Terms explanation

· to act up means to cause you problems. We can use this expression for a computer. We can also use it for, say, your stomach:

My stomach is acting up meaning it’s causing me problems

or we can use it for children:

The children are acting up: they are making noise, they are causing problems.

Anything that starts to cause problems can be said to be acting up.

· the model of a computer is sort like the type of computer. For example,

I have a Macintosh computer. The model of my computer is a PowerBook G4. Or you could have a PC computer. And the model is … The company is DELL and the model is ENSPERON.

Model is another word for type.

· to call and to call up mean the same thing.

· to give someone your two cents worth means to give your opinion. Sometimes it just means an opinion. Sometimes the expression is used to indicate some humility or some modesty about your opinion. For example,

Well, I don’t know for sure but here is my two cents worth and then you give your opinion.

· to be a whiz at something means to be very good at, to be an expert. Sometimes with computers we use the term geek. A computer geek is someone who is an expert at computers. However, this is often a negative term. Ti use the term “geek” can be an insult. Because it also implies that you do not have very good social skills. You don’t relate well to other people. You have problems communicating with other people. So, be careful about using the word “geek”. It’s sometimes an insult.

· the expression heart of hearts means deep down, what you really, surely believe or what you really and surely like.

I live in California but in my heart of hearts I still feel I am from Minnesota meaning that’s that is where my most strongest feelings rather lie.

· word processing is, as you probably know typing documents, letters. Microsoft Word, for example, is a word processor.

· to take a crack at something means to try something, usually something bad. Maybe you’re having difficulty with or someone else is having difficulty with. For example,

Here, let me take a crack at that television set that isn’t working.

And you are going to try, another words, to fix it. So, to take a crack at something means to try something.

· to throw out something, in this context, means to give someone information.

He started throwing out information.

usually means

He is giving us information very fast, very quickly.

That phrase “to throw out” also means to put in the garbage, to give read off. Throw out and throw away are used for garbage and for junk or trash. But here to throw out means to give to another person information very quickly.

· specs are specifications. The specs of a computer are its processor speed, its RAM, its hard drive, and how big the hard drive is. All of these are specifications. And the word we use sometimes informally is specs.

· a writable drive for computers is a drive that you can make a disc on, such as a CD or in this case a DVD. Some DVDs are R-O-M or ROM meaning you can only read a disc. You can’t make a disc. A writable disc is one you can make a disc on.

· to be over your head means to be too difficult. Something you don’t understand is way over your head.

· to back up physically means to go backwards, to move backwards. But here to back up means to go over it again, to go back to a certain point and start over again.

· to be carried away means you get so excited and so interested in something that you begin to talk too fast or start talking over someone’s head, that is when you get carried away. Anytime you get very excited, too excited that it starts to cause problems is getting carried away.

· “Get that?” This is an informal of saying “Do you understand that?” You can respond by saying “Yes, I get it.” meaning “I understand it.”

· to follow someone has two meanings. Physically it means to go behind someone to walk or drive behind someone. But here it means to understand. “Do you follow me?” means “Do you understand me?”

· a blank CD or a blank DVD is an empty DVD. A CD or DVD or cassette can all be blank. Sometimes we use the expression “my mind is blank” meaning “I forgot something. It escaped, it’s empty. My mind is empty.” That’s the expression.

· to burn something, a DVD or CD, as many of you know, means to record something. It’s the same as to write something to a DVD or to write something to a CD means to record it, to burn it.

· a burning question is a question that is very important, that is extremely interesting. It is not related to the term burn in a sense that it’s hot. A burning question means that it’s a very important question.

· a whole different thing meaning it’s a completely different topic that would require much more explanation.

Ask students to listen to the audio file once more and check their notes.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

I. Ask students to read aloud explanations of words and word combinations which they have written listening to the audio text.

II. General understanding. Ask students to answer the questions to text.

– What happened with the computer of the main character?

– Whose help did she ask?

– What does she use her computer for?

– What is she going to try with her new computer in future?

– What computer specifications did her friend list?

– What did he say about her last question whether to choose PC or Mac?

III. Ask students to try to tell a story about the buying of a new computer by the main character.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20