Living in a digital age. Unit 1

(a-d).
In education, computers can make all the difference ___
Using a cashpoint, or ATM ___
The Internet in your pocket ___
Controlling air traffic ___

B. Let’s talk about computers and how they are used in the situations above?

now living in what some people call the digital age, meaning that computers have become an essential part of our lives. Young people who have grown up with PCs and mobile phones are often called the digital generation. Computers help students to perform mathematical operations and improve their maths skills. They are used to access the Internet, to do basic research and to communicate with other students around the world. Teachers use projectors and interactive whiteboards to give presentations and teach sciences, history or language courses. PCs are also used for administrative purposes – schools use word processors to write letters, and databases to keep records of students and teachers. A school website allows teachers to publish exercises for students to complete online.

1. The digital age

website and parents can download official reports.
Mobile let you make voice calls, send texts, email people and download pictures, ringtones or games. With a built-in camera you can send pictures and make video calls in face-to-face mode. New smartphones combine a telephone with web access, video, a games console, an MP3 player, a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a GPS navigator system, all in one.
In banks, computers store information about the money held by each customer and enable staff to access large databases and to carry out financial transactions at high speed. They also control the cashpoints, or ATMs (automatic teller machines), which dispense money to customers by the use of a PIN-protected card.

and services. Instead of using a signature to verify payments, customers are asked to enter a four-digit personal identification number (PIN), the same number used at cashpoints; this system makes transactions more secure. With online banking, clients can easily pay bills and transfer money from the comfort of their homes.
Airline pilots use computers to help them control the plane. For example, monitors display data about fuel consumption and weather conditions. In airport control towers, computers are used to manage radar system and regulate air traffic. On the ground, airlines are connected to travel agencies by computer. Travel agents use computers to find out about the availability of flights, prices, times, stopovers and many other details.

1. The digital age

guess the meaning from context? Are they nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs?
Perform
Word processor
Online
Download
Built-in
Digital
Store
Financial
Monitor
Data

1. The digital age

(a-j)

Keep, save
Execute, do
monetary
screen
Integrated
Connected to the Internet
Collection of facts or figures
Describes information that is recorded or broadcast using computers
Program used for text manipulation
Copy files from a server to your PC or mobile

1. The digital age

F. Answer the questions.

How were computers used in your school?
How do you think computers will be used in school in the future?

to make set phrases, for example access the Internet. These word combinations are called collocations, and they are very common. Learning collocations instead od individual words can help you remember which verb to use with which noun. Here are some examples from the text on previous slide: perform operations, do research, make calls, send texts, display data, write letters, store information, complete exercises, carry out transactions.

give
keep
access
enter
transfer
money
a PIN
databases
presentations
records

2. Language work: collocations 1

A. Look at the HELP box and then match the verbs (1-5) with the nouns (a-e) to make collocations from the text on previous slide.

complete these sentences.

Thanks to Wi-Fi, it’s now easy to _____ from café, hotels, parks and many other public places.
Online banking lets you _____ between your accounts easily and securely.
Skype is a technology that enables users to _____ over the Internet for free.
In many universities, students are encouraged to _____ using PowerPoint in order to mate their talks more visually attractive.
The Web has revolutionized the way people _____ - with sites such as Google and Wikipedia, you can find the information you need in seconds.
Cookies allow a website to _____ on a user’s machine and later retrieve it; when you visit the website again, it remembers your preferences.
With the latest mobile phones, you can _____ with multimedia attachments – pictures, audio, even video.

2. Language work: collocations 1

at work. Write each speaker’s job in the table.

electrical engineer secretary librarian composer

B. Listen again and write what each speaker uses their computer for.

3. Computers at work.