The definition of mechanical brain

Let's imagine a railroad line with four stations marked input, storage, computer and output. These stations are joined by little gates or switches to the main railroad line. We can imagine that numbers and other information move along this railroad line, loaded in railway cars. Input and output are stations where numbers or other information go in and come out respectively. Storage is a station where there are many platforms and where information can be stored. The computer is a special station, somewhat like a factory. When two numbers are loaded on platforms 1 and 2 of this station and the command is loaded on platform 3, then another number is produced on platform 4.

There is a tower marked control. This tower runs a telegraph line to each of its little watchmen standing by the gates. The tower tells them when to open and when to shut which gates. Now we can see that as soon as the right gates are shut, cars loaded with information can move between stations. So by closing the right gates, we can flash (передавать) numbers and information through the system and perform logical operations. Thus, we receive a mechanical brain.

In general, a mechanical brain is made up of: а quantity of registers where information can be stored; channels along which information can be sent; mechanisms that carry out arithmetic and logical operations; a control, which guides the machine to perform a sequence of operations; input and output devices, where information can go into and out of the machine; and at last electricity, which provides energy.

UNIT FIVE SOFTWARE

Ex. 1. Practice the reading of the following words and phrases:

mechanical, physical, component, effective, category, functioning, to group, command, to stimulate, company, corporation, commercial, specially, strategy, to patent, studio, illustration, standard, popularity, popularized, popularizing, animation, to publish, publisher;

visual effects, multibillion-dollar industry, standardized components, multimedia technology, virtual reality.

Ex. 2. Revise the following words from your school active vocabulary:

to worry, to sell, to pay, to continue, to want, to teach; job, installation; possible, successful, free, together, each, during.

Ex. 3. Memorize the following words.

to complete – 1) завершать; заканчивать; 2) выполнять, осуществлять complete – 1) полный, завершённый; 2) укомплектованный to boot (up) –загружать, выполнять начальную загрузку boot – загрузка to run (ran, run)–1) выполнять [программу];2) запускать [программу] to run a company – управлять компанией to advance – двигаться, перемещаться, продвигаться advance – успех, прогресс, достижение in advance – заранее, заблаговременно to provide – 1) обеспечивать, снабжать (with – чем-л.); 2) давать, предоставлять to keep track – отслеживать, следить directory – 1) каталог, директория; 2) справочник folder – папка to manage – 1) управлять, координировать; 2) суметь [сделать что-л.] to support – поддерживать support – поддержка to secure–защищать; обеспечивать защиту (безопасность) Syn: to protect secure – безопасный, защищённый, надёжный security – защита, безопасность Syn: protection mode – 1) режим (работы); 2) способ, метод, принцип to place – помещать, размещать to debug – отлаживать [программу, аппаратуру],устранять неполадки to embed –встраивать,вмонтировать to fall into (fell, fallen) – делиться на [категории и т. п.] to offer – предлагать Syn: to propose, to suggest offer – предложение Syn: proposal, suggestion profit – доход, прибыль profitable – выгодный, рентабельный to plug – подключать (into – к чему-л.) plug – штепсель, штекер to estimate–оценивать, приблизительно подсчитывать estimate, estimation – приблизительная оценка, расчет estimated–примерный, приблизительный major – 1) большой, крупный; 2) главный, основной, важный majority – большинство to attempt – пытаться, пробовать attempt –попытка to last – 1) длиться, продолжаться; 2) служить [о машине и т.п.] last – последний, прошлый to appear – появляться variety – множество, ряд to demand – требовать, запрашивать demand – требование, спрос to meet demand(s) – соответствовать требованиям; удовлетворять спрос to be in demand – пользоваться спросом to respond – отвечать, реагировать (to – на что-л.) response – ответ, реакция compatible – совместимый compatibility – совместимость to simplify–упрощать simplicity – простота to repair – ремонтировать Syn: to fix repair – ремонт

Ex. 4. Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the italicized words.

1. A warning message appears on the display when there is an error in the program.

2. Modern washing machines, microwave ovens and other appliances are manufactured with embedded microchips to manage their operation.

3. The crime level has dropped since the security video cameras were installed in the city centre.

4. Most of the translation done by the computer was complete nonsense.

5. The software company has placed a bug fix [корректор ошибок] on its website. A bug fix is a program that will remove the error from the program.

6. Home page is the main page of a Web site used to greet visitors, provide information about the site, or to direct the viewer to other pages on the site.

7. Your phone can be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket in your car.

8. This model has hardware problems and a high price that is why it is in poor demand.

9. I’ll run a diagnostic test to see why the server keeps crashing.

10. To debug the program means to detect and correct programming mistakes, which are commonly called bugs. The term bug was coined in the early 1940s, when programmers looking for the cause of a strange malfunction [сбой, неисправность] in the huge Mark I computer discovered a moth in one of the electrical switches. Thereafter, the programmers referred to their activity as debugging.

11. Different business computer games include such tasks as to stay in the business the longest, to make the most profit, etc.

12. Disk Operating System (abbreviated DOS) is a term describing any operating system that is booted from disk devices.

13. I should warn you in advance that I am not a very experienced user.

14. Since anyone can enter your folder on a computer, you'd better protect important files with a password.

15. Technological advances allowed computer programmers to create computer games with ever more sophisticated graphics.

Ex. 5. Fill in the gaps with the required words.

