UNIVERSITY OF THE AEGEAN – SCHOOL OF SCIENCES

Extra Exercises for English II (English for Information Technology)

Instructor: Eftihia Landrou

This booklet contains reading and vocabulary exercises for the coursebook “English for Information Technology”. These exercises are included in the syllabus of the course “English II” (English for Information Technology) and are not exactly the same as the ones found in your coursebook.

Contents

Extra exercises for: UNIT 1, Specialist reading .................................................................................... 2

Extra exercises for: UNIT 2, Specialist reading .................................................................................... 3

Extra exercises for: UNIT 3, Specialist Reading .................................................................................... 5

Extra exercises for: UNIT 4, Specialist reading .................................................................................... 8

Extra exercises for: UNIT 6, Specialist reading .................................................................................. 10

Extra exercises for: UNIT 7, Specialist reading .................................................................................. 12

Extra exercises for: UNIT 1, Specialist reading

(Coursebook: Oxford English For Information Technology – Oxford)

Exercise A Study the text entitled ‘Computers Make the World Smaller and Smarter’ (Coursebook, p. 8-9) and answer the questions. 1. Look at the first three paragraphs of the text and name three ways in which computer systems

have made our lives easier and better. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2. What are the advantages of multimedia? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3. Why are personal computers becoming interpersonal PCs? Give an example. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4. What kinds of communication systems can be available to people who live in distant areas? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5. According to the text, what kind of role can people play regarding technology? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3

Exercise B.1

Look at the text again and match the definitions 1-8 with the words a-h. 1. A small portable computer that can be held in one hand 2. A device with a built-in computer which performs automatically some tasks which were

previously performed by people 3. A combination of text with sound, video, animation, and graphics 4. Multimedia materials with a combination of educational and entertainment content 5. Software that enables computers to 'think' like experts 6. Use computers to stay in touch with the office while working at home 7. A form of communication over a network that uses video cameras and microphones 8. Internet system designed to provide free, interactive access to vast resources for people all

over the world’ a. edutainment b. expert system c. handheld computing device d. information superhighway e. multimedia f. smart machine g. telecommute h. videoconferencing

Extra exercises for: UNIT 2, Specialist reading (Coursebook: Oxford English For Information Technology – Oxford)

Pre-question

Look at the text entitled ‘Cache Memory’ (Coursebook p. 16-17), and answer the following

question:

What is cache memory?

Guessing words from context

Try to guess the meaning of the following words, from the sentences they are used in:

1. bottleneck (par. 1)

2. vice versa (par. 3)

4

3. rather than (par. 5)

4. transfer (par. 5)

Reading comprehension Study the text (Coursebook, p. 16-17) and choose the correct answer. 1. According to paragraph 1, why do most PCs not run at their highest potential speed?

a. They don’t have enough memory chips. b. They need a lot of time to transfer data in and out of the main memory. c. Their processor is slow.

2. According to paragraph 2, where does the processor look for data? a. Both in the cache and the main memory. b. First in the cache memory and, if necessary, in the main memory, too. c. First in the main memory and then in the cache memory, if necessary. d. Only in the cache memory.

3. In paragraph 3, what does ‘cache coherency’ mean? a. Changes written to the main memory are reflected in the cache, too. b. The main memory and the cache memory contain exactly the same data. c. The main memory contains all the changes that have occurred in the cache and the

other way around. 4. In paragraph 4, how does ‘write-back’ cache work?

a. Writes changed data in the main memory only before using the space to cache new data.

b. Writes changed data in both the main memory and the cache memory. c. Writes changed data in the main memory and then in the cache memory.

5. According to paragraph 5, most cache controllers a. have many cache hits b. transfer data to the main memory in sequence c. transfer one item of data at a time to the main memory

6. What determines what data is replaced in a disk cache? a. How often data has been used in the cache. b. How long data has been into the cache. c. A set of mathematical instructions.

