Exercises

1. Read the introductory text again and answer these questions:

• What is called ‘machine code’?

• What is the reason for using ‘symbolic languages’ in computers?

• How can you characterize ‘low-level languages’?

• Can you give examples of “high-level languages”? What are their advantages?

• Do you think computers will be able to understand human languages?

2.Match each term in column a with its definition in column b:

1. Assembler	a program that translates instructions from a high-level language into a form that can be understood by the computer
2. Machine code	a low-level symbolic code converted by an assembler
3. High – level language	a series of instructions written in a form that a computer can read and understand
4. Assembly language	a set of instructions for a computer program that a computer programmer understands and that are translated into instructions that a computer understands
5. Compiler	a computer program that translates instructions from a low-level language into a form that can be understood and executed by the computer
6. Low-level language	a computer language that is made as similar as possible to a human language
7. Source code	a language close in form to machine code used for writing computer programs

3. Read the text. Before reading translate into Russian the following international words used in he text:

Formula, mathematics, type, problem, program, structure, algorithmic, college, university, symbol, modern, logical, mathematical, concept, interactive, dialect, instruction

Computers can deal with different kinds of problems but they must be given the right instructions. Instructions are written in one of the high-level languages, for example, FORTRAN, COBOL, ALGOL, PASCAL, BASIC, or C. But a program written in one of these languages should be interpreted into machine code. Usually when one instruction written in a high- level language is transformed into machine code, it results in several instructions. A brief description of some high-level languages is given below. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages but some are better suited to particular types of work than others.

FORTRAN (FORmular TRANslator) Written in 1956, this is one of the oldest languages. It is particularly suited to solving problems using formulas in science, engineering and mathematics. Although it is widely used in these fields, it is not as suitable for business applications and is more difficult to learn than some other languages. It was really designed for use on mainframe computers using punched cards.

COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) This is another of the older languages dating 1958. It is mainly used for business applications but is not as suitable for mathematics. This language is closer to English than the others and is therefore easier to read and write. However, programs written in COBOL tend to be very long.

ALGOL (ALGOrithmic Language) This language was written in 1958. It is suitable for business applications and is also good for mathematics. It is easy for understanding because of its very clear structure.

PASCAL This language, based on ALGOL, is named after famous scientist Blaise Pascal. It is a more recent language, dating from 1973. It is a general purpose language and is often used in colleges and universities as a teaching language. It is also commonly used for small business applications. Although it has a very clear structure, it is little more difficult to learn than some other languages.

LISP (LISt Processing) This language first made its appearance in 1959. It is designed for processing lists and symbols and is used for artificial intelligence research. A LISP program can improve itself each time it is run. It is more flexible than other computer languages, however, it is difficult to learn.

LOGO is another modern language derived from LISP which made its appearance in 1969. It is a very simple language to learn and was designed to be used by very young children. It encourages a logical, structured use of language and has most often been used to teach mathematical concepts such as angles.

BASIC (Beginers All-purpose Symbolic Introduction Code) was written in 1964 as a teaching language. It is a general purpose language which is interactive i.e. data can be input while the program is running. It is quite easy for beginners to learn and is very userfriendly e.g. it displays helpful error messages to tell the user when he has made a mistake. But there are different dialects of BASIC, which makes it difficult to use the same program on two different makes of computer.

C is developed to support UNIX operating system. C is a general-purpose language.

Other well known languages include FORTH, ALP, ADA, PL/I, PROLOG, RPG, COMAL and APT.

When a program is designed to do a specific type of work it is called an application program.

• Find in the text equivalents to:

иметь дело с, краткое описание, решать проблемы, перфокарта, большая ЭВМ, пригодный для, язык общего назначения, вести начало от/ датироваться, искусственный интеллект, запускать программу, появиться, происходить от, лёгкий в использовании, указание на ошибку, прикладная программа.