SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS

Speaking 1

Work in groups. What is the difference between peripherals and internal hardware? Name as many
of each as you can. Can you install any?

Vocabulary

Are these items internal components (I), peripherals (P) or storage (S)? For some items, there
may be more than one possible answer.

1 external drive ___ 7 mouse_____

2 hard disk drive ___ 8 Memory_____

3 headphones ____
9 Monitor_____
4 optical drive____
10 Power supply unit____
5 keyboard_____
6 solid state drive____ 11 Printer____

12 Screen____

Listening 7 Listen to a technician describing the motherboard to a new trainee.

Match these words to A –G in the photo below

Graphics card = 1 audio socket_____ 4 Ethernet connector_____

Video card 2 CPU socket_____ 5 Graphics card socket_____
CPU = processor 3DIMM slot______
6 SATA socket_____

7 USB port____
Language

Large and small numbers

For decimal values, we say “point” for the It’s 0, 54 millimeters long. (“nought point
decimal point and pronounce the next five four” or “point five four”, NOT “nought
numbers individually. We don’t always point fifty- four”
mention the 0 to the left of the decimal point
for values less than 1.
To express large and small numbers, we A 3,6-kilobyte file
often use prefixes. For example, kilo- means
“1000”. The main stress is on the first
syllable of the prefix

4 Match the prefixes in the box to these numbers.

Dual- giga- kilo- mega- micro- milli-

nano-

Quad- tera-
1- 1000 000 000 000_______________
2- 1000 000 000__________________
3- 1000 000_____________
4- 1000_________________
 5- 0,000000001_____________
6- 0,000001_____________
7- 1000 000_____________
8- 4_______________
9- 2_____________

Pronunciation 1 08 listen and underline the stressed syllables in these words. Then practice
saying the word the partner.

1- A dual-core processor
2- A quad-speed Blu-ray drive
3- A 3,5- millimeter socket
4- A micrometer
5- 18 nanometers
6- A 26- kilobyte file
7- 2,4 megahertz
8- 4 terabytes

Speaking 2

Work in groups. Role play the conversation the IT manager that will have with the supplier,
Dingle Digital.

Hi, we ordered some new computer from you but the order is wrong. We ordered laptops with…
but they came with…

1- Work in groups. Write some specifications for a computer. Then ask and answer question
about your partner’s computer. Think about these things.

 Processor speed
 Memory
 Hard drive size
 Screen resolution
A: how fast is the processor?
B: It’s 2, 84 megahertz.
2- Work in groups. Suggest specifications for computers for these people. Then compare your
answers with another pair.

1- Computers for administration staff

2- A computer for a designer
3- A server for a small business
4- A computer for a sales person
I don’t think admin staff need a fast processor. They only need it for word processing and
email. What about a two- gigahertz processor?

GUI OPERATIONS
Speaking 1 Work in groups. Look at the screenshot in 2. What different things can you do to a
window? You can resize it.

Vocabulary

Match these words to A- Lin in the screenshot below.

1- Scroll bar_____ 5- Title bar____ 9- left- hand pane____

2- Menu____
6- Icon____ 10- Tab_____
3- « Minimise » button___
4- « Maximise » button___ 7- Folder____ 11- Check box______

8- Filename____ 12- Radio button____

Work in groups. Match action 1- 7 ti their results a – g.

1- Double click on the title bar a- To open a new menu.

2- Click on a menu b- And the windows fills the screen.
3- Right- click on an icon c- If you want to move the window.
4- Slide the scrollbar down d- To hide the window.
5- Click the « Minimise » button e- To scroll the window down.
6- Drag the title bar f- To open it.
7- Select the icon g- And its background changes colour.

Listening 1 10 Listen to a help desk technician talking to an IT user. What information is the
technician looking for?

Listen again. Number the instructions in the order you hear them.

Choose “properties” from the menu. Choose the “Details” tab.

Just select “Manage”. Just right- click where it says “Disk 0”

Select “Install date”. Can you scroll up to the top?

