How is it possible to lose files on a computer?

Reading

Read the text quickly and match the headings (a-e) with the paragraphs (1-5).

aSaving existing files □b Naming files □

cSaving new files □d Defaults □

1. Programs that let you create files or save data have a Save command, usually in the File menu. When you save a new file, the Save As dialog box appears (see below). You can let the computer decide the location, the file name and the format, or you can choose these settings yourself. There are many different file formats and they all have advantages and disadvantages. You can save a word- processing document as a web page, for example, or you can save digital photographs in a JPEG format, a TIFF format or many others.

2.
The Save As command is the default command for any new document so the Save As dialog box appears even if you click Save. If you do not give a new document a file name in a word-processing program, the file name will usually default to the first line in the document.

3. If you work on an existing file and want to save changes, click Save, not Save As, You can use Save As to save an existing file in a different location, for example, in another drive or folder (using Save in), with a new name (using File name) or in a different format (using Save as type).

4. Having different folders helps you organize your files, but naming all the different files in one folder is not always easy. You should give files names that describe exactly what they contain so that you can find them easily.

 

Decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F).

1 If you do not choose a location, a name, or a format when you save a new file, the computer will do it for you. T/F

2 If you click Save on a new file, the Save As dialog box appears. T/F

3 You can save files in one format only. T/F

4 You can save existing files in more than one place on your computer. T/F

5 The Save command only saves existing documents. T/F

6 Most word-processing documents use 'Untitled’ as the default name. T/F

7 The Save As command cannot save existing documents. T/F

8 Thinking of names for your files is easy. T/F

 

Vocabulary

2 Complete the sentences (1-6) with thewords and phrases in the text.

1 You can make back-up copies of___files on a floppy disk by using Save As.

2 I need a____camera because I want tosave my pictures on my computer.

3 Graphics programs save files without names as by default.

4 Clicking_____will let you go to the A:drive, C: drive or D: drive.

5 Programs have____________________________ settings for all kindsof functions.

6 Click_______in the Save As dialog box tochange the file format.

 

Speaking

Work in pairs. Bring to your class six photographs of your family, Mends, city or pets that you would like to store on your computer. Decide on file names to give them. Use the most important part of the photograph, but try to keep the names short.

I’d call this file ‘Dad Sleeping 50’, because I took the picture on his 50th birthday and he’s sleeping in a chair.

I wouldn’t call this ‘Picture 27’because the file name doesn’t describe the picture.

 

Get real

Type Photographs in your search engine. Visit at least three websites that contain photographs or other visual images. Look at the categories that the sites use to group their photographs. Report back to class to say what each category contains. Write up the category list for your next class.

The Internet

Before you start

Have you ever surfed the Internet? Which websites did you visit?

Reading

Read the article. Decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F).

1 The Internet first started in the USA. T/F

2 The Internet and the WWW are different. T/F

3 Berners-Lee invented the Internet. T/F

4 One file on the WWW can have two or more addresses. T/F

5 There are 40 million Internet users today. T/F

THE INTERNET

Originated in the early 1970s when the United States wanted to make sure that people could communicate after a nuclear war. This needed a free and independent communication network without a centre and it led to a network of computers that could send each other e-mail through cyberspace

Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web (WWW) when he discovered a way to jump to different files on his computer using the random, or unplanned, links between them. He then wrote a simple coding system, called HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), to create links to files on any computer connected to the network. This was possible because each file had an individual address, or URL (Uniform Resource Locator). He then used a set of transfer rules, called HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), to link Web files together across the Internet. Berners-Lee also invented the world’s first browser. This lets you locate and view Web pages and also navigate from one link to another.

The WWW became available to everyone in 1991 and the number of Internet users grew from 600,000 to 40 million in five years. Today, that number is much larger and there are now many browsers that provide Web pages, information and other services. You can also do research, download music files, play interactive games, shop, talk in chat rooms and send and receive e- mail on the WWW.

 

3.Find the correct word or abbreviation in the text.

1 an address for Web pages_______________________________

2 a coding system that creates links___________________________________

3 this finds and shows Web pages__________________________________

4 rules for transferring files_______________________________

5 a group of computers joined together____________________________________

 

Vocabulary

4.Match the groups of verbs below with their general meaning from the box.

move ■ make, start ■ join ■ look at ■ find

1 browse, surf, view___________________________

2 download, navigate, transfer_________________________________

3 connect, link__________________________

4 discover, locate___________________________

5 originate, create, invent_______________________________

 

5.Complete the sentences (1-7) with the words from the text.

