WorksheetsPractice 11
Total questions: 2
Worksheet time: 19mins
Getting Started with E-mail!
Electronic mail (e-mail) was started in the late 1960s by the U.S. military. Military officials were looking for a way that communications could be carried out in the event of a large-scale nuclear war. They needed a system that would be very decentralised, reliable, and fast in case central institutions were destroyed. They came up with e-mail.
Through the early 1970s, e-mail was limited to the U.S. military, defense contractors, and universities doing defense research. By the 1970s, it had begun to spread more broadly within university communities. By the 1980s, academics in a number of fields were using e-mail for professional collaboration. The early 1990s saw an explosion of the use of e-mail and other computer networking tools for a wide range of professional, academic, and personal purposes. A few thousand people were using e-mail in 1980, but it is estimated that more than 25 million people throughout the world were using it in the mid-1990s.
E-mail is a way of sending a message from one computer to one or more other computers around the world. First, you write down the e-mail address of the person you are sending the message to. Then, you write the message, either directly in a special e-mail software program (such as Eudora, Pine, Elm, or MM) or first in a word processing program, and then transferring (uploading) it into the e-mail software. You should push a button to give a simple command to send the message. The computer system you are connected to will break the message up into tiny pieces and send them electronically to the destination. The pieces might travel numerous routes through other computers on the way. Usually within 2-3 minutes, the pieces will all arrive at their destination, where the receiving computer will reassemble them into a message. The person receiving the message can check his or her mail box at a convenient time and read the mail. Normally the message would come in two parts: the heading and the body.
E-mail is both similar to and different from other means of communication (see table). Compared with mail, for example, e-mail is a high-speed method of transferring information that allows rapid exchanges. You can also send large amounts of information by e-mail that would be difficult to communicate by telephone. Unlike the telephone, e-mail allows people to retrieve their messages at any time (although this is possible to a limited extent with answering machines), e-mail allows easier data management than mail, fax, and telephone because all communications and documents arrive via computer and can easily be stored, printed, or forwarded. A major advantage of e-mail is that it allows one message to be sent to hundreds or even thousands of people all over the world very inexpensively.
E-mail versus Mail, Fax, and Telephone
You will have to obtain Internet access first to be able to use e-mail as a powerful way of communication. But how do you choose a means of lnternet access? The first point is to request and push for your school district or university to provide Internet access. Internet access for teachers or students is seldom granted without a demand. Present a concrete plan to your administration of what you would like to do, based on information in books and discussion with other people, and you will likely have a better chance of succeeding.
Exercise 1: Word Use
Please match the following words with the definitions.
1. transmit A. a member of a college or university
2. numerous B. very small
3. academic C. send from one person to another
4. military D. many
5. tiny E. of or connected with armies
Exercise 2: Classification
Look at the following list of events and use the information in the passage Getting Started with E-mail! to answer the questions. Please write
A. if it happened in the 1960s;
B. if it happened in the 1970s;
C. if it happened in the 1980s;
D. if it happened in the 1990s.
7. E-mail had a very limited usage in military-related areas.
8. People tried to figure out a way of communication if central institutions were ruined.
9. About 3,000 or 4,000 people were using e-mail.
10. More professors in different universities started to use e-mail.
11. Officials in army forces were seeking for a way to communicate in war-time.
12. E-mail was widely used for personal information exchanges.
13. University professors used e-mail for professional cooperation in certain areas.
14. Millions of people in the world were using e-mail.
Exercise 3 Multiple-Choice Questions
There are four choices for each question. Please refer to the passage Getting Started with E-mail! and choose the correct answer by writing down the corresponding letter.
15. Which of the following steps may NOT be correct when you write your e-mail message?
A. Writing the message directly in the software program Eudora
B. Uploading the message in Pine into a word-processing program
C. Transferring the message in the word-processing program into Elm
D. Writing the message directly in any special e-mail software programs
16. When you press a button to send the message, the message will
A. be sent electronically by the computer in 2 or 3 minutes.
B. be broken into small pieces first and later be reassembled.
C. travel only one route but through different computers.
D. be read by the receiver as soon as the message arrives.
17. How many parts is an e-mail message mainly composed of?
A. Three B. Five C. Four D. Two
18. What is the advantage stated in the passage which e-mail has over fax?
A. The information can be transmitted at a high speed.
B. The information can be transmitted in large quantity.
C. The information can be transmitted to one or many people.
D. The cost of transmission is less than that of the other ways.
19. To apply for Internet access to your university, you should write a plan based on
A. discussion with other people
B. newspaper advertisements
C. information from computer stores
D. advice from Internet-service providers
Please match the following words with the definitions.
