LearningaboutLanguage (2)

HowHow DoDo ComputersComputers Work Work Computer Basics To accomplish a task using a computer you need a combination of hardware software and input Hardware consists of devices like the computer itself the monitor keyboard printer mouse and speakers Inside your computer there are more bits of hardware including the motherboard where you would find the main processing chips that make up the central processing unit CPU The hardware processes the commands it receives from the software and performs tasks or calculations Software is the name given to the programs that you install on the computer to perform certain types of activities There is operating system software such as the Apple OS for a Macintosh or Windows 95 or Windows 98 for a PC There is also application software like the games we play or the tools we use to compose letters or do math problems You provide the input When you type a command or click on an icon you are telling the computer what to do That is called input HowHow TheyThey WorkWork TogetherTogether First you provide input when you turn on the computer Then the system software tells the CPU to start up certain programs and to turn on some hardware devices so that they are ready for more input from you This whole process is called booting up The next step happens when you choose a program you want to use You click on the icon or enter a command to start the program Let s use the example of an Internet browser Once the program has started it is ready for your instructions You either enter an address called a URL which stands for Uniform Resource Locator or click on an address you ve saved already In either case the computer now knows what you want it to do The browser software then goes out to find that address starting up other hardware devices such as a modem when it needs them If it is able to find the correct address the browser will then tell your computer to send the information from the web page over the phone wire or cable to your computer Eventually you see the web site you were looking for If you decide you want to print the page you click on the printer icon Again you have provided input to tell the computer what to do The browser software determines whether you have a printer attached to your computer and whether it is turned on It may remind you to turn on the printer then send the information about the web page from your computer over the cable to the printer where it is printed out II II TelevisionTelevision Old portable television A television also TV or telly is a device tool with a screen that receives broadcast signals and turns them into pictures and sound The word television comes from the words tele Greek for far away and vision seeing Usually a TV looks like a box Older TVs had large wooden frames and sat on the floor like furniture Newer TVs became smaller so they could fit on shelves or even portable so you could take it with you wherever you went The smallest TVs can fit in your hand The largest TVs can take up a whole wall in your house and may sit on the floor or be just a large flat screen that can be mounted on the wall Many TVs are now made in wide screen shape like movie theatre screens rather than old more square TVs A television has an antenna or aerial or it has a cable This gets the signal from the air or cable provider TVs can also show movies from DVD players or VCRs TVs can be connected to computers and game consoles usually through a kind of socket called SCART III Web or World Wide Web The World Wide Web is the part of the Internet that contains web sites and web pages It is not used to describe WebPages that are used offline where net services are not available or no computer network exists such as Wikipedia on CD In this case no real physical site exists other than the place where the computer is Blog and Wiki capabilities will also not be available because these require a communication with other computers IV Radio Radio is a communications invention Though originally used to communicate between two people it is now used to listen to music news and people talking Radio shows were the predecessor to TV programs V DVD DVD most commonly stands for digital versatile disk It can play video that is of a higher quality than a VHS tape VI Two kinds of DVD They can also hold 4 7 GB of information as opposed to the 700 MB that a CD can hold A plus of using a DVD for a video is the ability to have interactive menus and bonus features such as deleted scenes and commentaries VII Email Email electronic mail is a message usually text sent from one Internet user to another Email is quicker than snail mail mail when sending over long distances and is usually free To send or receive an email a computer with a modem and telephone line connected to the Internet and an email program are required Email addresses are generally formated like this login server com or fr or org or uk or other Some companies let you send and receive email for free from a website Gmail Hotmail and Yahoo do this VIII Human Here are two humans A man is on the left and a woman is on the right A human or human being is a person like you A male human is a man a female human is a woman If you think about all humans in the whole world they are called humanity In the past people have also used man and mankind to mean all humans Humans are called Homo sapiens by scientists Humans are an animal species that belongs to the group called primates Monkeys are primates too but the primates most like people are gorillas and chimpanzees Most scientists think that chimpanzees and humans came from a common ancestor by what is called evolution Other animals even more like humans than chimpanzees once lived too but they are now extinct Human rights are those things that everyone deserves and the way they should be