1 Some people spend too much time playing ___________ games on the Internet.

2 You can sometimes have a computer________________________________

that is not connected to the Internet.

3 It is easy to________________________ around a screen with a mouse.

4 Berners-Lee discovered how to_________________________________ links

between computers in new ways.

5 Some people surf the Internet at________________________________,

just to see what they can find.

6 People use the Internet to _______________ information from one place to another.

7 When you surf the Internet, you are travelling in___________,

 

Speaking

6.Work in groups. Say which of the following ideas about the Internet are good or bad.

independent ■ world wide ■ cheap to use ■ expensive to buy computers ■ the information may not be true or correct ■ spend too much time playing games ■ talking in chat rooms ■ make new friends ■ visit many interesting websites ■ wait for a long time to download Web pages

 

Get real

Use a browser to surf the Internet at random. Find five interesting websites to tell the class about. Write down the URL of each website and bring the list to class. Build a class file of interesting sites so that other students can visit them.

 

Research on the Internet

Before you start

1. Where is the best place to find information on these topics?

• European history

• the price of mobile phones

• your favourite pop star

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of finding information from these sources?

books ■ magazines ■ newspapers ■ libraries ■ encyclopedias ■ friends or family ■ teachers ■ CD-ROMs ■ television ■ radio ■ the Internet

 

Reading

3. Read the text quickly and choose the correct answer.

1 Google is a keyword / search engine.

2 This WORD is in upper / lower case.

3 AND / WHEN is a logical operator.

Finding information on the World Wide Web needs an Internet search engine such as Google, Alta Vista or Excite. Search engines have a text box where you type in a keyword or words. A search engine is a software program that reads the keywords in the text box and searches the Internet for Web pages, websites and other Internet files that use them. These documents are shown on the computer screen in a results listing.

When carrying out searches, you should usually be specific and brief in your choice of words. If the keyword is too general, or includes too many different meanings, the results listing may not be useful. Different search engines categorize information in different ways, which changes the way they store and retrieve it.

Using upper case letters (capital letters) in a keyword search will only retrieve documents that use upper case. Typing in lower case (no capitals) is usually better because search engines will retrieve documents that use both upper case and lower case letters.

You can narrow a search using logical operators such as AND, OR and NOT. AND retrieves all the words typed in the text box, OR retrieves either of the words and NOT excludes words. Spelling is important when typing in keywords, but a search engine will not usually read punctuation, prepositions and articles.

4. Tick (√) the good things to do to find information on the Internet.

1 Choose keywords that are different to the item you want. □

2 Give the best keyword to describe what you want. □

3 Use as many general keywords as possible. □

4 Try to use a keyword that can have only one meaning □

5 Type your keywords in lower case only. □

6 Use logical operators to narrow your search, □

7 Use full stops and commas. □

8 Do not use words like at, in, on, a/anand the. □

 

Vocabulary

5. Find the words and phrases in the text that mean:

1 clear and exact (paragraph 2)______________________

2 put into similar groups (2) ______________________

3 to bring back (2) ______________________

4 make smaller (4) ______________________

5 mathematical words (4) ______________________

6 does not use (4) ______________________

 

6. Are the words in the groups below listed from general to specific or specific to general? Write G->S or S->G.

1 telephone -> mobile phone -> Nokia______________________

2 mother -> family -> humans______________________

3 writing -> essay -> sentence______________________

4 Big Ben -> London -> UK______________________

5 cars -> vehicles -> transport______________________

6 cars -> German cars -> BMW______________________

 

Speaking

7. Talk about the keywords you should use to find information on the following topics.

• information on cheap hotels in the UK

• what the weather will be like tomorrow

• an essay on the history of the European Economic Union

• mobile phones that connect to the Internet

• a nice present for your mother’s birthday.

 

Get real

Carry out the searches in Exercise 7. Then:

• note the words you used in the search

• note the top five results for each search

• visit each site and find out if it is useful.

 

Do the search using a different search engine. Bring the list of keywords and your notes on the search results back to class.