Vocabulary With the help of a dictionary and the text, find the explanations (and the translations if possible) of the following words and phrases. Suggested dictionaries

Webopedia (English explanations)

IATE (explanations and Greek translations)

5

Terms

1. cache memory 2. cache coherency 3. cache controller 4. cache hit 5. CPU 6. line size 7. write-back cache 8. write-through cache

Extra exercises for: UNIT 3, Specialist Reading (Coursebook: Oxford English For Information Technology – Oxford)

Pre-questions

Read quickly the text entitled ‘Data Mining’ (Coursebook, p. 22-23) and answer the following

questions:

1. What is data mining?

2. How can it be used?

Reading comprehension Read the text about data mining (Coursebook, p. 22-23). Try to find the main ideas of each paragraph and then do the exercise that follows. Remember: Main ideas include facts and events related to the subject of the text, but NOT details or examples. Exercise A Choose one sentence in each question, which states the main idea of the paragraph. Remember: more than one option may be correct, but only ONE will be about the main idea of the paragraph

1. The main idea of paragraph 2 is that: a. AI methods are used widely in data mining b. AI works in a way similar to the human brain

6

c. deductive reasoning, intelligent guesses and learning by example prove how AI works like our brains

d. the most popular AI methods used in data mining are neural networks and clustering

2. The main idea of paragraph 3 is that: a. neural networks continuously analyze and compare data until they find meaningful

information b. neural networks study sample sets of data based on the rules for using data c. the meaningful patterns found by neural networks are called rules d. when meaningful information is found, an alarm is produced

3. The main idea of paragraph 4 is that: a. clustering divides data into categories according to certain limited characteristics b. clustering groups data with similar characteristics when it is not labeled in a way

that helps the data mining process c. data mining is used to detect fake insurance claims d. insurance companies do not label their records as frauds or not frauds

4. The main idea of paragraph 6 is that: a. cleansing means freeing data from errors or double information b. data mining tools use different types of storage methods c. data warehouses and data marts are popular methods of storing data, used in data

mining d. mined data should be cleared from errors or duplicate data and stored in a uniform

format 5. The main idea of paragraph 7 is that:

a. a data mining report is analyzed by an analyst, who does more work if it’s necessary

b. an analyst passes the final results of the mining process to the decision makers, who decide on appropriate action

c. some data mining results may have to be sent away because they are unusable d. the final step of the mining process is to examine the data with more tools

Exercise B Now complete the sentences below to make a short summary of the text. Use the main ideas of Exercise A to help you. Remember! Try to use your own words and DO NOT copy exact phrases from the text (use synonyms, change the syntax of the text’s sentences). Suggested summary outline Data mining is ................... Data mining uses methods of ................... , such as ................... Neural networks ................... . Clustering ................... , while decision trees ...................

7

The data mining process involves these basic steps: First, ................... . Second, ................... . Finally, ................... . Data mining can be used ................... ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Exercise C Match the terms 1-8 with their explanations, A-H. Look back at the text or use a specialized dictionary if necessary (e.g. Webopedia). 1. AI 2. data mining 3. cleanse 4. clustering 5. data warehouse 6. decision tree 7. neural network 8. raw data A. a computing center that stores a large collection of data B. a term used in data mining, meaning to remove duplicate and erroneous information C. a process of filtering through large amounts of raw data to find useful information D. an AI system that analyses and compares data repeatedly until it finds meaningful patterns E. an area of computing which develops computer programs that perform tasks that can

normally only be done using human intelligence F. a method used in data mining that divides data into groups based on similar features or

limited data ranges

8

G. data that has not been processed H. an AI technique used in data mining that separates data into subsets and then continuously

into more subsets, until the subsets are small enough to reveal interesting information

Extra exercises for: UNIT 4, Specialist reading

(Coursebook: Oxford English For Information Technology – Oxford)

Matching Match the following words, 1-14, to their explanations, a-n. Use a paper or an online dictionary, like Webopedia, to help you. 1. Big Blue 2. areal density 3. Moore's Law 4. superparamagnetism 5. terabit

6. atomic force microscopy (AFM)

7. holographic storage 8. angstrom 9. lab 10. high-end

11. removable storage media

12. optical disk 13. solid state disk 14. capacity

a) a slang name for IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) b) the data capacity of a storage device measured in bits per square inch c) a storage medium from which data is read and written to using laser light (e.g. CD-ROMs,

