Question

TRUE or FALSE PCs, or personal computers, are a part of our lives. In the late 1970s, when computers entered people's homes for the first time, PCs didn't exist. Back then, computers for the home were usually called 'microcomputers'. Initially, many people didn't understand what they were for, because it was more difficult to do a simple calculation on a microcomputer than it was on a calculator! By the early 1980s, computers for the home began to be called 'home computers'. There were many different models, made by different companies. Software such as games for one home computer rarely worked on a home computer made by a different company. Home computers had far less power and memory than computers today, so what you could do on them was extremely limited. In fact, people spent much more time writing simple programs for their home computer than they did using their computer for the kind of things we use computers for today: writing documents and playing games. Of course, the Internet didn't exist back then, so computers weren't used to send e-mails or look at websites. Laptops, or notebook computers as they are also known, have become smaller and lighter in recent years. This is important, because the main point of laptops is that they are portable. The smaller and lighter they are, the easier they are to carry. However, as PCs have become more powerful in terms of memory, so have laptops. Laptops today are far more powerful than PCs were only five years ago. So what are the disadvantages of laptops? One disadvantage is the keyboard. Because of a laptop's size, its keyboard is often more difficult to type on than a regular keyboard. The screen is often quite small, too. To save weight and space, some laptops do not come with a CD-ROM drive. Although this was a major disadvantage a few years ago, the invention of memory sticks, which serve the same purpose as CD-ROMs, has basically solved that problem. 1. To do a simple calculation, a calculator was better than a microcomputer. 2. People with different home computers could easily share their games. 3. People with home computers spent most of their time playing games on them. 4. Laptops are smaller and lighter than notebook computers. 5. Five years ago, most PCs had less power than most laptops do nowadays. 6. It is still a major problem for the owner if a laptop does not come with a CD-ROM drive.

Answer 1

1 true 2 false 3 false 4 false 5 true 6 false

Answer 2

1. TRUE - In the late 1970s, when computers entered people's homes for the first time (referred to as microcomputers), doing a simple calculation on a calculator was easier than on a microcomputer.

2. FALSE - Software, including games, for one home computer rarely worked on a home computer made by a different company, indicating that they couldn't easily share their games.

3. FALSE - People spent much more time writing simple programs for their home computers than they did using them for playing games.

4. FALSE - Laptops and notebook computers are used interchangeably in the text, and it is mentioned that laptops have become smaller and lighter in recent years, emphasizing their portability.

5. TRUE - The text mentions that laptops today are far more powerful in terms of memory than PCs were only five years ago.

6. FALSE - The text states that the invention of memory sticks has solved the problem of some laptops not having a CD-ROM drive, indicating that it is no longer a major problem for the owner.