A Answer the following questions.
1 Can you think of famous examples of computer viruses that affected many people?
2 When you think of a hacker or virus writer, do you usually think of a man or woman? Explain your answer.
3 There is a common perception that men are better at or more interested in computers and technology than women are. What do you think?
B Discuss your answers with a partner.
A Skim the paragraphs ãin the passage on the next two pages.� the adjectives that can be used to describe Gigabyte.
polite rebellious aggressive
soft-spoken understanding easy-going
intelligent outgoing creative bad-tempered malidous proud
unconventional respectful patient
B Underline the sentences that explain your choice of adjectives in A. Then discuss your answers with a partner.
C Now read the entire passage carefully. Then answer the questions on page 35.
She can kick you in the pants and wipe your hard drive cleaner than a dog's dinner plate. So when the young kickboxer and virus writer known as "Gigabyte" tells you she doesn't want her face on TV, well, you play'along.
"I'll just shoot1 you from behind," I say, carrying my TV camera across the large mat that covers the
5 health club's gymnasium floor. It's almost time for the 6 p.m. kickboxing class, and Gigabyte is the only woman there. Of course, she's used to that. In the male-dominated world of virus writers, she stands out. And not only because of her gender. She is also something of a virus-writing prodigy, having started programming at age six.
"I figured out how torwrite a few lines of code on my uncle's Commodore 64,2" says Gigabyte. "Later, I
10 wanted to learn more about programming, so I went to the store and asked for books. The salespeople were surprised. It was like, 'Why do you want a book? Why don't you just buy a.game and go play.?' But games are not very interesting to me. I wanted to learn how to write real executable3 programs."
so she did.
At age fourteen, she wrote her first computer worm, which took over the shutdown screens of 15 infected users. Two years later, she wrote a powerful virus that mangles MP3 files. More recently
she became only the second person to write a virus in -C#, the language of Microsoft's .Net platform.4 Her so-called "Sharpei" worm, which comes in an e-mail attachment, spreads via Microsoft's Outlook e-mail program and infects certain files in computers where the .Net framework is present.
The morning after kickboxing class, I arrive at Gigabyte's house at 6:30. She's h1aving tea with her
20 grandmother in the kitchen of a tiny, immaculate cottage. She has lived with her grandparents most of her life, for reasons she declines to discuss. We catch the public bus downtown to her school.
Although the bus is packed with other teenagers, she speaks to no one.
we walk a few blocks to her school, where I meet her computer teacher. "She is a good young programmer," she says. "But I do not approve of her virus writing. I kno� she says she is not causing
25 any harm, and it is true that she does not intentionally spread these viruses, but I do not think it is . appropriate, and viruses can cause a lot of damage." Nevertheless, teacher and student are cordial to each other throughout the long morning class. Later that afternoon, Gigabyte walks around the computer room her grandparents have set aside for her, flicking on no fewer than four Windows.
machines. She's comfortable here, and full of opinions.
1 To shoot something is a casual way to say "take a photo" or "record on film."
2 A Commodore 64 is an early desktop computer from the 1980s.
3 An executable program is one that is able to perform and do the job for which it.was designed.
4 In computer terms, a platform is a specific type of computer hardware or operating system.
Trinity from The Matrix and Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are two fictional female hackers.
On being some sort of feminist icon, 30 she says," ... I'm a virus writer.
If I wanted to make a [feminist]
statement, don't you think it would be part of the viruses I've written? I mean, yeah, I do want to admit I'm 35 female because there is nothing to hide about it. The world should know there are female virus writers out there. But it's certainly not my motivation for virus writing. I do this 40
for myself, not for the whole world.
Other females don't need me to stand up for them; they can do it for themselves."
45 on the ethics of writing viruses: ''I'm not responsible for stupid people who open e-mail attachments that erase their files."
"Hey," she says, "let's go outside. I want to show you something."
I'm led out into the backyard garden, which is beautifully groomed. There are painted gnomes and a small pond, and then, suddenly, there is a ferret,5 Gigabyte's pet ferret, out for a little afternoon walk.
50 How right they are for each other, I think, looking at the ferret and the virus writer. Both are cunning
and quick, and you wouldn't want either of them to bite you.
