Television. How does it work?

The principles of television aren't as complicated — or as modern — as you might think, TV technology has become more sophisticated than ever, but the basic method of sending a television picture is quite simple.

The first live transmission was made by John Logie Baird, the TV pioneer, in 1924. Television had come a long way since 1884, when Paul Nipkow of Germany patented a mechanical picture scanner. This system formed the basis for Baird's historic- transmissions.

Nipkow's invention depended on a rotating disc. Light passing through the holes on the disc was transformed into electric values by photosensitive cells. The path of each hole in the disc was different, and thus traced out a different line, and read the entire frame in a logical order. At the receiving end, a lamp was used to send out corresponding impulses of light, which then passed through a further rotating disc, identical to the one at the transmitting end, and synchronized with it. The light passing through the disc was projected onto a screen to recreate the original object.

These attempts at televising objects were very crude, because the scanning speed was slow. A comparable system is used today except that electronic scanning equipment is much faster. Approximately 25 frames per second are scanned. Frame frequency is important in allowing television and films to create moving pictures. The eye retains an image for about 1/16-th of a second, so the mind experiences this succession of pictures as an uninterrupted flow. The large number of lines on modern television make clearly defined pictures possible.

The cathode-ray tube patented in 1897 is used, in its refined form, in present-day television sets. Its importance lies in its capacity to produce pictures. The tube has a screen which glows when struck by a stream of electrons from an electron gun inside the tube. Each point of the screen emits more or less light according to how long the beam is aimed at it.

A colour television has three electron guns - one for each of the primary colours, red, blue and green. They bombard a screen of phosphor-dots, arranged in groups of three — one dot for each colour — while a masking device sorts the beams so each one falls on its allocated dot. A colour television camera also has three cathode tubes and electron guns.

 

NOTES

1. to recreate the original object - для воссоздания исходного объекта

2. the mind experiences — мозг воспринимает

3. in its refined form — в усовершенствованном виде

4. how long the beam is aimed at it — как долго луч направлен на нее

III. Answer the following questions:

1. Are the principles of television complicated? 2. When was the first live transmission made? 3. What did Nipkow's invention depend on? 4. How was light transformed into electric values? 5. Was the light projected onto a screen to recreate the original object? 6. What does the importance of cathode-ray tube lie in? 7. How many electron guns does a colour television have?

IV. Look through the text again and try to speak about the frame frequency used in television.

UNIT FIVE

 

• Grammar: Infinitive and its Functions

Complex Object

For + Noun (Pronoun) + Infinitive

construction

• Word-formation: adjective + en=V prefix un-.

 

LESSON ONE

Pre-text Exercises

I. Practise the reading of the following words:

discovery, investigation, decisive, radar, nucleonics, unprecedented, sensivity, structure, auto­mation, adequate, cybernetics.

II. Make sure if you can read these words correctly and say what
words in the Russian language help you to guess their meaning:

electron, revolution, physical, cathode, atom, structure, civilization, exploitation, diode, microscope, vacuum, radio, diagnosis, energy, industry, industrial, generate, instrument, social, combine, base, control.

III. Give the initial form of the following words:

followed, developed, electrons, produced, communications, locked, expanding, pouring, receivers, combined, enabled, applied, general given, offers, leading, senses.

IV. State to what parts of speech the following words belong:
discovery, investigation, physical, rapidly, directly, receiver, commu­nication, decisive, shaping, computer, sensitivity, extension, structure, visible, optical, significant, industrial, treatment.

V. a) Form verbs adding the suffix -en to the given adjectives,
translate them:

Example: fast — твердый

to fasten — затвердевать

bright, dark, sharp, wide, less, broad, deep, short, weak, hard. b) Form verbs with an opposite meaning adding the prefix un-. Translate them into Russian:

Example: to cover — покрывать

to uncover — раскрывать

to close, to load, to tune, to tie, to fasten, to charge, to balance, to fix, to lock, to pack, to bend.

