LCH1067 Academic English (Science and Technology) II

Science-and-technology Vocabulary Development – Information Technology

Task 1. Label the following diagram.

Hardware of a personal computer:

1) _______________
2) _______________
3) _______________
4) _______________
5) _______________
6) _______________
7) _______________
8) _______________
9) _______________
10) _______________

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Personal_computer,_exploded_5.svg )

Task 2. Complete the following crossword puzzle using the clues given on the next page.

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LCH1067 Academic English (Science and Technology) II

Across

4. a collection of data stored in a computer in an organized way so that you can find individual
pieces of information easily
6. a computer program used for displaying and manipulating rows of figures
8. a security system that prevents unauthorized access to a computer while it is connected to
the Internet
9. a small movable arrow or line on a computer screen that marks the position where, for
example, a character will be entered in a line of text
10. when a computer suddenly stops working
12. a way of marking an internet website so that you can find it again easily

Down

1. a high-speed internet connection that does not use telephone lines

2. junk email (usually of a commercial nature sent out in bulk)
3. a program that enables you to view websites
5. a piece of computer software that is designed to carry out a particular task
7. a word or image in a website or computer document that you can click on to move to a
related page or document
11. a computer expert who breaks into computer systems in order to steal or change or destroy
information

Task 3. Many IT terms are formed by joining two words together. Combine one word from
Column A and one word from Column B to make an IT term and then match the term with its
definition in Column C.

A B C*

search reader the basic set of standards for enabling computers to

communicate over the Internet

site protocol an identifier used on the Internet in place of the numerical

Internet address

domain processor a person who specializes in writing systems software such

as operating system programs

barcode map a webpage that is used to show the overall layout of a

website

Internet name a program designed to find information on the World

Wide Web according to data entered by the user

word engine an optical input device that uses the reflection of a light
beam to read barcode labels

systems bus the set of conductors that carry the control signals between
the Control Unit and other parts of a computer

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LCH1067 Academic English (Science and Technology) II

control programmer a type of computer application program used for typing

and editing text documents

*Note: Definitions in Column C are taken from Glendinning, E. H. & McEwan, J. (2006). Oxford English for
information technology (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Task 4a. Look at the following prefixes and their use in some IT words. Work out the meaning of
each prefix.

prefix meaning of prefix example of use

auto- automation, automaton

co-/com-/con- combine, connect

de- decode, debug, delink

down- download, downtime

en- encode, encryption

inter- internet, interconnect

intra- intranet

syn- synchronous

trans- transfer, transaction

up- upload

Task 4b. Complete the words in the following sentences using prefixes in the table above.

1) System _____time can make a company lose thousands of dollars in lost production.
2) After you complete the online registration process, your data will be _____mitted via a
secure link.
3) Many companies distribute internal documents on their own _____net.

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LCH1067 Academic English (Science and Technology) II

4) We are looking to recruit an IT support assistant to perform system upgrades and

maintenance tasks, including installation and _____figuration of Windows operating
systems.
5) By default, media files such as photos and videos you receive in WhatsApp will be
____matically downloaded and saved in your phone.
6) A good user ______face should provide users with a user-friendly experience in which they
can easily interact with the hardware and software of a computer system.
7) You can stay connected with your important files no matter where you are by
____chronizing the files between your home, business and mobile computing devices.
8) To protect a sensitive file, it’s better to ___crypt it, send the ___crypted version, and let the
recipient ____crypt it on their own machine.
Read the following passage and complete Tasks 5a – 5c.

Who’s Who of Hacks

Ransomware attacks are rising. In May, hackers unleashed a cyberattack named

WannaCry that crippled hundreds of thousands of computers in 150 countries. The
global attack exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft’s operating system, a flaw that
might leave the system open to attack. In the hours that followed, the infection
spread drastically. The hackers took control of the infected computers, locked the
files and programs of the user’s hard-drives, and demanded a ransom of $300. It
was an example of ransomware, malicious computer code that disables a system
until the victim pays a hefty fine. Last November, hackers disabled ticketing
systems at San Francisco’s public light-rail system and demanded $73,000 in
bitcoins, a digital currency that’s difficult to track. In January, the St. Louis Public
Library network became infected. In March 2016, ransomware crippled hospitals in
Maryland and Kentucky.

Even worse, adversaries are starting to play the long game; they are hacking into a
network and staying there without being detected. Once a weak entry point into a
system is found, it is used to gain access. So it went with a 2013 hack of Target
stores across the country. Attackers used login credentials for an HVAC company to
access Target’s network, and from there they could access cash machines and
install software to poach credit card information. Losses to the store were
estimated at $420 million.

Protect Yourself

Cyberattacks succeed when people don’t take basic precautions. Here are some
ways you can protect your digital self.

 (1)______ your phone and tablet devices.

 (2)______ different passwords on different sites. 
 (3)_______ two-factor authentication. Examples include (4)______ a
code to a secure phone number in addition to a standard password.
 (5)______ your files. 
 Never (6) _______a link you did not expect to receive.
 Regularly (7)______ anti-virus software.  4
 If in doubt, (8)_______.
LCH1067 Academic English (Science and Technology) II

(Freely adapted from http://discovermagazine.com/2017/oct/think-like-a-hacker)

5a. Refer back to Paragraph 1. Put down the definition of each of the following words.

1) ransomware: ______________________________________________________________

2) vulnerability: ______________________________________________________________

3) bitcoin: ___________________________________________________________________

5b. Identify the parts of speech of the underlined words in Paragraph 2. Write your answers in the
space provided below.

(hack)

1) ________They are hacking into a network and staying there without being detected.
2) ______So it went with a 2013 hack of Target stores across the country.

(access)

1) ________ Once a weak entry point into a system is found, it is used to gain access.
2) ________ Attackers used login credentials for an HVAC company to access Target’s
network,
3) ________ and from there they could access cash machines and install software to poach
credit card information.

5c. Complete the section “Protect Yourself” using the appropriate forms of the following
computing verbs:

Computing verbs

block update lock set back up enable click on text