"Virus writing is so aggressive, and most reasonable people consider it an act of vandalism, or at
least potential vandalism," I say. ''Would you spray paint graffiti on somebody's wall?"
"We are not coming inside anyone's walls," she said. "The users are running the virus. They are the 55 ones clicking on it."
"So you think the people who execute these programs are responsible for the damage that your viruses do?" I ask.
"Actually," she says, "I think stupid people should have to have some sort of license to get on the Internet."
60 There's a pause in the conversation. The ferret is turning somersaults6 in the grass at our feet. "Do you think of what you do as art?" I ask.
"I want to do something original, that not everyone does," she says. "If you write something that's new or funny or special in a way, then I think it is a form of art, yes."
I ask her if she wants to work with computers for a living. When she grows up, I mean.
65 "Yes. But not with an antivirus company," she says. "I will never do antivirus." That would run counter
to her code.
s A ferret is a small, brown, furry animal, often trained to hunt rats and rabbits.
6 You do somersaults by rolling your body over headfirst to land on your feet.
34 UN IT 2 Chapter 2
Motivational Tip: Try it again! Before answering the comprehension questions, read the passage again to see if you can read it more fluently. Reading the passage up to three times will enhance your understanding and help you do better at the comprehension section.
A Answer the following questions using information from the passage.
1 In the first paragraph, why did the author decide to "play along" with Gigabyte?
2 How does Gigabyte's "Sharpei'' worm spread from one computer to another?
3 What does Gigabyte's computer teacher think of her?
4 What can we infer about Gigabyte's relationship with her parents?
5 Why doesn't Gigabyte consider herself a feminist?
B Complete the following sentences with information from the passage.
1 Gigabyte started computer programming at the age of 2 Gigabyte wrote her first computer virus when she was
3 The author thinks Gigabyte and her ferret are both _______ _ 4 The author compares virus writing to an act of vandalism such as 5 Gigabyte thinks art can be anything that is _______ _
C Discuss the following questions with a partner.
1 How would you describe the author's attitude toward Gigabyte?
2 Gigabyte says she would never work for an antivirus company. What do you think her reasons are?
Reading
Comprehension
Check Your Understanding
Critical Thinking
Vocabulary Comprehension
Words in Context
36 UNIT 2 Chapter 2
A Choose the best answer. The words in blue are from the passage.
1 If someone is playing a joke on someone and wants you to play along, that person wants you to __ .
a say what the joke is b act as if the joke is real 2 A prodigy shows his or her talent at an unusually __ age.
a young b old
3 When you mangle a language, you speak it __ .
a well b badly
4 If your desk is immaculate, it is __ .
a disorganized and messy b neat and tidy
5 If somebody declines to comment on a topic, it means they __ . a want to speak about it b don't want to speak about it 6 A cordial letter is one that is __ .
a pleasant and friendly
7 A counter-argument is a(n) __ . a very strong argument
b malicious ã
b opposition to the argument 8 Well-groomed is an adjective used to describe someone who is __ .
a well-traveled b neat in appearance
9 Someone who is cunning wants to __ others.
a trick b help
10 Which is considered vandalism?
a putting up a sign in a public space b writing on the wall of someone else's house
B Answer the following questions, then discuss your answers with a partner. The words in blue are from the passage.
1 Give an example of a child prodigy. What is he or she good at?
2 Give an example of something that can be mangled. How would it most likely end up like that?
3 Are you the sort of person who likes their living areas immaculate? Why, or why not?
4 When was the last time you declined an invitation to go out? Why?
5 Do you think you should be cordial to someone you dislike? Why, or why not?
6 How important is it to be well-groomed? Explain your answer.
7 Do you know anyone who you could describe as cunning? Give an example of why they are cunning.
8 Besides spraying grafitti on walls, what else would you consider vandalism?
A Match the words in the box to the correct definitions. Write a-j. You may use a dictionary to help you.
a bibliography
f monograph b photograph c paragraph
g autobiography h demography d biography e cartography i seismograph j choreography 1 __ the life memoirs of a person, written by that person
2 __ a short section of a text, made up of two or more sentences, that deals with the same idea throughout
3 __ a written account, such as a book or scholarly pamphlet, on a particular and usually limited subject
4 __ the study of the characteristics of human populations, for example:
size, growth, density, distribution, and vital statistics 5 __ the art and science of making maps or navigational charts 6 __ an image of an object, person, or landscape recorded digitally or
on special film or paper
7 __ an instrument for automatically detecting and recording the duration, intensity, and direction of an earthquake
8 __ a list of writings related to a given subject, or referenced within a particular written work
9 __ the art of creating and arranging dance sequences 10 __ a written account of a person's life
B Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the words in A.
