--- title: "Interpret: computers and word processing" subject: "Communication English" chapter: 1 key: "semester_5/communication_english:interpret-computers-solved-problems" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/interpret-computers-solved-problems site: BCT Engineering --- # Interpret: computers and word processing Communication English · Chapter 1: Intensive Reading - Asked in: 2074 Ashwin, 5 marks - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/interpret-computers-solved-problems - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/communication_english/chapter-1 ## Question Read the given text and interpret its meaning. Computers have solved many problems for us, but they create some problems too. Say, for example, that you are writing a novel. After you are done with your first draft you decide to change your heroine's name from Linda to Lydia. With a typewriter you would have to retype every page containing the heroine's name. With word processing software, on a computer, you press just a few keys and the computer takes care of all the work. But technology hasn't solved all our problems. While many of Shakespeare's original documents survive, it takes only misplaced keystrokes to wipe out your next masterpiece. ## Short answer Computers make tasks like global text changes easy, but they also introduce risks of accidental loss through simple keystroke errors. Unlike Shakespeare’s paper manuscripts that survive centuries, digital work can vanish instantly, so users must back up and save carefully. ## Answer The passage says that computers make some tasks very easy, but they also bring new risks. Technology is a help, not a perfect solution. #### Explanation - **Benefit.** The writer gives the example of a novelist who wants to change a character's name from Linda to Lydia after finishing the first draft. On a typewriter every page with the name would have to be typed again. With word-processing software a few keystrokes change the name everywhere. Computers therefore save time and effort and make correction simple. - **Problem.** The same ease can lead to loss. "Misplaced keystrokes" (pressing a wrong key, deleting a file by mistake, or a machine failing) can wipe out a whole manuscript instantly. - **Contrast with the past.** Many of Shakespeare's original documents have survived for centuries because they were written on paper. A modern work stored only in a computer can vanish in a moment if it is not saved and backed up. #### Message Computers solve old problems such as slow, repetitive work, but create new ones such as accidental data loss. Users should enjoy the speed of technology and also take care, for example by saving often and keeping backup copies. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. What benefit does the novelist example show? A. Computers write novels automatically B. A name can be changed everywhere with a few keystrokes instead of retyping pages C. Typewriters are faster than computers D. Computers improve the story's plot Answer: B. Word processing saves time and effort in correcting. (Key point: Benefit of word processing) 2. What problem does the writer say computers create? A. Computers are too slow B. Computers cannot store novels C. Misplaced keystrokes can wipe out a whole work instantly D. Computers make spelling mistakes in names Answer: C. Ease of use brings the risk of accidental loss. (Key point: Risk of loss) 3. Why is Shakespeare mentioned? A. He wrote the first novel on a computer B. His documents were destroyed by typewriters C. He used word processors D. Many of his paper documents survive, but a work stored on a computer can vanish in a moment Answer: D. The contrast shows the fragility of digital data compared with paper. (Key point: Shakespeare contrast) 4. What practical lesson follows from the passage? A. Save often and keep backup copies B. Avoid computers entirely C. Use typewriters for all writing D. Delete old files regularly Answer: A. Technology is a help, not a perfect solution, so users must take care. 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