A. Comprehension

1. Answer these questions:

1. When did the term «information technology» evolve?

1. Did the history of information technology begin with the invention of a computer?

2. What made the field of computer science broaden to study computation in general?

3. How did the World War II influence information technology development?

4. How many generations of computers are known to have evolved since the 1950s? How did mey differ?

2. What are John Eckert and John W. Mauchly famous for?

5. What were mainframe computers and supercomputers used for?

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8. When did minicomputers come on to the scene? What were the spheres of their application?

9. When did microcomputers appear?

2. Summarize the text using the words from Vocabulary Exercises.

B. Vocabulary

3. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and expressions:

manpower; constrain; amount; outcome; nuclear reactor; perform a task; source; abacus; vacuum tube; broaden; improvement; capabili- ties; predate; weather pattern; mainframe; trace; aircraft; artificial intelligence; predict; antiquity; subset; integrated circuit; decrease; advance.

4. Translate these words and word combinations into English:

древность; выполнить задание; вакуумный прибор; уменьшаться); механический вычислитель; основной источник; восходить (к); прогресс, достижение; возможности; прогнозировать; счеты; улучшение, усовершенствование; количество; ограничивать; счётно-перфорационная машина; расширять(ся); интегральная микросхема; тип погоды; результат; самолет; предшествовать; ядерный реактор.

5. Complete the sentences with one of the given expressions and translate them.

predate weather patterns antiquity

artificial intelligence capabilities vacuum tubes

amounts mainframe computers broaden

integrated circuits predict source

1. The first commercial computer was used by the Census Bureau to ... the outcome of the 1952 presidential election.

2. Each generation reflected a change to hardware of decreased size but increased ... to control computer operations.

3. The history of information technology ... me invention of the modern digital computer by many centuries.

4. Supercomputers were used in science and engineering for designing aircraft and nuclear reactors and for predicting worldwide ....

5. As it became clear that computers could be used for more than just mathematical calculations, the field of computer science ... to study computation in general.

6. Advances in ... that will minimize the need for complex pro- gramming characterize me fifth generation of computers, still in the experimental stage.

7. After the 1940s, the military remained the major... of research and development funding for the expansion of automation to replace manpower with machine power.

8. Machines for calculating fixed numerical tasks, such as the abacus, have existed since ....

9. The first generation used ..., the second used transistors, the tiiird used..., and the fourth used integrated circuits on a single computer chip.

10. For twenty-five years after 1952, ...were used in large corpora- tions to do calculations and manipulate large ... of information stored in databases.

С Reading and Discussion

6. Read the text. Characterize each era of information technology.

History of Information Technology

The history of information technology can be divided into four broad eras: the experimental era, the hardware era, the software era, and the communications era.

Experimental Era: 1945-1960

The first computer, built in 1945, was the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer). A number of experimental machines and new technological developments led to the release of the ШМ 1401 for the business user and the IBM 1620 for the scientist in 1959. The 1401 became a popular data processing machine for busi- ness, and the 1620 provided the first computer experience for many students in universities and colleges.

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Hardware Era: 1960-1985

During this era, the driving force was the need to develop more powerful mainframe computers mat could be applied to larger and more difficult problems. The major computer companies were IBM and the BUNCH (Burroughs, Univac, NCR, Control Data, and Hon- eywell). Operating systems were usually provided with the computer and were unique to each brand. Application programs were frequently custom-built by each customer. There were some software companies that sold software packages for common applications, such as ac- counting. This era came to a close after the introduction of the IBM Personal Computer in 1981.

Software Era: 1985-1995

The personal computer changed the competitive environment in the industry. The owners of personal computers could not build their own software and had to rely on purchased applications. This opened up a large new market for software. Hardware improvements continued, but the new players were Intel and Motorola, the makers of microcomputer chips. The BUNCH were absorbed by various mergers and by 1990, even IBM was having difficulty. The important companies that everyone followed were usually software companies like Microsoft, WordPerfect, Lotus, and Borland. By the mid 1980's there were dozens of different word processors for sale.

Toward the end of this era most of the competitors were elimi- nated, sometimes very rapidly. Novell purchased WordPerfect for $2.5 billion and resold it to Corel two years later for $250 million. In another two years, Corel wrote off the whole investment. Customers showed a preference for common standards and were unwilling to buy software from anyone that was not an industry leader.

Communications Era: 1995-Present

The development of the World Wide Web in 1994 ushered in a new era of communications. In just a few years it has created a new paradigm for information exchange. We now see a new scramble of startup companies, mergers, and expansions as telephone compa- nies, cable companies, entertainment compames, and new Internet service providers jockey for position. We can expect this to continue for several years before the dust settles on some new arrangement

of service providers. We will still see new innovations in hardware and software, but the most exciting developments will likely revolve around the communications area.

customer, rely (on), purchase, eliminate, absorb, merger, unwilling, usher, scramble, jockey

7. Name the era each of the sentences refers to:

1. During this era, the driving force was me need to develop more powerful mainframe computers that could be applied to larger and more difficult problems.

2. Toward the end of this era most of the competitors were eliminated, sometimes very rapidly, as customers showed a preference for common standards and were unwilling to buy software from anyone that was not an industry leader.

3. Operating systems were usually provided with the computer and were unique to each brand. Application programs were frequently custom-built by each customer.

4. A number of experimental machines and new technological developments led to me release of the IBM 1401 for the busi- ness user and the IBM 1620 for the scientist in 1959, and the 1620 provided the first computer experience for many students in universities and colleges.

5. This era came to a close after die introduction of the IBM Personal Computer in 1981.

6. In just a few years it has created a new paradigm for informa- tion exchange, caused by the development of the World Wide Web in 1994.

7. The BUNCH were absorbed by various mergers and by 1990, even IBM was having difficulty, whereas the important compa- nies that everyone followed were usually software companies like Microsoft, WordPerfect, Lotus, and Borland.

8. Read the text and answer the question: What was computation known as in ancient days? Summarize the text.

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