1 Most essays in English contain at least five _____ _ 2 Many pop stars work with ______ to create dance moves.
3 All essays should include a(n) to cite referenced works.
4 In order to write someone's , you have to conduct an extensive amount of research on them.
5 As Della was a well-known chef, her ______ contained numerous recipes along with her memoirs.
6 Jun believes that living in Tokyo and experiencing numerous earthquakes as a young child inspired him to become a(n) _____ _
7 Though Annelise originally studied color ______ , she has recently become interested in using black and white film.
8 Sebastian has been unable to find much published material on his chosen field of study except for a single old _____ _
9 Anybody who studies trends will know that the rise in global population is creating a huge strain on the environment.
10 Hyun Suk has been interested in globes and maps since he was young, so he entered the field of _____ _
Vocabulary Skill
The Root Word graph/graphy
In this chapter, you read the word graffiti, a variation of the Greek word graphein, meaning to write or record something.
The root graphy also refers to the study of something. The root words graph and graphy are combined with prefixes and suffixes to form many words in English.
Real Life Skill
Reading Computer Advertising
If you want to buy a computer system, it's important to compare the specificatiO!lS (technical details) of different computers, as well as their prices. Advertising for computers often contains a lot of abbreviations for technical terms, as well as computer jargon. Being familiar with these terms can help you better understand exactly what it is you are buying.
A Read the following advertisement for a laptop.
The Techie AZ2000 Laptop features:
• 13.3-inch LED backlit display
• 8 GB RAM at 2.9 GHz
• 1 TB HD
• DVD ROM Drive
• 3 USS ports
• Doorways Unlimited OS
• Free word processing & spreadsheet software
New low prices!
B Write the abbreviations in the ad next to the.correct definitions.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
____ operating system-the basic software in the computer ____ hard drive-the part of the computer that stores information ____ a disc containing files that can be opened on your computer ____ a type of plug that allows you to connect devices such as a
printer or flash drive to your computer
____ random access memory-where data is stored that's being accessed by the computer
____ a unit of computer memory capacity measuring one million bytes
____ gigahertz-controls the speed at which the computer can carry out instructions
____ a unit of computer memory capacity measuring one trillion bytes
C With a partner, discuss what features and specifications you would want or need in a computer. Use some of the abbreviations you learned in B.
What do you think?
1 Do you think it should be illegal to hack into a computer or spread computer viruses? Why, or why not?
2 Internet crime, or "cybercrime," is seen as very difficult to combat. Why do you think this is so?
3 If technology is seen as a "male" interest, how can we encourage women to be more involved in the tech and IT community?
38 UN IT 2 Chapter 2
1 How often do you travel?
a never
b once every few years 2 Where do you usually travel to?
a I don't travel.
b places within my country 3 Who do you like to travel with?
c once a year
What Kind of Tra11eler Are You?
d more than once a year c countries round the region d countries that are far away
a alone c with a group of friends
b with a friend d with my family
4 How do you decide where to go on vacation?
a get advice from friends or family c do research on the Internet (e.g. travel biogs) b ask a travel agent d watch TV shows about travel
5 What is the main reason you go on vacation?
a rest and relaxation c fun and adventure
b education and cultural learning d quality time with family or friends 6 Which of the following vacations appeals to you most?
a a tour of a big city in the U.S.
b a homestay on a farm in Australia
Getting Ready
c backpacking across Europe
d a beach resort stay in the Caribbean
Complete the survey above. Then discuss your answers with a partner.
UNIT 3
Before You Read
A Traveler's Tale
Reading Skill
Scanning
When we scan, we look for information that we want and ignore other information. On tests, scanning can be useful when checking if a fact is true or false, or to find names of people or places and other key details.