Replacing people with computers brings real benefits in speed and accuracy, but it also has several negative aspects:

• Unemployment: automation removes clerical, factory and routine jobs, so many workers lose their income unless they are retrained.
• De-skilling and dependence: people lose skills such as mental arithmetic, handwriting or manual craft, and organisations become helpless when systems fail.
• Loss of human touch: computers cannot show empathy, judgement or creativity, so customer service, teaching and care suffer.
• High cost and vulnerability: installation, maintenance and training are costly, and systems are exposed to viruses, hacking, power failure and data loss.
• Social and health effects: isolation, reduced face-to-face contact, eye strain and stress from constant monitoring.
• Ethical issues: decisions made by machines can be biased or unaccountable, and personal data may be misused.

Computers should therefore support people rather than replace them wholesale.

An information system turns raw data into useful information through a cycle of input, processing, storage and output.

First, data are collected and input from sources such as forms, keyboards, scanners or sensors. The system then processes the data by validating, sorting, classifying, calculating and summarising them according to programmed rules. The results are stored in files or databases so that they can be retrieved later, and are finally output as reports, charts, screens or messages that managers and users can act on. Finally, feedback from users and from results is used to correct errors and improve the system. For example, a college system takes marks as input, calculates totals and grades, stores them, and prints result sheets.

A multi-user database is managed by a piece of software called the Database Management System (DBMS), which sits between the stored data and the many users or application programs.

• Concurrency control: it uses locking and transaction scheduling so that two users updating the same record at the same time do not corrupt the data.
• Security and access rights: each user has a login and privileges that decide what they can view or change.
• Integrity: it enforces rules and constraints (for example, unique keys) so the data stay consistent.
• Backup and recovery: logs and backups let the database be restored after a crash.
• Data independence and sharing: users query the same shared data through a common language such as SQL without caring how it is physically stored.

This lets many people use one up-to-date copy of the data safely.

Jobs suited to robots (dangerous, dull, repetitive or needing great precision):

• assembly, welding and painting on car production lines
• handling radioactive, toxic or explosive materials, and bomb disposal
• deep-sea, mining and space exploration
• packing, sorting and warehouse lifting
• precision surgery assistance and micro-assembly of electronics

Jobs to be done only by humans (requiring judgement, creativity, empathy or ethics):

• teaching, counselling and nursing/caring
• doctors making diagnoses and decisions
• judges, lawyers and politicians
• artists, writers, designers and scientists making new discoveries
• managers and leaders who motivate and negotiate with people

Robots do routine work well; humans are needed where understanding, moral choice and imagination matter.

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated, three-dimensional environment that a user can enter and interact with in real time, usually through a headset, data gloves and motion sensors, so that it feels as if the user is actually present in it. It is used for training, medicine, design, education and games.

Effect on young people's attitude to violence: many people fear that VR games, being immersive and realistic, may desensitise young people to violence. Taking part in simulated fighting rather than merely watching may make aggression seem normal, rewarded and without consequences, and could encourage imitation. Others argue that it is a harmless outlet and that most players separate fantasy from reality. The risk is greatest for young, unsupervised users, so age ratings, parental control and discussion are important.

Artificial intelligence (AI) programs imitate human reasoning, learning and decision-making. Their main applications are:

• Expert systems: medical diagnosis, fault-finding in machines and financial advice, which store the knowledge of specialists.
• Natural language processing: speech recognition, voice assistants, machine translation and chatbots.
• Robotics: industrial and exploration robots that sense and react to their surroundings.
• Computer vision: face and fingerprint recognition, medical image analysis and self-driving vehicles.
• Games and planning: chess and other game-playing programs, route planning and scheduling.
• Business and security: fraud detection, recommendation systems and spam filtering.

These programs work faster and more consistently than people at specific tasks, though they lack general understanding.

Multimedia combines text, graphics, audio, video and animation in an interactive computer presentation. Its applications in industry include:

• Training: interactive tutorials and simulations teach staff machine operation and safety without risk or cost.
• Marketing and advertising: product demonstrations, kiosks, CD/web catalogues and promotional videos.
• Presentations and meetings: attractive sales and management presentations, video conferencing.
• Design and engineering: 3D models and animations of products, buildings and machines before they are built.
• Customer information: touch-screen information points in banks, airports, shops and museums.
• Entertainment and publishing: games, films, e-books and electronic encyclopaedias.

