2017-12-14
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14. Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases in English: native language, global language, official language, minority language.
15. Discuss the statements in pairs. Prove your point of view using the phrases: I agree with you, Yes, that is what I think to, You are the right, Yes, but don’t you think…?, True, but I think…, I see what you mean, but…
1. Everybody should speak at least two languages.
2. Tourists in my country should make an effort to speak my language.
3. Life would be easier if all countries spoke the same language.
4. Some languages are more important than others.
5. Knowing foreign languages helps you to get a good job.
16. Prepare for the debate answering the following questions (for the next practice):
1. How can you prove that the English language is the most universal one?
2. In what ways does the English language influence other languages?
3. Why do some people think that English is dangerous for their native languages?
4. Why do some people believe that English should be the international language?
5. Why do language experts think that some languages are disappearing?
6. Why will the international language be English, and not an artificial language?
7. For which two things is English used as the official international language?
8. Which of the world's languages has the greatest number of native speakers?
9. There are 3 reasons to explain why English is so widely spoken[1]. Name the reasons why English is the global language.
10. What’s the difference between the accent and the dialect?
11. Is there any difference between British and American variants of the English language?
12. What do you think is the most difficult about English? Vocabulary? Spelling? Pronunciation?
17. Divide into 3 groups and prepare the presentations: “English and Social Media: Pros”; “English and Social Media: Cons” (“Facebook: a language”, “What happens when language becomes “Facebook official”?”, “How social media is changing language” [2]); “Is Texting Killing the English Language?” [3].
UNIT 3
Green IT & Telecoms
Part I. TEXT
1. The adjective “green” has many meanings. Find the meaning matching the word combination Green IT:
A: the color of growing foliage, between yellow and blue in the spectrum
B: used about people who care about the environment
C: covered with herbage or foliage; verdant
D: made of green vegetables, as lettuce, spinach, endive, or chicory
E: designed to protect the environment or to limit damage to the environment
F: not fully developed or perfected in growth or condition; unripe; not properly aged
G: immature in age or judgment; untrained; inexperienced
H: used about places in which the environment is protected
2. The words “environment”, “ecology” etc. are often confused. Read the text below to understand the difference between them:
The Natural Environment encompasses all living and non-living things which occur naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species. Nowadays, it is difficult to find absolutely natural environments. In contrast to the natural environment is the built environment. In such areas where man has fundamentally transformed landscapes such as urban settings and agricultural land conversion, the natural environment is greatly modified and diminished, with a much more simplified human environment.
Ecology is the scientificanalysis and study of interactions among organisms and their environment. It is an interdisciplinary field that includes biology, geography, and Earth science. Ecology includes the study of interactions organisms have with each other, other organisms, and with abiotic components of their environment.
Environmental Engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of scientific and engineering principles for protection of human populations from the effects of adverse environmental factors; protection of environments, both local and global, from the potentially deleterious effects of natural and human activities; and improvement of environmental quality. It involves waste water management, air pollution control, recycling, waste disposal, radiation protection, industrial hygiene, environmental sustainability, public health and environmental engineering law. It also includes studies on the environmental impact of proposed construction projects.
3. What ecological problems are named in the text above?
4. Translate and learn the words to understand the text:
Renewable/non-renewable resource, Greenhouse gas emission, waste disposal, to thrive, environment, to reduce, hazardous, recyclability, biodegradability, handheld, account, to claim, to exceed, annual, consumption, facility, to consume, carbon, footprint, (to) forecast, (to) triple, performance, longevity, trade-off, to estimate, approach, recycling, harmful, lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, to donate, charity, to purchase, telepresence, to implement, Voice over IP (VoIP)
5. Read and translate the text:
Why Green IT?
Because the world's appetite for energy is outpacing production of renewable and non-renewable resources. Because the world is too densely populated to escape the effects of Greenhouse gas emissions, electronic waste disposal and toxic production methods. Because ICT is both part of the problem and a key to the solution. Because to thrive requires combining social responsibility, smart resource use and technological innovation.
Green ICT (Green computing) is the study and practice of environmentally sustainable computing or IT. This can include designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems – such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems — efficiently and effectively with minimal or no effect on the environment. The goals of green computing are: reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and promote the recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste. Green computing is important for all classes of systems, ranging from handheld systems to large-scale data centers. Many corporate IT departments have green computing initiatives to reduce the environmental effect of their IT operations.