More than fifty people ___ to the advertisement on the Internet. The manager of the company ___ to introduce a system of identity cards. ___ in medical science may make it possible for people to live for 150 years. The firm ___ a complete service of computer diagnosis and ___, with guarantees. The complete works of Shakespeare can be ___ now on one CD. The main menu will ___ on the screen whenever you turn on the computer. If your password gets known by anyone else, your data may not be ___. To put the VCR in record ___, you press record and play simultaneously. The booklet offers a ___ of practical advice to first-time computer users. Internet service providers ___ Internet access to customers, usually for a monthly fee. The ___ of small businesses now do their banking online. To prevent [предотвращать] unauthorized access to messages, voice mail can be ___ by a password (usually a sequence of numbers). It is hard to ___ how many households have personal computers. Treat your keyboard with care and it will ___ for years. The movie has created a huge ___ for the books and related products.

advances appear demand estimate last majority mode offers placed proposed protected provide repair responded secure variety

Ex. 6. Choose the required word(s) to complete each sentence.

1. For the [demand, variety, profit, security] of passengers, all hand baggage is carefully checked at the airport.

2. The process of removing the bugs from a computer program is called [attempt, debugging, completing, estimating].

3. The program was [protected, simplified, demanded, supported] so that the inexperienced user could master it.

4. This is a [compatible, secure, profitable, complete] list of educational publishers in Britain.

5. According to Sun Microsystems' [demand, estimation, offer, attempt], there are more than 700 000 developers using Java technology today.

6. An input device [attempts, demands, provides, keeps track] communication between the computer and the user.

7. The majority of users are attracted to Microsoft Windows by its [response, resolution, compatibility, simplicity].

8. In theory, these machines should [advance, last, complete, support] for 10 years or more.

9. A [mode, profit, folder, plug] is a small plastic object with two or three metal pins that connects an electrical device to the source of electric energy.

10. We will continue to provide free technical [majority, variety, support, demand] for customers still using previous versions of the software.

Ex. 7. Match the beginnings and ends of these sentences.

It is said that debugging is the art of taking bugs out, while… To get out of the 'auto' mode on the digital camera… They made a huge profit when… The police are offering a reward for… Copy protection is a "lock" placed on a computer program by its developer… This is a new version of a video game… A computer is embedded into the engine… The money will be used to provide… The furniture comes complete with… To run a program… The bank has provided the company with a three-year loan… This button advances the tape…

the school with new computer equipment. to provide information about automobile performance. just double-click on the icon. turn the knob to 'M'. to prevent the product from being copied and distributed without authorization. to the beginning of the next track. programming is the art of putting them in. tools and instructions for assembly. for acquiring high-tech equipment. simplified specially for young children. any information about the shooting in the city centre. they sold the computer business.

Ex. 8. (A) Copy the words. Put the sign either = or ≠ between the following pairs of words according to the model: to install ≠ to deinstall, to use = to apply.

major  principal compatible  incompatible significant  considerable simple  complicated

insecure  dangerous similar dissimilar producer  manufacturer security  safety

to attempt  to try to appear  to disappear to apply  to employ

(B) Fill in the gaps with the words given above.

1. New computer software is often ___ with older computers.

2. Pascal went ahead with the experiment even though he knew it was ___.

3. Strict ___ measures were in force during the President's visit.

4. Do not ___ to repair the printer yourself.

5. To increase their profits, firms usually aim to ___ the most efficient and advanced technique.

6. Always follow the instructions of the ___.

7. The procedure for creating a new file is very ___.

8. The BBC will show all the ___ games of the tournament.

9. E-commerce is a ___ way of buying goods and paying for them on the Internet.

10. The discovery marks a ___ technological advance.

11. Installation of the ___ system will take several days.

12. Apple Computer, Inc. is a ___ manufacturer of personal computers with headquarters in Cupertino, California.

13. Various countries have enacted [принимать] data protection laws, which are ___ in general but significantly ___ in detail.

14. The company has invested a ___ sum of money in ergonomic workstations.

15. In an interview, ___ to ask questions that don’t just need ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ as an answer.

16. The test is ___ to diagnose a variety of diseases.

17. Defective goods should be returned to the ___.

18. It is dangerous to drive without putting on ___ belts.

19. The new system will be ___ with existing equipment.

20. Computer engineers consider that a new generation of more powerful PCs will ___ in the nearest future.

Ex. 9. Give English equivalents to the italicized words. Mind your Grammar!

1. Жёсткие диски предоставляют более быстрый доступ к данным, чем дискеты and могут хранить much more information.

2. The next step in the development of computer memory began with the внедрения интегральных схем, which позволило multiple transistors to be разместить on one chip.

3. During the ремонтный works, a временный wall будет поддерживать the ceiling.

4. Companies могут предложить безопасные credit card transactions over the Internet.

5. The instructions to the установке of the program were довольно сложные and I обратился к the specialist for assistance.

6. An operating system отслеживает of each file’s местоположение.

7. Are the Web pages that you want to просмотреть WAP совместимые?

8. After the изобретения of the transistor, there was a great прогресс in the development of electronic устройств.

9. The plant увеличил the производство of hardware components чтобы удовлетворить an ever-increasing спрос for laptops.

10. The phone поддерживает multimedia messaging.

11. We пытаемся отвечать на all email enquiries within 24 hours.

12. Our anti-virus software обеспечивает complete защиту against all known viruses.