Language

Giving instructions

We often use imperative to give Drag the window to the left.

instructions. We use softeners such as could Could you just double click on the bottom
you, can you and just to make the instruction icon?
sound more polite.
we use sequencers (e.g. first, then, next, First, just click on the Start button. Then
after that, finally) to show the order of the select “Shut down” in the right corner.
steps.

6 Look at the instructions in 5. Underline the imperatives. What softeners does the speaker use?

Speaking

Work in groups. Take turns being an IT help desk technician and IT user. Use these prompts to
explain to your partner how to follow the steps for each action.

“Start”button “Control Panel” “System and Security” heading under “System”: “View
amount of RAM and processor speed”

A: First, could you click on the “Start”button?

B: Sure.

A: Then select “Control Panel”. A box will appear.

B: Ok

A: Click where it says «System and Security”. Then “View amount of RAM and processor
speed”, under “System”

B: Got it! Thanks very much.

1- “Start”button Mozilla Firefox Double click/ title bar

2- Right- click on “c.” drive “ Properties” “Sharing” tab “Advanced Sharing”
“Share this folder” check box “OK” “Close”
3- Press “Start” key and “E” key to open Windows Explorer “Uninstall or change a
program” at top find “Anki” right – click select “Uninstall”
 4- Find clock on bottom right of screen right – click it Adjust date / time in pop-
up menu “Change time zone” button “(UTC + 09.00) Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo” in
drop- down menu “OK” “OK”
5- “Start” button “Control Panel” “Appearance and Personalization” heading
“Display” heading “Magnifier tool” link

Work in groups. Take turn to explain these actions. Look at the prompts in 7 or use your own
ideas.

How to close a program

First, go to the “File” menu. Then click “Exit”. Or click the “x” in the top right- hand corner of the
window.

1 How to open a program

2 How to save a file
3 How to change a program’s settings
4 How to delete a file
 MULTIMEDIA HARDWARE
Speaking Work in groups or small groups. Answer these questions.

1 What do you use computers for? List as many users as you can.
2 Which items on your list from question 1 use the items in the box?
3 Which other computer tasks use the items in the box?

Audio Graphics Images Video

Vocabulary Label the photos with the multimedia equipment in the box?

Headphones microphone projector speakers

Video camera virtual reality goggles webcam

Reading read this email quickly. What does Kamal want to do?

Subject: connecting a projector

Hi Kamal?

It should be quite easy to connect your laptop to a projector. First, check that both the
laptop and the projector are off. Then connect the projector cable to the laptop: just plug it
into the video socket. Most laptops have one, usually at the back or side. After that, insert
the projector’s power cable into a power socket and turn on the computer and the
projector. Next, the computer has to find out the projector’s resolution: press the Function
key (“Fn”) on the laptop and, at the same time, press the key with a picture of a screen on
it. The “Fn” key is usually on the bottom left, near the “Shift” key, and the key with the
screen picture on it is usually on the top row of keys, on the left.
Vocabulary 5 Match words 1 -8 from the email in to word a –h with a similar meaning.
Don’t forget to switch off the equipment and unplug the projector from the computer
when you’re finished.

Best wishes,

Natasha

Complete these prepositional verbs

1- Cable a- Push
2- Plug (into) b- Put (into)
3- Insert c- Connect
4- Power socket d- Connector
5- Turn on e- Turn off
6- Press f- Electricity socket
7- Unplug g- Switch on
8- Switch off h- disconnect
 1- Connect_________
2- Plug____________
3- Unplug____________
4- Disconnect____________

Language Sentences with two objects

Some sentences have two objects. We often use a preposition between the two object ( verb
+ object of verb + preposition + object of preposition).
I unplugged the cable from the computer.
Insert the plug into the socket.

7 Read the email in 4 again and complete these instructions. Use two objects where
appropriate.
Switch off the computer and the projector.
1- Plug__________
2- Plug__________
3- Switch____________
4- Push____________
5- When finished, turn__________
6- Disconnect_______________

Writing

Work in groups. Read the email in 4 again and mark the features below. What other forms of
greetings and signing off can you think of?

