work with Master and subdocuments

2.1 Manipulate drawings and shapes

2.1.1 Inserting a picture in a Word document

Step 1: Open a Word document.

Step 2: Click the Insert tab.

Step 3: Click Pictures icon.

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Unit 2 I Word Processing

Step 4: Select the picture you want to insert.

Note: The Insert Picture dialog box will appear.

Step 5: Click on Insert.

Note: The image now appears in the Word document.

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 Unit 2 I Word Processing

2.1.2 Resizing a picture in a Word document

A picture can be made bigger or smaller.

Step 1: Click on a corner.

Image handles

Note: When the picture has been selected, the image handles appear.

Step 2: Drag inwards or outwards.

Dragging
inwards

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Unit 2 I Word Processing

Note: The image is now smaller.

What will happen if we drag

the handle outwards?

Dragging
outwards

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 Unit 2 I Word Processing

Dragging outwards makes

the picture bigger.

2.1.3 Rotating a picture in a Word document

You can move a picture around in a circle.

Step 1: Click on the rotation handle.

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Unit 2 I Word Processing

Step 2: Drag in the direction that you want to rotate the picture.

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 Unit 2 I Word Processing

2.2 Cropping a Picture in a Word document

You can remove unwanted parts in a picture by cropping it.

Step 1: Click the “Crop” icon.

Step 2: Click on a cropping handle.

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Unit 2 I Word Processing

Step 3: Drag inwards to remove the unwanted part.

Dragging inwards

Note: The picture is now cropped.

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 Unit 2 I Word Processing

2.3 Format images (colour, borders, picture effects and rotation)

2.3.1 Adding border to a picture in a Word document

Adding a border to a picture improves its appearance.

Step 1: Click on “Picture Border” icon.

Step 2: Choose a colour from the palette.

colour
palette

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Unit 2 I Word Processing

Step 3: Change the weight (thickness of the border).

2.3.2 Add picture effect

We can improve the quality of a picture by adding a picture effect.

Step 1: Click on “Picture Effects” icon.

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 Unit 2 I Word Processing

Step 2: Select a “Picture Effect”.

Activity
With the help of your teacher, insert a shape (e.g. a rectangle)
and carry out the following manipulations:
• Resize
• Rotate
• Borders and shadings

2.4 Position Text with Tabs, ruler and Indents

2.4.1 Position Text with Tabs

The Tab key on the keyboard can be used to align text.

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Unit 2 I Word Processing

When we press the Tab key, the words will be aligned in a column.

Distance left by Tab key

After using the Tab key on each line, the list of students and classes is as follows:

Question: Which of the 2 documents below is easier to read? Tick in the correct box.

A B

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 Unit 2 I Word Processing

Word Task 1: Position text using Tabs

Type the 12 months and the number of days in each, as shown. Use the Tab key to
separate the words. Save the document as “MONTHS”.

2.4.2 Positioning Text using Ruler

Type the text below and save it as “Input devices”.

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Unit 2 I Word Processing

Horizontal and vertical rulers help you to align text and graphics.

In case the ruler is not visible, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Click the View tab.

Step 2: In the Show area, tick the Ruler option.

Ruler

Note: Now, the ruler appears.

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 Unit 2 I Word Processing

Page Margins
Using the ruler, you can set page margins.

The margins of a page are the blank areas around the text area.

The size of the margins can be increased or decreased.

Open the “Input devices” document.

Left
Margin

The left margin is now bigger and the text moves further to the right.

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Unit 2 I Word Processing

Word Task 2: Position text using Ruler

1. Open “Input devices” document.

2. Increase the left margin.

3. Move it back to the right.

4. Close without saving.

2.4.3 Position Text using Indents

Indent is the distance (number of blank spaces) used to separate a paragraph from
the left or right margins.

Left Indent Right Indent

Word Task 3: Position text using Indents

1. Open the “Input devices” document.

2. Add the following text on the next line:

Another input device that may be used to play computer game is the JOYSTICK.

3. Move the left indent and right indent as shown below.

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 Unit 2 I Word Processing

2.5 Copy a particular formatting from one item to another using

Format Painter

Format Painter lets you copy all the formatting (colour, style, size) from one item to another
quickly.

Word Task 4: Copy formatting using Format Painter

1. Type the following text using the formatting given in the table:

HARDWARE CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS:

FORMATTING USED FOR THE HEADING

Font: Lucida Calligraphy

Font Size: 14

Text highlight color: yellow

Text appearance: Bold

Font color: red

Double underline

Center text

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Unit 2 I Word Processing

2. Now, type the second line, as shown below:

Input, output and storage devices.

3. Highlight the first text.

4. On the Home tab, click the Format Painter.

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