Методичка Engineering

The rapidly advancing field of electronics led to construction of the first generalpurpose electronic computer in 1946 at the University of Pennsylvania. It was Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer or ENIAC, the device contained 18,000 vacuum tubes and had a speed of several hundred multiplications per minute. Its program was wired into the processor and had to be manually altered.

Later transistors appeared. The use of the transistor in computers began in the late 1950s. It marked the advent of smaller, faster elements than it was possible to create with the use of vacuum-tube machines. Because transistors use less power and have a much longer life, computers alone were improved a lot. They were called secondgeneration computers.

Components became smaller and the system became less expensive to build.

Modern digital computers are all conceptually similar, regardless of size and shape. Nevertheless, they can be divided into several categories on the basis of cost and performance.

The first one is the personal computer or microcomputer, a relatively low-cost machine, usually of desk-top size. Sometimes they are called laptops. They are small enough to fit in a briefcase. The second is the workstation, a microcomputer with enhanced graphics and communications capabilities that make it especially useful for office work. And the server computers, a large expensive machine with the capability of serving the needs of major business enterprises, government departments, scientific research establishments. The largest and fastest of these are called supercomputers.

A digital computer is not actually a single machine, in the sense that most people think of computers. Instead it is a system composed of five distinct elements: a central processing unit, input devices, memory storage devices, output devices and a communications network, called a «bus» that links all the elements of the system and connects the system itself to the external world.

Talking about a central processing unit or the-heart of computer; it should be noted that there were several generations of microprocessors. The first generation was represented by processing unit Intel 8086. The second generation central processing unit was represented by processing unit Intel 80286, used in IBM PC AT 286. In the end of 80s such computer costs about 25-30 000 rubles in the former USSR. The third generation is represented by Intel 80386, used in IBM PC AT 386. The microprocessors of the fourth generation were used in computers IBM PC AT. 486. There are also central processing units of the fifth generation, used in Intel Pentium 60 and Intel Pentium 66, central processing units of the sixth generation, used in computers Intel Pentium 75,90,100 and 133. Few years ago appeared central processing units of the seventh and eighth generations.

Computer speeds are measured in gigahertz today. Recently, an optical central processing unit has been invented, which is capable of executing trillions discrete operations per second or it is as fast as the speed of light.

So, we are at the threshold of new computer era, when artificial intelligence could be invented. There are no questions with «if», the only question is «when». And time will show us either computers become our best friends or our evil enemies as it is shown in some movies.

Vocabulary

general-purpose computer-

multiplication-

per minute-

to be wired into-

manually-

to alter-

advent- ,

to mark-

generation-

vacuum-tube machines –

digital-

similar- ,

cost-

performance- ,

relatively-

desk-top-

laptop-

briefcase-

workstation-

enhanced-

capabilities- ,

server computer-

enterprise -

scientific research establishments-

in the sense that- , to compose-

distinct-

a central processing unit-

input device-

memory storage device-

output device-

communications network-

“bus”-

to link-

to connect-

external world-

to represent-

speed-

to measure-

threshold-

artificial intelligence-

II Answer the following questions:

1)When and where was the first general – purpose computer constructed?

2)When did transistors appear?

3)How can modern digital computers be divided into?

4)What is actually a digital computer?

5)What is the “heart” of the computer?

6)How many generations of computers do you know?

7)What is the capability of an optical central processing unit invented recently?

IV Translate into Ukrainian:

Advancing, field, construction, generation, contain, multiplications, processor, alter, improve, similar, unit, device, communication, connect, represent.

V Translate into English:

, , , , ,

, , , , , , ,

, .

VI Translate into English:

1).

2).

3), 18000.

4),

, .

5), .

6),

.

7)- ,

, , .

VII Practise asking questions. Ask all possible questions to the different members of the sentence.

1.Components became smaller and the system became less expensive to build.

2.The rapidly advancing field of electronics led to construction of the first generalpurpose electronic in 1946 at the University of Pennsylvania.

VIII Speak on the topic “Computers in our life”

IX Rendering

1. Read the text “Computers in our life” and be ready to answer the following questions:

1)What replaced individual transistor in computers?

2)Why did it become possible to design more components into a single computer circuit?

3)What did manufactures use integrated circuit technology for?

4)What will make the operation of computer easier?

5)What occurred in the area of quantum computing in the late 1990s?

6)What is the advantage of quantum computers?

7)What will communications between computer users and networks benefit fom?

8)What are the benefits of computer using nowadays?

Text B Computers in our life

In the late 1960s integrated circuits, tiny transistors and other electrical components arranged on a single chip of silicon, replaced individual transistors in computers.

Integrated circuits became miniaturized, enabling more components to be designed into a single computer circuit. In the 1970s refinements in integrated circuit technology led to the development of the modern microprocessor, integrated circuits that contained thousands of transistors. Modern microprocessors contain as many as 10 million transistors.

Manufacturers used integrated circuit technology to build smaller and cheaper computers.

