To solve problems – решать проблемы

Text 1

WHAT IS A COMPUTER?                                                               

Vocabulary

device - устройство

to perform calculations – выполнять арифметические действия

to process - обрабатывать

handle a vast amount - обрабатывать огромное количество

To solve problems – решать проблемы

ancient - древний

data – данные, сведения

to control machines – управлять механизмами

provide entertainment – обеспечивать развлечения

performance – зд. работа

input device – устройство ввода

keyboard - клавиатура

storage unit – запоминающее устройство, блок памяти

control unit - блок управления

output devices – устройства вывода

Computer is an electronic device that performs calculations and processes information. It can handle a vast amount of facts and figures and solve complicated problems at high speed. The fastest computers can process millions of pieces of information in seconds.

A computer can process many kinds of information, from book titles to chemical formulas and word from ancient Greek texts. It handles all such data in the form of numbers.

The ability of a computer to do so many tasks makes it useful for a wide variety of purpose. Industrial plants use computers to control machines that produce chemicals, steel products and others. Computers are used as a navigation aid on airplanes, ships and spacecraft. Computers can be used as teaching machines. They even provide entertainment in the form of computerized game.

Although a computer can do many things it cannot think. A human operator has to instruct the computer what to do with the data it receives. Such instructions are called a program. Also, the operator must check the performance of the computer.

Computers differ greatly in size. The biggest ones can fill a large room. The smallest computers can be held in a person’s hand. No matter what their size, all computers have certain basic parts.

The typical computer has an input device, such as an electronic keyboard, through which the operator enters instructions and data. A storage unit, also called a memory, receives this information from the input device and holds it until it is needed. A control unit selects the instructions from the memory and directs the operations into arithmetic/logic unit. This unit processes the data by means of mathematical calculations and operations involving logic. An output devices then translates the processed data into a form understandable to the operator. Typical output devices are automatic typewriters, high-speed printers and visual display.

Упр. 1. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What is a computer?

2. How many pieces of information in seconds can the fastest computers process?

3. What form does a computer handle data in?

4. What spheres of people’s life can computers be used in?

5. Can a computer think by itself?

6. Who instructs a computer what to do with data?

7. What is a programme?

8. What input devices do you know and what operations do they perform?

9. What do the output devices do?

10. Is a visual display an input or output device?

 

Упр. 2. Вставьте пропущенные слова.

1. Computers solve complicated problems at h__________ s___________.

2. A computer can p_____________ many kinds of i______________.

3. Computers can be used as t_________________ m_________________.

4. A human o_______________ has to instruct a computer what to do.

5. A typical i_____________ device is a k_______________.

6. A c____________ u____________ selects the instructions from the m_____________.

7. A control unit p______________ the data by means by m______________ c_____________.

Упр. 3. Подберите к глаголам в колонке А существительные в колонке В. Возможен

        более, чем один вариант.

       A                                           B

     to control                              the performance

     to instruct                             information

     to perform                            problems

     to provide                             machines

     to process                             calculations

     to solve                                 a computer

     to enter                                 entertainment

     to check                                data

     to handle                              instructions

 

Text 2

KINDS OF COMPUTERS

Vocabulary

to distinguish - отличать

to carry out - выполнять

to store – сохранять

general - purpose computers – компьютеры общего назначения

a mainframe computers – универсальная вычислительная машина

designed - сконструирован, создан

components – детали, узлы

handle the needs – удовлетворять нужды

simultaneous users – одновременные пользователи

volumes of data – объемы данных

advanced - сложный

research organizations – исследовательские центры

customers - потребители

to dominate - господствовать

laptop and desktop computers – дорожные (портативные) компьютеры

There are many different kinds of computers in the world today. Computers are operating at the bank, in your car, and at the shop. But what distinguishes a computer from other information-processing devices are three basic characteristics:

- a computer is completely electronic. That is, all its functions are carried out with electrical signals.

- a computer can remember information and store it for future use.

- a computer can be instructed to do any task we tell it to do.

This opens us many possibilities for computers to solve problems for us in everyday life: at home, at school, or at work.

The most common type of computer today is the personal computer or microcomputer. The use of the personal computers has grown greatly during the last ten years. Only a few million personal computers were in use in 1980, now they are almost in every family. Microcomputers form the most common of the four classes of general-purpose computers.

