IT |

 Foundations of computing
Reading practice
 IT | Reading practice

Foundations
of computing
 Full name: ____________________________
 Date: ____________  City: _____________
 Programme: _____________________________
 Instructor: ________________________________

______________________ ______________________
 Instructor signature  Apprentice signature

Foundations of computing
Foundations of computing covers the essential prin-
ciples of computer science. It introduces key
aspects of information technology, explains com-
puting systems, and explores the internal com-
ponents of computers, highlighting how they
work together to perform complex tasks.

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 IT |
 Foundations of computing
Reading practice

______________________________

A. Information technology

EN T
technical support

EP AR TM
IT D ING
data processing

RU CT UR
REST
DataPro Inc. is growing, and so our workload is increasing. But our IT
department is not dealing with this increase effectively. So I am dividing
the IT department into three sections: quality assurance, data proces-
sing and information security. The responsibilities of each section are:

1 2 3
Quality Assurance Data Processing Information Security
◦ Testing hardware ◦ Writing code ◦ Encoding online
◦ Providing technical ◦ Organizing data data transfers
support ◦ Updating security
software

These changes are not simple or easy. But smaller

groups deal with tasks more efficiently than larger ones.
See your supervisors for your new section assignment.

online

software
Thomas Jenkins,
CEO DataPro, Inc.

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 IT |
 Foundations of computing
Reading practice

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B. Introduction to computing systems

New Message

From [email protected]

To [email protected]

Re TEI Computers?

Thanks for including TEI Inc. in your article on workplace technology. We have many
types of computers at our disposal. First, all employees receive PDAs and desktop
computers. But we only use those for word processing and spreadsheets. Of
course, some programs are too powerful for desktops. So many employees use the
faster workstations. And we do have a few laptops and tablets. However, emplo-
yees only use them on business trips. Most employees just answer email with their
smartphones. The new server provides access to all printers. Finally, our mainfra-
me processes our largest data files. No need for a supercomputer yet!

Regards,
Bruce Roberts
Call us today to see how our services generate sales.

Send

desktop computer

laptop

cellp hone
tablet

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PDA
 IT |
 Foundations of computing
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Reading practice

C. Inside the computer

The Glacier Gazette – December 17

Assembly
RAM
Instructions
1
First, gather your parts. These include a motherboard, power
Step

supply, processor, case, heat sink, fan, RAM, expansion cards,

hard drive, and disk drive.

2
Next, attach the motherboard to the case. Then, connect
Step

the processor to the motherboard’s primary socket.

3
Step

Attach the heat sink and cooling fan to the processor.

4
Insert the RAM card into an open memory slot.
case
Step

Put any expansion cards into the expansion slots.

5
Step Step

Connect your hard drive to the motherboard and power supply.

6Close the case and connect the power supply.

Call us today to see how our services generate sales.

motherboard

fan

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 IT |
 Foundations of computing
______________________________
Reading practice

 Exercise 1
(1.1) Mark the following statements as true (T) or false (F). Then, (1.2) match the words (1-10) with
the definitions (A-J). Finally, (1.3) fill in the blanks with the correct words from the word bank. Look
at section A to help you.

Part 1.1
1. ____ The IT Department is increasing.
2. ____ Data Processing employees now encode data.
3. ____ Supervisors know the employees' new assignments.

Part 1.2
1. ____ software a. putting secret information into code
2. ____ code b. the physical parts of a computer
3. ____ hardware c. connected to the Internet
4. ____ data processing d. numbers entered/held in a computer
5. ____ information security e. checking products for problems
6. ____ online f. the act of using information
7. ____ technical support g. programs/instructions added to computers
8. ____ data h. helping people use/understand technology
9. ____ quality assurance i. program language
10. ____ encoding j. the act of protecting information

Part 1.3
data | quality assurance | encoding

1. Enter the _____________ into the computer.

2. The company uses _____________ to protect information.
3. _____________ finds and fixes problems in new products.

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 IT |
 Foundations of computing
Reading practice

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 Exercise 2
(2.1) Choose the right answer. Then, (2.2) read the sentence and choose the correct word. Finally,
(2.3) match the words (1-3) with the definitions (A-C). Look at section B to help you.

Part 2.1
What is the email about?
a. ___ the types of work employees do
b. ___ computers that the company sells
c. ___
X what computers the company uses
d. ___ the installation of a server

Part 2.2
1. PDA / mainframe
My __________
PDA notifies me when I have a meeting.
2. laptop / supercomputer
I have a _______________
laptop to do work on the place.
3. server / desktop computer
John has a _______________
desktop computer because he only uses simple programs.

