Task 8. Read the text and find the answers to the questions

What is a computer virus?

How does a virus work?

Text 12 B. COMPUTER VIRUSES.HOW COMPUTER VIRUSES WORK

A computer virus - an unwanted program that has entered your system without you knowing about it - has two parts, which I’ll call the infector and the detonator. They have two very different jobs. One of the features of a computer virus that separates it from other kinds of computer program is that it replicates itself, so that it can spread (via flash cards transported from computer to computer, or networks) to other computers.

After the infector has copied the virus elsewhere, the detonator performs the virus’s main work. Generally, that work is either damaging data on your disks, altering what you see on your computer display, or doing something else that interferes with the normal use of your computer.

The sources seem to be service people, pirated games, putting flash cards in publicly available PCs without write-protect tabs, commercial software (rarely), and software distributed over computer bulletin board systems (also quite rarely).

Many viruses have spread through pirated – illegally copied or broken games. This is easy to avoid. Pay for your games, fair and square.

If you see a shared PC or a PC that has public access, such as one in a college PC lab or library, be very careful about putting flash cards into that PC’s drives without a write-protect tab. Carry a virus-checking program and scan the PC before letting it write data onto floppies.

Despite the low incidence of actual viruses, it can’t hurt to run a virus-checking program now and then. There are actually two kinds of antivirus programs: virus shields, which detect viruses as they are infecting your PC, and virus scanners which detect viruses once they’ve infected you.

Viruses are something to worry about, but not a lot. A little common sense and the occasional virus-scan will keep you virus-free.

Task 9. Match the words and definitions listed below

1)	a detonator	a)	a protective device
2)	an infector	b)	to remove all traces of something
3)	to boot destructive	c)	a device used to set off an explosion or other process
4)	to trigger	d)	to discover or recognize that something is present
5)	to erase	e)	to set a process in motion
6)	pirated	f)	something which transmits a disease or virus
7)	a shield	g)	stolen, obtained without the owner’s consent
8)	to detect	h)	to load the operating system into memory

Task 10. Decide whether the following statements are true [T] or false [F] in relation to the information in the text. If you feel a statement is false, change it to make it true

1. Viruses cannot be spread through a computer network, only via flash cards transported from computer to computer. [ ]

2. The virus will spread as soon as you put the infected flashcard in your PC. [ ]

3. The infector works by interfering in some way with the normal use of your computer. [ ]

4. Most viruses spread through pirated games. [ ]

5. You should run an antivirus program every time you use your computer. [ ]

6. There are not very many viruses in circulation. [ ]

7. Virus shields are more effective than virus scanners. [ ]

Task 11. Translate the following sentences from Ukrainian into English. Mind grammar

1. Комп'ютерні віруси, як і справжні біологічні віруси, є переносниками елементарної інформації, яка при вбудовуванні (to embed) в логічну структуру програми змушує її виконувати шкідливі дії, або просто уповільнює її роботу.

2. Лікування комп'ютерних вірусів — досить непросте завдання, адже далеко не у всіх випадках програму можна вилікувати, не пошкодивши її.

3. Кожен рік збільшення числа комп'ютерних вірусів змушує виробників антивірусних програм випускати доповнення для вірусних баз, а також оновлення програм-ревізорів.

4. Для профілактики (preventive measures) зараження вірусом рекомендується не запускати на комп'ютері програми, джерело яких ненадійний або невідомий, а також проводити регулярне сканування жорсткого диска і пам'яті.

5. Активізація багатьох вірусів відбувається в будь-які певні дні — в п'ятницю 13-го, в свята, в інші пам'ятні дати або навіть в день народження автора вірусу.

SPEAKING