English guide for IT specialists (110

1.What small talk topics are commonly discussed in your country?

2.Are there any things you would avoid talking about?

6.In pairs, role play arriving at an interview and making small talk with the receptionist.

Student A, you are the candidate. Try to get some useful information from the receptionist which you can use later in your interview.

Student B, you are the receptionist.

Swap roles and practice again.

7.Read and complete the joke using the Past Simple of the verbs in brackets. What do you think about this joke?

A businessman (1) _______ (want) to interview applicants for the position of divisional manager. There (2) _______ (be) several strong candidates, so he

(3) _______ (decide) to devise a simple test to select the most suitable person for the job. He (4) _______ (ask) each applicant the simple question, ‘What is two and two?’

The first applicant (5) _______ (be) a journalist. He (6) _______ (light) a cigarette, (7) _______ (think) for a moment and then (8) _______ (say) ‘twentytwo’.

The second applicant (9) _______ (have) a degree in engineering. He (10)

_______ (take) out his calculator (11) _______ (press) a few buttons, and (12)

_______ (show) the answer to be between 3.999 and 4.001.

The next applicant (13) _______ (work) as a corporate lawyer. He (14)

_______ (state) that two and two (can) only be four, and (16) _______ (prove) it be referring to the well-known case of Gates v Monopolies Commission.

The last applicant (17) _______ (turn) out to be an accountant. The businessman again (18) _______ (put) his question, ‘What is two and two?’

The accountant (19) _______ (get) up from his chair, (20) _______ (go) over to the door, (21) _______ (close) it, then (22) _______ (come) back and (23)

_______ (sit) down. Finally, he (24) _______ (lean) across the desk and (25)

_______ (whisper) in a low voice, ‘How much do you want it to be?’

Unit V. Participating in a conference 1a. Discuss these questions with your partners.

1)Have you ever been to a conference? Tell your partner about your experience.

2)Do you plan to attend any conferences in the near future?

3)What might be difficult (apart from giving a presentation) about attending a conference where the main (or only) language is English?

1b. Look at the list of typical conference activities (1–8) below and discuss the following questions.

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a)Which of these activities have you done (or might you expect to do) at a conference?

b)Which activities are easier / more difficult for you? Why?

c)Do you know any words or phrases which are appropriate for these activities?

1)Introducing yourself or someone else for the first time;

2)asking someone which talks they have been to;

3)asking someone for their opinion on a talk;

4)asking someone if they are giving a talk;

5)asking someone how successful their presentation was;

6)making arrangements for coffee, lunch or an evening out;

7)finding out about where someone works and what research they are doing;

8)making useful contacts.

2a. Answer the following questions.

1.Have you ever presented your research to your team or study group?

2.Have you ever given a paper to a large audience at a conference?

3.Why might presenting your research at an international conference be more difficult than presenting to your team or study group?

2b. Read the tips on giving a presentation.

Give your listeners a brief outline of your presentation at the beginning so they know what your main points will be.

Make brief notes on each section. Have the notes for each section on separate cards in front of you. Don’t read your presentation – use the notes to remind you about the main points only.

Don’t rush. Pause to think and gather your thoughts if you need to.

Let your listeners know when you’re moving on to a new point.

Explain that you will be allowing time for questions at the end (either at the end of each main point, or at the end of the whole presentation) so that you don’t have to deal with interruptions.

Use the “playing time” phrases (e.g. Now that’s a very interesting question…. I’m glad you brought that point up ….. I’m glad you asked me that….) if someone asks you a difficult question.

3. The following expressions help you to give a clear structure to a presentation. Complete them using the correct preposition from the box.

to on of off for back about up

1)To start ____________, then ….

2)To move ____________ to my next point, ….

3)To go _________ to what I was saying, ….

4)To turn now __________ a different matter, ….

5)To give you an example ________ what I mean, ….

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6)To say a bit more _________ that, ….

7)To digress _________ a moment, ….

8)To sum _______ ,then, ….

4. Read the sentences from a presentation and put them in the correct category (1–4).

1)Signalling the end of the presentation

2)Summarizing the main points

3)Recommending or suggesting something

4)Inviting questions

a)Before I stop, let me go through my main points again.

b)We’d suggest….

c)Now I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

d)Well, this brings me to the end of my presentation.

e)OK, I think that’s everything I wanted to say….

f)Are there any questions?

g)I’d like to run through my points again…

h)We’d therefore recommend that we….

i)What I’d like to suggest is….

j)As a final point, I’d like to ….

k)I’m now nearing the end of my talk….

l)Just to summarize the main points of my talk…

m)We just have time for a few questions.

n)Thank you all for listening.

5.Read the sentences from a presentation and put them in the right order.

1_____

2_____

3_____

4_____

5_____

6_____

7_____

8_____

9_____

10____

11_____

a)So, let me start with a brief historical overview of 3D printing. Earlier Additive Manufacturing (AM) equipment and materials were developed in the 1980s. In 1984 Charles Hull first developed the technology for printing physical 3D objects from digital data…..