The other three classes are minicomputers, mainframe computers, and supercomputers. Microcomputers are the smallest and are generally designed for a single user. Minicomputers, mainframes, and supercomputers all use processors built from a large number of components. Minicomputers (up to the size of a refrigerator) are intended for small groups of users in businesses and other organizations. Their processing abilities are better that those of microcomputers. Mainframe computers can take up a whole room and can handle the needs of many simultaneoususers while processing large volumes of data; they are most often used in large organizations and institutions. Supercomputers, the most advanced computers are designed for extremely high-speed processing of great amount of data, often using some processors working together. They are most often used for performing complex calculations by the government, research organizations, and large industrial groups.

As the computer industry grew, computer makers constantly tried to give customers more powerful machines. The typical microcomputer sold today can work with more than 200 times as much data as the first IBM PC. In fact, many of today’s laptopand desktop microcomputers are more powerful that the minis and mainframes that dominated the market only fifteen or twenty years ago.

Упр. 1. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What distinguishes a computer from other information-processing devices?

2. What is the most common type of computer today?

3. What computers form the most common of the four classes of computers?

4. How many classes of general-purpose of computers are there?

5. How big can a mainframe computer be?

6. What computers are most often used for performing complex calculations?

7. How powerful is the typical microcomputer today?

Text 3

USES OF THE COMPUTER

Vocabulary

achievements - достижения

industrially developed countries – промышленно-развитые страны

to release - освобождать                                                            

to save – сберегать

to store – сохранять, накапливать

to carry out - выполнять

application - применение

to process - обрабатывать

software – программное обеспечение

to manage finances – управление финансами

to do calculations – делать вычисления

spacecrafts – космические корабли

to develop equipment – создавать оборудование

database – база данных

send a message – посылать сообщение

basic skill – основные навыки

creative - творческий

word processor – текстовый процессор

to figure taxes – исчислять налоги

 

An electronic computer is one of the greatest achievements of the man. Computers play an increasingly important role in society, particularly industrially developed countries. Electronic computers cannot replace the human brain, but they will release it from mechanical functions.  Today computers play chess, compose music, translate from and into foreign languages, help to solve many important problems in science, engineering, business. They save a lot of time and energy, operate at great speed, store large amount of information, carry out long and complex operations. There are some categories of computer application: business, science, medicine, engineering, education, home.

       The business segment is one of the largest. Computers process a large volume of data in a short period of time. No man can do 500,000 sums per-second, but a modern computer can. The biggest market for application software is the office. Creating documents (correspondence, reports and so on) and managing finances are the main tasks in an office.

       In science and engineering, computers do calculations, draw diagrams, process the results of experiments. Without computer it would be impossible for engineers to perform the great number of calculations needed to solve many advanced technological problems. Computers help in the building of spacecrafts. Computers are also used to develop equipment for exploring the Moon and planets. They also have a major role in the field of information science.

       In medicine databases, diagnostic devices, monitoring systems help doctors in their work, in medical and laboratory research.

       Another application that has steadily grown with microcomputer use is electronic mail, or E-mail. E-mail lets one computer user send a message to another user on the other side of the building – or the other side of the planet.

       The ability to work with a computer is a necessary basic skill today. In schools pupils learn how to operate a computer. Computers help students to study more intensively, and help teachers to do their work more creative. You have seen a few of the ways in which computers are used at the universities. Most students find that using a word processor is faster and far more convenient.

       The first place that microcomputers appeared was home. One popular type is software that you figure your taxes. These programmes can save you great amount of both time and money. Games are also popular on home computers. People also use computers for education, to teach children.

Упр. 1. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What countries do computers play an increasingly important role in?
2. Can computers replace the human brains?
3. What are the most important categories of application of computers today?
4. Which is the biggest market for application software?
5. What do computers do in science and engineering?
6. Why is E-mail considered one of the greatest achievements in computer technology?
7. Can you learn how to operate a computer in schools?
8. Where did microcomputers appear first?

 

Text 4

THE INTERNET

Vocabulary

to embrace - охватывать

means of communication – средство общения

to search for - искать

retrieve - извлекать

remote education – дистанционное обучение

commercial - торговый

stock market transactions – биржевые сделки

a network - сеть

to store - сохранять

to enable – давать возможность

a web - паутина

to access – иметь доступ

hardware – аппаратное оборудование

software – программное обеспечение

available - доступный

to broadcast live – передавать в прямом эфире

to compete - соревноваться

 

The Internet is a global computer network that embraces millions of users all over the world. It dates back to 1969 when it began as a military experience. By the mid-1990s the Internet linked millions of computers throughout the world and it is sure to be the most important commercial and popular means of communication nowadays.