Multimedia makes information clearer, more memorable and more engaging than text alone.

Letter of application

Pulchowk, Lalitpur Kathmandu, Nepal 15 March 2018

The Personnel Manager Himal Software Pvt. Ltd. Babarmahal, Kathmandu

Dear Sir/Madam,

Subject: Application for the post of Junior Programmer

With reference to your advertisement in The Kathmandu Post dated 12 March 2018, I wish to apply for the post of Junior Programmer.

I am a second-year student of the Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA) programme at Tribhuvan University. I have studied programming in C and Java, databases and web design, and I completed a project building a student-record system. I am hardworking, punctual and able to learn new tools quickly. I believe my skills match the requirements of your advertisement.

My resume is enclosed with this letter, together with copies of my certificates. I would be grateful for an opportunity to attend an interview at a time convenient to you.

Thank you for considering my application.

Yours faithfully, (signature) Ram Bahadur Thapa

Enclosures: resume, certificates

---

Resume

Name: Ram Bahadur Thapa Address: Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Nepal Phone / Email: 98XXXXXXXX / ram.thapa@example.com Date of birth: 2 January 1997; Nationality: Nepali

Objective: To work as a programmer in a progressive software company and grow professionally.

Education:

• BCA (running), Tribhuvan University, 2016 to present
• Higher Secondary (Science), NEB, 2015, 68%
• SLC, 2013, Distinction

Skills: C, Java, SQL, HTML/CSS, MS Office; good communication and teamwork.

Project: Student Record Management System (Java and MySQL).

Experience: Intern, two months, in a computer training centre.

Languages: Nepali, English, Hindi.

References: Available on request.

Presentation on the work of the National Council for Educational Technology (NCET)

Good morning, teachers. Today I will explain what the Council does and how its work can help you in the classroom.

1. Purpose. The National Council for Educational Technology promotes the effective use of technology (computers, software, audio-visual media and communications) in education and training. Its aim is to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

2. Main functions.

• Advice and information: it advises schools, colleges, government and industry on which equipment, software and methods suit their needs.
• Research and development: it studies how technology affects learning and develops new learning materials and approaches.
• Evaluation: it tests and reviews hardware and educational software so institutions can buy wisely.
• Training of teachers: it runs courses and workshops so that teachers can use computers, multimedia and networks confidently.
• Producing and distributing materials: it prepares curriculum software, videos and guides, and encourages sharing of good practice.
• Promoting access and standards: it works to make technology available to all learners, including those with special needs, and encourages common standards.
• Co-operation: it links schools, publishers, manufacturers and government agencies.

3. Benefits to you. You get reliable advice before buying equipment, training to use it, and ready materials that make lessons interesting.

4. Conclusion. The Council's work helps education keep pace with technology. Thank you; I welcome your questions.

Summary of "Computer Network"

A computer network is a group of computers and other devices connected so that they can share data, programs and hardware such as printers and storage. Networks are classified by size: a LAN covers a building or campus, a MAN a city, and a WAN a wide area or country; the Internet is a worldwide network of networks. Computers are connected by cables, fibre-optic links, telephone lines or wireless and satellite links, and they follow agreed rules called protocols to communicate. Common arrangements (topologies) include bus, star and ring, and in client-server networks a central server provides services to the client machines.

Networks save money by sharing resources, allow fast communication through e-mail and file transfer, let many people work on the same data, and make central backup and security possible. Their disadvantages are the cost of setting up, the risk of viruses and unauthorised access, and the dependence on the network working. Networks are now essential to business, education and everyday life.

A decision support system (DSS) is an interactive computer system that helps managers make semi-structured and unstructured decisions by combining data, models and the manager's judgement.

Its major functions are:

• Data access and retrieval: it draws on internal databases and external sources to give relevant, up-to-date information.
• Analysis and modelling: it supports statistical, financial and forecasting models.
• "What-if" and sensitivity analysis: managers can change assumptions and see the effect on results.
• Generating and comparing alternatives: it helps evaluate options and risks and suggests the best choice.
• Reporting and presentation: results are shown as tables, graphs and summaries for easy understanding.
• Support for group and flexible decision-making: it adapts to changing needs and can be used by several decision-makers.

A DSS supports, rather than replaces, the decision-maker, improving the speed and quality of decisions.

The micro-chip (integrated circuit) packs thousands to billions of transistors on a tiny piece of silicon, and it has changed the world in many ways.

