English for Computer Students

An English Handbook
for Computer Students
COMPLETED WITH EXERCISES AND PRACTISES

THIS BOOK BELONGS TO :

CLASS / GROUP :

STUDENT’S REGISTRATION NUMBER :

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 English for Computer Students

E-Commerce (Electronic Commerce or EC)

E-commerce (electronic commerce or EC) is the buying and selling of goods

and services on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web. In practice, this term
and a newer term, e-business, are often used interchangeably. For online retail
selling, the term e-tailing is sometimes used.

E-commerce can be divided into:

 E-tailing or "virtual storefronts" on Web sites with online catalogs, sometimes

gathered into a "virtual mall"
 The gathering and use of demographic data through Web contacts
 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the business-to-business exchange of data
 E-mail and fax and their use as media for reaching prospects and established
customers (for example, with newsletters)
 Business-to-business buying and selling
 The security of business transactions

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E-tailing or The Virtual Storefront and the Virtual Mall

As a place for direct retail shopping, with its 24-hour availability, a global
reach, the ability to interact and provide custom information and ordering, and
multimedia prospects, the Web is rapidly becoming a multibillion dollar source of
revenue for the world's businesses. A number of businesses already report
considerable success. As early as the middle of 1997, Dell Computers reported orders
of a million dollars a day. By early 1999, projected e-commerce revenues for
business were in the billions of dollars and the stocks of companies deemed most
adept at e-commerce were skyrocketing. Although many so-called dotcom retailers
disappeared in the economic shakeout of 2000, Web retailing at sites such as
Amazon.com, CDNow.com, and CompudataOnline.com continues to grow.

Market Research

In early 1999, it was widely recognized that because of the interactive nature
of the Internet, companies could gather data about prospects and customers in
unprecedented amounts -through site registration, questionnaires, and as part of
taking orders. The issue of whether data was being collected with the knowledge and
permission of market subjects had been raised. (Microsoft referred to its policy of
data collection as "profiling" and a proposed standard has been developed that allows
Internet users to decide who can have what personal information.)

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

EDI is the exchange of business data using an understood data format. It

predates today's Internet. EDI involves data exchange among parties that know each
other well and make arrangements for one-to-one (or point-to-point) connection,
usually dial-up. EDI is expected to be replaced by one or more standard XML
formats, such as ebXML.

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E-Mail, Fax, and Internet Telephony

E-commerce is also conducted through the more limited electronic forms of

communication called e-mail, facsimile or fax, and the emerging use of telephone
calls over the Internet. Most of this is business-to-business, with some companies
attempting to use e-mail and fax for unsolicited ads (usually viewed as online junk
mail or spam) to consumers and other business prospects. An increasing number of
business Web sites offer e-mail newsletters for subscribers. A new trend is opt-in e-
mail in which Web users voluntarily sign up to receive e-mail, usually sponsored or
containing ads, about product categories or other subjects they are interested in.

Business-to-Business Buying and Selling

Thousands of companies that sell products to other companies have

discovered that the Web provides not only a 24-hour-a-day showcase for their
products but a quick way to reach the right people in a company for more
information.

The Security of Business Transactions

Security includes authenticating business transactors, controlling access to

resources such as Web pages for registered or selected users, encrypting
communications, and, in general, ensuring the privacy and effectiveness of
transactions. Among the most widely-used security technologies is the Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL), which is built into both of the leading Web browsers.