VI. Make sure if you remember the meaning of the following verbs.
Consult a dictionary:

fo follow, to lead, to apply, to develop, to combine, to produce, t§ ^present, to give, to examine, to receive, to offer.

VII. Define the functions of the Infinitive in the following sentences.
Translate them into Russian:

1. Our task is to study well. 2. The idea to use this substance is not new. 3. He described the device to be used in all modern systems. 4. The apparatus to be assembled is very complicated. 5. To translate the text without a dictionary is difficult. 6. To make the experiment you must improve the device. 7. The engineer wanted to be sent to the con­ference. 8. Lodygin was the first to invent the electric lamp. 9. In order to solve these problems, scientists must make many experiments. 10. To carry out this research work requires special knowledge.

VIII. Translate the following sentences into Russian paying attention to the functions of the Infinitive:

1. We shall consider a very simple example in order to explain this phenomenon. 2. Computer science is to be regarded as a new discip­line. 3. It is quite necessary for him to make a great number of calcula­tions to solve the problem. 4. We know silver to be the best of conduct­ing materials. 5. Michael Faraday had little chance to get an education. 6. An attempt to form a theory of such systems was made by Professor W. 7. We expect the article to be published next year. 8. I believe him to have changed his plans. 9. Radio and television continue to develop and to find wider application in science and industry. 10. I saw the workers repair the machine. 11. The fastest way to detect an artificial satellite is by radio. 12. We watched the robot perform many operations. 13. We are to study the main laws of physics. 14. An electronic machine has to be used to make these calculations.

IX. Change the following complex sentences given below according
to the example and translate them:

Example:   

 The process which will be described in this article is known as ioni­zation. The process to be described in this article is known as ionization.

1. The method which will be used is reliable. 2. The results which will be received will be published next month. 3. The data that are to be obtained will be of great interest. 4. The measurements that must be made should be accurate enough. 5. The experiments which will be de­monstrated are closely related to our research. 6. The problem that must be solved is very difficult. 7. The work that must be done is of great importance. 8. The method that will be used was developed in our laboratory. 9. The equipment that is to be installed is very effective. 10. The instrument which will be used must make precise measurements.

X. Translate the following sentences into Russian paying attention
to the Infinitive Constructions:

1. The professor made the students repeat the experiment. 2. We want them to receive this information as soon as possible. 3. We know the first atomic power station to have been built in the USSR. 4. The only thing for you to do is to use a microscope. 5. A material which allows electricity to flow through it is called a conductor. 6. We did not see them make this experiment. 7. For him to take this decision was not easy. 8. We think this work to be completed in a month. 9. Our profes­sor wants us to use these data. 10. It was easy for our mechanic to re­pair this device. 11. Electronics enabled scientists to take pictures of the moon.

XI. Change the following complex sentences according to the example. Translate  them into Russian:

Example:   

 Yablochkov was the first who realized the advantages of the alternat­ing current.

Yablochkov was the first to realize the advantages of the alternating current.

1. The Soviet Union was the first country that put into operation atomic power stations, 2. Franklin was the first who developed a new theory of electricity. 3. Lomonosov and Franklin were the first who made their experiments in the field of atmospheric electricity. 4. The engineer was the last who made the report at the conference. 5. The famous scientist was the first who proved this theory. 6. Newton was one of the first who studiedlight. 7. Lodygin was the first whoinvented the electric lamp. 8. These metals were the first that were used in industry. 9. This scientist was the first whodeveloped the new process. 10. These devices were the first that were tested in our laboratory.

XII. Match up the words which have an opposite meaning:

a) to cover, directly, old, much, more, rapidly, small, visible, power­
ful, long, before, to take, significant, effective;

b) to uncover, ineffective, to give, after, powerless, short, large,
invisible, slowly, less, little, new, indirectly, insignificant.

XIII. Match up the words which have a similar meaning:

a) investigation, rapidly, valve, shape, immense, to expand, speed, to examine, to receive, to apply, significance, efficient;

b) importance, research, to use, effective, to get, to study, velocity, to extend, form, tube, fast, tremendous.

