The Net: anywhere, anytime, in the palm of your hand
It seems (1) strange/ strangely, but some people are walking around with a mobile phone, a handheld computer like a pocket PC, a smart phone, and even a notebook computer with a (2) conventional/ conventionally keyboard as well. These digital devices are converging (3) rapid/ rapidly, but manufacturers are finding it difficult to get all the parts to integrate (4) proper/ properly. Contemporary mobile phones look (5) good/ well, are relatively (6) good/ well at sending short text messages, but don’t work (7) good/ well as handheld computers. They lack memory, synchronize (8) bad/ badly with desktop PCs and are not (9) easy/ easily to use for writing e-mails. Searching foran address-book entry or scrolling through a contact list is (10) slow/ slowly, although once you find the name you can call the person (11) direct/ directly by just touching the phone number. Of course the big issue in the future is Internet access – it needs to be fast, (12) easy/ easily and (13) cheap/ cheaply, but still allow phone companies to make a profit. Things are moving very (14) quick/ quickly in this area, and the manufacturers who succeed in getting everything (15) right/ rightly are going to make (16) huge/ hugely profits.
Choose the correct variants.
1. The new line should be so profitable as / as profitable as the old one.
2. This handset is the most profitable / the more profitable we’ve ever made.
3. This version of the programme is the most recent / recenter.
4. The guarantee is a year longer than / that with older models.
5. Northing is worse / worst than missing a flight because of traffic.
6. This printer is one of the best / better on the market.
7. The meeting wasn’t long as / as long as I thought.
8. Today the share price is more bad / worse than it was yesterday.
9. I’m sorry, the fax sending took longer than / the longest we expected.
10. We’ll be there soon it’s not much fewer / further.
Write the negative sentences.
1.Computer is the most important thing in our lives.
2. At present more than 33 million people use Internet.
3. The Net was dreamt up in the late 1960s by the US Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency.
4. The computer can search information around the Net.
5. By 1984 the Internet began to develop into the form we know it today.
Write your opinion to the development of modern information technology, its advantages and disadvantages.
Grammar Reference
Present simple and continuous tenses
The present simple has the following uses.
* regular or routine events
We usually start the week with a team meeting. She visits Japan once a month.
* permanent or long-term situations J work at head office
in London. The company designs computer games.
The present simple is used with: usually, normally, regularly, often, frequently, sometimes, rarely, always, never, every day /week / month /year, once a week I twice a month
The present continuous has the following uses.
* something happening now / at the moment Just a moment -I'm trying to find your file. Nick's talking to a customer right now.
* temporary situations
We 're not developing any new products this month
Eva's working at home today - she's not in the office.
· fixture fixed arrangements We're flying to Texas on Monday 19th. Mike's meeting the directors tomorrow.
The present continuous is used with: now, at the moment, currently, this week
The continuous is not usually used with the following verbs.
* giving opinions
like, dislike, prefer, think, believe, know, mean
* describing senses see, hear, feel, seem
* describing ownership and needs have, need, own, want
Present perfect
The present perfect has the following uses.
* recent events Sales figures have improved recently We haven't seen a big rise in demand. Has your manager just started?
* events that affect the present situation (but we don't say when they happened) Prices have gone up so they're very high now.
unfinished events starting in the past and
continuing up to the present (using for and since)
I've been in sales since 1992. The company has been the market leader for three years now.
· answering How long? about an unfinished event How long have you workedfor Exxon?
Past simple
The past simple is used with: in 2005, from 2002 to 2004, last week I month I year, yesterday, ago, in the past
The past simple has the following uses.
* events that happened at a definite time in the past I joined the company in 2003.
The new secretary didn't come in yesterday.
* finished actions or events
When you were a student, did you work in the holidays?
Yes, I worked for a telecoms company in the holidays.
* finished time periods (with for)
Aisha worked in the finance departmentfor two years, from 2003 till 2005.
recently, in recent months / years, in the last month /year, just, how, since, for (except with finished periods of time)
Future forms
will + infinitive has the following uses.
* predictions we feel certain about
I'll definitely finish this project tomorrow.
We won't have time to look at your report this week.
* intention, when we make the decision now to do something
I'll let you know what I decide.
* intention after the verbs think, hope and expect
Do you think you'll stay with the company very long?
We hоре you'll be able to join the research team next year.
going to + infinitive has the following uses.
*predictions we feel certain about
Are the staff going to accept the changes?
It isn't going to he an easy meeting.
It's going to be difficult to please everybody.
* intentions, when the decision to do
something was made before
Гт going to visit the Greek office next month.
We aren't going to stay very long.
Are you going to stay in Athens?
