What is a computer?

Computers are fast and efficient machines that can do in seconds what would take a person hours, days, or even months. They have become an important part of our lives.

Since the first-generation computers were designed and built in the 1940s and 50s, computers have become very sophisticated and complex machines. Computers have decreased greatly in price. Computer technology changed the way we live and created problems. Computers have created new ways to commit fraud, and they have posed new ethical problems. Every day we hear about new uses of the computer. Computers are used more and more in business, industry, agriculture, at home.

An important use of computers is in education. It is called computer assisted instruction. It is becoming more and more popular at all levels of education from pre-school to university. There are computer games that teach 3-year-olds how to read and spell. Starting in kindergarten, computers are used in the classroom to allow students to work without a teacher on subjects ranging from mathematics to reading, and from history to English.

Many people fear the computer because they do not really understand it. “Computer literacy” is a new term used to describe a working knowledge of the computer and a familiarity with the terminology. The growth of computer technologies has eliminated many jobs. But computers create as many jobs as they take away.

So, what is a computer? A computer is a high-speed electronic machine used for word and data processing. In its simplest configuration, a computer system consists of three components. These parts are an input device (keyboard), the central processing unit (CPU), and an output device (printer). These are usually referred to as “hardware”. Software is needed to make this hardware capable of performing useful operations. Software is a collection of different types of programs that make the computer run.

The keyboard is the most common input device. Once the programs and data are typed on the terminal keyboard, they are transferred into the computer memory. The typed material appears either on paper or on a screen.

The central processing unit is the brain and the heart of the computer system.

The memory of the computer is its storage area. The capacity of the memory is measured in thousands of characters, usually referred to as kilos of bytes. Each byte can store one character. For example, if the word English were to be stored in memory, it would use seven bytes. Each letter would use one byte for a total of seven. A small system with 8 K bytes (8 kilos of bytes) has a main storage area of approximately eight thousand characters.

The control unit is the chief executive of the computer system. All the other components of the computer are directed by the control unit. It supervises all the operations in the system. The control unit gets the instructions from memory, executes them, and orders the input and output devices to perform. The memory and the control unit are parts of the central processing unit.

Task 5.

Find in the text English equivalents to the following Ukrainian words and word combinations:

універсальний комп’ютер, значно більша швидкість та точність, блок пам’яті, надсилати сигнал, обробляти дані, дослідницькі центри, широко застосовувати, блок управління, важлива частина життя, складні машини, значно подорожчати, допоміжні інструкції, “комп’ютерна грамотність”, обробка даних, контролювати операції системи.

Task 6.

Match the following terms with their definitions:

A computer	is	the most common input device.
The central processing unit		a collection of different types of programs that make the computer run.
The keyboard		its storage area.
The memory of the computer		a high-speed electronic machine used for word and data processing.
Software		the supervisor of all the operations in the system.
The control unit		the brain and the heart of the computer system.

Task 7.

Find in the text above antonyms to the following words:

slow, undo, unimportant, simple, increase, old, less, to forbid, decline, input, soft, disappear, the same, to give.

Task 8.

Translate into Ukrainian the following English word combinations:

fast and efficient machines, first-generation, sophisticated and complex, to create, to commit fraud, to pose, to allow, to fear, computer literacy, to eliminate, data processing, in its simplest configuration, input device (keyboard), central processing unit (CPU), output device (printer), hardware, programs and data, computer memory, screen, storage area, the capacity of the memory, to store, character, byte, to supervise, vast improvements, research laboratories.

Task 9.

Find the odd word out in each of these short lists:

1. quick, fast, slow, rapid;

2. printer, keyboard, vacuum cleaner, scanner;

3. device, pool, tool, instrument;

4. date, information, data, fact.

Task 10.

Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Сучасні комп’ютери – це швидкі та складні машини.

2. Комп’ютери використовуються в таких сферах, як промисловість, навчання, сільське господарство та ін.

3. З часом комп’ютери замінюють працівників в одній сфері, але створюють робочі місця в іншій.

4. Основна функція комп’ютера – це збереження та обробка даних.

5. Ми можемо ввести дані в комп’ютер за допомогою клавіатури, а вивести за допомогою принтеру.

6. Серце комп’ютера – це блок управління, який керує всіма процесами.

Task 11.	Pick up from the text all the words relating to the topic COMPUTER:
computer, to store, …

Task 12.

Work in pairs. Imagine that one of you wants to buy a computer (buyer), and the second is well-informed about computers (seller). Make up the dialogue and dramatize it. Use the words from Task 11.

Task 13.

Write a short story on the topic: “Computer: is it good or bad?” Think about advantages and disadvantages of computer.

Words and word combinations to be memorized:
	agriculture	сільське господарство
	central processing unit (CPU)	центральний процесор
	character	символ, літера, знак
	to commit	здійснювати
	control unit	блок управління
	to decrease	зменшувати
	to direct	управляти, спрямовувати
	efficient	результативний, ефективний
	to eliminate	ліквідувати, усувати
	to execute	виконувати
	familiarity	знання, ознайомленість
	to fear	боятися
	first-generation computers	комп’ютери першого покоління
	fraud	шахрайство
	hardware	технічне забезпечення
	input device	вхідний пристрій
	output device	пристрій виводу даних
	to perform	виконувати, здійснювати
	to pose	формулювати, пропонувати
	software	програмне забезпечення
	sophisticated	складний, удосконалений
	to spell	вимовляти (по літерах)
	storage area	ділянка пам’яті
	to store	зберігати
	to supervise	наглядати, спостерігати

UNIT 5	ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY I
Task 1.	Think about the answers to the following questions. Compare your answers with your partner’s: What is the environment? What are the interrelations between man and nature?

Task 2.

Discuss in your group if there is any connection between economic and technological development and ecology problems. Present your ideas in a few words.

Task 3.

Before reading the text pay attention to the pronunciation of the ending ‘-ed’:

1. remained, changed, increased, conquered, tried, solved, suffered, survived, dared, struggled, combined;

2. developed, worked, perished, finished, linked;

3. complicated, interrelated, protected, activated, effected, polluted, landed, resulted.

Task 4.	You are going to read about economic and technological development and ecology problems. Define whether the following statements based on the text are true “+” or false “-”.
During centuries man was trying to live in harmony with nature, but did not survive.
A lot of animal and plant species suffer from industrial activity of man.
The main problem of environmental protection is acid rains.
To solve the ecological problem we have to work in cooperation.