Contributor(s): Mark van Ketel and Tim D. Nelson

This was last updated in April 2005

Posted by: Margaret Rouse

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PRACTISE – 1

1. What is E-Commerce?

2. What is E-tailing or The Virtual Storefront and the Virtual Mall?

3. What is Market Research?

4. What is Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)?

5. What is Business-to-Business Buying and Selling?

6. What is the security of Business Transaction?

Score :

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 English for Computer Students

HOW TO BOOK E-TICKET

Steps to book e-ticket for flight

Search flights
1. Guest details
2. Seats
3. Payment

4. Itinerary

1. SEARCH FLIGHT

Return

One way

 Origin

 Destination

 Choose Currency

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 English for Computer Students

 Depart

 Return

 Adult

 Kid

AFTER CLICK NEXT THEN ON YOUR WEB PAGE WILL SHOW THIS INFORMATION

BOOKING SUMMARY
Total MYR
290.00

Johor Bahru (JHB) to Jakarta (CGK)

Depart
QZ8171
JHB
CGK
1745, 30 Sep 2014 1650, 30 Sep 2014
Fare
1 x 26.00 MYR 1 Adult (s)

Taxes and Fees

100.00 MYR Airport charges and fees
Total MYR
126.00 MYR

Return
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QZ8170
CGK
JHB
1610, 2 Oct 2014 1315, 2 Oct 2014
Fare
1 x 129.00 MYR 1 Adult (s)

Taxes and Fees

35.00 MYR Airport charges and fees
164.00 MYR
Total MYR
290.00

Contact details
to speed up your booking!

 Given name
 Family name/Surname

Enter name as per passport/IC in roman alphabets (A-Z) only

 Mobile Phone
AirAsia will use your mobile number if we need to contact you regarding your
booking or flight.

 E-Mail Address

Please enter a valid email address in order to receive the confirmed

itinerary.

3. SEAT

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1. Choose your seat on depart
 English for Computer Students

Type the number and row. Eg: Economy class. 15 F

Type the number and row. Eg: Economy class. 15 F

4. PAYMENT

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Review and pay

 English for Computer Students

MAYBANK

PUBLICBANK
CIMB
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BANKRAKYAT
RHBBANK
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5. ITINERARY

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Travel Itinerary
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Return : Jakarta (CGK) to Johor Bahru (JHB)

Jakarta (CGK) Johor Bahru (JHB)
QZ 8170 Jakarta (CGK) Johor Bahru (JHB)
02 Oct 2014, 1315 (1:15 PM) 02 Oct 2014, 1610 (4:10 PM)
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PRACTISE – 1

1. What is the name of the guest?

______________________________________________________________
2. Where is the depart?
______________________________________________________________
3. Where is the arrival?
______________________________________________________________
4. When is the depart?
______________________________________________________________
5. When is the arrival?
______________________________________________________________
6. What is the booking number?
______________________________________________________________
7. What is the flight number of departing?
______________________________________________________________
8. What is the flight number of arrival?
______________________________________________________________
9. How much is the itinerary payment?
______________________________________________________________
10. When did the booking do?
______________________________________________________________

Score :
PRACTISE-2

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Jessica Biel Abraham is a single woman who is going to travel return

Singapore – Jakarta on the 15th June 2014 until 18th June 2014 at the first
flight 10:00 AM. She would like to book the ticket today. Booking number is
0987G. Please set the flight booking for business class, seat number 3A both
depart and return. Flight number on depart QZ 7890 and QZ 7891 on return.
She would like to pay by using credit card via Master Card BII (Bank
International Indonesia). Both Depart and return payment are 1500000.00
IDR plus processing fee 50000 IDR. Mobile Phone +443522897. E-Mail
Jessicabiel@yahoo.com. Address Kallang Street, Lor 18 Singapore (Zip
Code: 778631).
Note: follow these five steps of flight booking process!

1. SEARCH FLIGHT
Return

One way

 Origin

 Destination

 Choose Currency

 Depart

 Return

 Adult

 Kid

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 Given name
 Family name/Surname
 English for Computer Students

2. GUEST DETAILS

3. SEAT

1. Choose your seat on depart

2. Choose your seat on return

4. PAYMENT
Please select your preferred currency

 Credit card/Debit card

 E-Gift Voucher
 Direct debit

Processing fee: ……………..

