Page 113. Build Your Vocabulary. Part A. LISTEN

Unit 12

page 113

build your vocabulary

part a: listen

data mining is the process of looking at data and summarizing it into useful information.

this information can be used to make decisions and solve problems, such as helping a business save money or increase sales.

the data is first captured and stored; for example a shop might save records of its customers purchases.

then data scientists use special software programs to analyze the data; they look at sequences of data to try to find patterns.

for instance, a business can look at its customers purchases over time to find out their buying habits.

after studying data, data scientists create a model that describes it.

since groups of data are large and complex, data needs to be put into a format that is easy to understand.

this involves converting the information into an info graphic, a chart or image of the information patterns.

the data can be used to predict and make plans for the future; for example, a store could use data to make a forecast of future sales.

once a business has access to our data, it can be used to make decisions; for example, a shopping website can follow the trail of a customer’s online purchases.

if a customer buys a new suitcase and a language course that person may be planning a trip.

the company can send the customer advertisements for other travel products or share the information with other companies.

this raises new concerns about our privacy; how much information do companies collect about us?

what happens to this information?

is this information accurate or does it contain mistakes?