Activities

Reading comprehension

The objective of this activity is to check the understanding of a written text and practice the written expression.

Read the text and then answer the comprehension questions below.

The Linux operating system

Linux refers to the family of Unix-like computer operating systems using the Linux kernel. Linux can be installed on a wide variety of computer hardware, ranging from mobile phones, tablet computers and video game consoles, to mainframes and supercomputers. Linux is a leading server operating system, and runs the 10 fastest supercomputers in the world.

The development of Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed, both commercially and non-commercially, by anyone under licenses such as the GNU General Public License. Typically Linux is packaged in a format known as a Linux distribution for desktop and server use. Some popular mainstream Linux distributions include Debian (and its derivatives such as Ubuntu), Fedora and openSUSE. Linux distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting utilities and libraries to fulfill the distribution’s intended use.

A distribution oriented toward desktop use may include the X Window System, the GNOME and KDE Plasma desktop environments. Other distributions may include a less resource intensive desktop such as LXDE or XFCE for use on older or less-powerful computers. A distribution intended to run as a server may omit any graphical environment from the standard install and instead include other software such as the Apache HTTP Server and a SSH server like OpenSSH. Because Linux is freely redistributable, it is possible for anyone to create a distribution for any intended use. Commonly used applications with desktop Linux systems include the Mozilla Firefox web-browser, the OpenOffice.org office application suite and the GIMP image editor.

The name “Linux” comes from the Linux kernel, originally written in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. The main supporting user space system tools and libraries from the GNU Project (announced in 1983 by Richard Stallman) are the basis for the Free Software Foundation’s preferred name GNU/Linux.

From the Wikipedia

Questions:

Who created Linux?
What does it mean that Linux is an open-source operating system, according to the text?
What is a Linux distribution?
Can you give some examples of Linux distributions?
What applications are commonly used with Linux?

Speaking: giving a short speech

The aim of this activity is to read a piece of text and practise the pronunciation.

You work at a day care center. You are in a worker interchange program and you receive the visit of a group of people from another country. You write a short welcome speech and read it aloud in front of your visitors. Here is the text:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our day care center. Thank you very much for your visit. I hope we can learn a lot of things from our cooperation. First of all, I’ll show you around the premises and next we’ll hold our first meeting. Please follow me…

Now read it aloud.

Note: there is no correct answer to this activity. To check the pronunciation, introduce the text in the Text-to-speech’ website and listen to the pronunciation.

Listening comprehension

The objective of this unit is to practice your listening comprehension.

Download and listen to the following text. Then answer the questions below.

Computers ( 883.3 KB )

Questions:

What’s hard to believe?
Which places does the text mention where computers are important?
Why does the speaker love his computer?
What problems are there sometimes?
What does the speaker compare his computer to?

Suggested answers:

It’s hard to believe that no one had computers a few years ago.
Hospitals, airports and the police.
Because it makes everything in his life so convenient.
The computer freezes and crashes. He loses some data.
To his best friend.

Transcription:

It’s hard to believe that no one had computers a few years ago. I wonder how people lived. There must have been a lot of paperwork. I can’t imagine writing everything by hand. I also wonder how everything worked without computers. We need computers today for everything. Hospitals, airports, the police… nothing can work without computers. I’m sure I’d be ten times busier than now if I didn’t have a computer. Imagine having to find a piece of paper and an envelope and then walking down the street to mail a letter! I love my computer. It makes everything in my life so convenient. Sure, it freezes and crashes sometimes. Sure I lose some data. But that’s not often. Most of the time my computer is like my best friend.

A telephone conversation

The objective of this activity is to practise the language commonly used on the telephone.

Complete the following telephone conversation in an appropriate way by looking at the context and following the instructions in brackets.

You work at the law firm Larson&Sons. Mr Malcom Morris, from British Toys Inc., calls your office to talk to your manager, Mr Larson.

You (answer the phone): (1) …

Mr Morris: Good morning. This is Malcolm Morris, from British Toys. May I speak to Mr Larson, please?

You: (2) …

Mr Morris: Really? Do you know when he’ll be back?

You: (3) …

Mr Morris: Two weeks? I can’t wait so long!

You: (4) …

Mr Morris: No, no message, thank you. Is his son Matthew there?

You (don’t understand): (5) …

Mr Morris: I asked you if Matthew Larson was there.

You: (6) …

Mr Morris: Good. Could I talk to him?

You (connect to Matthew): (7) …

Mr Morris: Right, thank you. Bye!

You: (8) …