DVD-ROMs) d) a phenomenon that threatens to make densely packed bits unstable in magnetic storage

devices e) short for laboratory; a room or building with scientific equipment for doing scientific tests or

for teaching science f) the amount of information that can be stored on a storage medium g) a mass storage technology that uses three-dimensional holographic images to enable more

information to be stored in a much smaller space h) storage media that enable the user to transfer them to another computer (e.g. CD-ROMs,

USB drives) i) a high-performance storage device that contains no moving parts (e.g. USB flash drive) j) the approximate radius of an atom k) sophisticated and expensive l) a new technology that can be used in allowing higher areal densities m) prediction that the number of transistors that can be incorporated into a processor chip will

double every 18 months n) one thousand gigabits

9

Reading Now read the text (Coursebook, p. 30-31) and fill in the words from the previous exercise. angstrom areal density atomic force microscopy capacity high-end

holographic storage lab Moore's Law optical disks removable storage media

solid state superparamagnetism terabit terabits

Ready for Bazillion-Byte Drive?

Thinking about writing your memoirs - putting your life story down on paper for all eternity? Why not skip the repetitive strain injury and just capture your whole life on full-motion video, putting it all in a device the size of a sugar cube? It might not be as far off as you think. Currie Munce, director of IBM's Advanced HDD Technology Storage Systems Division, has one avowed goal: Build bigger storage. Recently Munce and his fellow PhDs restored Big Blue's lead in the disk space race with a new world record for ………………………………. : 35.3 gigabits per square inch - roughly three times as dense as any drive shipping at press time. During the 1990s, areal density doubled every 18 months, keeping pace with the transistor density gains predicted by ………………………………. . But increasingly daunting technical challenges face those who would push the storage envelope further. 'I think magnetic recording technology has another good 5 to 10 years,' says Munce. 'After that, we'll see substantial difficulties with further advances at the pace people are accustomed to.' From here on, a phenomenon called ………………………………. threatens to make densely-packed bits unstable. Provided that new developments continue to thwart superparamagnetic corruption, scientists speculate that the theoretical limit for discrete bit recording is 10 ………………………………. per square inch (1 ………………………………. = 1,000 gigabits). Approaching this limit will require new technologies. Two possible contenders are ………………………………. (AFM) and ………………………………. . AFM would use a spinning plastic disk, perhaps inside a wristwatch, and a tiny, 10-micron cantilever with a 40-angstrom tip (an ………………………………. represents the approximate radius of an atom) to write data. In theory, AFM will allow densities of 300 to 400 gigabits per square inch. While AFM is still in the ………………………………. , holographic storage is closer to reality. According to Rusty Rosenberger, optical program manager for Imation, 'We are targeting a 5 and 1/4 -inch disk with 125GB of storage and a 40MB-per-second transfer rate.' Future iterations of holographic systems should improve substantially.

10

The three-dimensional nature of holography makes it an appealing storage medium because 'pages' of data can be superimposed on a single volume - imagine transferring a whole page of text at once as opposed to reading each letter in sequence. Hans Coufal, manager of IBM's New Directions in Science and Technology Research division, predicts that the fast access rates and transfer times of holographic storage will lead to improved network searches, video on demand, ………………………………. servers, enterprise computing, and supercomputing. Meanwhile, also-ran technologies are thriving. Tape, first used for data storage in 1951 with the Univac I, has been revitalized by the corporate hunger for affordable archiving solutions. In the consumer arena, says Dataquest analyst Mary Craig, recordable CD-ROMs and DVDs will remain the dominant high-capacity ………………………………. for the next decade. Despite their failure to match the areal density gains of hard disks, ………………………………. are cheap to produce, making them ideal for software distribution (until a mature digital rights management system facilitates online delivery). Finally, ………………………………. options such as flash cards can't yet match the pricing of hard disks at high capacities. Further out, scientists salivate over the prospect of data manipulation and storage on an atomic level. Because consumer demand for ………………………………. is lagging behind what technology can deliver, bringing new storage options to the masses will depend on seeing the need for more space.

