II. Listening Skills
Making Calculations
W: It sounds expensive. Why did they charge you so much for repairing the computer?
M：Well, it’s $25 for labor to start with. A new modern cost another 50 bucks. On top of that I needed a new battery, and it cost $17.
Q: How much did the man spend altogether fixing his computer?
W: How long are you on the Internet every day?
M：About three hours a day. I promised Dad to cut that in half, but the Internet is so slow.
Q: How much time has the man promised to spend on the Net every day.
W: Where did you get all these e-mails?
M：I got ten messages from classmates, one about an assignment and one from my brother. Five were spam, the annoying stuff that comes at all times.
Q: How many e-mail messages did the woman get altogether?
W: It takes twice as long to open my Hotmail now. I need over a minute to see my mail. Is the problem Hotmail or the ISP?
M：Forget Hotmail. I get e-mail through a local provider in ten seconds. Try it.
Q: How long did it use to take the man to get his mail?
W: Talking about computer, what’s the meaning of Pentium 4 and clock speed?
M：Imagine the processor of a computer as a bus. The higher the Pentium number, the larger the the bus and the more information it can carry. Clock speed tells how fast data are processed. A clock speed of 100 is half as fast as a speed of 200.
Q: How much faster is a clock speed of 200 than a clock speed of 100?
1.D 2. C 3.A 4.B 5.C
III. Listening In
Task 1: The Internet on Campus
The Internet, a worldwide information network, is used at universities mainly as an information supply source. Staff supply information via the Internet and students may access it or any other publicly available information. The Internet is also useful for students to communicate with staff.
Teachers may present lecture materials in lecture halls, and at the same time, they can distribute the materials for students to access from any location at any time via their computer. Such materials are preesented mainly in the form of text, still pictures and hypertext links. Students find this valuable and relevant to their needs. If they must miss a lecture, students can still keep up to date. Staff users may put up notices of conferences, maintain professional contacts, and communicate and conduct discussions with their colleagues or students. Students, on the other hand, are taught haow to use the Internet as an individual productivity tool in several courses.
1. A 2. D 3. A 4. A 5. C
Task 2: Surfing the Net
W: Hi Bryan. Hare you doing? You look tired.
M：Oh, I’m a little burnt out. I’ve been surfing the Net for the last few hours.
W: Were you doing schoolwork, or was it just for pleasure?
M：Well, I wanted to get some information on South America for a project I have, but I found a really interesting chat site with people from there and started chatting.
W: Well, did you get the information you needed?
M：Yes, but then we spent lots of time chatting about other interests.
W: I see. The Internet is a wonderful place. There is so much information available. I completely understand how you can get distracted. Sometimes I find myself looking for one piece of information, but by the time I am finished I have a lot more than I started off looking for.
M：I know. One thing I really don’t like about it, though, is it takes so much longer to find things, because many sites are useless.
W: Yes, there’s that, and also, I often find the same site over and over again in a search. That definitely wastes lots of my time.
M：And, of course, there are sites that offer little to no relevant information on the topic you are searching for. In my search today, I found quite a few sites that were nothing more than old local news archives and event calendars.
W: Well, I’m sure they were useful to someone at some time, but they should be removed when they’re no longer of use to anyone.
M：I agree. With all the time I spnd on it, I still find it to be the best source of information available. And speaking of information, I really should read through what I got on the Internet and start working on my project.
W: Okay. Good luck. It’s funny we had this chat, as I was just on my way home to surf the Net myself.
M：Well, it was nice talking to you, and maybe I’ll meet you in a chat room later tonight.
Surfing the Internet for the last few hours.
Some information on South America for a project he had.
Because there is so much information available.
It takes so much longer to find things because many sites are useless.
She thinks they were useful to someone at some time, but they sgould be removed when they’re no longer of use to anyone.
Task 3: Internet Addiction
Over the years, studies have shown that it’s possible to become addicted to the Internet. Actually, college students are most likely to have the addiction because of many factors. Difficulty in adapting to life away from home, and certain psychological problems like depression or social anxiety are among the main reasons. College students have lots free time to spend and many of them are supplied with free Internet access and a computer in their doorms. It’s really easy to get addicted. Walking through the computer labs, you are most likely to find students chatting or surfing on the Internet. There are not just some, but many students not really doing anything related to schoolwork. They are spending far too much time online, which may do harm to their schoolwork and other activities. As a result, some have been academically dismissed, and others are even in the danger zone for developing an addiction needs to be addressed now as a serious problem on college campuses.
likely adapting psychological access dorms chatting related dismissed gambling
Task 4: A Brief Introduction
honored as our guest computer hacking protect books and articles misuse
New Threats to Security wake your interest
IV. Speaking Out
Focusing Attention
Model 1 As far as I’m concerned, …
Now Your Turn
Nicole: Hi, Chris! What’s up?
Christopher: The damned Internet is down again. Seems like it’s always down. What do you think I should do?
Nicole: If uou ask me, you just need to have your connection checked.
Christopher: Maybe you’re right. But, to tell the truth, what I really need is to have my own computer.
Nicole: Why? As far as I’m concerned, that’s not necessary when you’re living on campus.
Model 2 In my opinion
Ashley: Hey Mike, what are you doing online?
Michael: Well, I’m getting some ideas for my term paper.
Ashley: Ideas? Well, I personally think we should think for ourselves.
Michael: It’s easier said than done! Working with the Internet is much faster , you know.
Ashley: But, in my opinion, that’s a form of plagiarism.
Michael: Come on, Ashley. I never quote the passages; I just use their ideas.
Model 3 As I See it, …
Maria: I’ve got to do two assignments this week, but the Internet is not always a timer saver.
Jessica: Searching on the Internet? Don't’t you think it’s hard to find the right information for your assignments?
Maria: No, just the opposite. There’s too much information. I start looking for one thing, and see something else. Before I know it, I’m completely off topic.
Jessica: Well, as I see it, you should focus on what you are doing and not get distracted.
Maria: But, the point is that it’s very hard to stay on one topic when other topics keep flashing and jumping out at you!
V. Let’s Talk
Anne: John! You’re playing computer games again?
John: Hi, darling. I’m just surfing the Net.
Anne: Oh, my gosh! You’re becoming a Net-addict!
John: Come on, Anne. I find the Internet very useful—I can find anything. Want me to search for
the number of Net-addicts in America?
Anne: John, you spend more time on the Net than with me. It’s kind of unhealthy!
John: Unhealthy? Here, just feel my muscles. I like Atlas—I can lift the world with the Net. Anne: Stop joking, John. You spend hours closed up in your room, with just your computer for
company, like a recluse. It is as if you lived in a computer!
John: Not really. I am in touch with the world through the Web.
Anne: But it is not the same. You need to interact with people, play real games, and enjoy nature. Your virtual world is a form of… of… escapism.
John: The real world could use some escaping form, don’t you think?
Anne: You know, John, it is not just you; most young people—even children—spend so much time on the Net that it is not only affecting their eyesight but also their personalities. They are becoming unsociable…
John: Anyway, look at the positive side: the amount of useful information available on the Web is amazing.
Anne: I know that. As long as the Internet is only a virtual girlfriend, I won’t have to worry about it.
John:2,4,6,8
Anne:1,3,5,7
For Reference
a
A, say hello to B and ask what he is doing online.
Hi,Brian. You’re online again! Searching for something?
B, respond to A’s greeting and answer his /her question.
Hello, Vivian. I’m playing games. It’s thrilling!
A, show your concern for B by listening some dia=sadvantages of Net addiction.
Come on, Brian. You’ve spent too much time online. Haven’t you ever worried about your study? Your addiction to the Net will spoil you!
B, account for your Net addiction by listing some conveniences and excitement the Internet brings to you.
Don’t be joking, Vivian. The Internet is so convenient, and you can do everything on it. I enjoy playing games online. It’s really exciting!
b
A, greet B and ask what he is doing.
Hi, Dave. What’re you doing? Seems you’re doing editing work.
B, respond to A.
Well, I just downloaded an essay from the Net, and have got to make some changes for my literature class.
A, make comments on B’s practice.
What? Downloaded an essay? Are you crazy? We’re supposed to write papers by ourselves. B, try to justify your act.
Sounds easy! But I don’t have the time. Besides, I’m not into literature, you know.
VI. Furthering Listening and Speaking
Listening
Task 1: The Origin of the Internet
The story of the Internet begins in the late 1950s. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957. ThePentagon set up a research team in 1958 to create a computer network to operate during disasters like a nuclear war. The resulting network linked U.S. scientific and academic researchers. It grew
into the World Wide Web or the Internet that became the network system of the Information Age. In 1985, the National Science Foundation created a network which provided a free national service to any U.S. research and education institution. Later, large corporations began to build their own networks. All those networks finally joined the Pentagon’s network to form the Internet. By the 1990s, anyone with a computer, a modern, and Internet software could link up to the Internet. In the future, the Internet will probably grow more complex and become part of a larger network called the information highway. With that people could bank, shop, watch TV, and perform many other activities online.
Task2: The Internet—A Small Town
The Internet is a global network, but in many ways it’s like a small town with similar services to offer. There are electronic post offices to send and receive e-mail, functioning somewhat more efficiently than the Post Office we know. There are libraries of information that stay open 24 hours a day with millions of books and documents to browse or search through on the World Wide Web or WWW. You can also enjoy real-time text-based communication, using written or printed material to communicate with others immediately and almost “face to face”. Local coffee shops are seen in the guise of chat room, with people dropping by at all hours of the day and night to socialize. Online education and training is available just as it is in a “bricks and mortar” university or school. Online banking offers you all the services available at your local bank, without fearing to be mugged at an ATM. You can buy almost anything, listen to your local radio station or do your grocery shopping. Indeed, the Internet is your town in a box!
Task3: If only life could be like a computer!
To get your daily exercise, just click on “run”!
If you need a break from life, click on “suspend”.
Hit “any key” to continue life when ready.
To “add/remove” someone in your life, click settings.
To improve your appearance, just adjust the display settings.
When you lose your car keys, click on “find”.
You could click on “send” and the kids would go to bed immediately.
To feel like a person, click on “refresh”.
Click on “close” to shut up the noises.
To undo a mistake, click on “back”.
Is your furniture getting old? Click “update”.
If you messed up your life, you could press “Alt, Ctrl, Delete” and start all over!
Speaking
1. F 2. T 3.T 4.F 5.T |