This fee is chargeable per booking (max 9 guests) when payment is made using direct
debit facilities.
Total amount due:
…………………………………
5. ITINERARY

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Travel Itinerary

 Booking Details

Booking Date : …………………..

 English for Computer Students

LISTENING MATERIAL I : BOOK A FLIGHT

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1. What is the name of the operator?

a. Dominguez
b. Dolores
c. Donatella

2. What does the origin of the guest?

a. New York
b. Hongkong
c. China

3. What is the destination of the guest?

a. New York
b. Hongkong
c. China

4. When did the guest travel? Mention the date.

a. Thursday 23rd to Tuesday 27th
b. Thursday 24th to Tuesday 27th
c. Thursday 22nd to Tuesday 27th

5. What class does the guest book?

a. Economy class
b. Business class
c. First class
6. How much does the guest pay for the ticket?

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a. $ 830
b. $ 840
c. $ 813

7. Does the payment include the tax?

a. Yes it does
b. No it does not

8. How much is the tax approximately?

a. Up to $ 75
b. Up to $ 17
c. Up to $ 70

9. Where will the guest stay?

a. At Regency hotel
b. At Regency lodge
c. At Regency inn

10. How long will the guest stay in the hotel?

a. Six nights
b. Five nights
c. Three nights

11. Is there any discount rate available for the conference delegates in that hotel?
a. Yes there is
b. No there is not

12. How much is the discount rate approximately?

a. 15 %
b. 20 %
c. 10 %
WORK IN PAIR : BOOK A FLIGHT SCORE :

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Set a conversation to book a flight by phone with your partner

Score :

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LISTENING MATERIAL II : BOOK A HOTEL

1. What is the name of the hotel?

a. San Venice
b. San Felice
c. San Carlos

2. When does the time of the receptionist receives the phone?

a. At night
b. In the morning
c. In the afternoon

3. When does the guest book the hotel for?

a. For March the 22nd
b. For March the 23rd
c. For March the 24th

4. How long will she be staying?

a. Three nights
b. Four nights
c. Five nights

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5. What kind of room does the guest book?

a. Double room
b. Deluxe room
c. Superior room

6. What is the special request asked by the guest for the room?
a. Room with a view over the sea
b. Room with a view over the lake
c. Room with a view over the river

7. Does the guest request for breakfast?

a. Yes she does
b. No she does not
8. How much is the charge per night?
a. eighty five euro per night excluding VAT
b. eighty three euro per night excluding VAT
c. eighty four euro per night excluding VAT

9. What are the names of the guests who book the room?
a. Mr and Mrs Ryefield, that´s R-Y-E-F-I-E-L-D.
b. Mr and Mrs Winfield, that´s W-I-N-F-I-E-L-D.
c. Mr and Mrs Jasfield, that´s J-A-S-F-I-E-L-D.

10. What is the confirmation number?

a. It´s: 7576385
b. It´s: 7576386
c. It´s: 7576387

SCORE :

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WORK IN PAIR : BOOK A HOTEL

Set a conversation to book a hotel by phone with your partner

Score :

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Quiz Computers and the Internet

Value your ability in computer and internet terms

1. Make sure you __________ your computer before you leave the office.

a) close

b)shut down

c) restart

d) lock up

2. How long are you going to be _____ the computer?

a) at

b) in

c) to

d) on

3. Oh no! This stupid computer has _________ again!

a) crashed

b) broken down

c) had an accident

d) failed

4. I can spend the whole weekend just _________ the net.

a) sailing

b) swimming

c) surfing

d) windsurfing

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5. Now we have broadband, we' re __________ to the internet 24 hours a day.

a) joined

b) linked

c) connected

d) attached

6. To open a file, just _______ on it with the mouse.

a) press

b) cluck

c) hit

d) click

Score :

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LISTENING MATERIAL III : COMPUTER TERMS

Computer technology has become a major part of people's lives. This

technology has its own special words. One example is the word 1. _____________.

