Dialogue 3.16 Complete the dialogue. Computer generations

• There are four generations of computers, aren’t there?

• No, there exist … .

• …?

• There are five generations of computers, which differ not only in their hardware, but also in their software, their capability and organization.

• What was the main technical characteristic of the first computer generation?

• The first computer generation was the vacuum tube machines.

• What ability was it known by?

• This generation was known by the ability to handle problems in computation which were considered unsolvable in a practical sense.

• …?

• With increased use of computers, their structure changed to meet new needs.

• What new hardware elements are the second-generation computers based on?

• The second generation is known to have higher speed and im­proved reliability provided by new hardware elements such as semi­conductors.

• What kinds of problems could they handle?

• They could handle different kinds of problems by completing one type and then automatically switching to another type in sequence.

• which generation computers are based on the monolithic integrated cir­cuits?

• The third generation computers are based on new hardware elements such as the monolithic integrated cir­cuits.

• What are these machines characterized by?

• They are characterized primarily by the ability to per­form several jobs, of different types concurrently and in real time.

• Which computer generation is known to have higher speed and im­proved reliability?

• … .

• Were can you find microprocessors?

• … .

• Is a single chip far more powerful than ENIAC or not?

• … .

• What does the term the Fifth Generation describe?

• It describes … .

• which are the key areas of ongoing research: artificial intelligence (AI), expert systems, natural language and decision making?

• … .

3.17 Define the parts of speech & translate these words.

Organize, organization, unorganized, organized, organizing, organizer; consider, considerable, considerate, consideration, considering, unconsidered; improve, improvement, improved, improving; require, requiring, required, requisite, requisition, request, requirement; fulfil, fulfilled, fulfilling, unfulfilled, fulfillment; memory, memorize, memorialize, memorial, memorable, memorandum, memoranda, memo, memento, memoir, immemorial; storage, store, storehouse, storekeeper, store-room; arithmetic, arithmetical, arithmetician; conduct, conductive, conductivity, conduction, ­conductor, semi­conductor, nonconductor, superconductor.

3.18 Translate.

Handling the data, a handling problem, the document handling, a computer generation, the first computer generation, a first generation computer, a third generation computer, a computer-based control unit, the hardware structure, a sequence-controlled calculator, the computer circuits, to input data, an input program, the computer input devices, the control devices, to control directly, automatically controlled, to control the devices, an arithmetic unit, performing arithmetic operations, to study arithmetic.