1838

SECTION 3

1. Learn the words and word combinations:

2. Read and translate the text:

The uses of computers have evolved over time. Early computers were quite capable of «number crunching» therefore book-keeping and accounting were logical areas of business where computers were introduced.

These early applications of computer systems in business involved finding, organizing, and displaying data. Systems such as these are known as Low Power Main Frame systems. High power mainframe systems involve processes such as modeling and predicting. This is much more complex than simply displaying data and requires much more processing power than is present in Low Power Main Frame systems. The application of desktop PCs in business became more common as hardware became smaller and cheaper. Management is able to use technology to aid their decision making as well as speeding up the work they need to do.

Problems occur within businesses that employ programmers to develop application software to be used throughout the business. Often, the businesses become dependant upon the programmers for support and maintenance of the systems. These employees often leave or move jobs after a few years. It is common for hardly any documentation to be left behind which leads to problems. Those left to run and operate the system do not know how it works.

The typical reason for a lack of documentation for systems is that the development of it was rushed. Getting the system up and running in the short term would have

been the priority whereas producing documentation for its long-term maintenance would have been left as something unnecessary.

Management within a business has the following functions: planning (setting goals / policies etc...); organizing; controlling resources; directing; controlling. Management information has to be entered into the system as raw data initially. It is important that the information is correct or at least valid. Entries into a system can often be checked on entry for validity. Users can be prompted to check the data they entered is correct on entry (opposed to after the data has been saved).

An «Information System» or «Human System» involves the application of computers to support business. Blase Pascal said, «By following instructions, anybody can do complex calculations». This process of following instructions can be automated though by making machines, which follow instructions. A set of unambiguous, ordered instructions is known as an algorithm. An algorithm describes a process.

The word «system» appears many times in the computing world. Consider the following: Operating System; Database Management System (DBMS); System Design / Analysis / Testing / Software; Interactive System; File System; Expert System; Distributed System. A System is a collection of parts / components with a defined structure. It has an overall purpose and may involve external interaction. Important facts about a Computer System:

The function of the system is always related to machines (not humans) which compute / calculate

The connections involved in the system relate to data flows

The system is artificial (i.e. it has been engineered)

The system boundaries are arbitrary (i.e. they are chosen by the designer) Systems can exist within other systems. For example, the motherboard of a

computer can be viewed as a complete system but it itself is within another system consisting of the computer hardware and peripherals.

In a business, there are various types of employees with different assigned tasks. When analyzing a business system it is important to understand the details of the processes that go on within the organization that involve the employees. There are flows between the business and its customers as well as the business and the factory. These flows are both physical goods as well as information (e.g. invoices, purchase orders [out], and sales orders [in]).

3. Continue the sentences:

1.Early computers were …

2.Systems such as these are known …

3.This is much more complex than …

4.Management is able to …

5.It is common for …

6.The typical reason for …

7.It is important that …

8.Users can be prompted to …

9.This process of …

10.A set of …

11.The function of the system is …

12.Systems can exist …

13.There are flows …

4.Write down the key words and а summary of the text in English.

5.Choose the right variants and fill in the gaps:

А) _______ combines the advantage of writing with the responsiveness of the

В) Before __________ the graph or chart, prepare the audience for it. а) shown b) show c) showing d) to show

С) What is your current job title? – _______________________________. а) I am twenty years old. c) My salary is rather high.

b) I am a programmer. d) My interests include swimming and reading.

D) A _____________ has the purpose of helping the decision making process assigned to management.

5. Put the parts of the business letter in correct order:

SECTION 4

1. Learn the words and word combinations:

2. Read and translate the text:

The following text describes a business system that involves people and business transaction processing. It is important to be able to describe a system using text as well as other graphical methods.

When a sale order arrives, a dispatch note is sent to the Shipping department. The goods are then delivered to the customer and confirmation is returned to the Sales department. A copy of the order is given to the Finance department and Accounting. An invoice is then sent out to the customer and a payment is sent to the business by the customer. The Buying department sends out a purchase order after being informed about the recent sales that have caused a decrease in stock. The ordered goods are received most likely with an invoice at the same time. Payment is then made by the Finance department.

Computers could be implemented to automate some of the processes stated above. Processes that involve calculations such as the monitoring of the stock levels would be ideal for computerization. A database of customers and stock items could be

designed for more efficient transaction processing. This would enable the quick production of invoices without the need to enter customers' details or product details every time an invoice is produced.

The following list shows what a typical invoice may contain and from what source the information is gained from.

–Customer Name (from customer initially, then from customer file) / Customer Number (from customer file) / Invoice address (from customer initially, then from customer file);

–Order Number (assigned uniquely each time) / Reference (from customer each time) / Total VAT (calculated each time) / Total Amount Payable (calculated each time);

–Item Number (from product file) / Description (from product file) / Price (from product file) / Quantity (from customer each time).

Given the Customer and Item Number for example, the VAT rate can be calculated automatically. This saves user time and reduces the risk of errors. The ability to override these types of automated calculations is still a necessity.

It is important to note that problems will always occur within a business and must be planned for. Communication problems can cause wrong items to be selected for customers or goods can be damaged for example. A business transaction processing system must be able to handle orders that go wrong. Splitting orders, canceling / rescheduling delivery must all be taken into consideration.