4. computer / server
This _______________
server runs programs, but doesn’t have Internet access.
5. workstation / tablet
A _______________
tablet is smaller than a laptop, but still has a keyboard.

Part 2.3
1. ____
b workstation a. large and powerful computer that supports
2. ____
a mainframe many other computers working at once
3. ____
c cell phone b. fast computer that is used by one person and has
more memory than an ordinary personal computer.
c. a device that makes and receives calls

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 IT |
 Foundations of computing
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Reading practice

 Exercise 3
(3.1) Choose the right answer. Then, (3.2) match the words (1-6) with the definitions (A-F). Finally,
(3.3) Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part. Look at section C to help you.

Part 3.1
What is the guide mostly about?
a. ___ putting together a computer
b. ___ problems with computer parts
c. ___ uses of expansion cards
d. ___ repairing a broken computer

Part 3.2
1. ____ heat sink a. a slotted board with circuits and ports
2. ____ RAM b. a short term, quick memory source
3. ____ expansion card c. a part used to cool the processor
4. ____ processor d. a part used to store large amounts of data
5. ____ hard drive e. a part used to increase a computer’s functions
6. ____ motherboard f. a part that completes tasks for the computer

Part 3.3
1. Spinning blades keep the computer from overheating.
f ___
a ___
n
2. The electrical source directs power throughout the computer
___
p ___
o w ___e r ___ s ___
u p p ___
l ___
y
3. Joey purchased a protective bag for his computer.
c ___
a ___
s ___
e
4. Can the coded disk reader play DVDs?
d ___
i ___
s ___
k d ___
r ___
i v ___
e

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 IT |
 Foundations of computing
______________________________
Reading practice

 Glossary
1. case — A case is an enclosure that holds the computer's components.
2. cell phone — A cell phone is a telephone that you take with you to make calls anywhere.
3. code — Code is a set of words and signs that give instructions to a computer.
4. computer — A computer is an electronic device that manipulates data.
5. Data — Data are numbers that can be entered into a computer.
6. data processing — Data processing is the act of entering, using or manipulating data with
computers.
7. desktop computer — A desktop computer is a computer that is small enough to use at a
desk, but too big to carry around.
8. disk drive — A disk drive reads information from a magnetic spinning disc.
9. encoding — Encoding is the act of changing data so that no one can read it until it is changed
again.
10. expansion cards — Expansion cards are extra circuit boards that are used to increase the
functions of a computer
11. hard drive — A hard drive stores data electronically.
12. hardware — Hardware refers to the physical parts of a computer.
13. heat sink — A heat sink transfers heat away from nearby components of a computer.
14. information security — Information security is the act or process of keeping information safe
and preventing others from seeing it.
15. laptop — A laptop is a computer that is small enough for you to carry around and use
anywhere.
16. mainframe — A mainframe is a very powerful computer that can process large amounts of
data.
17. motherboard — A motherboard is a firm slotted board onto which computer circuitry is
attached.
18. online — If a computer is online, it is connected to the Internet.
19. PDA — A PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) is a small computer that is used to organize a
person's schedules and information.
20. power supply — A power supply delivers electricity to all parts of a computer.
21. processor — A processor carries out the instructions of computer programs.
22. quality assurance — Quality assurance is the act of checking products for problems.
23. RAM — RAM (Random Access Memory) is memory that can be quickly accessed.
24. server — A server is a computer that connects many computers to hardware.
25. software — Software is a program or instruction that makes a computer perform a specific
task.
26. smartphone — A smartphone is a cell phone with internet access and advanced features.
27. supercomputer — A supercomputer is a large computer that is built to process large amounts
of information at a higher speed than other computers can handle.
28. tablet — A tablet is a computer that is smaller, slower and less powerful than a laptop and
used to browse the Internet and check email.
29. technical support — Technical support is the task of helping people use and understand
technology.
30. Workstation — A workstation is a very fast computer that runs powerful work programs.

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 IT |
 Foundations of computing
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Reading practice

 Notes
Reflect, jot down key points, questions, and ideas.Review your notes later for better understanding.

______________________________

 Acknowledgements
◦ Evans, V., Dooley, J., & Wright, S. (2011). Career Paths: Information Technology. Express Publi-
shing
◦ LINGOSTA learns languages. (2025, February 15th). IT | Foundations of computing [video]. Youtu-
be. https://youtu.be/_DJy0w1EZc0I