Digital Devices and New Technologies Flashcards (French Vocabulary)

Syllabus Anglais 1TI/IR/RT

• Année académique 2024 – 2025 (Q2)
• Teachers: J. De Witte & O. Kruyts

Unit 1 Digital Devices

• Learning material inspired by “Information Technology: Unit 1” (Pearson BTEC, National Level 3)

I. INTRODUCTION: vocabulary exercises

• Digital devices at home and their English names.

• Identifying commonalities among a list of words related to digital devices.

• Matching words to pictures of digital devices.

• Matching words to definitions:

  • chip: A small piece of material with a complicated electronic circuit.
  • storage: Keeping information on a computer.
  • high-end: Expensive and of high quality.
  • handle: To deal with.
  • data: Information stored by a computer.
  • input: Information put into a computer.
  • brain: Organ controlling movement, thought, memory.
  • device: Equipment designed for a job.
  • perform: To do a task.
  • output: Information produced by a computer.

• Completing a vocabulary table:

  • Un cable d’alimentation: A power cable
  • Une panne de courant: A power outage
  • to wire: Câbler
  • to load up: Charger
  • to boot up: Démarrer
  • the set up: L'installation
  • Un logiciel: Software

• List of devices:

  • A. Mouse
  • B. Keyboard
  • C. Flash memory / flash drive
  • D. Computer tower
  • E. Loudspeaker
  • F. A screen
  • G. Camera
  • H. A printer
  • I. Laptop
  • J. Hard drive
  • K. Microchip
  • L. Fan
  • M. Software

II. READING ACTIVITY: “an information technology system”

PART 1

• IT systems in entertainment:
  • Home cinema: replicates movie theatre experience using video and audio equipment.
  • Desktop computer: uses software for video, music playback, and games.
• A PC as an entertainment system:
  • Watch cable and satellite television.
  • Record, pause, and play back digital content.
  • Watch videos.
  • Listen to music.
  • Play games.
• Set-top box:
  • Receives TV or internet data via cable, satellite, or phone.
  • Provides two-way communication for interactive features like voting or pay-per-view.
  • Records TV programs to hard drive, allowing series recordings, pause, and restart.
• Video games console:
  • Specialized computer system for interactive video games using a monitor, TV, or projector.
  • Allows multiple players.
  • Browses web, plays DVDs and CDs, streams movies, and edits videos.
  • Online games allow playing against others worldwide.
  • Uses motion sensors for hands-free gaming.
  • Allows use of virtual reality headsets.
• Questions about IT systems:
  • What is an IT system?
  • Difference between IT systems of a bakery and a car company.
  • Advantages of a laptop.
  • Most common network.
  • Why servers are sometimes very large.
  • Explanation of two-way communication in set-top boxes.

PART 2

• Digital Cameras:
  • Sales decreased since 2010.
  • Images stored as collection of pixels; more pixels mean better photo quality.
  • Mobile phone cameras: 7-12 megapixels.
• Camera Types:
  • Compact Cameras:
    • Suitable for amateur photographers; Offers manual controls over aperture, shutter speed, low light photo quality and optical zoom.
    • Optical zoom magnifies image for sharper results.
    • Digital zoom enlarges pixels, reducing quality.
  • DSLR Cameras: For serious amateur and professional photographers.
• Connectivity:
  • Bluetooth: Easy image transfer to other devices.
• Video:
  • Special effects like time-lapse and slow-motion.
  • Short videos on YouTube.
• Dash Cams:
  • In-car camera systems recording video/audio of journey.
  • Accepted as evidence by insurance policies.
  • Could lower car insurance premiums, reduce theft, deter insurance fraud.
  • Parking mode records impacts.
• Security Cameras:
  • In 2017 > 3.2 million British households had self-installed, connected surveillance cameras.
  • Transmit live video to phone app.
  • Common on streets and commercial properties.
• Traffic and Speed Cameras:
  • Used in various applications like self-driving trams/cars.
  • Capture number plates of speeding vehicles.
  • London Congestion Charge (2003): based on automatic number plate recognition.
  • Helped reduce traffic and congestion.
• Questions about digital technology:
  • Why sales of digital cameras declined.
  • Usefulness of Bluetooth function in a camera.
  • Advantages of installing a dash cam.
  • Temperature sensor as a data capture system.
  • Importance of digital technology in society with examples.
• Vocabulary exercise (French to English):
  • le but: the goal
  • exécuter: execute
  • changer: change
  • intégré: integrated
  • stockage: storage
  • matériel: hardware
  • contenu: content
  • installer: install
  • détecteur de mouvement: motion detector
  • diminuer (chute): decrease (drop)
  • approprié: appropriate
  • ouverture: aperture
  • élargir: enlarge
  • la preuve: proof
  • transmettre: transmit
  • tenu en main: handheld
  • perturber: disrupt
  • le commerce: commerce
  • les files d’attente: queues
  • le moins: the least