A system consists of inputs, components and outputs. Inputs involve materials or information entering the system, which are then changed by the elements within the system (the components). The components that make up the overall system can be described as sub-systems. The output from a system is made up of the items or pieces of information that leave the system. Within an Information System, there are people identified by role or position as follows: beneficial users; immediate users; related workers.

There is a boundary, which separates the contained system from its environment. Inputs and outputs come from and are put into this environment surrounding the system. The system has an organized structure within its boundaries where relationships and interactions occur between the different parts of the system. Good systems always have a purpose or well defined goal. An Open System exchanges input and output of some form with its environment whereas a Closed System does not interact with its environment.

An Information System can be defined as a collection of programs running on computers, which interact with each other as well as humans to provide the necessary information needed to make decisions within an organization. Several internal systems that link to each other, each being made up of multiple components, are nested systems.

«Cohesion» describes how well each sub-system within a system is designed around an individual task or function of the system. High (or «good») cohesion therefore means that the sub-system deals with a single function of the overall system and ONLY that function. This concept also applies to good object-orientated program design (e.g. Java).

«Coupling» refers to how independent each sub-system is in relation to other subsystems. Low (or «good») coupling means that a certain sub-system has limited interaction with other sub-systems and therefore is unaffected by changes that are carried out within other sub-systems.

Decision-making requires intelligence. Firstly, it is necessary to recognize the problem, and then a search for relevant information is made, resulting in an answer or solution. An information system can provide the information that allows the management to operate and make decisions.

3. Continue the sentences:

1.It is important to be able to …

2.Computers could be implemented to …

3.This would enable …

4.It is important to note that …

5.Communication problems can cause …

6.A system consists of …

7.The system has …

8.Several internal systems that link to each other,…

9.High cohesion therefore means that …

10.Low coupling means that …

4. Choose the correct translation of the word-combination

magnetic core memory

а) императивное программирование c) плоскостной транзистор b) запоминающее устройство на магнитных сердечниках d) игровая приставка

5. Choose the right variants and fill in the gaps:

C) In some cases, a computer might store some or all of its program in memory that is kept separate from the data it operates on. This is called the _______________ .

6. Fill in the gaps in the Memo choosing the proper word combinations:

1.____________: All members of staff, Central Branch

2.____________: George Pratt

3.____________: 5 December 2008

4.____________: PC USAGE

The board urgently requires feedback on your experience with PCs in Central Branch. I need to know for my report:

1.What do you personally use your PC for and your reasons for doing this?

2.What software do you use? Please, name the programs.

3.How many hours per day do you spend actually using it.

4.How has not your PC come up to your expectations?

5.What unanticipated uses have you found for your PC, that others may want to share?

Please FAX this information directly to me by 5 p.m. on Wednesday 7 December.

If you have any queries, please contact my assistant, Jane Simmons, who will be visiting you on Tuesday, 6 December.

Thank you for your help.

7. Define the type of the document:

NATIONAL INSTITUTION OF RETIRED PERSONS

May 13, 2016

Mr. John Clark

Attorney-at-Law

200 Center Str.

Freeport,

Vermont 66521

Dear Mr. Clark

I would like to thank you on behalf of my colleagues for your invitation to visit the seminar in Moscow on June 24-25. We consider this seminar as the further development of our mutually beneficial relations. We enclose here in our proposals for the agenda of the seminar.

We should be very grateful if you would let us know your opinion at a suitable time.

Yours sincerely, Andrew Polessky President

Библиографический список

Основная литература

1.Попов Е.Б. Английский язык для магистрантов / Е.Б. Попов. – М.: НИЦ ИНФРА-М, 2015. – 52с. ЭБС "Знаниум" – Режим доступа: http:// www.znanium. com/ – Загл. с экрана.

2.Дубинина Г.А. Английский язык: экономика и финансы (Majors) [Электронный ресурс]: рек. УМО по образованию в области финансов, учета и мировой экономики в качестве учебника / Г.А. Дубинина, И.Ф. Драчинская, Н.Г. Кондрахина; Финансовый университет при Правительстве РФ. – М.: Альфа-М: ИНФРА-М, 2011. – 176 с. – ЭБС "Знаниум". Режим доступа: http://www.znanium.com/ – Загл. с экрана.

Дополнительная литература

1.Литвинова Ю.А. Английский язык. Information technologies.

Информационные технологии [Текст] : учеб. пособие / Ю. А. Литвинова, И. В. Милованова, А. А. Илунина ; ВГЛТА. – Воронеж, 2014. – Электронная версия в ЭБС ВГЛТУ– Режим доступа: http://www.vglta.vrn.ru/BiblSite/elcat.htm – Загл. с

экрана.

2.Маньковская З. В. Идиомы и фразовые глаголы в деловом общении (английский язык) [Электронный ресурс]: Учебное пособие / З.В. Маньковская.

– М.: ИНФРА-М, 2011. – 184 с. – Электронная версия в ЭБС «Знаниум». – Режим доступа: http://www.znanium.com/ – Загл. с экрана.

3.Мюллер, В.К., Англо-русский словарь [Текст]/В.К. Мюллер. – М.: Локид-

Пресс, 2003. – 687 с.