XIV. Try memorize the words and word-groups:

discovery — открытие; ■ investigation — (научное) исследование; изыскание, изучение; ■ pure science — чистая наука; ■ vacuum techniques — вакуумная техника; ■ cathode rays — катодные лучи; ■ communication - связь, сообщение; ■ on a world scale - в миро­вом масштабе; ■ a decisive factor — решающий фактор; ■ nucleonics - нуклеоника (ядерная физика и ядерная техника); ■ store – запас; ■ a branch of science — отрасль науки; ■ significant — значи­тельный, важный; ■ advance — прогресс, успех; ■ treatment — ле­чение; ■ to play the leading role — играть ведущую роль.

LESSON TWO

I. Study textA. Try to understand all details. Use a dictionary if necessary:

Text A

The Age of Electronics

1. The discovery of the electron, and the investigations into its
nature which followed, led to a revolution in physical science.

The revolution in pure; science rapidly bore fruit in many fields of applied science and technology, especially in the applied science of electronics. The vacuum techniques developed for the study of free electrons and cathode rays led directly to, the radio valve and the tele­vision receiver. The new electronics combined with the older techniques telephone produced a revolution in communications on a world scale. If the discovery of the electron had led only to radio and television it would still represent a decisive factor in the shaping of our civilization — but it led to much more.

2. Electronics produced radar. It led to nucleonics and hence to the exploitation of the immense store of energy locked in the atom. It gave birth² to the electronic computer. By the middle of the twen­tieth century a rapidly expanding, world-wide electronics industry was pouring out millions of parts for radio and television receivers and instruments for every branch of science and technology - instruments capable of unprecedented speed and sensitivity³.

3. Electronic devices give immense extension to our senses. We can now examine structures too small to be visible in even the most powerful optical microscope and receive signals from radio stars which started their long journey through space ages before there was any life on our planet. Electronics combined with rocketry has enabled scientists to take close-up pictures of the moon. Electronics applied to medicine has already produced significant advances in diagnosis and treatment.

4. Electronics plays the leading role in automation which is generat­ing a second industrial revolution of wider social significance than the first.

5. Electronics has also given birth to cybernetics  which offers, for the first time in history, an effective science of government based on adequate information and communication.

6.  It seems very probable that electronics will dominate technology even in the distant future.

 

NOTES

1. to bear fruit — приносить плоды, давать результаты

2. to give birth — родить, породить

3. unprecedented speed and sensitivity — небывалая скорость и чувствительность

4. to take close-up pictures — делать снимки с близкого расстояния

II. Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1. The revolution in pure science rapidly bore fruit in many fields of applied science and technology. 2. The new electronics produced a revolution in communications. 3. The discovery of the electron led to a revolution only in physical science. 4. Electronics doesn't play the leading role in automation.

III. Answer the following questions on paragraph 2:

1. What did electronics produce? 2. What did it lead to? 3. What did it give birth to? 4. What was electronics industry pouring out by the middle of the twentieth century?

IV. Translate paragraph 3 into Russian.

V. Read paragraph 4 again and say whareelectronics plays the liading role.

VI. In paragraph 2 find the English equivalents of the following words:

электроника, радар, запас, электронная вычислительная машина, часть, прибор, телевизионный приемник, отрасль, чувствительность, технология производить.

VII. Write out of the text the words and phrases describing general uses of electronics.

VIII. Make an outline of the text.

IX. Speak about the age of electronics using your outline.

LESSON THREE

I. Look through the list of English words and their Russian equi­valents. You will need them for better understanding text B:

radio tube — радиолампа; wire — провод, проволока; layer — слой; junction — соединение, сочленение; переход; a solid-state diode — твердотельный диод; sound picture — 1. звуковое кино; 2. звуковой кинофильм; long-distance telephone call — междуго­родный телефонный вызов; seek — искать; to adapt — приспосаб­ливать; control — управление; регулирование; image — изобра­жение; to respond — реагировать; to detect — замечать, обнаружи­вать.