• Computers: chips made computers small, cheap, fast and reliable, producing the personal computer, laptop and smartphone.
• Everyday goods: watches, calculators, washing machines, cars, televisions and toys now contain chips.
• Communication: mobile phones, satellites and the Internet depend on them.
• Industry and medicine: robots, automatic control, scanners, pacemakers and monitoring equipment use chips.
• Work and society: information is processed quickly, some jobs vanish while new ones appear, and learning, shopping and banking move online.

Because chips are small, cheap and use little power, technology has spread to almost every part of life, and the change is permanent.

"Network of networks": this phrase describes the Internet. It is not a single network but a vast collection of many separate networks (of universities, companies, governments and homes) joined together through routers and a common protocol, TCP/IP, so that any computer on one network can communicate with a computer on another.

ALGOL: ALGOL (ALGOrithmic Language), developed in the late 1950s and 1960s, was designed mainly for writing scientific and mathematical algorithms. It was used to express and publish algorithms in a clear, standard form, and it introduced block structure and recursion. Although it was little used commercially, it strongly influenced later languages such as Pascal, C and Java.

Clipboard (tablet) computers available in the market include the Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Microsoft Surface, Amazon Fire tablet, Huawei MatePad and Lenovo Tab. They are flat, touch-screen computers held like a clipboard.

Infector and detonator: a computer virus has two main jobs.

• The infector is the part that spreads. It copies the virus into other programs, files, disks or computers so that it multiplies and travels.
• The detonator (trigger) is the part that decides when to act. When a condition is met, such as a certain date or a number of runs, it releases the harmful payload, for example deleting files or showing messages.

The infector gives the virus its reach, and the detonator causes the damage.

Why interlacing was invented: in the PAL system (625 lines, 25 frames per second), sending 25 complete frames per second made the picture flicker noticeably, while sending 50 full frames per second would have doubled the bandwidth needed. The developers therefore invented interlaced video: each frame is split into two fields, one with the odd lines and one with the even lines, sent alternately at 50 fields per second. The screen is refreshed 50 times a second, which removes visible flicker without extra bandwidth.

Advantages:

• reduces flicker at a low bandwidth and transmission cost
• gives smoother-looking motion than 25 full frames per second
• suited to the cathode-ray-tube televisions of the time

Disadvantages:

• fast-moving objects show combing or jagged edges, since the two fields are captured at different instants
• thin horizontal lines flicker (interline twitter)
• it gives a lower effective vertical resolution and is poorly suited to computer displays and freeze-frames, which need de-interlacing.

The statement means that computers, through simulation and virtual reality, allow people to experience places that are impossible, dangerous or too distant to visit in reality, such as space, the ocean floor or the inside of the human body.

In the essay "Fancy a Fantasy Spacecraft?", a computer-generated spacecraft lets a person "fly" through space and visit planets and distant worlds. Wearing a headset and gloves, the user sees three-dimensional images that respond to head and hand movements, and feels present in the spacecraft. No fuel, huge cost or risk to life is involved, and anyone can take the trip. The same technology is used to train astronauts and pilots and to explore places that no person has reached.

Thus computers take people to places they have never been able to visit before, widening their experience and knowledge.

Tasks suited to robots only:

• hazardous work such as handling radioactive waste, defusing bombs, firefighting and working in toxic gases
• exploring space, the deep sea and mines
• repetitive factory work such as welding, painting, assembly and packing, done without tiring
• extremely precise work, such as microchip assembly and surgical assistance
• heavy lifting and moving of goods in warehouses

Impact of the robotics revolution on society:

• Industry: higher productivity, uniform quality and lower costs, with production running round the clock.
• Safety: people are removed from dangerous and unhealthy jobs.
• Employment: routine jobs disappear, causing unemployment, while new jobs in design, programming and maintenance appear and workers need retraining.
• Daily life: robots appear in homes, hospitals and farms, increasing convenience.
• Concerns: high cost, dependence on machines, and the need for rules about their use.

Robots relieve people of drudgery and danger, but society must manage the change in employment.