III. LISTENING ACTIVITY: “what makes a computer a computer?”

• May-Li Khoen
  • Who is she?
  • What does she do?
  • What is her other job?
• Computers are everywhere.
• Fill in: “As humans, we have always built _ to help us . […] with the work we do, like solving or tracking the in the ___.”
• Tasks that computers have.
• How the first computers were made.
• What changed in the 20th century.
• What do we use them for now?

IV. CONCLUSION ACTIVITY: Kahoot quiz

• Take the digital-devices quiz on kahoot.it and draw a relevant vocabulary list from the quiz.

Unit 2 Connectivity

I. WIRED OR WIRELESS NETWORKS: THE IMPLICATIONS

• Wires connecting devices enable increased
• Wireless connecting devices offer …
• Personal preference between wired and wireless networks and in what circumstances.
• Comparison of wired and wireless networks
  • security
    • To connect to a wired network, intruder needs physical access.
    • “Physical access is not required to connect to a wireless network.”
    • WPA and WPA2: Wi-Fi Protected Access.
    • Wireless system is vulnerable to hacking and viruses when…
    • When does a wired network be a better choice?
    • a wire = a cable
    • an intruder = un intrus
    • to gain access to… = accéder à…
    • to require = exiger
    • a jack = une prise
    • multi-storey = à plusieurs étages
    • the floor = le sol
    • to be (with)in range of… = être à portée de…
    • a virus / (plural form) = un virus / des virus
    • sensitive >< sensible = sensible >< raisonnable
  • reliability
    • Definition: The quality of being trustworthy or performing consistently well.
    • French translation: fiabilité
    • Wired and wireless networks are reliable? Why (not)?
  • control
    • Who “freeloaders” are and what people can do to prevent their malicious actions.
  • speed
    • Fill in the gaps to create a relevant text regarding optimal Wi-Fi signal and speed:
      • “Wired connections are f…………………………… than wireless connections. A wireless network requires a central device called the w…………………………… a…………………………… p…………………………… (……………………………), which needs to be installed in a c…………………………… location so that radio signals can reach it with minimum i……………………………. A wireless router combines a r…………………………… and a ……………………………. Wi-Fi performance d…………………………… on computers further away from the WAP. Extra routers and/or WAPs may need to be installed to ensure that p…………………………… is not affected. In the open, Wi-Fi signals can reach ……..… meters or more, but w…………………………… and other o…………………………… will reduce their range.”
      • “Many wireless routers and wireless access points can theoretically support up to ……..… connected devices. The speed rating of access points represents the maximum theoretical b…………………………… they can support. However, bandwidth is shared between all the users currently using the network connection, so a Wi-Fi router rated at 300Mbps with 100 devices connected only offers an average of ……..… to each device.”
      • A wireless access point = Un point d'accès sans fil
      • The bandwidth = La bande passante
      • Mbps = Mégabits par seconde
• CONCLUSION: “Lack of Broadband Internet creating Divide in America”
  • What did the teacher do when a student didn’t understand a question?
  • Why is the connection in rural areas often bad?
  • What important decision was made by the town of Wilson?
  • How do people in Rocky Mount handle the problem of a slow internet connection?
  • Explain this term used in the video: “digital divide”.
  • Comparable example in your life? Does the location play a key role in internet connectivity?

