13. Decide whether the statements are true or false and correct false sentences.

1. The first generation computers were slow by today’s standards.

2. The second generation computers began in 1940s.

3. Artificial intelligence needs new methods of program organization and construction.

4. The third generation computers had transistors instead of silicon chips.

5. All computers of the present time, from the microcomputer to the supercomputer, belong to the fifth generation.

6. A knowledge base is more flexible and less structural than a database.

7. The fifth generation computer will not only differ in size, speed, and storage capacity.

14. Ask your classmates

1) what computers belong to the first generation; 2) about the difference between the 2^nd and 3^rd generation computers; 3) when the fourth generation computers began; 4) about the difference between the 4^th and 5^th generation computer systems; 5) what problems of the fifth generation computers researchers work at; 6) about the categories of artificial intelligence application.

15. Tell the group about the scientists who contributed to the development of computers.

16. Give the historical account of the computers evolution.

17. Compare the main characteristics of the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th generations computer systems.

18. Discuss with your partner the future computer development.

19. Get ready to speak on the topic “From the History of Computer Development”.

20. Translate the text in a written form using a dictionary.

Computerland

The oldest electronic machines of the Boston computer museum were designed soon after World War II. The first IBM personal computer appeared in 1981, but 5-10 years in the computer world seem to be a century.

Not long ago Oliver Streampel, one of the museum research workers, proposed to build up such a computer that one could walk inside of it. It took a group of enthusiasts a year to construct this museum exhibit. Its keyboard is about 7.5 meters long, and diskettes are 1.8 meter in diameter. All visitors can have a look of the opposite side of the screen and make sense how the computer operates.

But the most unusual section in the museum is “History of computer development”. There is a mechanical calculating device which was used for the census of the population in the USA in 1890. One can also find NEC electronic computer that controlled the Moon expedition of the American astronauts, and the first commercial computer UNIVAC (1951) that predicted an election victory for president Eisenhower.

Notes

¹census — перепись

²to predict — предсказывать

³election — выборы

21. Write down 5 questions of different types that you would ask Mr. Streampel if you were a visitor of the museum.

22. Supplementary reading Appendix 1 Texts 4, 5.

УЭ-3

1. Answer the following questions. Use the prompts given in brackets.

1. How often do you use computer? (every day, often, once a week, once a fortnight, rare, never)

2. What for do you use it? (to play computer games, to watch films and cartoons, to write course papers and reports, to get information with the help of the Internet)

2. Now ask three of your group mates the following yes/no questions, make notes and give the information to the rest of the class.

	S1	S2	S3
Are you afraid of using computers?
Is it difficult for you to set up a program?
Can you use a food processor1?
Are you interested in studying programming languages?
Can you change a bulb2?

¹a food processor – кухонный комбайн

²a bulb – лампочка