“The computer was born to solve problems that did not exist before.

”
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft

1. Computers Discussion
1. What is a computer? What do you use your computer for? How do you use computers in your
professional life?
2. How many computers do you have? How often do you buy a new computer? How quickly do
computers go out of date?
3. Do you prefer to use a desktop or a laptop? Is there any difference between a smartphone and a
computer these days?
4. Which companies make the best computers? Why are they considered the best?
5. Do/did you play games on your computer? What are/were your favourite video games?
6. How did you learn to use a computer? Did you have computers in your high school?
7. Would you like your house to be controlled by a computer? How could a computer do this?
8. Do you keep up to date with the latest computer developments? Do you feel you should be more
up to date? What could you do with a more powerful computer?
2. Computers Vocabulary
• computer literacy (noun), computer literate (adjective) – having the knowledge and ability to use
computers well.
• specifications (noun) – detailed information about how something works or how it was made.
• software (noun) – computer programs or instructions that tell a computer what to do or enable users
to perform tasks.
• hardware (noun) – the physical elements of a computer or other components that can be connected
to the computer.
• to back up (verb), backup (noun) – to create a copy of something in case the original is lost or
damaged; the copied material.
• to update (verb), update (noun) – to make something more modern or current; the action to perform
this process.

Using the vocabulary words above, complete the following sentences (remember to use the
correct form of the word, e.g. verb conjugation or plural noun)
1. Customers complained that after the latest system , their computers appeared
to run more slowly than before.
2. In the past, the mouse would have been the most common piece of bought by
computer users, but with the popularity of laptops that already come with a scroll pad and
people's ever-increasing need for more memory, the most popular today are external hard
drives.
3. My new laptop has great ; it has an Intel i7 processor with a speed of 3.4GHz,
12GB of RAM and an SSD with a capacity of 1TB.
4. The bestselling on Amazon right now is Adobe Acrobat Pro, followed closely by
Microsoft Office 365.
5. Unless the older generation becomes , they will find it increasingly difficult to
perform everyday tasks.
6. When John's laptop got a virus and deleted all his files, it wasn't the end of the world as he had
made a of all his files on the Cloud.

Computers vocabulary comprehension questions

1. Are you computer literate? What computer skills do you have?
2. Can you describe the specifications of your computer? Do you know what these specifications
mean?
3. What are your favourite or most useful pieces of software? What new software would you like to
buy for your computer?
4. What hardware do you use with your computer?
5. Have you ever lost any files on your computer? Do you make backups?
6. Do you find your computer is slower after an update? If so, why do you think this is?
3. Video: Quantum Computing
You are going to watch a video by Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell called “Quantum Computers Explained –
Limits of Human Technology.”

Watch the video here: https://yourenglishpal.com/blog/esl-conversation-lesson-plan-computers/

While you watch the video, answer the following questions:

Multiple choice
1. What did computers become from the 1960s?
a) larger b) smaller c) more brain-like
2. Components for computers are approaching the size of what?
a) an atom b) a molecule c) an atomic element
3. What is contained in a logic gate?
a) computer chips b) modules c) transistors
4. What can either be 0 or 1?
a) bit b) bite c) byte

Sentence completion
5. Once a computer is capable of multiplying, it is capable of doing .
6. As computer parts become smaller and smaller, quantum physics is making
things .
7. A modern transistor is times smaller than a red blood cell.
8. A quantum computer can perform all possible calculations at the .

Short answer
9. Quantum computers will probably not replace what?
10. What can quantum computers search in a much faster time than normal computers?
11. Quantum computers are famous for their potential to ruin what?
12. What could quantum simulations revolutionise?
4. Computers Conversation Questions
1. If older people don't know how to use computers, what will they be restricted from doing? How
can we help older people use computers?
2. When did you first use a computer? How have computers changed since the first time you used
one?
3. How have computers changed the world? Would you be able to live your life without a
computer?
4. Are there any bad things about owning a computer? Have humans lost any skills because of our
reliance on computers?
5. How do you expect computers to change in the future? What would you like computers to do
that they don't do now?
6. Do you think we will ever have biological computers integrated into our bodies in the future?
Would you be prepared to install a computer into your body?
7. What would happen if all the computers in the world suddenly stopped working?
8. Will computer scientists and software developers be the most important professions in the
future?

5. Computers Writing Task

Write about your opinion of computers. Try to use some of the vocabulary you learned earlier in this
lesson. In your answer, include the following topics:
• How computers have changed from the time you started using them.
• Some of the ways we rely on computers today.
• How you expect computers to be different in the future.

Alternative exam essay question

The modern world is completely dependent on computers, from performing everyday tasks, running
businesses, operating hospitals to flying planes. What will we rely on computers for in the future? What
problems might this dependence lead to in the future?