Book Day 23rd April

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Finger replaced with USB drive

Computer programmer from Finland has lost finger replaced with USB drive

A computer programmer from Finland who lost his ring finger in a motorcycle accident has had it replaced with a USB drive.
Jerry Jalava from Helsinki, Finland, has built the special prosthetic finger to use as computer storage for his photos, movies and other useful files.
While the prosthetic looks like a normal finger Jerry can peel it back from the 'nail' and plug it into the USB slot on his computer using it as an additional hard drive.
He was rushed to Helsinki Hospital where he was examined by a hand surgeon who said they were unable to save it and amputated half of the finger.
When Jerry told doctors what he did for a living they joked he should have a USB 'finger drive' but that was good enough for him, and he set about making one.
Using a traditional prosthetic finger Jerry has been able to embed a 'USB key' - like the ones used in traditional flash drives - giving him the world's only two gigabyte finger.
The finger is not permanently attached to his hand meaning it can be removed when plugged into a computer. "It is not attached permanently into my body, it is a removable prosthetic which has USB memorystick inside it," said Jerry. "When I'm using the USB, I just leave my finger inside the slot and pick it up after I'm ready."
Jerry said he is already thinking about upgrading his faux finger to include more storage and wireless technology. "I'm planning to use another prosthetic as a shell for the next version, which will have removable fingertip and an RFID tag," he added.
17 Mar 2009
RFID : Radio Frequency IDentification

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether these statements are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a. Jerry can use his finger as a pendrive.
b. It was Jerry’s own idea to use his new finger in this way.
c. They were not able to use existing prosthetic finger designs.
d. Jerry wants to add new elements to his finger in the future.
Question 2. (2 points) Answer these questions in your own words.
a. What happened to Jerry when he got to hospital?
b. What kind of finger is it and how does it work?
Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that mean the same as:
a. move fast (p.4) b. implant (p.6) c. not real (p.8)
Question 4 (1.5 points) Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a. He was rushed to Helsinki Hospital where he was examined by a hand surgeon.
They .................................................................
b. Jerry has been able to embed a USB key because he is using a prosthetic finger.
If he were ........................................................
c. “When I´m using the USB, I just leave my finger inside the slot and pick it up after I´m ready.”
Jerry said that ..................................................
Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic.
How can the Internet help handicapped people?

Board games

Rainy afternoon? then, it's time for board games.

First, enjoy the Monopoly



Now, the Scrabble



Scrabble regains number one slot as brain games craze takes hold

Scrabble has landed on a triple-word score. The board game, beloved by logophiles and the cause of frequent family rows, has become the country's best selling board game, reclaiming the number one spot for the first time in at least 15 years.
The increasing popularity of brain games – both word and numbers puzzles – has helped Scrabble remove Golden Balls, a game based on a television programme, from the number one position.
Sales of Scrabble have increased by 30 per cent in the first nine months of this year, compared to the same period last year, according to NPD, a market research firm that tracks toy and games sales. Its records go back just 15 years, but experts reckon that this is the first time Scrabble has been in the number one spot since at least the mid 1980s, when Trivial Pursuit came to prominence.
Its renewed success has also been helped by the online and computer versions of the game, with Scrabulous – a web version of the game that members of Facebook could play – proving one of the internet phenomenons of 2008. The game was shut down by Hasbro, the owner of the US rights to the game, but only after it had attracted half a million players every single day.
Some toy experts believe that old fashioned board games will do well this Christmas thanks to the economic slowdown. Stuart Grant, buying director of the toy chain The Entertainer, said: "When money is tight, people turn to brands they know and trust. We sell over 200 board games but people pick things they remember from their childhood when they are unsure where to spend their money."


Question 1. Indicate whether these statements are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a. NPD holds more than 10 years of information about the sales of games and toys.
b. Trivial Pursuit was in number one position of the ranking.
c. People can still play online Scrabble if they want to.
d. When buying games, people prefer those they used to play when they were children.

Question 2. Answer these questions in your own words.
a. Why has Scrabble become the best selling board game?
b. How will the economic crisis affect the sale of games?

Question 3. Find words or phrases in the text that mean the same as:
a. arguments (p.1)
b. to calculate (p.3)
c. recession (p. 5)

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a. Brain games are very popular. That s why Scrabble is number one.
If brain ...........................................................................................
b. Its success has also been helped by the online version of the game.
The online version .........................................................................
c. Stuart Grant said “ When money is tight , people turn to brands they know and trust.”
S. Grant said that ………………………………………………..

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic.
• Benefits of board games


Self Access Group.Ciefp-Santander.