treated by other people Section 3 Words and expressions from Unit 3 Computers common n 1 an area of grassland with no fences which all people are free to use or a piece of open land for recreational use in an urban area 常用于专有名词中 Every Saturday Jean went riding on the village common Harlow Common is very beautiful in winter 哈洛公园在冬天时风景很美 2 in common in shared possession 3 out of common unusual adj 1 of or associated with the great masses of people The common people in those days suffered greatly 2 to be expected standard common decency 3 common to or shared by two or more parties common friend 4 of no special distinction or quality widely known or commonly encountered average or ordinary or usual the common man 5 belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole public for the common good 6 commonly encountered a common or familiar complaint 7 being or characteristic of or appropriate to everyday language common parlance 8 lacking refinement or cultivation or taste behavior that branded him as common 9 of low or inferior quality or value produced the common cloths used by the poorer population simple n 1 any herbaceous plant having medicinal properties 2 a person lacking intelligence or common sense adj 1 not elaborate in style unornamented a simple country schoolhouse 2 botany of leaf shapes of leaves having no divisions or subdivisions 3 having few parts not complex or complicated or involved a simple problem 4 easy and not involved or complicated a simple game 5 lacking mental capacity and devoid of subtlety 6 exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity simple courtesy technology n 1 the practical application of science to commerce or industry 2 the discipline dealing with the art or science of applying scientific knowledge to practical problems universal n coupling that connects two rotating shafts allowing freedom of movement in all directions In motor vehicles a universal joint allows the drive shaft to move up and down as the vehicle passes over bumps adj of worldwide scope or applicability universal experience mathematical adj 1 statistically possible though highly improbable have a mathematical chance of making the playoffs 2 beyond question a mathematical certainty 3 of or pertaining to or of the nature of mathematics a mathematical textbook 4 characterized by the exactness or precision of mathematics mathematical precision 5 relating to or having ability to think in or work with numbers a mathematical whiz artificial adj 1 contrived by art rather than nature artificial flowers 2 not arising from natural growth or characterized by vital processes 3 artificially formal Her husband hated the artificial humility disagree v 1 be different from one another 2 be of different opinions She disagrees with her husband on many questions disadvantage n the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position v put at a disadvantage hinder harm This rule clearly disadvantages me choice n 1 the act of choosing or selecting Your choice of colors was unfortunate 2 one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen My only choice is to refuse adj 1 of superior grade choice wines 2 appealing to refined taste choice wine material n 1 things needed for doing or making something writing materials 2 information data or ideas or observations that can be used or reworked into a finished form The archives provided rich material for a definitive biography 3 a person judged suitable for admission or employment He was university material 4 the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object Coal is a hard black material 5 artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers She measured off enough material for a dress adj 1 directly relevant to a matter especially a law case His support made a material difference 2 concerned with or affecting physical as distinct from intellectual or psychological well being material needs 3 concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests material possessions 4 derived from or composed of matter The material universe 5 having substance or capable of being treated as fact not imaginary mate n 1 the partner of an animal especially a sexual partner He loved the mare and all her mates 2 a fellow member of a team It was his first start against his former teammates create v 1 invest with a new title office or rank Create one a peer 2 create by artistic means Create a poem 3 bring into existence The company was created 25 years ago 4 make or cause to be or to become create a furor move n 1 the act of deciding to do something He didn t make a move to help 2 the act of changing your residence or place of business They say that three moves equal one fire 3 the act of changing location from one place to another The movement of people from the farms to the cities 4 a change of position that does not entail a change of location Movement is a sign of life v 1 dispose of by selling The chairman of the company told the salesmen to move the computers 2 live one s life in a specified environment She moves in certain circles only 3 go or proceed from one point to another The debate moved from family values to the economy 4 arouse sympathy or compassion in Her fate moved us all 5 move so as to change position perform a nontranslational motion He moved his hand slightly to the right 6 cause to move both in a concrete and in an abstract sense Move those boxes into the corner please 7 change residence affiliation or place of employment We moved from Idaho to Nebraska 8 perform an action or work out or perform an action We must move quickly 9 change location move travel or proceed The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell 10 give an incentive for action This moved me to sacrifice my career brain n 1 part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous c