\# What is the shell how do I access the shell?
-The shell presents a command line interface that allows you to
-control your computer using commands entered with a keyboard
-instead of controlling graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with a
-mouse/keyboard combination.
-
-To open the shell in Ubuntu, just click...
-
-or just type <ctrl\><alt\>t
+The *shell* is a program that presents a command line interface
+which allows you to control your computer using commands entered
+with a keyboard instead of controlling graphical user interfaces
+(GUIs) with a mouse/keyboard combination.
+
+A *terminal* is a program you run that gives you access to the
+shell. There are many different terminal programs that vary across
+operating systems. To open the default terminal in Ubuntu, just
+click... or just type <ctrl\><alt\>t