Unit 2. Computer essentials

1. Computer hardware
A. Discuss these questions.
Have you got a computer at home or work? What kind is it?
How often do you use it? What do you use it for?
What are the main components and features of your computer system?

1. Computer hardware
B. Label the elements of this computer system.

1. Computer hardware
C. Read these advertising slogans and say which computer elements each pair refers to.

1. Computer hardware
D. Find words in the slogans with the following meanings.
to press the mouse button ____
clear; easy to see ____
to make an extra copy of something ____
selection ____
shows ____

2. What is a computer?
A. Read the text and then explain Fig. 1 in your own words.
What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic machine which can accept data in a certain form, process the data, and give the results of the processing in a specified format as information.
First, data is fed into the computer’s memory. Then, when the program is run, the computer performs a set of instructions and processes the data. Finally, we can see the results (the output) on the screen or in printed form (see Fig. 1 below).

2. What is a computer?
A computer system consists of two parts: hardware and software. Hardware is any electronic or mechanical part you can see or touch. Software is a set of instructions, called a program, which tells the computer what to do. There are three basic hardware sections: the central processing unit (CPU), main memory and peripherals.
Perhaps the most influential component is the central processing unit. Its function is to execute program instructions and coordinate the activities of all the other units. In a way, it is the “brain” of the computer. The main memory (a collection of RAM chips) holds the instructions and data which are being processed by the CPU. Peripherals are the physical units attached to the computer. They include storage devices and input/output devices.

2. What is a computer?
Storage devices (hard drives, DVD drives or flash drives) provide a permanent storage of both data and programs. Disk drives are used to read and write data on disks. Input devices enable data to go into the computer’s memory. The most common input device are the mouse and the keyboard. Output devices enable us to extract the finished product from the system. For example, the computer shows the output on the monitor or prints the results onto paper by means of a printer.
On the rear panel of the computer there are several ports into which we can plug a wide range of peripherals – a modem, a digital camera, a scanner, etc. They allow communication between the computer and the devices. Modern desktop PCs have USB ports and memory card readers on the front panel.