1. transmit
C. send from one person to another
2. numerous
D. many
3. academic
A. a member of a college or university
4. military
E. of or connected with armies
5. tiny
B. very small
7. E-mail had a very limited usage in military-related areas.
A. if it happened in the 1960s;
B. if it happened in the 1970s;
C. if it happened in the 1980s;
D. if it happened in the 1990s.
8. People tried to figure out a way of communication if central institutions were ruined.
A. if it happened in the 1960s;
B. if it happened in the 1970s;
C. if it happened in the 1980s;
D. if it happened in the 1990s.
9. About 3,000 or 4,000 people were using e-mail.
A. if it happened in the 1960s;
B. if it happened in the 1970s;
C. if it happened in the 1980s;
D. if it happened in the 1990s.
10. More professors in different universities started to use e-mail.
A. if it happened in the 1960s;
B. if it happened in the 1970s;
C. if it happened in the 1980s;
D. if it happened in the 1990s.
11. Officials in army forces were seeking for a way to communicate in war-time.
A. if it happened in the 1960s;
B. if it happened in the 1970s;
C. if it happened in the 1980s;
D. if it happened in the 1990s.
12. E-mail was widely used for personal information exchanges.
A. if it happened in the 1960s;
B. if it happened in the 1970s;
C. if it happened in the 1980s;
D. if it happened in the 1990s.
13. University professors used e-mail for professional cooperation in certain areas.
A. if it happened in the 1960s;
B. if it happened in the 1970s;
C. if it happened in the 1980s;
D. if it happened in the 1990s.
14. Millions of people in the world were using e-mail.
A. if it happened in the 1960s;
B. if it happened in the 1970s;
C. if it happened in the 1980s;
D. if it happened in the 1990s.
15. Which of the following steps may NOT be correct when you write your e-mail message?
A. Writing the message directly in the software program Eudora
B. Uploading the message in Pine into a word-processing program
C. Transferring the message in the word-processing program into Elm
D. Writing the message directly in any special e-mail software programs
16. When you press a button to send the message, the message will
A. be sent electronically by the computer in 2 or 3 minutes.
B. be broken into small pieces first and later be reassembled.
C. travel only one route but through different computers.
D. be read by the receiver as soon as the message arrives.
17. How many parts is an e-mail message mainly composed of?
A. Three
B. Five
C. Four
D. Two
18. What is the advantage stated in the passage which e-mail has over fax?
A. The information can be transmitted at a high speed.
B. The information can be transmitted in large quantity.
C. The information can be transmitted to one or many people.
D. The cost of transmission is less than that of the other ways.
19. To apply for Internet access to your university, you should write a plan based on
A. discussion with other people
B. newspaper advertisements
C. information from computer stores
D. advice from Internet-service providers
Educating Our Mobile Children
One of the greatest concerns parents have when facing an international move is "What schooling will be available to my child? Will my child be disadvantaged academically as a
result of this move?" Although this fear is certainly strongest in families moving overseas for the first time, even those who may be more experienced often have concerns about their children's education.
Dr. Ernest Mannino, Director of the State Department's Office of Overseas Schools, and Dr. Keith Miller, Deputy Director of the office, spoke candidly about some of the
common concerns parents have regarding the education of their children. Dr. Mannino and Dr. Miller caution parents against making assumptions about their children's education. To make an educated choice, parents need to think through schooling issues and to research post schools as far in advance of a move as possible.
Children who are internationally mobile have many choices of schools to attend. In most major cities, there are schools based on the U.S., French, German, and British systems.
Some parents also choose to become their children's teachers through home education. Which school is appropriate for your child is an individual decision based on many factors.
One of the primary factors that should be considered is what type of college or university your child will attend after high school. Some parents want an international education
instead of just an education within an American system school and fortunately, they have the opportunity to go to these types of schools. But what parents must keep in mind is whether this school will best prepare your child for education beyond high school.
Parents may be tempted to alternate their children's school system in order to enhance cross-cultural understanding, but many experts suggest just the opposite. Mannino and
Miller warn that differences in the sequencing of curriculum exist in the high school grades; moving your child from one academic system to another during this time can handicap
a child academically. At the very least, the parents should learn what the differences in curriculum are and try to keep the child in one system (although this may be in more than
one location) for all of the high school years. It is clear that whatever continuity you can provide these children is important. The nice thing about the American school system or the French, German or whichever, is that it is the same school system throughout their lives.
Many parents are hoping their children will enter a college or university in their home country. Especially in the high school years, it is important to select the school system that will bes prepare your child for the college of choice and stick with that system throughout the high school years.