II. Skim through text В and choose the best title for it:

1. Electronics in Industry.

2. Electronics and the Second Industrial Revolution.

3. General Uses of Electronics.

Text В

Electronics is the science or practice of using electricity in devices similar to transistors and radio tubes so as to get results not possible with ordinary electrical equipment.

Most persons know how electric current flows in motors and trans­formers; here the electricity always flows in the copper wire or other metal parts. When electricity passes through space as occurs within a tube, such action is called electronic. More recently, when layers of semiconductor metals are joined together so that current flows through the junction in one direction only, as in a solid-state diode or a transistor, such action is also called electronic!; If a device passes its stream of electrons through internal space, or through the junction where certain dif­ferent metals meet, the device is called electronic.

Without electronics there might be no radio, television, sound pictures or long-distance telephone calls. Most of these familiar equipments serve to carry or give information; so communication early was a main purpose of electronics and still holds interest of many workers and students in this field.

Meanwhile industry seeking faster and more accurate methods of production has adapted electronic equipment to its own needs. Gradual­ly during the past fifty years industrial plants have installed electronic equipment to give better operation of motors along with control of varied operations.

Some people believe that electronic devices can hear, see, feel, smell or even think; this is true only when the sound, image, feeling or thought can be changed into electrical signal, to which the transistor or tube-ope­rated device¹ can then respond. Much of the success of electronics depends on the methods used to obtain an electric signal that can be used to stimulate the electronic device into action. The electronic circuit can be made to detect such a signal, increase its strength and put it to useful work.

NOTES

1. tube-operated device - прибор, управляемый электронной лампой

2. to stimulate into action — побуждать'к действию

3. to put to useful work — заставить выполнять полезную работу

III. Answer the following questions:

1. What is electronics? 2. What device is called electronic? 3. What was a main purpose of electronics? 4. What has industry adapted to its own needs?

IV. Give the main points of text В in 4-6 sentences.

V. Speak about the use of electronics in industry.

 

LESSON FOUR

I.  Look through the list of English words and their Russian equivalents facilitating reading text C:

solid-state device — твердотельный прибор; vacuum tube, ther­mionic valve — электронная лампа; shape — форма; конфигурация; evacuate — откачивать; разрежать; to emit — испускать, излучать; to attract — притягивать; to charge — заряжать; grid — сетка; high power — высокая мощность; amplifier — усилитель; to transisto­rize — собирать на транзисторах; переводить на транзисторы.

II. Scan text С and find the information about the uses of vacuum
tubes.

Text С

Vacuum Tubes

1.  The science of electronics now deals almost exclusively with
transistors and other solid-state devices. However, vacuum tubes were
the principal building blocks¹ of electronic circuits until approximately
1955. Briefly, a vacuum tube consists of several metal electrodes of va­rious, shapes all packaged inside a glass or metal envelope which is
highly evacuated. Vacuum tubes are often called thermionic "valves". A
red hot metallic electrode, (the filament or cathode) emits electrons
which are attracted to a positively charged electrode called the plate
or anode. The electrons pass through the spaces in a metallic grid elect­
rode on their way to the plate, and the voltage on the grid controls
how many electrons reach the plate. A simple thermionic valve is called
a diode because it has two electrodes. A triode is a valve with three
electrodes, an anode, a cathode and a control grid. A triode has four,
and a pentode — five electrodes.

2. Vacuum tubes are still widely used in oscilloscopes, television sets,
high power high frequency radio-transmitters, and in some special low
noise amplifiers. However, every year sees a larger number of applica­tions being transistorized. It is probably safe to say that this trend will
continue in the future, as there is presently a great deal of technological development being put into solid state electronics and rather little put
into vacuum tube electronics.