A computer mouse is not a small animal that lives in buildings and open fields. It is a

small 2. _______________ that you move around on a flat surface in front of a

computer. The mouse moves the 3._____________, or 4.____________, on the

computer screen.

Computer 5._____________ Douglas Engelbart developed the idea for the

mouse in the early nineteen-sixties. The first computer mouse was a carved block of

wood with two metal wheels. It was called a mouse because it had a tail at one end.

The tail was the 6. ______________ that connected it to the computer.

Using a computer takes some training. People who are experts are sometimes

called 7.______________. A hacker is usually a person who writes

8._______________ programs in a special computer language. But the word hacker

is also used to describe a person who tries to steal information from computer

systems.

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Another well known computer word is 9.____________, spelled g-o-o-g-l-e.

It is the name of a popular 10._____________ for the Internet. People use the search

engine to find information about almost any subject on the Internet. The people who

started the company named it Google because in mathematics, googol, spelled g-o-o-

g-o-l, is an extremely large number. It is the number one followed by one-hundred

zeros.

When you "Google" a subject, you can get a large amount of information about

it. Some people like to Google their friends or themselves to see how many times

their name appears on the 11._______________.

If you Google someone, you might find that person's name on a 12. _______.

--------- is the shortened name for a Web log. A blog is a personal 13.__________.

It may contain stories, comments, pictures and links to other 14.____________. Some

people add information to their blogs every day. People who have blogs are called

15._____________.

Blogs are not the same as 16.____________. …….. is unwanted sales

messages sent to your electronic 17._____________. The name is based on a funny

joke many years ago on a British television show, "Monty Python's Flying Circus."

Some friends are at an eating place that only serves a processed meat product from

the United States called SPAM. Every time the friends try to speak, another group of

people starts singing the word SPAM very loudly. This interferes with the friends'

discussion – just as unwanted sales messages interfere with communication over the

internet.

Score :

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EXPLAIN THESE TERMS WITH YOUR OWN SENTENCES

HACK - HACKER

______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

BLOG - BLOGGER

______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

SPAM

______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

Score:
PRESENTATION: BLOG AND BLOGGERS

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Present what you know about blog and bloggers in front of the class!

Score:

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COMPUTER GLASSES

Finn: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Finn and with me is Neil.

Neil: Hello.

Finn: And, we have a 1.___________ theme today – Neil, you carry a 2._________,
don't you?

Neil: Yes – my phone can take photos and search the 3.____________, I can watch
videos, send messages and even… hang on (phone rings)

Finn: Even make phone calls?

Neil: Sorry about that.

Finn: Very good. And – I can see that you are wearing a very fine pair of
4._______________

Neil: Why thank you. They do make me quite… handsome, don't you think?

Finn: Of course. But how would you like to combine the two things – put them
together?

Neil: Combine my smartphone and glasses?

Finn: That's what 5.____________ hope people will do. Their new product Google
Glass is a kind of small 6.____________ you wear on your face.

Neil: Yes, several 7.____________ are now developing wearable tech – that's
technology you can wear – just like my glasses. With Google Glass, when you
wear them you can see the real world, as normal, but also a small kind of
computer screen, hanging in space…

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Finn: Interesting, isn't it? And it makes me think of an action movie. Neil, which
action movie character had special eyes that were like computers – giving
information about the world around him?

Neil: That's a difficult question. I'm not sure, science-fiction is not my favorite type
of movie. I will say, though, Terminator.

Finn: Ok, you're not a science fiction fan. We'll find out at the end of the 8.________
if that was right. First, let's take a closer look at these specs – or glasses -
themselves.

Neil: We don't have a pair, but our BBC colleague Rory Cellan-Jones went to
Google to try a pair out. Listen carefully - which three different things does he
do with them?

BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones:

Ok Glass.9.______________! There, I've got a picture of the cameraman. I'm going

to go back. OK

Glass. Let's record a 10._____________. I'm now recording everybody that's in this
room. And I'm going to stop

that. How do I say 'thank you for the flowers' in 11._____________? Hana arigatou
gozaimashita. Excellent,

so I can now speak Japanese via these glasses.

Finn: So, which different things did Rory Cellan-Jones do?

Neil: Did you hear them? Number one - he took a picture:

BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones:

Take a picture!

Finn: Number two – he recorded a video:

BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones:

Let's record a video.

Neil: And three…

BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones:

How do I say 'thank you for the flowers' in Japanese?

Neil: He learned how to say a phrase in Japanese.

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Finn: Very good, yes. Neil, I know you speak Japanese, what was the phrase?

Neil: Oh right. It was: hana arigatou gozaimashita.

Finn: Wonderful pronunciation.

Google Glass:

Hana arigatou gozaimashita.

Finn: Which means 'thank you for the flowers'. But anyway let's get back to English!

Neil: With all the things these glasses can do, some people find them creepy – a bit

strange and scary.

Finn: Yes, because you can use them while walking along the street, for example,
nobody will know what you're doing, and some people are worried that they
might be used to find out information about their 12_____________, or
personal lives.

Neil: Some are concerned about drivers using the glasses – saying it could be
dangerous when 13_____________.

Finn: And casinos – places where people play games – like card games – to win
money, are concerned they could be used to cheat. Anyway, what do you think
about them Neil?

Neil: I have to say I don't like the idea.

Finn: OK, why?

Neil: Because I like to be separate from 14._____________sometimes. I'm worried

that my brain will stop working if I have a computer on my head.

Finn: If there's a computer in your head, you might become a15.___________, which
is part man, part machine. Which takes me back to the question I asked you
earlier, what was the name of the action movie where there was a character
with a robot eye?

Neil: I said Terminator.

Finn: That was absolutely correct, very good. The Terminator with 'Terminator
vision'. So, what do you think of Google Glass and wearable tech in general?
Let us know on the BBC Learning English Facebook page. Now, Neil, could
you remind us of some of today's language?

Neil: smartphone, to combine, wearable tech, specs, creepy, private, casino, cyborg

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Finn: OK that's it for this programme. Do join us again soon for more 6 Minute
English from BBC Learning English.

Both: Bye.

Vocabulary and definitions

Smartphone: a phone that can be used as a small computer to do things like take
photos and connect to the internet

to combine : to join two or more things together to become one new thing

wearable tech : technology you can wear

specs : (slang) glasses; short for 'spectacles'

creepy : strange and scary

private personal; only for one person or group

casino : a place where people go to gamble

cyborg : a being with both human and robot parts ('cybernetic organism')

Score :

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PRESENTATION: COMPUTER GLASSES

Present what you know about computer glasses in front of the class!

Score:

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Super Computers Faster, More Powerful

Hello there, and welcome to As It Is. I’m Faith Lapidus in Washington.

1.______________________ has revolutionized the world. It has changed the way

people interact and how quickly they are able to connect with each other. Today we
hear how super computers are getting smarter and faster.

We begin with a look at the most powerful 2.___________________in the world.

China’s Tianhe-2 super computer has again been rated the world's most powerful
computer. It is the second time in 12 months that the Tianhe-2 has taken the number
one spot on the Top500’s list of the most powerful super computers. Caty Weaver
reports.

Super Computers Faster, More Powerful

Experts measured the super computer’s 3._____________ at 33.86 petaflops, or

quadrillions of operations per 4.____________. China's National University of
Defense Technology developed the super computer, which runs twice as fast as the
number two-rated Titan super computer. It belongs to the United States
government’s Oakridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Both Tianhe-2 and Titan

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are part of an ongoing race to make super computers faster and more powerful.

So what is a super computer?

A basic personal computer has one 5._______________ at the center of its

operations. This 6.______________, or CPU, executes a set of commands contained
in a predesigned program.

