Text A. Working from Home
---- Its Monday afternoon and Mr Frost is asking Rosa about her weekend. "Were you lonely all by yourself in the house while we were in Oxford?" Rosa decides to tell him the truth.
"Actually, I spent Saturday and Sunday in Brighton with a friend."
Before they can finish the conversation, the door bell rings and Mr Frost leaves the room. There is a box for him. He thanks the delivery man who carries the box to his office. Then he returns to the living-room where Rosa and the children are waiting with interest.
"Daddy, what have you got?" Elisabeth asks.
"Come and see!" is Mr Frosts answer.
They all go upstairs. The children do not often enter Mr Frosts office.
"This is daddys new toy," they say.
Rosa and Mr Frost unpack the boxes and take out a very modern laptop computer.
The children watch Mr Frost plug the machine in and press the ON/OFF button.
"This computer is very easy to use!" Rosa tells him.
Mr Frost does not often leave the house. He works at home on his computer. He translates books from French, Italian and Spanish into good English.
"Well, now it will be easier for you to work with your translation", Diana tells Mr Frost.
The two children enjoy the paint program on the new machine and fill the screen with colour. But Mr Frost is very impatient. He cannot wait to start working on his new computer.
Exercise 1.
Read the text and find sentences describing:
a) the new computers arrival in Mr Frosts flat; b) the childrens interest in the new computer; c) Mr Frosts job.
Exercise 2.
Do the following:
a) Write a list of the main parts of a computer.
b) Write the names of things you can do on your computer.
c) What computer software can you use?
Exercise 3.
Answer the following questions in writing:
Is the new computer really Mr Frostss new toy?
Do you use computer translation programs when doing your English homework?
Do you use computers in your country for your work? for study? for playing games?
Which person in your family knows most about computers?
Would you prefer to spend money on clothes or a new laptop computer?
Why do some people work from home?
Agree or disagree with the following statements. Explain your choice.
You dont need to know how a computer works.
Playing computer games can make you stupid.
Basic Patterns
Mr Frost plugged the machine in. ( ).
Never let your friends down. ͳ .
