Question to the text:

1. What is Personal Computer?

2. What does it consist of?

3. What is hardware?

4. Is the system unit the actual computer?

5. Where can you insert floppy disks and CDs?

6. What are the floppy drive and CD drive referred to?

7. How much information can your computer’s hard disk store?

8. What is software?

9. What does software include?

10. Is operating system also software?

11. What does it deal with?

12. What does operating system provide?

13. Does it have any substance?

Computer

A computer is a very specific kind of a counting machine. It can do arithmetic problems faster than any person alive. A computer can “remember” information you give it. It stores the information in its “memory” until it is needed. It works the problem with lightning speed. Then it checks its work to make sure there are no mistakes. There are different kinds of computers. Some do only one job over and over again. These are special-purpose computers. Each specific application requires a specific computer. A special-purpose computer is built for its purpose alone and cannot do anything else. But there are some computers that can do many different jobs. They are called general-purpose computers. These are the “big brains” that solve the most difficult problems of science. They answer questions about rockets and planes, bridges and ships – long before these things are even built. We used to think of a computer as a large machine with many buttons and flashing lights. But today computers are becoming smaller and smaller and are even being put inside other devices. These small devices are called microcomputers or minicomputers. We can store many instructions or many items of data in a computer. There are several advantages in making computers as small as one can. The smaller the computer, the faster it can work. Another advantage is that less power is required to run the computer. Another advantage is reliability. The demand for computers has been growing.

Vocabulary:

1. fast (adj) – быстрый

2. store (v) – хранить

3. check (v) – проверять

4. specific (adj) – особенный, специальный

5. application (n) – применение

6. flash (v) – гореть, сверкать, блестеть

7. advantage (n) – преимущество

8. reliability (n) – надежность

9. demand (v) – требовать

10. grow (v) – расти

11. device (n) – устройство, прибор

12. require (v) – требовать

13. purpose (n) – цель

Question to the text:

1. What kind of machine is a computer?

2. Can it do arithmetic problems faster than any person alive?

3. What can a computer “remember”?

4. Where does it store the information?

5. Does it work the problem with lightning speed?

6. What kind of computers are there?

7. What are special purpose computers? What job do they do?

8. Is a special-purpose computer built for its purpose? Can It do anything else?

9. Are there computers that can do many different jobs?

10. What are they called?

11. Which problems do the “big brains” computers solve?

12. Which questions do they answer?

13. How did we use to think of a computer?

14. Are computers becoming smaller nowadays?

15. What are the advantages in making computers as small as one can?

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