Computers will become more advanced and they will also become easier to use. Reliable speech recognition will make the operation of a computer easier. Virtual reality, the technology of interacting with a computer using all of the human senses, will also c o n t r i b u t e s t o b e t t e r h u m a n a n d c o m p u t e r , i n t e r f a c e s . Breakthroughs occurred in the area of quantum computing in the late 1990s. Scientists used a branch of physics called quantum mechanics, which describe the activity of subatomic particles (particles that make up atoms), as the basis for quantum computing. Quantum computers may one day be thousands to millions of times faster than current computers, because they take advantage of the laws that govern the behavior of subatomic particles. These laws allow quantum computers to examine all possible answers to a query at one time. Future uses of quantum computers could include code breaking and large database queries. Communications between computer users and networks will benefit from new technologies such as broadband communication systems that can carry significantly more data and carry it faster, to and from the vast interconnected databases that continue to grow in number and type.

from home using their home computer. Now, you see commercials everywhere about people quitting their job and working from home and making tons of money. Computers can be used for just about anything. From providing access to card catalogs, helping with homework, help with your job, connect you with other people all over the world, research the most obscure of topics, or even store all your personal information and data such as pictures, videos, and songs. People everywhere use computers for different reasons. You can use a network for almost anything these days.

2.Make a plan of the text.

3.Translate the part of the text in italics in a written form.

4.Retell the text according to your plan.

Comprehension skills.

X Listen to the text “How has new technology changed your life” Remember the words:

to gain speed –

vigilance –

responsibility –

spammer –

to get rid –

to sustain –

gadget –

fragile –

sword –

Listen to the text and define if the statements are true or False:

1.The rapidly developing field of electronics led to construction of the fourth general-purpose electronic computer.

2.The use of the transistor in computers began in the late 1970s.

3.The personal or microcomputer is a very expensive machine.

4.A digital computer is a system composed of five distinct elements: a central processing unit, input devices, memory storage devices, output devices and communications network.

Listen to the text once more and give answers to the questions:

1)What did the appearance of computers mark?

2)What is a digital computer?

Unit 4

Text A The internet

I. Read and translate the text using the vocabulary

The Internet, a global computer network which embraces millions of users all over the world, began in the United States in 1969 as a military experiment. It was designed to survive a nuclear war. Information sent over the Internet takes the shortest path available from one computer in another. Because of this, any two

computers on the Internet will be able to stay in touch with each other as long as there is a single route between them. This technology is called packet switching.

Owing to this technology, if some computers on the network are knocked out (by a nuclear explosion, for example), information will just route around them. One such packet-switching network already survived a war. It was the Iraqi computer network which was not knocked out during the Gulf War.

Most of the Internet host computers (more that 50%) are in the United States, while the rest are located in more than 100 other countries. Although the number of host computers can be counted fairly accurately, nobody knows exactly how many people use the Internet, there are millions, and their number is growing by thousands each month worldwide.

The most popular Internet service is e-mail. Most of the people, who have access to the Internet, use the network only for sending and receiving e-mail messages. However, other popular services are available on the Internet: reading USENET News, using the World-Wide Web, telnet, FTP, and Gopher.

In many developing countries the Internet may provide businessmen with a reliable alternative to the expensive and unreliable telecommunications systems of these countries. Commercial users can communicate over the Internet with the rest of the world and can do it very cheaply.

But saving money is only the first step. If people see that they can make money from the Internet, commercial use of this network will drastically increase. For example, some western architecture companies and garment centers already transmit their basic designs and concepts over the Internet into China, where they are reworked and refined by skilled -but inexpensive - Chinese computer-aided-design specialists.

However, some problems remain. The most important is security. When you send an e-mail message to somebody, this message can travel through many different networks and computers. The data are constantly being directed towards its destination by special computers called routers. Because of this, it is possible to get into any of computers along the route, intercept and even change the data being sent over the Internet. In spite of the fact that there are many strong encoding programs available, nearly all the information being sent over the Internet is transmitted without any form of encoding, i.e., "in the clear". But when it becomes necessary to send important information over the network, these encoding programs may be useful. Some American banks and companies even conduct transactions over the Internet. However, there are still both commercial and technical problems which will take time to be resolved.

Vocabulary

network –

to embrace –

user –

to design –

to survive –

path –

in touch with –

route –

packet switching –

to be knocked out –

host computer –

fairly accurately –

worldwide –

service –

access –

sending and receiving e-mail -

available –

reliable –

communicate –

drastically –

garment –

computer-aided-design –

remain –

security –

destination –

route – ,

intercept –

in spite of –

encoding –

conduct –

to resolve-

II Answer the following questions:

1)When and how did the Internet begin?

2)What was Internet designed for?

3)In what way will any two computers in the Internet be able to stay with each other?

4)What happens if some computers on the network are knocked out?

5)How many Internet users are there in the world?

6)What is the most popular Internet service?

7)What facilities does Internet provide?

8)Do people face any problem while using the Internet?

IV Translate into Ukrainian:

Computer network, user, military, experiment, to design, path, to survive, to knock out, host computer, service, communicate, reliable, provide, to direct.

V Translate into English:

, , , ,

, , , ,

, , , ,

, .

VI Translate the sentences into English:

1., ,

.

2.100 .

3..

4.– .