Other factors that affect school choice include your child's grade, language skills and personality. Despite some parents' desires to have their children learn other languages through their schooling option, most children will want to go to school that has other children from their passport culture.
The international school systems offer considerable benefits to the mobile child. Unlike some students in domestic schools, students in international schools have a stronger sense of empathy for new kids since almost everyone has been new at one time or another. Many of the international schools also have excellent academic standards. The Office of Overseas Schools reports that graduates of the approximately 190 schools it assists achieve SAT scores
well above the national average. These children also often make it into excellent universities, in part because of their international schooling.
Exercise 1: Word Use
Match the following words with the definitions.
1. assumption A. in a sincerely honest way
2. candidly B. of one's own country
3. alternate E. to (cause to) follow by turns
4. domestic D. something that is taken as a fact without proof
6. considerable C. fairly large
Exercise 2: Matching the Phrases
Read the passage Educating Our Mobile Children and choose, according to the passage, one phrase (A-H) from the list of phrases to complete each key point below. There are more phrases than key points, so you will not use them all.
7. Most of the families moving overseas will worry about____________
8. To parents who need to make choices for their children's education,____________
9. An important factor which parents should think about is__________
10. Many experts agree that_____________
11. To keep the children in one system in high schools, parents may have to______________
A. the type of university their children will attend
B. where to move internationally
C. making decisions about their children's education
D. it is advised to make some researches in advance
E. it is better to keep the child within one school system
F. enhance their children's tolerance
G. certain systems are better than the others
H. stay in more than one location
Exercise 3 Summary Completion
The following is a summary of the passage. Fill in the gaps by choosing from the words or phrases listed in the box below the summary. Remember that there are more choices than you can use.
One of the greatest concerns families moving overseas have is the 12.............. to their children's education resulting from their international move. Some experts warn the parents against making 13. about their children's education. To those who are making an educated choice for their children, 14........... are something they need to think through in advance, There could be many choices of schools for children who are 15............ and parents will have to make decisions 16........... about the appropriate school for their children.
One factor which affects the school choices is the type of university your child will attend. Due to the differences in the 17........... experts suggest not to move your children from one 18........... to another. Otherwise children may be academically 19............ . The international school systems 20........... the mobile children considerably. Comparatively speaking, students in the international schools may 21.......... more with the new kids because everybody has been in a similar situation at one time or another. The report from the Office of Overseas Schools shows that graduates from approximately 190 international schools have achieved SAT scores well above the national average.
internationally mobile
disadvantages
empathise
sequencing of curriculum
available
benefit
schooling issues
handicapped
individually
academic system
assumptions
encourage
average
personality
decisions
Match the following words with the definitions.
1. assumption
D. something that is taken as a fact wit
2. candidly
A. in a sincerely honest way
3. alternate
E. to (cause to) follow by turns
4. domestic
B. of one's own country
5. considerable
C. fairly large
7. Most of the families moving overseas will worry about____________
A. the type of university their children will attend
B. where to move internationally
C. making decisions about their children's education
D. it is advised to make some researches in advance
E. it is better to keep the child within one school system
8. To parents who need to make choices for their children's education,____________
A. the type of university their children will attend
B. where to move internationally
C. making decisions about their children's education
D. it is advised to make some researches in advance
E. it is better to keep the child within one school system
9. An important factor which parents should think about is__________
A. the type of university their children will attend
B. where to move internationally
C. making decisions about their children's education
D. it is advised to make some researches in advance
E. it is better to keep the child within one school system
10. Many experts agree that_____________
D. it is advised to make some researches in advance
E. it is better to keep the child within one school system
F. enhance their children's tolerance
G. certain systems are better than the others
H. stay in more than one location
11. To keep the children in one system in high schools, parents may have to______________
D. it is advised to make some researches in advance
E. it is better to keep the child within one school system
F. enhance their children's tolerance
G. certain systems are better than the others
H. stay in more than one location
One of the greatest concerns families moving overseas have is the 12
(a) to their children's education resulting from their international move. Some experts warn the parents against making 13 (b) about their children's education. To those who are making an educated choice for their children, 14 (c) are something they need to think through in advance, There could be many choices of schools for children who are 15 (d) and parents will have to make decisions 16
(e) about the appropriate school for their children.
One factor which affects the school choices is the type of university your child will attend. Due to the differences in the 17 (a) experts suggest not to move your children from one 18 (b) to another. Otherwise children may be academically 19 (c) . The international school systems 20 (d) the mobile children considerably. Comparatively speaking, students in the international schools may 21 (e) more with the new kids because everybody has been in a similar situation at one time or another. The report from the Office of Overseas Schools shows that graduates from approximately 190 international schools have achieved SAT scores well above the national average
