Using English at Work：30 Having Computer Problems(2)（在线收听）

Of course I never abuse my computer, but it's no use telling her.At least my computer is fixed and I can keep working.

When the story begins, we're returning to the office after lunch and I know that I have to try to make some headway with my report.

"To make some headway" (headway) means to make progress on a project to try to finish the project.

I've spent most of the morning in meetings, organizing my desk and taking breaks -fairly typical, I think, of many people who in an office - so now I really need to get serious about working on my report if I'm going to make some headway and meet the deadline.

If your parents are planning to visit you, you may try to make some headway in cleaning your house before they arrive by cleaning the bathroom today and the kitchen tomorrow and the living room the next day.

Each day, you make some headway on cleaning your house - you make some progress.

Unfortunately, as soon as I sit down in front of my computer, it starts acting up.

When we talk about machines and equipment, "to act up" means to stop working properly.

For example, your car radio might act up and stop playing music, or your cell phone might act up and not ring when people call you - that would be great, actually, for me!

In the story, my computer is acting up at work.

First, my computer screen freezes.

A "screen" (screen) is the part of the computer page that you can see on your computer monitor.

You have a screen on your television, a screen on your computer monitor; many people a screen on their cell phones.

The screen is where the images and text are shown.

When we talk about computers the verb "to freeze" means to stop responding, to stop working.

It seems like computers often freeze whenever I'm in the middle of writing a very important note!

When my screen freezes - when my computer stops working - I have to boot it up again.