· ICT is the fastest growing sector of energy use.
For office buildings, ICT typically accounts for more than 20% of the energy used, and in some offices up to 70%. Although energy costs typically comprise less than 10% of an overall IT budget, in a few years they could rise to more than 50%. Many large organizations - such as Google - already claim that their annual energy costs exceed their server costs.
· Telecommunication network devices energy indices.
The information and communication technologies (ICTs) energy consumption, in the USA and worldwide, has been estimated respectively at 9.4% and 5.3% of the total electricity produced. The energy consumption of ICTs is today significant even when compared with other industries.
· Data center design
Data center facilities are heavy consumers of energy, accounting for between 1.1% and 1.5% of the world’s total energy use in 2010. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that data center facilities consume up to 100 to 200 times more energy than standard office buildings. Energy efficient data center design should help to better utilize a data center’s space, and increase performance and efficiency.
· ICT sector’s carbon footprint
Global carbon emissions attributable to ICT have been estimated at 2% to 2.5% of world totals - about the same as the airline industry - and as high as 5-6% of developed nation totals. According to forecasts, the ICT sector’s carbon footprint will triple during the period from 2002 to 2020.
· Product longevity
The biggest contribution to green computing usually is to prolong the equipment's lifetime. For instance, manufacturing a new PC makes a far bigger ecological footprint than manufacturing a new RAM module to upgrade an existing one.
· Software and deployment optimization
The efficiency of software algorithms affects the amount of computer resources required for any given computing function and there are many efficiency trade-offs in writing programs. Algorithm changes, such as switching from a slow (e.g. linear) search algorithm to a fast (e.g. hashed or indexed) search algorithm can reduce resource usage for a given task from substantial to close to zero. In 2009, a study by a physicist at Harvard estimated that the average Google search released 7 grams of carbon dioxide (CO₂). However, Google disputed this figure, arguing instead that a typical search produced only 0.2 grams of CO₂. Approaches to actually reduce the energy consumption of network devices by proper network/device management techniques are also necessary.
· Materials recycling
Recycling computing equipment can keep harmful materials such as lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium, and can also replace equipment that otherwise would need to be manufactured, saving further energy and emissions. Computer systems that have outlived their particular function can be re-purposed, or donated to various charities and non-profit organizations. Computing supplies, such as printer cartridges, paper, and batteries may be recycled as well.
· Cloud computing
Cloud computing addresses two major ICT challenges related to Green computing – energy usage and resource consumption. Cloud computing can lower carbon emissions and energy usage up to a great extent. One common example includes Online shopping that helps people purchase products and services over the Internet without requiring them to drive and waste fuel to reach out to the physical shop, which, in turn, reduces greenhouse gas emission related to travel.
· Telecommuting
Teleconferencing and telepresence technologies are often implemented in green computing initiatives. The advantages are many: reduction of greenhouse gas emissions related to travel, and increased profit margins as a result of lower costs for office space, heat, lighting, etc.
Voice over IP (VoIP) reduces the telephony wiring infrastructure by sharing the existing Ethernet copper.
6. True, false or no information?
1. Online shopping can reduce greenhouse gas emission.
2. Data centers consume a lot of energy.
3. IT departments protest against green computing initiatives because they make computers work slower.
4. The energy consumption of ICTs is today small when compared with other industries.
5. It is difficult to find absolutely natural environments but there are a lot of the built environments.
6. The average Google search released 6 grams of carbon dioxide (CO₂), lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium.
7. Green computing includes designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems with minimal or no effect on the environment.
8. Many large ICT organizations claim about annual growing of their energy costs.
7. Answer the questions:
1. How big are global carbon emissions of ICT systems?
2. In what way can a computer upgrading help solve ecological problems?
3. What are the advantages of teleconferencing and telepresence?
4. What harmful materials does computing equipment keep?
5. What is the main goal of green computing?
6. How can equipment replacing contribute to saving energy?
8. Continue the sentence:
1. Cloud computing addresses two major ICT challenges….
a. sharing the existing Ethernet copperand operating system of the terminal.
b. manufacturing a new RAM module and upgrading an existing one.
c. energy usage and resource consumption.
2. The biggest contribution to green computing is….
a. designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems.
b. to prolong the equipment's lifetime.
c. to reduce greenhouse gas emission related to travel.
