Read the text below and answer the questions that follow:

Text 1:

At the Airport

Laura is at the airport. She waits for her flight. Her flight is to Berlin, and it is 4 hours away. Laura walks around the airport and looks at the shops. She has a nice time.

After an hour she wants to visit the bathroom. She searches for it, but she doesn’t find it. “Where is the bathroom?” she asks herself. She looks and looks but she can’t find it. She starts asking people where it is.

Laura: “Excuse me sir, could you please tell mewhere is the bathroom?”
Man: “Youmean the restroom, right?”
Laura: “No, Imean the bathroom.”
Man: “Well, the restroom is over there.” He says andwalks away.

Laura doesn’t understand. She asks a lady: “Excusememadam, could you please tellmewhere is the bathroom?”

“The restroom is over there,” the lady answers andwalks away.

Laura is confused. “What’s their problem? I need to use the bathroomand they sendme to rest?! I don’t need a restroom, I need the bathroom!”

After a while Laura gives up. She feels tired of all this walking and asking. She decides that maybe they are all right and she does need to rest. She walks to the restroom. Now she is surprised. She realizes the restroom is actually the name for a public bathroom!

(Taken from: < www.really-learn-english.com>)

Computers are used to control a wide range of systems from simple domestic machines, through games controllers, to entire manufacturing plants. These computers interact directly with hardware devices. Their software must react to events generated by the hardware and, often, issue control signals in response to these events. These signals result in an action, such as the initiation of a phone call, the movement of a character on the screen, the opening of a valve, or the display of the system status. The software in these systems is embedded in system hardware, often in read-only memory, and usually responds, in real time, to events from the system’s environment. By real time, I mean that the software system has a deadline for responding to external events. If this deadline is missed, then the overall hardware-software system will not operate correctly.

Embedded software is very important economically because almost every electrical device now includes software. There are therefore many more embedded software systems than other types of software system. If you look around your house you may have three or four personal computers. But you probably have 20 or 30 embedded systems, such as systems in phones, cookers, microwaves etc

Responsiveness in real time is the critical difference between embedded systems and other software systems, such as information systems, web-based systems, or personal software systems, whose main purpose is data processing. For non-real- time systems, the correctness of a system can be defined by specifying how system inputs map to corresponding outputs that should be produced by the system. In response to an input, a corresponding output should be generated by the system and, often, some data should be stored. For example, if you choose a create command in a patient information system, then the correct system response is to create a new patient record in a database, and to confirm that this has been done. Within reasonable limits, it does not matter how long this takes.

However, in a real-time system, the correctness depends both on the response to an input and the time taken to generate that response. If the system takes too long to respond, then the required response may be ineffective. For example, if embedded software controlling a car braking system is too slow, then an accident may occur because it is impossible to stop the car in time.

(Extraído de: Software Engineering, I. Sommerville, 9th Edition, 2011, pg. 538.)

Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

Text:

How to get the most enjoyment from your
color TV set


Your new color TV incorporates a host of features designed to give you excellent performance. Besides, this model utilizes a highly sophisticated control microprocessor that can give you unprecedented convenience and control in the areas of picture adjustment, channel tuning, monitor operation, on-screen information, and remote control.

We therefore strongly urge that you read all of these instructions before using yourTV for the first time.

Installation

Antenna

Unless your TV is connected to a cable TV system, or to a centralized antenna system, a good outdoor color TV antenna is recommended for the best performance. However, if you are located in a strong signal area that is free from interference and ghost conditions (multipath), an indoor antenna may be sufficient. The two pole antenna packedwith this set is for your convenience only. It is not capable of providing you with the sharp detail and rich color that this televisionwas designed to display.

Location

Select an area where sunlight or bright indoor illumination will not fall directly on the picture screen. Also, be sure that the location selected allows a free flow of air to and fromthe perforated back cover of the set.

Note

Never remove the back cover of the set. This can expose you to very high voltage and other hazards.

If the set does not operate properly, unplug it and call your dealer or service shop.

(Fonte: Color Television – Operating Instructions.)

WELCOME!

And congratulations on your new purchase. You’re now entitled to an unsurpassed service and a number of benefits as part of the Ericsson warranty and service program. Your Ericsson mobile phone was designed to offer you the ultimate in quality, convenience and performance. And of course, we guarantee it. From now on, as the new owner of an Ericsson mobile phone, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive advantages such as: a vast network of Ericsson service centers; a limited 1 year warranty and service agreement, and a toll-free customer service hotline.

WARRANTY CONDITIONS

Dear Customer,

If your Ericsson product needs warranty service, you should send the product to any company authorized service facility. For information contact the store from which you purchased the product. The product in all cases must be accompanied by the following items: your name, address, telephone number, warranty card, bill of sale bearing the serial number, date of delivery, or reasonable proof of these dates, and a detailed description of the problem.

Our warranty

This warranty is extended by Ericsson Inc. (“The Company”) to the original purchaser for use only. Ericsson warrants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship at the time of its original purchase and for the subsequent period of one (1) year. All accessories for the product are covered for a period of one (1) year fromthe date of purchase.

What we will do

If, during the period of warranty, this product proves defective under normal use and service due to improper materials or workmanship, the company will repair or replace the defective item with a new or factory rebuilt replacement.

(Taken from Ericsson - One yearWarranty and ServiceAgreement)

By Maria E. Andreu