Exercise B.2 Study the text again (Coursebook, p. 30-31) and decide if the statements are True (T) or False (F). 1. The text implies that IBM holds the first position in disk storage. 2. Currie Munce believes that magnetic storage technology will have a promising development in

the future. 3. The predicted maximum storage density of AFM is 400 gigabits per square inch. 4. The development of AFM is more advanced than holographic storage. 5. Holography works in 3D. 6. Univac I was the first computer to use tape storage devices. 7. Optical disks will be the most popular storage device in the next 10 years. 8. Online systems are likely to replace optical disks in software distribution. 9. Solid state disks are cheaper than hard disks. 10. Users want higher capacity storage devices than technology can provide.

Extra exercises for: UNIT 6, Specialist reading

(Coursebook: Oxford English For Information Technology – Oxford)

11

Summarizing Read the text entitled ‘Linux’ (Coursebook, p. 42-43) and complete the following sentences that make up its summary. 1. Most computer science courses in the 1990s were based on… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2. Unix was a very important operating system in the ’70s and the ’80s because… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3. However, the disadvantage of Unix was… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4. Disappointed by Unix's disadvantages, Linus Torvalds decided... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5. He also made Linux kernel available to everyone when… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6. Most software companies are afraid that… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7. From then on, Linux began to develop because the programmers who used it... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8. This kind of software development is called Open Source and means that... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9. In about 1992, the first 'distributions' of Linux appeared. In other words, ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10. Because Linux started becoming more popular… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Vocabulary

With the help of a dictionary and the text, find the explanations (and the translations if

possible) of the following words and phrases.

Suggested online dictionaries

Webopedia (English explanations)

IATE (Greek translations)

Oxford Reference (English explanations; available only through University’s network)

Terms

bug

12

to compile

(Linux) distribution

GNU

kernel

open source

to port

source code

Unix

X (windowing system)

Extra exercises for: UNIT 7, Specialist reading (Coursebook: Oxford English For Information Technology – Oxford)

Reading comprehension Read the text entitled ‘User Interfaces’ (Coursebook, p. 50-51) and choose the correct answer in the questions below. 1. According to the text, more people are using computers because

a. they need to perform very intensive tasks at work b. computer functions are becoming integrated into other electronic devices c. of new technological developments d. personal computers have become cheaper and more powerful

2. The text implies that a. people will be using new interfaces in their personal computers in the distant future b. computer industries can now run in cottages c. graphical user interfaces are improved because the Web is designed on hyperlinks d. keyboards and mice will continue to be used

3. The design of graphical user interfaces will change a. when people are able to view web content within a single browser interface b. because of the use of XML c. as a result of new technological advances d. with the discovery of speech recognition

4. The text implies that a. speech recognition will completely replace other input devices b. mice are not suitable for working with desktop computers c. mice, keyboards and speech recognition devices will be the basic input devices of

future interfaces

13

d. we will be able to enter data in a computer system using many input devices 5. Intelligent agents, according to the text,

a. will make computers seem more like humans b. are people who help with computer tasks in helpdesks and shops c. are programs that can look and listen d. will make computing important

6. In paragraph 6, what is the phrase “This is not an accident” closer in meaning to, from the following?

a. this is not a problem b. this is not dangerous c. this is not damaging d. this is not unexpected

Exercise 2 Match the definitions 1-10 with the words, a-j. Use the text (Coursebook p. 50-51) to help you. 1. the part of the operating system that allows the user to interact with a computer using

graphic images and a cursor (mouse pointer) 2. a system that allows the user to interact with a computer with a combination of inputs, such

as speech recognition, hand-writing recognition, text to speech, etc. 3. software that performs tasks such as finding and delivering information and executing

repetitive tasks 4. a computer system that converts text into spoken voice output 5. a project about enabling computers to “see” their surroundings using video cameras 6. a structure based on text or images that lead to webpages when a user clicks on them 7. a language for creating web documents 8. the process of operating a user interface using a combination of input types, e.g. keyboard

and speech recognition 9. a computer network that is internal to an organization but behaves in the same way as the

Internet 10. information put into a computer system, or to enter information or data into a computer

system a. GUI b. hyperlinked design c. input d. intelligent agent e. Intelligent Room f. intranet g. multimodal input h. multimodal interface i. TTS j. XML