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b)I’ve divided my presentation into five main parts. I’ll begin with the history of 3D printing, then I’ll move on to its general principles. After that, I’ll describe some 3D printing processes and 3D applications. Finally, I’ll discuss the future of 3D printing technology.

c)Several different 3D printing processes have been invented since the late 1970s…..

d)Good afternoon everybody. I’d like to start by thanking you all for coming to my talk today. My name is Vlad Ivanov and I’m a student of the faculty of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science.

e)My presentation will take about 10 minutes. There will be time for questions at the end of my talk.

f)My talk is particularly relevant to those of us who are interested in new technological developments in modeling and printing.

g)Well, let’s now move on to the second point of my talk, main principles of 3D printing which are modeling, printing and finishing. 3D printable models may be created with a computer aided design (CAD) package or via a 3D scanner or via

..... …. This leads directly to my third point, which is about 3D printing processes.

h)I’m going to talk today about 3D printing, which is a form of additive manufacturing technology.

i)After examining 3D printing processes, let’s talk about 3D applications. Nowadays 3D printing has spread into the world of different spheres of our life….

j)To sum up, I’d like to add that 3D printing technology could revolutionize and re-shape the world. Advances in 3D printing technology can significantly change and improve the way we manufacture products and produce goods worldwide. Thank you for your attention. And now I’ll be happy answer any questions you may have.

k)As the last point of my presentation, I’d like to say some words about the future of 3D printing technology…. Well, that covers just about everything I wanted to say about 3D printing.

6. The following expressions are all useful in presentations, but some letters are missing from the final words. When you have completed them, the letters in the box should make a good piece of advice for a presenter.

1. Can everybody hear me …

2.Right, let’s get …

3.Let me introduce …

4.I’ve divided my presentation into three main …

5.Just to give you a brief …

6.I’ll be saying more about this in a …

7.I’m sure the implications of this are clear to all of …

8.There’s an important point to be made …

9.OK, let’s move …

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10.I’d like you to look at this …

11.As you can see, the figures speak for …

12.To go back to want I was saying …

13.Are there any questions you’d like to ask at this …

14.I’d like to look at this in more …

15.Let’s just put this into some kind of …

16.Perhaps I should expand on that a …

17.To digress for a …

18.So, to sum …

19.That brings me to the end of my …

20.Thank you. I’m sure you have many …

7a. Discuss the following questions with your partners.

1)Have you ever attended a conference poster presentation session? If so, did you speak with any presenters?

2)Have you ever prepared and presented a poster at a conference? If so, did anyone ask you questions about your research?

3)What do you think the key features of a good poster are? Make a list.

7b. Complete the advice below about preparing a conference poster using the words in the box.

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General points

Give your poster a 1) __________ which summarises the main idea.

Keep your poster focused and 2) ________ so someone can understand the key points without any extra explanation.

Remember that a poster is a summary of your work – so it is not usually necessary to include an 3) ________.

Don’t forget to include your name and 4) ________ information.

The look of your poster

Arrange information in 5) ________.

Use charts and diagrams as much as possible, only using 6) __________ to support your visuals.

Give each section of your poster a clear 7) _________ in large type.

8) __________ each section to guide readers through your poster.

Leave plenty of 9) __________ around each section to make them stand out more easily.

The text in your poster

Use phrases rather than full 10) _________

Try to keep phrases short.

Choose a 11) ______ size which makes the text easy to read from a distance of 1 – 2 metres.

Use different 12) _________ for different kinds of information in the poster – but remember to use them consistently.

8. Imagine you meet some business people at a conference for the first time. Which of the following topics are:

1) interesting? 2) a bit risky? 3) safe? 4) conversation killers? 5) taboo?

Unit VI. Reading and Speaking

1. Read the following article about computer errors and decide which of these two plans the writer followed.

A

Describe the situation.

Describe a problem.

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Describe unsatisfactory solutions.

State the problem.

B

Ask a question.

Answer the question.

Give specific examples.

Ask another questions.

When a computer error is a fatal mistake

Our lives depend on computers. They control our money, transport, our exam results. Yet their programs are now so complex that no one can get rid of all the mistakes.

(0 _G_)

Life without computers has become unimaginable. They are designed to look after so many boring but essential tasks – from microwave cooking to flying across the Atlantic – that we have become dependent on them.

(1__)

But as the demands placed on computers grow so have the number of incidents involving computer errors. Now computer experts are warning that the traditional ways of building computer systems are just not good enough to deal with complex tasks like flying planes or maintaining nuclear power stations. It is only a matter of time before a computermade catastrophe occurs.

(2__)

As early as 1889, a word entered the language that was to become all too familiar to computer scientists: a ‘bug’, meaning a mistake. For decades bugs and ‘debugging’ were taken to be part of every computer engineer’s job. Everyone accepted that there would always be some mistakes in any new systems. But ‘safety critical’ systems that fly planes, drive trains or control nuclear power stations can have bugs that could kill. This is obviously unacceptable.