Letter of inquiry

Kathmandu, Nepal 10 June 2019

The Admissions Officer School of Computer Science Greenfield University London, United Kingdom

Dear Sir/Madam,

Subject: Request for information about the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

I am a student who will complete the Bachelor of Computer Application at Tribhuvan University this year, and I am interested in continuing my studies at your university. I would be grateful if you could send me the following information about your BSc (Hons) Computer Science programme:

1. the length of the programme and the main subjects taught
2. admission requirements, including the English-language test and the minimum grades required
3. the application procedure, closing date and application fee
4. the tuition fees and the living costs
5. any scholarships or financial aid open to international students
6. accommodation facilities and the arrangements for international students

Please also send a prospectus and an application form, either by post to the address above or by e-mail to ram.thapa@example.com. A prompt reply would help me to plan my application.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

Yours faithfully, (signature) Ram Bahadur Thapa

Curriculum Vitae

Personal details Name: Ram Bahadur Thapa Address: Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Nepal Phone: 98XXXXXXXX E-mail: ram.thapa@example.com Date of birth: 2 January 1997 Nationality: Nepali Marital status: Single

Career objective To obtain a position as a software developer where I can use my programming and analytical skills and develop my career.

Education

• Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA), Tribhuvan University, 2016 to 2020 (running), first division
• Higher Secondary Education (Science), NEB, 2015, 68%
• School Leaving Certificate, 2013, Distinction

Technical skills

• Programming: C, C++, Java, Python
• Web: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP
• Database: SQL, MySQL
• Tools: MS Office, Linux, Git

Projects

• Student Record Management System (Java and MySQL)
• College website with online notice board (PHP)

Work experience

• Intern, ABC Computer Training Centre, Kathmandu, 2018 (two months): helped maintain the lab and assisted in teaching basic programming.

Achievements

• Won first prize in the college programming contest, 2018
• Member of the college IT club

Languages Nepali (native), English (fluent), Hindi (good)

Interests Reading, football, volunteering

References

1. Prof. Hari Prasad Sharma, Head of Department, XYZ College, Kathmandu
2. Mr. Sita Ram Karki, Manager, ABC Computer Training Centre, Kathmandu

I declare that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge.

(signature) Ram Bahadur Thapa

The Problem of Solid Waste in My Neighbourhood

Introduction Every morning, as I walk to college, I pass the open dumping spot at the corner of our street. Garbage piles up there for days, and the smell and flies make life unpleasant. This problem directly affects me, my family and our neighbours.

The problem Our ward has no regular waste collection. Households throw plastic, food waste and paper together beside the road. Stray dogs scatter the bags, and in the monsoon rain the dirty water runs into the drain and blocks it.

Causes

• Lack of a regular municipal collection service.
• People's habit of throwing rubbish anywhere, and little awareness of segregation.
• A growing population and increased use of packaged goods.

Effects The waste creates bad smells and spreads diseases such as diarrhoea and dengue through flies and mosquitoes. It pollutes the water and soil, spoils the appearance of the area, and makes the road unsafe for walkers.

Solutions

1. Regular collection. The ward office should arrange a fixed daily or alternate-day collection and place covered bins.
2. Segregation. Households should separate degradable waste from plastic and paper. Kitchen waste can be turned into compost, and recyclable material sold.
3. Awareness. Youth clubs and schools can run cleaning campaigns and posters teaching people not to litter.
4. Rules and fines. The local government should fine those who dump on the roadside.
5. Community participation. Neighbours can form a small committee and collect a small monthly fee to support the service.

Conclusion The problem is not impossible to solve. If the local government provides the service and residents take responsibility, our neighbourhood can become clean and healthy. As a student, I will begin by organising a cleaning drive and talking to my neighbours.

(a) visual symbol used in a menu instead of natural language.

An icon is a small picture on the screen that represents a command, file or program, so the user can choose it without typing words.

(b) electronic

An adjective is needed to describe the noun "pen", and "electronic" is the adjective form (an electronic pen).

(a) an adjective-forming suffix

"Computational" is formed from the noun "computation" plus the suffix -al, which makes adjectives.

(a) superlative adjective

"Newest" is formed from "new" plus -est and expresses the highest degree of newness.

(b) instructed

After "were" a past participle is needed to form the passive: "We were instructed to document our program."

(b) enabling

"Preventing" means stopping something from happening, while "enabling" means making it possible.

(d) hacker

A hacker breaks into computer systems and can damage them. A cipher, shield and smart-card are used for protection.

(b) considerably

An adverb is needed to modify the comparative adjective "faster": "considerably faster".

(a) generation

After the article "a new", a noun is needed: "a new generation of software products".

(b) creative

"Inventive" describes someone able to create or design new things; its closest synonym is "creative". "Skilled" refers to ability, "awkward" and "insufficient" are unrelated.