UNIT 13. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES. GRAMMAR REVISION

Unit 13 programming languages

Answer the questions. Then discuss in pairs.

1) How long have you been using the computer?

2) Can you program on your computer? What do you need to make programs?

3) What programming languages have you already known? Which ones are you studying at the moment?

Vocabulary Bank Unit 13

Task 1. Read, write the translation and learn the basic vocabulary terms:

1. abstraction

2. addition

3. arbitrary text files

4. assembly code

5. assembly languages

6. asset management

7. binary values

8. built-in

9. compiler

10. concerned

11. concurrency

12. convenient

13. debugged

14. deficiency

15. designate

16. discretion

17. ease-to-use

18. encapsulation

19. encourage

20. establish

21. evolve

22. executable file

23. execution

24. extension language

25. facilitate

26. full-fledged application

27. garbage

28. high-level languages

29. human-like words

30. implement

31. in order to run

32. inherent cross-platform

33. interpreter

34. low-level languages

35. mnemonic

36. natural languages

37. notation

38. object code

39. object-oriented programming

40. permanently

41. problem-oriented languages

42. procedural languages

43. query languages

44. realm

45. robust

46. source code

47. specificity

48. standpoint

49. statement

50. to hide

51. to interface

52. to join

53. usabilit

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Text 13a. Types of programming languages

Programming languages are classified as first-, second-, third-, fourth-, or fifth- generation languages, according to when they were developed and how sophisticated they are. The first- and second-generation languages are very difficult to use and are considered low-level languages. The others are sometimes called high-level languages.

Machine Languages

Machine languages are the first generation of programming languages; these languages consist of instructions the computer is actually built to execute. Since at the hardware level computers understand only binary notation (1s and 0s), programming with a machine language requires writing out the binary values of the program instructions. A simple machine-language command might be 10101001 10101010 1011101011010100. Machine languages vary from one model of computer to another, as each model of a processor is built differently. Machine languages are difficult to understand and use, so they are rarely used directly by programmers today. Since the computer understands only machine language, however, any program written in any other language must be translated into machine language in order to run.

Assembly Languages

Assembly languages are the second-generation programming languages and first to use alphanumeric symbols to write a code. The creation of assembly languages depended on the development, using a machine language, of an assembler. An assembler is a program that translates the assembly code into machine language. It is necessary to have one assembler for each kind of assembly language and for each kind of computer used.

Assembly languages are the simplest improvement over machine language; their commands are simple mnemonic codes that stand for the binary instructions of a machine code. When programmers need to deal with the computer directly, they use assembly language; because it is so close to the hardware level, it is possible to write very efficient programs in assembly language. That same closeness to the hardware level, however, is what makes assembly languages difficult to use for large programming projects. Therefore, most assembly programming today is used for writing small modules that can be included in larger programs written in more convenient languages.