The first super computers had a few more CPUs. That number grew as
7.________________ became cheaper and faster. Andrew Grimshaw, a computer
science professor at the University of Virginia, explains.

"Today, super computers are all what we call parallel machines. Instead of one CPU
- central processing unit - they have thousands and thousands. And in the case of the
Chinese machine, depending on how you count, millions of these central processing
units."

These 8._________________ are made up of many 9.______________called nodes.

They are all positioned in one block. They use a lot of power, create a lot of heat and
require huge cooling systems. They also use programs different from those used by
ordinary computers.

Professor Grimshaw says anyone with enough resources can build a super computer
to solve problems that require millions of mathematical calculations.

But that is not always necessary. A 10.________________ can be created by

networking individual computers within a university campus or company. These
machines then process data during down time, when no one is using them.

"Those are very easy to run on virtual super computers because each problem is
11.______________ of all the others and I can scatter these jobs out around the
place. We run these all the time at UVA."

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Professor Grimshaw says that until ten years ago, engineers worked on making
computers faster. Since then, he says, they have worked to create more powerful
12._________________.

"It’s transforming science and engineering, and it’s going to continue to transform it
in ways that I think most people don’t fully grasp how well we can model and
simulate the world now."

I'm Caty Weaver.

And I’m Faith Lapidus. You are listening to As It Is from VOA Learning English.

Severe weather events affect 13.______________ in all parts of the world.

Earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis, and tornados have caused billions of dollars in
damage and killed hundreds of thousands of people. When Hurricane Sandy struck
the 14._____________ in 2012, many people complained that 15.__________reports
leading up to the storm had not been correct. Now, scientists are looking to super
computers to help improve weather predictions. June Simms has more.

NOAA Hopes Super Computers Will Improve Weather Predictions

Predicting the strength and movement of these huge 16.___________ systems is of

crucial importance. Thanks to new super computers, meteorologists for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are getting better at predicting the
weather as far as six days out.

a Corvette and truck flooded by the storm surge of Superstorm Sandy stand in a
driveway in Lindenhurst,17.______________. (Reuters)
Hurricane Sandy was one of the costliest storms in United States history. At the time,
some people blamed meteorologists for not correctly predicting the path of the
storm.

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But 18.____________________ is extremely difficult, says Ben Kyger. He is the

director of central operations at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental
Prediction in College Park, Maryland.

“You’ve got major patterns in the 19._______________, like the jet stream, but
you’ve also got little eddies, little currents, little things happening all over the place.
All these little changes are interacting with each other, continuously, all day long.”

Ben Kyger says oceans are another issue because they closely interact with the
atmosphere and have a huge effect on 20.___________.

NOAA has spent about $20 21.___________ on two new super computers in an
effort to improve the dependability of its forecasts.

“These computers generate the initial model guidance that the whole forecast process
depends on, for all the 22.________________ that you see, with snowstorms,
tornadoes, hurricanes, how hot it’s going to be today -- all of your weather forecasts
start with what comes off of these super computers.”

It takes a huge amount of computational power to examine data from weather

satellites, ground stations and other sources. It then takes a lot of power to predict
23.________________, air pressure, humidity and wind speed.

But human brains and experience are still very important to the process.

Meteorologists at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction scan the same
data that the super computers get before issuing a 24.________________.

“They’re looking at lots of different models, that run off different computers and then
they’re creating that five-day forecast. They use lots of scientific and subjective
25.________________ from doing it year after year.”

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NOAA continues working to improve its weather forecasting abilities. Another

upgrade of its weather-predicting super computers is planned for as early as
26.___________.

I’m June Simms.

That’s our show for today. I’m Faith Lapidus. VOA world news is coming up at the
top of the hour, Universal Time.

Score:

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PRESENTATION: SUPER COMPUTER

Present what you know about super computer in front of the class!

Score:

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Panel Check for Activities in a Semester

No. Date Topic Score Signature

SIGNED BY :

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