3. As a general rule,  vacuum tubes are inferior to modern solid state devices in many ways. Vacuum tubes are much larger. They require considerably more electric power to operate. However, they can handle high voltages and high powers at high frequencies some­what more easily than solid state devices. They are also capable of withstanding temporary overloads in voltage or current which would permanently destroy a solid state device and then returning to normal operation.

NOTES

1. principal building blocks — основные стандартные блоки

2. packaged inside an envelope — заключенный в баллон

3. inferior to modern solid state devices — уступают современным твердо­тельным приборам

4. to handle high voltages and high powers — оперировать высоким напря­жением и высокой мощностью

5. to withstand temporary overloads — выдерживать временные перегрузки

6. would permanently destroy — неизменно разрушает.

III. Say what principal blocks electronic circuits were made of be­fore 1955.

IV. Give reasons for replacing vacuum tubes by transistor devices.

V. Which paragraph contains the information directly connected with the title of the text. Render this information to your partner.

VI. Imagine that you are to make a report on the theme "The Age of Electronics". Use the information of all three texts А, В and С. The following plan will help you:

1. The discovery of the electron.

2. The revolution in pure science.

3. The revolution in technology.

4. General uses of electronics.

 

UNIT SIX

• Grammar: Participle 1

Functions of the verb to do

• Word-formation: prefix dis-, n + n= n.

 

LESSON ONE

Pre-text Exercises

I. Practise the reading of the following words:

current, alternating, amplify, rectify, surface, frequency, substance, conductor, semiconductor, insulator, measure, delay.

П. Make sure if you can read these words correctly and say what words in the Russian language help you to guess their meaning:

transistor, crystal, crystalline, contact, classify, electric, electrode, compact, computer, combination, equivalent, acceleration, material, review, triode, evolution, hybrid, monolythic.

III. Give the initial forms of the following words:

devices, pieces, allowed, known, became, depended, rectifying, crystals, valves, reaching, receivers, understood, substances, semicon­ductors, insulators, invented, replacing, advantages.

IV. State to what parts of speech the words in bold f type belong:

1. A proton has a positive electrical charge. 2. Don't charge this battery. 3. The operating range of this device is broad. 4. The capacities of these stations range from 600 to 700 kilowatts. 5. The structure of the atom is like the structure of our solar system. 6. I like to watch TV evening programmes. 7. The room houses electronic devices. 8. The houses of the research institute are nearly in the centre of the city.

V. Translate the following compound nouns:

air-line, sunlight, airstream, radiosignal, waveform, wave-length, spaceship, typewriter, timerable, block-diagram, pipe-line, lifetime, radioreceiver, codeword, radiowave.

VI. Form verbs with an opposite meaning adding the prefix dis- and translate them:

Example: to approve — одобрять

to disapprove — не одобрять

to cover, to appear, to place, to continue, to agree, to charge, to connect, to close, to arrange, to assemble, to mount, to join.

VII. Make sure if you remember the three forms of the following
verbs:

become — became — become; understand — understood -- under­stood; lead — led — led; mean — meant — meant; do — did — done; wear — wore - worn; set — set — set; let — let — let; cost — cost — cost; find — found — found; spread — spread — spread.

VIII. Translate the following sentences paying attention to the
functions of the verb to do:

1. He will do the work himself. 2. Where does he study? 3. Semi­conductors do possess many wonderful properties. 4. Semiconductors let electric current pass through them more easily than insulators do. 5. I don't understand the action of this device. 6. Perfect science does exist. 7. Don't change the temperature. 8. Energy is defined as ability to do work. 9. Do you know this engineer? — Yes, 1 do. 10. He does obtain amplification (усиление) with this device.

IX. Define the function of Participle I in the following sentences
and translate them:

1. The scientist working at this design is well known. 2. Carrying out the experiment he made use of some new instruments. 3. These new devices are replacing their older equivalents. 4. Speaking about the new method of work the engineer told us many interesting details. 5. Radio occupies one of the leading places among the greatest achieve­ments of modern engineering. 7. Being cooled water turns into ice. 8.The electric current passing through a wire will heat it. 9. Transistors contain no moving parts. 10. The scientist is carrying on an important research, la. Developing the new method they achieved good results.