3. Voice over IP (VoIP) reduces….
a. purchasing products and services over the Internet.
b. up to 1/8 the amount of energy of a normal workstation.
c. the telephony wiring infrastructure.
4. Software algorithm changes can reduce….
a. resource usage for a given task from substantial to close to zero.
b. up to 1/8 the amount of energy of a normal workstation.
c. greenhouse effect.
9. Make a plan of the text. Retell the text according to the plan.
10. Prepare a short summary of the text using the following expressions:
The main idea of the text is….
The problems/statements/points mentioned/discussed/described in the text are….
The text is divided into… logical parts.
The first/ second/ third logical part deals with the problems/statements/points of/ contains information about/ gives the definition of….
In my opinion/ to my mind the text is.…
Part II. Language
11. Rewrite sentencesusing Present Simple Passive:
1. Man transforms landscapes such as urban settings and agricultural land conversion. 2. People greatly modify and diminish natural environment. 3. People purchase products and services over the Internet without driving and wasting fuel to reach out to the physical shop. 4. Specialists recycle computing supplies, such as printer cartridges, paper, and batteries. 5. Google disputes the figure of dioxide release. 6. Many corporate IT departments develop green computing initiatives to reduce the environmental effect of their IT operations. 7. Algorithm changes reduce resource usage for a given task from substantial to close to zero.
12. Rewrite the given sentences using other Tenses:
1. Today, the energy consumption of ICTs is significant even when compared with other industries. In near future,…. Two years ago,….
2. Cloud computing lowers carbon emissions and energy usage up to a great extent. Last year…. In a decade….
3. Now, the world's appetite for energy is outpacing production of renewable and non-renewable resources. For last decades….If people do nothing, in some years (still)….
4. Global carbon emissions attributable to ICT are estimated at 2% to 2.5% of world totals. In 2014,…. Next month,….
5. Teleconferencing and telepresence technologies are often implemented in green computing initiatives. Tomorrow,…. During the last decades,….
13. Use a modal verb:
1.Cloud computing… reduce greenhouse gas emission. 2. To help to the environment you… purchase products and services over the Internet. 3. Many large organizations… lower their annual energy costs. 4. To contribute to green computing engineers and technicians… prolong the equipment's lifetime. 5. Algorithm changes… reduce resource usage for a task. 6. To save further energy and emissions computer systems… be donated to various charities and non-profit organizations. 7. Paper, printer cartridges, batteries and storage devices… be recycled.
14. Fill in the gaps:
1. Nowadays, the… is greatly modified and diminished. 2. … is an interdisciplinary field that includes biology, geography, and Earth science. 3. The application of scientific and engineering principles for protection of human populations from the effects of adverse environmental factors is the main task of…. 4. Teleconferencing and telepresence technologies help to reduction of…. 5. Data center facilities are heavy…. 6. The ICT sector’s… will triple to 2020. 7. Two major ICT challenges related to Green computing are energy usage and…. 8. Environmental engineering involves air… control, waste disposal,… radiation protection etc. 9. World's energy consumption is outpacing production of… resources. 10. The goal of green computing is reducing the use of….
environmental engineering, renewable and non-renewable, carbon footprint, natural environment, greenhouse gas emissions, ecology, consumers of energy, pollution, resource consumption, recycling
15. TranslateintoEnglish:
1. Экологичные информационные технологии включают изготовление и использование компьютерных систем с минимальным негативным воздействием на окружающую среду. 2. Цель экологичных информационных технологий – максимально повысить энергоэффективность и срок службы компьютерной техники. 3. Каждый поисковый запрос в сети интернет приводит к выбросу углекислого газа. 4. Перед предприятиями стоит проблема роста затрат на электроэнергию из-за использования информационных технологий. 5. Необходимо перерабатывать компьютерное оборудование. 6. Компьютерное оборудование может содержать вредные и опасные материалы, например свинец и ртуть. 7. Покупки он-лайн могут снизить парниковый эффект благодаря уменьшению выбросов вредных газов от переработки автомобильного топлива. 8. Экология изучает взаимодействие между организмами и окружающей средой. 9. Потребление энергии в сфере ИКТ сегодня выше, чем в других отраслях промышленности. 10. Экологичные информационные технологии объединяют социальную ответственность, технологические инновации и правильное использование ресурсов.
16. Ask questions to the text of different types: general (yes/no) questions, special (why, how much, what etc.) and tag questions (…, isn’t it? Don’t you?)