II. WIRED OR WIRELESS NETWORKS: CONCLUSION

• Sum up the pros and cons for each system in the table below.
• Matching definitions to its corresponding word:
  • a device used to control the operation of an apparatus or machine, as a television set, from a distance. = remote
  • measure of the responsiveness of a network, often expressed as the round-trip time (in milliseconds); that is, the time between initiating a network request and receiving a response. = latency
  • the quality of being easy to obtain, use, or reach. = the convenience
  • an attachment at the end of an electrical cord, inserted into a socket for electric power. = to plug (in)
  • a disadvantage, an undesirable feature. = a drawback
  • a line for conducting electric power. = a power line

III. COPPER vs. FIBER-OPTIC

• INTRODUCTION: When several computing devices are joined in a local area network, they can be connected either wirelessly or by cable, which may be copper (twister pair) or fiber-optic.

• CHOOSING ONE OR THE OTHER: COMPARISON

  • The choice between ethernet or fiber-optic cable depends on factors such as performance, cost, security & reliability, and ease of installation.

• VOCABULARY EXERCISE: fill in the sentences below using the words in the box from the text (to be translated from French to English):

• CONCLUSION: “What makes fiber optic faster than copper?” (listening comprehension)

  • When were copper wires first used?
  • “Copper wire became less popular once the telephone was created in the late 1800s.”
  • Compare how fiber optic cables and copper cables emit signals.
  • Explain the phenomenon called “signal attenuation”.
  • How is electronic information transmitted in fiber optic cables?
  • When mentioning the relative performance of both cables, why is the term “faster” a little deceptive?
  • Explain the terms “throughput” (or capacity).
  • How can this difference be explained in the light of throughput?
  • Why is metal an issue in copper cables?
  • Seeing how copper cables are less attractive than fiber optic cables, why do they still exist today? Give two reasons.

IV. CELLULAR CONNECTIONS

• Fill in the gaps in the text below using your knowledge on cellular connections.
• Analyze the picture below, read the text related to it and answer the questions below.
  • What is “a cell” and “a transmitting tower”? How are they connected? Explain.
  • How can mobile signals be blocked? Explain.
  • Why is finding a good signal in towns less of a problem?
  • Find the English equivalents of these words from the last two paragraphs.

Unit 3 Types of Network

I. FACTORS AFFECTING THE CHOICE OF NETWORK

• Most organisations with more than two or three computers will connect their computers and other devices in a LAN. Why bother networking the computers? It's all about sharing.
• USER NEEDS
  • ADVANTAGES
    • Sharing files
    • Sharing resources
    • Centralised backup
  • What does the word “downtime” mean here?
• SPECIFICATIONS & COST
  • Let’s compare peer-to-peer (or “P2P”) networks and client-server networks.
    • Peer-to-peer
      • Advantages:
      • Disadvantages:
    • Client-server
• SECURITY
  • Look for these words in the text and fill in the gaps:
    • Préveler/percevoir
    • volé/dérobé
    • faillite
    • préoccupation
    • amendes
• CONNECTIVITY
  • Fill in the gaps in the text below using your knowledge from chapter 2
• USER EXPERIENCE & IMPLEMENTATION
  • WORDS IN BOLD
    • Compatible
    • User experience
    • Timescales
    • Support
• EFFICIENCY & PERFORMANCE
  • Read the text below and draw an exhaustive list of what a network manager should be able to do when actively managing the network.
• PRODUCTIVITY
  • Look for these words in the text below:
    • A socket =
    • A characteristic feature =
    • Price =
    • Disrupted =
    • High-speed connection =

II. HOW FEATURES OF A NETWORK AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF AN IT SYSTEM

• The features of different types of network and their component parts affect the performance of the whole IT system.

• A WIDE AREA NETWORK

• SYMMETRIC AND ASYMMETRIC BROADBAND CONNECTIONS

  • Watch this video , fill in the sentences and answer the questions below in English
  • Give 3 benefits symmetric internet offers:
    • using a leased line

• ADVANTAGES OF A LEASED LINE DISADVANTAGES:

III. VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN)

• Read the text below and answer the questions on the next pages.

• Listening comprehension: “How China Blocks the World's Most Popular Websites”

Unit 4 New Technologies

I. THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGY

• Brainstorming:
• TECHNOLOGIES: A TIMELINE
• READING EXERCISE
  • rolling out - fields - ensuring - decades - global warming - breakthroughs - scale - leveraging - head on - healthcare – scarcity - tackle - broadly
• PAST & PRESENT – TECHNOLOGY THEN vs. NOW
  • Watch the video and fill in the blanks:
• QUANTUM COMPUTING (LISTENING EXERCISE)