Computers

(1) Generally, any device that can perform numerical calculations, even an adding machine, may be called a computer but nowadays this term is used especially for digital computers. Computers that once weighed 30 tons now may weigh as little as 1.8 kilograms. Microchips and microprocessors have considerably reduced the cost of the electronic components required in a computer. Computers come in many sizes and shapes such as special-purpose, laptop, desktop, minicomputers, supercomputers.

(2) Special-purpose computers can perform specific tasks and their operations are limited to the programmes built into their microchips. There computers are the basis for electronic calculators and can be found in thousands of electronic products, including digital watches and automobiles. Basically, these computers do the ordinary arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

(3) General-purpose computers are much more powerful because they can accept new sets of instructions. The smallest fully functional computers are called laptop computers. Most of the general-purpose computers known as personal or desktop computers can perform almost 5 million operations per second.

(4) Today's personal computers are know to be used for different purposes: for testing new theories or models that cannot be examined with experiments, as valuable educational tools due to various encyclopedias, dictionaries, educational programmes, in book-keeping, accounting and management. Proper application of computing equipment in different industries is likely to result in proper management, effective distribution of materials and resources, more efficient production and trade.

(5) Minicomputers are high-speed computers that have greater data manipulating capabilities than personal computers do and that can be used simultaneously by many users. These machines are primarily used by larger businesses or by large research and university centers. The speed and power of supercomputers, the highest class of computers, are almost beyond comprehension, and their capabilities are continually being improved. The most complex of these machines can perform nearly 32 billion calculations per second and store 1 billion characters in memory at one time, and can do in one hour what a desktop computer would take 40 years to do.

IX. Письменно ответьте на вопросы.

1. What are the main types of computers?

2. How do the computers differ in size and methods of their application?

3. What are the main trends in the development of the computer technology?

Вариант 2

I. Перепишите следующие предложения. Определите по грамматическим признакам, какой частью речи являются слова, оформленные окончанием -s и какую функцию это окончание выполняет, т. Е. Служит ли оно:

а) показателем 3 - го лица единственного числа в Present Indefinite;

б) признаком множественного числа имени существительного;

в) показателем притяжательного падежа имени существительного (см. образец выполнения 1)

Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. The foundation of Voronezh dates back to the 12 century.

2. The author mentions this phenomenon in his article.

3. She wants her parents to listen to her opinion.

4. Both Russian and foreign artists take part in the performances of the Voronezh Circus.

5. My sister’s flat is in Kiev

II. Переведите следующие предложения, содержащие разные формы сравнения, и переведите их на русский язык.

1. The Volga Hydro-Electric Power Station is the biggest in Europe.

2. The more experiments we carry out, the more data we obtain.

3. Today we have less free time than yesterday.

4. This translation is more difficult than the one we did together.

5. This boy is the oldest of the sons in the family.

6. Your room is as light as mine.

III. Заполните пропуски глаголами to be, to have в Present, Past, Future Indefinite. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. They … old friends.

2. I … a teacher.

3. They … a new car.

4. The exercises in the last lesson … difficult.

5. She … our new teacher next term.

IV. Перепишите следующие предложения, определите в них видо - временные формы глаголов и укажите их инфинитив, переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. Leningrad rose from its ashes more beautiful than before.

2. Some parents neglect their children.

3. He works too much. He works 6 days a week.

4. We finished our work last week.

5. When I got to Novosibirsk, my friend had gone to Moscow.

6. His mother was making supper in the kitchen when I came in.

7. They will have dinner at that time.

V. Употребите нужную форму местоимений: личные, притяжательные, вопросительные, ука­зательные, относительные.

1. (We) . . . son goes to school.

2. She lives near (we, us) … .

3. (Their, theirs) knowledge of the subject is not much superior to (our, ours).

4. (This, these, that, those)... exercises are very easy.

VI. Перепишите и письменно переведите предложения на русский язык, обращая внимание на перевод неопределенных местоимений и их производных.

1. Is there anybody in the doctor's consulting room? — No, there is nobody there.

2. There are some books in English in our library.

3. There is nobody in the garden.

4. Is there anybody in our room?

VII. Перепишите следующие предложения, подчеркните в каждом из них модальный глагол и его эквивалент. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. Не can't walk much.

2. Her heart is weak; she must take treatment at hospital.

3. I see no reasons why you should master this language within a year.

4. He may know about everything but doesn't want to tell us.

5. He doesn't have to get up at 6 o'clock.

VIII. Прочтите и устно переведите текст. Письменно переведите 1-2 абзацы.