Part 3 Listening and Speaking
Dialogue: Buying a New Notebook Computer
(After class, Sophie & Henry are standing by the door, waiting for Mark.)
Henry: Excuse me, Sophie. May I ask you some questions about computers?
Sophie: Sure. What can I do for you?
Henry: I want to buy a new notebook computer[1], but I’m not sure which kind is better, the traditional notebook or ultrabook. What’s your idea about it?
Sophie: Let me see. In my view, although these two categories of notebook computers have the same general appearance, they vary greatly in power, storage capacity, weight, and battery life. It depends on your uses.
Henry: Well, I am a regular user. I need a desktop replacement and portable computer. I typically run office software, use the Internet, and listen to music.[2]
Sophie: I see. My advice is that you would better purchase an affordable traditional notebook computer that includes the following specs: middle-tier processors—not the fastest but not the slowest either; 4- to 8-GB RAM; 500-GB hard drive; and 15-inch screen.[3]
Henry: Is it expensive?
Sophie: Approximately $500 to $700 currently. For maximum savings, as well as compatibility with most software, many buyers choose Windows-based PCs.
(When they are talking, Mark comes toward them.)
Sophie & Henry: Hi, Mark.
Mark: Hi, Henry and Sophie.
Sophie: You are just on time. Just before we were talking about Henry’s buying notebook computer. I heard that you also want to purchase a new one.
Mark: Yes. I am a power user. I need a portable computer that can handle the latest video games or process-intensive operations such as video editing, engineering, and design.[4] Sophie, what’s your opinion on it?
Sophie: I see. Well, I suggest that you would better purchase a traditional notebook computer that includes the following minimum specs: the fastest categories of processors with large number of cores and high GHz count; a graphical processor(GPU) outside of the main CPU; 8-GB RAM; 750-GB hard drive; and 17-inch screen.[5]
Mark: What is its price?
Sophie: Approximately $1000, perhaps more. For games, many individuals choose Windows-based PCs. The video and design industries usually use Macs. What else do you want to know?
Henry: Well, if I want a small, lightweight computer that I can carry, and hope it has a long battery life for extended use, can I purchase a computer like that?
Sophie: Yes. You can purchase an ultrabook with 11- to 13-inch screen, solid-state hard drive, 4-GB RAM, and weight under 4 pounds.
Mark: I guess it is very expensive.
Sophie: Not really, $700 to $1000. Many ultrabooks will not include a DVD drive. Window-based ultrabooks tend to be more affordable. The MacBook is slightly more expensive, but it has always been considered a leader in the lightweight notebook field.
Mark: Ok, we have got it. Sophie, thanks for your valuable suggestions.
Sophie: My pleasure.
Exercises
Work in pairs, and make up a similar conversation by replacing the scenarios with other material below.
Buying a New Tablet Computer
[1] Tablet computer
[2] I want to watch videos, play games, create notes, and browse website.
[3] Purchas a 10-inch tablet. Expect to pay $400 to $500. Most weigh 1.5 pounds. Apple’s iPad was very popular when first released, and it continues to be a popular choice among buyers today. Other things to consider:
●For greater customization, consider an Android-based tablet. There are several models that are comparable to the iPad, which is considered by many reviewers to be the standard bearer.
●The Microsoft Surface tablet includes a keyboard that is integrated into the cover. However, any tablet can be paired with a Bluetooth keyboard, which is crutial if you plan to type often.
●Make sure the apps you plan on using are available for the tablet’s operating system.
●Having 16 GB of storage is typical. Some tablets let you expand this by using flash memory cards.
[4] I want to read e-books, browse websites, and have a lightweight device that I can hold with one hand.
[5] Purchase a 7-inch tablet. Expect to pay around $200. Most weigh less than 1 pound. Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire are popular Android-based tablets.