Millions of people around the world use the Internet to search for and retrieve information on all sorts of topics, such as arts, business, government, news, politics and recreation.

People communicate through electronic mail (e-mail), discussion groups, chat channels and other means of information exchange. Nowadays remote education, banking services, ticket reservation, commercial, business and stock market transactions can be transferred over the Internet. All this activity is possible because tens of thousands of networks are connected to the Internet and exchange information in the same basic ways. Internet users can communicate cheaply over the Internet with the rest of the world. They only have to pay for phone calls to their local providers, not for calls across countries. The Internet allows computer users easily to connect to other computers and information is stored whenever they may be across the world.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a part of the Internet. The WWW enables users easily to examine the Internet sites and now it has become the leading informational service of the Internet. The information is connected together like a web. You access this information through the interface called a Web browser. In 1996 there were more that 20 million users of the WWW, and more than half the information that is transferred across the Internet is accessed through the WWW. By using a computer terminal (hardware) and by using a program (software) the people connected to the Internet and WWW through the local providers have access to a variety of information.

All sorts of things are available on the WWW. Many TV and radio stations broadcast live on the WWW. You can even visit museums, gardens, cities throughout the world, learn foreign languages and meet new friends. And of course you can play computer games through WWW, competing with partners from other countries and continents.

More than 100 million computers were connected via the global Internet in 2000, and even more are attached to enterprise internets.

 

Упр. 1. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What year does the Internet date back to?
2. What do people use the Internet for?
3. What means of information exchange can people communicate through?
4. Is the Internet cheaper than other telecommunication systems?
5. What is World Wide Web?
6. In what way is the information connected in WWW?
7. How many users of WWW there were in 1996?
8. What things are available on the WWW?

 

Text 1

WHAT IS A COMPUTER?                                                               

Vocabulary

device - устройство

to perform calculations – выполнять арифметические действия

to process - обрабатывать

handle a vast amount - обрабатывать огромное количество

to solve problems – решать проблемы

ancient - древний

data – данные, сведения

to control machines – управлять механизмами

provide entertainment – обеспечивать развлечения

performance – зд. работа

input device – устройство ввода

keyboard - клавиатура

storage unit – запоминающее устройство, блок памяти

control unit - блок управления

output devices – устройства вывода

Computer is an electronic device that performs calculations and processes information. It can handle a vast amount of facts and figures and solve complicated problems at high speed. The fastest computers can process millions of pieces of information in seconds.

A computer can process many kinds of information, from book titles to chemical formulas and word from ancient Greek texts. It handles all such data in the form of numbers.

The ability of a computer to do so many tasks makes it useful for a wide variety of purpose. Industrial plants use computers to control machines that produce chemicals, steel products and others. Computers are used as a navigation aid on airplanes, ships and spacecraft. Computers can be used as teaching machines. They even provide entertainment in the form of computerized game.

Although a computer can do many things it cannot think. A human operator has to instruct the computer what to do with the data it receives. Such instructions are called a program. Also, the operator must check the performance of the computer.

Computers differ greatly in size. The biggest ones can fill a large room. The smallest computers can be held in a person’s hand. No matter what their size, all computers have certain basic parts.

The typical computer has an input device, such as an electronic keyboard, through which the operator enters instructions and data. A storage unit, also called a memory, receives this information from the input device and holds it until it is needed. A control unit selects the instructions from the memory and directs the operations into arithmetic/logic unit. This unit processes the data by means of mathematical calculations and operations involving logic. An output devices then translates the processed data into a form understandable to the operator. Typical output devices are automatic typewriters, high-speed printers and visual display.

Упр. 1. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What is a computer?

2. How many pieces of information in seconds can the fastest computers process?

3. What form does a computer handle data in?

4. What spheres of people’s life can computers be used in?

5. Can a computer think by itself?

6. Who instructs a computer what to do with data?

7. What is a programme?

8. What input devices do you know and what operations do they perform?

9. What do the output devices do?

10. Is a visual display an input or output device?