 The greeting
 A paragraph
 Signing off

Write an email explaining how to transfer photographs from a digital camera to a computer. Give
instructions for the steps below. Include the features from 8 in your email.

 Card reader computer

 Open software
 Select card reader/ drop down menu
 Select destination folder
 “OK” button
 OPERATING SYSTEMS
Reading 1 Work in groups. Put the steps in reinstalling an operating system in the correct order.

During the process, the computer will restart by itself several times.

Near the end of the process, you can partition the hard drives

In the BIOS, set the first boot drive to DVD. Then reboot again.

At the end of the process, the operating system will ask for the product key, time, date,
network type and details for user accounts.

First, put the installation DVD into the optical drive. Then reboot the computer white you
press the “F2” key. The BIOS will now start.

This time, the computer will boot from the DVD and installation will begin.

Before you start, back up everything.

Near the start of the process, it will ask you ti agree to the licence terms

Vocabulary 2 Find words in 1 that match these definitions

1- Start again______________
2- Spit a hard drive into parts that act like separate drives______________
3- Software built into a computer that controls how it starts up___________
4- The drive that the computer reads first when starting up_____________
5- Software comes with this to show you are the owner____________
6- Settings for a user___________
7- Switch a computer off and on again________________
8- A series of actions to do something
9- Copy data to another place so that you don’t lose it_______________
10- Rules about how you can use software__________________

Language: Expression reason and purpose

We can use these forms to express reason and purpose

 For + noun phrase
 So that + clause
 To- infinitive
 Because + clause
Why should I update my OS?
For the new features.
So that you can use the new features.
To use the new features.
Because the new features.

1 Work in groups. Match 1- 6 to a- f. then complete the gaps with because, so, to or for
make sentences.

1 Back up everything a) _________enter the BIOS.

2 Put the DVD in the dive b) _________that the computer restarts
3 Press “F2” while rebooting the from operating system DVD.
computer c) _________use the different partitions
4 During the installation process, for different purposes.
the computer will ask you some d) ___________safety.
questions e) ___________that the process can
5 You might want to partition the start.
hard drive f) ________it needs to know some
6 Change the boot drive to the information, such as where you are
optical drive
 BUSINESS MATTERS
1 Work in groups. What do you know about open source software? How is it different from
proprietary software? Think about cost; who writes it and how much people use it.

Reading 2 Read this web article and checks your answers in.

Open source: the way forward?

With open source software, what do people think about first? Money, usually, because open
source software is free. But this isn’t the only important thing. First, there is freedom from
the software vendors. Organizations say that freedom is the number one reason to choose
open source software. With open source software, an organization doesn’t have, to follow the
software vendor’s decisions. With proprietary software the vendor controls software updates.
For example, users can’t add feature s to proprietary software themselves but they can add
features to open source software.
Also, with open source software companies have more control of their data. Proprietary
software often data in special ways that only the vendor understands. So, when a company
wants to change to another vendor’s software, moving the data to the new software can be
very difficult. Open source software is different, open source software vendors explain their
data clearly and openly so that they are not a secret. Because of this, moving data isn’t a
problem.
Sometimes people worry about open source operating systems. They think that their favorite
software source won’t run on open source operating systems. However, this isn’t true
because there is a lot of office software, such as word processors and spreadsheets, for open
source operating systems. In fact, there are many kinds f this software and they work well, it
is only special areas, such as graphics design, where proprietary software is clearly better.

Speaking

Use the article in reading to make a list of reason to use open source software. Then Work
in groups. Give reason for your answers and discuss any differences.
5 Work in small groups. You are technicians in an advertising company. You look after operating
systems and software. Look at this email from your manager and decide whether to use an open
source OS, a proprietary OS or some of each. Then explain your decision to the class.

Hi Peter,

We need to replace the computers in our administration office and our design office. The
administration staffs are using old computers that need updating. The design staff need to
keep the software they are currently using (e. g. Photoshop). What are your
recommendations for operating systems? Please let me know.

Many thanks,

Yuroks

Writing

Write an email to your manager giving your recommendations. Use the Language box