Words
portable ['pɔːtəbl] adj. 便携式的，易携带或移动的
specs [speks] n. 说明，规格（spec的名词复数），规范
compatibility [kəmˌpætə'biləti] n. 兼容性，适合性
core [kɔː] n. 核，核心，芯
count [kaunt] n. 计数，计算
solid-state ['sɔlid'steit] adj. 固态的
reviewer [ri'vjuːə(r)] n. 批评者，评论家
bearer ['beərə(r)] n. 拥有（某文件、权力或职位）的人，持有……的人，持有者
Phrases
notebook computer 笔记本型电脑，笔记本式计算机，笔记型电脑
ultrabook 超薄笔记本电脑
power user 高级用户，超级用户
outside of 在……的外面
Listening Comprehension: Roadrunner
Listen to the passage and the following 3 questions based on it. After you hear a question, there will be a break of 10 seconds. During the break, you will decide which one is the best answer among the four choices marked A, B, C and D.
Questions
1. Who is the builder of the former No.1 on the TOP 500 list before Roadrunner’s birth?
2. What does the word“hybrid”mean according to this article?
3. How long will it take for Roadrunner to complete a calculation that would have cost the 1998 machine 20 years to finish?
Choices
A. Sony
B. IBM
C. AMD
D. Red Hat
A. Roadrunner combines its components made by different vendors
B. Roadrunner can be used in a variety of applications
C. Roadrunner is built by engineers and scientists from multi-countries
D. Roadrunner’s chips are made from different chemical materials
A. One hour
B. Half a day
C. One day
D. Seven days
Words
terabyte ['terəbait] n. 1000GB，万亿字节
bill [bil] v. 宣布，公告
petaflop [petəflɔp] n. 每秒千万亿次浮点运算（FLOP: Floating point Operations Per second）
trillion ['triljən] num. 万亿
Dictation: John von Neumann
This passage will be played THREE times. Listen carefully, and fill in the blanks with the words you have heard.
John von Neumann (1903—1957) was unquestionably one of the most brilliant scientists of the 1 . He was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1903. In 1930 he joined the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study. He became a US 2 in 1937, and during the Second World War distinguished himself with his work in weapons development. In 1955 he was named a Commissioner of the Atomic Energy Commission, a position he held up to his death from cancer in 1957.
Von Neumann made major contributions to quantum mechanics and 3 physics and is perhaps best known for his work in the 4 of computers during his all-too-short 5 in computer science since 1943. In the now famous EDVAC report of 1945, von Neumann clearly stated the idea of a 6 program that resides in the computer’s 7 along with the data it was to 8 on.
Instead of the ENIAC—the first 9 computer unveiled in 1946—having program instructions rewired in for each new 10 (typically requiring a half-day at least to prepare the machine for operation), stored-program computer kept its specific instructions in its 11 , storing the information in the same 12 as it would store any other information. To this end, the computer would necessarily contain five basic components: a 13 , memory, a 14 (CPU), and input and output components for interacting with human users. The 15 would delve into memory, finding an instruction or 16 , and deal with what it found 17 . Stored-program computer was an 18 over and was far more flexible than its predecessor. Moreover, its 19 has become the prototype of most of its successors, including the 20 of modern computers which exist to this day. von Neumann’s name has also become synonymous with modern computer architecture.
Words
brilliant ['briljənt] adj. 超群的，杰出的
distinguish [dis'tiŋgwi∫] v. 使杰出，使著名
quantum ['kwɔntəm] n. 量子，量子论
mechanics [mi'kæniks] n. 力学
reside [ri'zaid] v. 居住
unveil [ʌn'veil] v. 公布
rewire [riː'waiə] v. 重接电线
delve [delv] v. 挖掘
predecessor ['priːdisesə] n. 前任，（被取代的）原有事物
successor [sək'sesə] n. 后继者，后续的事物
synonymous [si'nɔniməs] adj. 同义的
Phrases
to this end 为此
Abbreviations
EDVAC Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer 离散变量自动电子计算机