Vocabulary list 7 - Technology terms

M
any of these words were coined very recently and are intentionally similar to other commonly used
words. For instance, a motherboard is the main circuit board of the computer. Why do you think it
is called a motherboard instead of a sisterboard or brotherboard? As you read through these words
and their definitions, underline parts of the words that may serve as useful memory tricks. For example, what is
the difference between uploading and downloading a file? Since these words are all very new, be sure to use a very
current dictionary or look at an online technology dictionary, such as www.webopedia.com, when you hear or read
new technology words.
CHAPTER
Vocabulary List 7:
Technology
Ter m s
CHAPTER SUMMARY
The technology terms found in this chapter are words commonly used
by technology experts and people who use a computer. No matter what
your computer knowledge is, learning these words will be extremely
useful because they are used frequently in advertisements, newspaper
articles, computer manuals, and in many work places. Technology is
such a huge part of our daily lives that it is important to feel comfortable
with the terminology, or
jargon
(see Vocabulary List 6 if you are unfa-
miliar with this word), used in this industry. Technology jargon can be
intimidating because many of the words, such as
cookie,
have other
meanings or seem odd in the context of technology. Have fun with
these words and think about how the definition of each word influenced
how the word is used.
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VOCABULARY LIST 7: TECHNOLOGY TERMS
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117
Choose the word from the Vocabulary List that best fits into the crossword puzzle. You will use 19 words from
the vocabulary list to solve the puzzle. You can check your answers at the end of the chapter following the
answers to the questions.
1
34
2
5
78
9
1211
10
14
17
15
18 19
16
13
6
Vocabulary List 7: Technology Terms
application
bandwidth
bitmap
cache
cookie
cursor

database
download
encryption
Ethernet
firewall
information technology
keyword
motherboard
network
plug-in
search engine
server
upload
workstation
Across
3 high-speed computer storage to help you access
frequently accessed information locally
7 any computer connected to a local area network
(LAN)
9 blinking line that shows where your mouse is on a
computer screen
10 the main circuit board of a computer
11 transfer capacity in bits per second
14 translation of information into a secret code
15 allows a Web browser to run multimedia files
16 software program
17 information stored and organized so that a
computer can quickly retrieve selected pieces of
information
Down

1 a representative word that specifies a particular
record or file
2 a network that allows a wide variety of computers
to communicate
4 to transmit documents from your computer to a
network or an online source
5 a message given to a Web browser by a Web server
that is stored in the browser and sent back to the
server every time the browser contacts the server
for a Web page
6 a system to prevent unauthorized access to and
from a private network
8 a program that searches documents for a keyword
and then provides a list of those documents
12 a group of two or more computers linked together
13 to copy a file from an online source to your own
computer
18 binary data that represents an image or display
19 a computer on a network that manages network
resources

application (a·plə·ka¯ ·shən)
(noun)
a software program that lets you complete a task on
your computer, such as word processing,
listening to music, or viewing a Web page
The computer I use for word processing
is really easy to learn.
bandwidth (band·with)
(noun)

the amount of information that one can send
through a connection, usually measured in bits
per second
At work, I can download files from the Internet a lot
faster because I have more .
bitmap (bit·map)
(noun)
the representation in rows and columns of dots of an
image in computer memory
I downloaded the so I could keep the
picture on my computer.
cache (kash)
(noun)
a high-speed storage mechanism that allows a
computer to store frequently accessed
information locally
I had to download the Web page again because it
wasn’t saved in my computer’s .
cookie (ku˙·ke¯)
(noun)
a message given to a Web browser by a Web server
that is stored in the browser and sent back to
the server every time the browser contacts the
server for a Web page
A enables a Web page to recognize your
computer when you log on to it so the page
may say something like, “Welcome back,
Jessie!”
cursor (kər·sər)
(noun)

a symbol, usually a blinking line that shows where
the next letter will be typed on a computer
screen
I bought the 12-inch laptop, and because the
monitor is so small, I have a hard time seeing
the .
database (da¯ ·tə·ba¯s)
(noun)
information stored and organized so that a computer
can quickly retrieve selected pieces of
information
Our hasn’t been updated in six months,
so I am not sure whether we have this item in
stock.
download (
dau˙ n·lo¯d)
(verb)
the process of copying a document or file from an
online source to your own computer
I had to the application form from the
university’s website before I could print it.
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VOCABULARY LIST 7: TECHNOLOGY TERMS
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