X. Translate the following sentences: 1. Having improved this device they could use it for many purposes.

2.  When making the experiment he made notes. 3. The vibrations of a
voice speaking into the microphone of a telephone cause vibrations in
an electric current. 4. This varying current is carried along a wire to a
receiver. 5. Electronics in our country has developed into hundreds of
research institutes and laboratories employing tens of thousands of
people. 6. Our power engineering develops much faster than that of the
other developed countries, including the USA. 7. Having been discovered
many years ago this metal found a wide application in industry only
last year. 8. While being checked the motor showed good performance. 9. The man introducing this famous scientist is the dean of our
faculty. 10. Cybernetics is gaining a growing importance.

XI. Change the complex sentences given below according to the
examples and translate them into Russian:

Example A:

 While she was preparing for her physics exam she looked through all the notes of the lectures.

While preparing for her physics exam she looked through all the notes of the lectures.

1. When he was translating the article he used a dictionary. 2. While the student was working at the problem he made many experiments. 3.   When the scientist was carrying out research in the field of nuclear
physics he came to Dubna to work there. 4. When the worker was
applying the new method of work he got better results. 5. While he was
experimenting with this substance he was very careful. 6 When the en­gineer was improving the design he made many calculations. 7. While
the man was describing this phenomenon he illustrated it with numerous
examples. 8. When these scientists were working in our laboratory they
obtained good results.

Example B:

 The scientists who are carrying out research into nuclear physics deal with most difficult problems.

 The scientists carrying out research into nuclear physics deal with most difficult problems.

1. The scientist who is working at the method is well known. 2. The students who are listening to the taped lesson study at the evening faculty. 3. These postgraduate students who are watching the experiment work in our laboratory. 4. The worker who is repairing the machine is very skilled. 5. The engineer who is carrying out these investigations is a well-known inventor. 6. The students who are doing the laboratory work are from various faculties. 7. The workers who are building  this house will soon finish their work.

XII. Choose the sentences with Participle I from the ones given
below, translate them:

1. The falling water has kinetic energy. 2. While testing the motor we put down the results. 3. There is no simple explanation of the func­tioning of transistors. 4. Obtaining new data engineers can improve their knowledge. 5. Look at the reading of the device. 6. Robots are helping research scientists to answer many difficult questions. 7. By the beginn­ing of the 20th century man had learned something of the structure of the atom. 8. When applying these automatic devices we shall be able to control automatic lines. 9. The applying of lasers enables us to ampli­fy electromagnetic waves. 10. A person beginning some experiment should be very careful and attentive.

XIII. Match up the words which have an opposite meaning:

a) conductor, before, solid, alternating, early, high, receiver, new, important, advantage, little, light, possible, reliable;

b)  impossible, unreliable,, heavy,, much, disadvantage, insulator, after, liquid, direct, late, low, transmitter, old, unimportant.

XIV. Listen to the following tape-recorded lexical programme.
Try to memorize the words and word-groups:

■ alternating current — переменный ток; ■ thermionic valve — электронная лампа; ■ to rectify — выпрямлять, детектировать; ■ fine wire — тонкий провод; ■ rectifier — выпрямитель, детектор; ■ radar receiver — радиолокационный приемник; ■ point-contact transistor - точечно-контактный транзистор; ■ junction - 1. соедине­ние, сочленение; 2. переход; 3. плоскостной; ■ junction transistor - плоскостной транзистор; ■ in many respects - во многих отношениях; ■ density packing - плотная упаковка; ■ an intricate circuit - сложная схема; ■ measuring instruments - измерительные приборы; ■ re­cording equipment - регистрирующая аппаратура, оборудование записи; ■ instrumentation - контрольно-измерительные приборы, контрольно-измерительная аппаратура; ■ reliability - надежность; прочность.

 

LESSON TWO

I. Study text A. Try to understand all details. Use a dictionary if necessary:

Text A