(3__)

One way to stop bugs in computer systems in to get different teams of programmers to work in isolation from each other. That way, runs the theory, they won’t all make the same type of mistake when designing and writing computer codes. In fast research shows that programmers think alike, have the same type of training – and make similar mistakes. So even if they work separately, mistakes can still occur. Another technique is to produce back up systems that start to operate when the first system fails. This has been used in everything from the space shuttle to the A320 airbus, but unfortunately, problems that cause one computer to fail can make all the others fail, too.

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(4__)

A growing number of computer safety experts believe the time has come to stop trying to ‘patch up’ computer systems. They say programmers have to learn to think clearly and to be able to demonstrate through mathematical symbols that the program cannot go seriously wrong. Until programmers learn to do this, we will probably, just have to live with the results of computer bugs.

(5__)

Of course, more often than not the errors are just annoying, but sometimes they can come close to causing tragedies. On the Piccadilly line in London’s Underground a driver who was going south along a track got confused while moving his empty train through a cross-over point. He started to head north straight at a south-bound train full of people. The computerized signalling system failed to warn him of impending disaster and it was only his quick human reactions that prevented a crash.

2.Now read the article again and choose a heading for each paragraph from the list below. There is one extra heading which you do not to use. The first one has been done for you.

A. An old problem with serious consequences.

B. Two new approaches, but can they solve the problem? C. A potentially tragic error.

D. But are they here to stay?

E. Experts say ‘Bring back Maths!’

F. Old methods are no longer satisfactory. G. We couldn’t live without them.

3.Find words or phrases in the text with the following meanings:

3. long-established, conventional (para. 1) …………….

4. Discuss these questions with your partners.

a)What technology products have you bought in the last 12 months?

b)Are you satisfied with these products?

c)Have they changed a particular aspect of your life? If so, how?

d)Do you use a smartphone?

e)What can smartphones be used for?

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5. Read the text about smartphones for smart people and match the paragraph summaries (a–g) to the correct paragraph (1–7).

a)surfing the Internet

b)introduction

c)screens

d)speed

e)size

f)conclusion

g)storage capacity

Smartphones for smart people

1.Smartphones have never been more desirable, nor the market more competitive. Today we review two of the big hitters, Apple’s iPhone 4 and RIM’s Blackberry Torch. So why would you choose one phone over the other?

2.The days when a phone was as big as a house brick are long gone – but how does modern smartphone technology feel in your pocket? The Torch is slightly bigger and bulkier than the iPhone – and the reason is down to the Torch’s slide-out, hard-key keyboard. But if you’re a businessman or serious emailer, then the extra millimeters are probably worth it.

3.The iPhone boasts a processor twice the size of the Torch: 1 GHz vs 624 MHz. However, this really isn’t reflected in the responsiveness, especially when multitasking. Due to more efficient memory management, we found the Torch to

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be actually faster when running applications, and quicker when several apps are open at once.

4.Internal or external memory capacity? Whilst the iPhone has up to a whopping 32 GB internal memory, the Blackberry Torch has a paltry 4 GB. But that’s not the end of the story. The 32 GB is the limit with the iPhone; you simply can’t increase its capacity further. This is not the case with the Torch – stick in an external micro SD memory card and you can have an instant 32 GB, which offers the user a good deal of flexibility.

5.Both devices have amazingly crisp and clear displays. However, the Torch’s 3.2 inch touchscreen with its 360*480 pixel retina display is eclipsed by the iPhone’s 3.5 inch display with an amazing 640*960 pixels. If you’re all about downloading music videos, then the iPhone wins hands down.

6.When browsing the Web, the iPhone uses the tried and tested Safari browser. It’s quick and reliable and it allows you to move from one screen to another fairly easily. However, the Torch uses WebKit’s browser, which comes with two distinct advantages. Whereas the iPhone moves between screens, the Torch allows you to use tabs to effortlessly switch between windows – a feature we suggest should be sold as standard. It cleverly also automatically resizes text as you browse, something that really comes into its own on a smaller screen.

7.When choosing the right phone, it’s a question of thinking how you will personally use it. Both these smartphones are great devices, and for myself, I’d be happy to carry either. In fact, it seems that as design and technology advance, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make a bad choice!

6. Read the text again and decide whether these statements are true or false.

1) Apple iPhone 4 is a bit smaller than RIM’s Blackberry Torch.

2) RIM’s Blackberry Torch is fast, although its internal memory has limited capacity.

3) Apple iPhone’s memory capacity cannot be upgraded.

4) RIM’s Blackberry Torch is the best device for watching moving pictures.

5) RIM’s Blackberry Torch has something which ought to be included on all phones.

7. Read the text and put the paragraphs given below in the right order (a–f). These paragraphs present a possible model for retelling the text.

a)The text can be divided into four parts.

b)Then speaking about robots application area the author mentions that there are assembly and non-assembly robots. Assembly robots are small and electrically driven while non-assembly robots can be applied in machine loading and unloading, welding, spray painting or material handling.

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