14. Перепишите и переведите на русский язык следующий текст.

There are several advantages in making computers as small al possible. Sometimes weight is particularly important. A modern aircraft, for example, carries quite a load of electronic apparatus. If it is possible to make any of these smaller, and therefore lighter, the aircraft can carry a bigger load. This kind of consideration applies to space satellites and to all kinds of computers that have to be carried about.

But weight is not the only factor. The smaller the computer the faster it can work. The signals go to and from at a very high but almost constant speed. So if one can scale down all dimensions to, let us say, one tenth, the average lengths of the current paths will be reduced to one tenths. So, very roughly speaking, scaling down of all linear dimensions in the ration of one to ten also gives a valuable advantage, the speed of operation is scaled up to 10 times. Other techniques allow even further speed increase.

The increase of operation is a real advantage. Another advantage is that less power is required to run the computer. In space satellites this is an important matter. Another advantage is reliability. Mini-computers have been made possible by the development of integrated circuits. Repair of any kind is no longer needed. If one component circuit develops a fault, all that is needed is to locate the faulty unit, throw it away and plug in a new one.

КОНТРОЛЬНОЕ ЗАДАНИЕ № 4

Technolgy age

Для правильного выполнения задания № 4 необходимо усвоить следующие разделы курса грамматики английского языка по любым учебным пособиям:

1. Основные сведения о сослагательном наклонении. Аналитические и синтетические формы сослагательного наклонения. Сослагательное наклонение в условных придаточных предложениях.

2. Сложные формы инфинитива, герундия и причастия. Обороты, равнозначные придаточным предложениям:

Объектный инфинитивный оборот (Complex Object);

Субъектный инфинитивный оборот (Complex Subject);

Самостоятельный (независимый) причастный оборот

(Absolute Participial Construction);

Конструкции с герундием (Gerundial Complexes).

3. Сложные предложения. Способы перевода придаточных определительных, обстоятельственных и дополнительных предложений.

После изучения указанного выше материала можно приступать к выполнению задания.

1. ТЕКСТЫ ДЛЯ ИЗУЧАЮЩЕГО ЧТЕНИЯ, ПЕРЕВОДА И

ПОВТОРЕНИЯ ГРАММАТИЧЕСКОГО МАТЕРИАЛА

Text 4 (a). 20th Century. Summing up…

Technology has made modern society possible. It has added to leisure time and reduced the long hours of work. Technology can allow the world feed itself. It has reduced the effects of natural catastrophes. The world is now a smaller place where people can communicate with each other and travel rapidly everywhere.

The establishment of the assembly line by Henry Ford in 1913 made automobiles inexpensive enough. Technology has raised the standard of living. The 20^th century has become the century of many inventions. New materials (e.g. synthetic rubber, artificial fabrics and plastics) have affected the ways of life and fashion.

Electronics was ushered in when Marconi sent the first transatlantic radio message in1901. Radio and television changed communications and

entertainment habits. In 1948 the transistor was invented, and the era of modern computers was started.

In 1957 the Space Age began, when the first Earth-orbiting satellite – Sputnik – was launched by the Soviet Union.

Medical technology was expanded by the use of new medicines and new equipment. New technologies in biology led to genetic engineering, in which living cells can be altered. In 1996 a lamb called Dolly has become the first large animal? which was cloned from the genetic material extracted from the adult cell.

Technology keeps advancing at a rapid rate. It can only be guessed what the “information revolution” of the late 20^th century will bring about.