Before you read the passage, talk about these questions.

1 What are the benefits of telecommuting?

2 What are the challenges of telecommuting, for workers and management?

Reading

Read the letter from an employee to a business owner. Then, choose the right answers.

1 What is the employee doing in the letter?

A requesting thet the company reorganize projects

B proposing an expansion of the telecommuting program  

C suggesting that the company create web-based software

D explaining how employees could work from home

2 According to the letter, the dashboard...

A identifies projects by color.

В helps users toggle between files.

С shows what is being worked on.

D allows communication without a phone.

3. What can be inferred about Skype™?

A It is a part of the Basecamp® software package.

В It requires users to pay a monthly subscription.

С It provides better sound quality than phones.

D It allows users talk to each other on computers.

Vocabulary

Match the words (1-6) with the definitions (A-F).

1 _ toggle

2 _ dashboard

3 _real time

4 _ web-based

5 _telecommute

6 _ message

A being updated as new information arrives

В to switch from one file to another

С a display that shows recently used files

D  available on the Internet

E a series of pages that offer information about a product

F to work away from an office using technology

Place the words from the word bank under the correct heading.

Basecamp          centralize           Skype™

tour                       gallery                color-code

Programs	Actions	Website Features

Listen and read the letter from an employee to a business owner again. How will employees be able to check on which files are being accessed?

Listening

Listen to a conversation between an employee and manager. Mark the following statements as true (T) or false (F).

1 _ Basecamp® allows users to monitor production.

2 _ The message board must be updated by users.

3 _ Employees who telecommute will need high speed connections.

Listen again and complete the conversation.

O: Well, I can understand the employees' 1______ ______ ________. However, I have some questions.

E: I would expect so. Is there 2_______ _______ ______?

O: Let's start with production. I'd need a way to check that people are getting work done at home.

E: Absolutely. The Basecamp® program would take care of that.

O: Really? I 3 _____ ______the tour, but I didn't see anything about monitoring production.

E: It's on the dashboard. It shows all the files being worked on, and who's working on them.

O: Okay, 4     _____ ______ _______. Now, what about communication?

E: Well, there's the 5 ______ _______.

Speaking

With a partner, act out the roles below based on Task 7. Then, switch roles.

USE LANGUAGE SUCH AS:

I'm glad you're considering my proposal.

The Basecamp® program would take care of that.

What about communication?

Student A: You are talking to an employee. Ask

Student В about:

• monitoring production                • communication

Student B: You are talking to an owner. Answer student A's questions.

Writing

9. You are a manager and you are starting a telecommuting program. Use the letter and the conversation from Task 8 to explain the program in a memo to members of staff. (120-150 words). Talk about:

•   What programs you will use

•   How projects will be organized

•   Ways you will communicate

Hackers and viruses

1) Replicate

2) Hacker

3) Log in

4) Virus

5) Host

 

LINCOLNSHIRE BANK

LOCAL MAN ARRESTED ON

Hacking Charges

(Wilmington) - Donald Greene has been arrested by Interpol on computer hacking charges. Interpol claims that Greene, a computer hacker, planted viruses on unwitting host computers. It is thought that Greene used a method called "piggybacking" to gain access to computers when their owners logged in. This gave him access to the computer's protective firewall and allowed him to disable it.

Interpol says that Greene has done over $50 million in damage. Most of this damage was done when he used overwriting viruses to overwrite and destroy files on government computer 1 systems. But Greene targeted home computers, too. For these, anti-virus software was unable to stop Greene's viruses because he included anti-antivirus viruses with them. These viruses essentially shut down anti-virus software. Greene is also alleged to have used resident viruses. These viruses imbed themselves in a file or disk drive. When resident extensions are included with them, they become a part of the computer’s operating system. This makes them nearly impossible to get j rid of. As with all viruses, Greene's viruses are said to had replicated themselves quickly to infect multiple computers.

Reading