Computers in our life

The word computer once meant a person who did computations, but now it refers to electronic devices. Computers can do much more than calculate. They help now to solve many important and complicated problems in science, engineering and business. Electronic devices are widely used in scientific research, industrial design and production; they control the work of plants and power stations, calculate the trajectories of spaceships and help people to discover new phenomena of nature. Computers can make tomorrow's weather forecast, translate from and into foreign languages as well as play chess, write poetry or compose music.

Since the invention of the Internet, computers have also been used to collect information from digital libraries situated all over the world, to send and get electronic messages (email), as well as to work, shop, and bank from home.

Computers save a lot of time and energy, operate at a great speed, store large quantities of information, carry out long and complex operations. How long does it take you to multiply the large numbers? In one third of a second, a computer can multiply two 128-digit numbers. In one second, it can add 4,000 five-digit numbers; in two seconds, it can solve 320 division problems. The same machine does the work of thousands of mathematicians faster and without the errors, which human beings can make.

The machine can display the results of data processing on a screen, can print them on paper, and store them away on magnetic tapes or disks. The electronic machine can give an accurate and fast answer or combination of possible answers from the information, which is stored on it. But ... it is human beings who think, who feed information into the machines. Computers work for us, but they do not think for us.

EXERCISES

Ex. 38. Search TEXT A for the English equivalents of the following Russian phrases.

1. решать важные задачи в науке, технике, коммерческой деятельности;

2. открывать новые явления природы;

3. составлять прогноз погоды на завтра;

4. отправлять электронное сообщение;

5. класть [деньги] в банк;

6. ошибки, которые могут сделать люди;

7. экономить много времени и денег;

8. выводить ответы на экран;

9. сохранить [информацию] на магнитных лентах или дисках;

10. ряд возможных ответов.

Ex. 39. Fill in the gaps with prepositions if necessary.

1. Today computers can translate ___ and ___ foreign languages.

2. They operate ___ a great speed.

3. Computers process a large volume ___ data ___ a short period ___ time.

4. Thanks to the Internet, people can work, shop and bank ___ home.

5. A modern computer can do 500,000 sums ___ second.

6. In schools, pupils learn how to operate ___ a computer.

7. Data can be input into the computer ___ floppy disks or compact disks.

8. Computer keyboards are similar ___ typewriter keyboards.

9. The speed ___ this computer translation is one page ___ 40 seconds.

10. Every time I tried to feed the data ___ the computer, it gave me an error message.

Ex. 40. Answer the questions.

1. What did the word computer mean in the past?

2. Does the word computer refer to an electronic device now?

3. Are computers used only for calculations now? What can they be used for?

4. What do you use the computer for?

5. Would you prefer to play chess with computer or with your friend? Why?

6. Can computers help in translating from and into Japanese or Spanish? What is your attitude towards machine translation?

7. How long does it take you to multiply two 127-digit numbers? How fast can computers do it?

8. Can you solve 320 division problems in a second? What about the computing machine?

9. What do people use the Internet for? What about you?

10. Have you ever tried to shop over the Internet? What did you buy?

Ex. 41. If you think a statement is false, change it to make it true.

1. Computers can solve now many accurate problems in science, engineering and business.

2. In the past, the word 'computer' referred to a person who did research.

3. Computers can make yesterday's weather forecast.

4. Electronic devices are sometimes used in scientific research and industrial design.

5. By means of the Internet, you can send written messages to your friend, who lives on the other continent.

6. Computers help people to invent new phenomena of nature.

7. Computers save a lot of time and money.

8. One computing machine can replace two mathematicians and does the calculation without any mistakes.

Ex. 42. Restore the interview given by the English sociologist to the correspondent of the journal 'Computer Press'.

Journalist: . . . . . . . . . . .

Sociologist: Computers are very popular in England today. 90 % of young people at the age of 12-19 are computer-literate.

Journalist: . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sociologist: 43% of them have computers at home and about 25 % use home computers every day.

Journalist: . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sociologist: 93 % of pupils operate computers at school.

Journalist: . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sociologist: 75 % of young Englishmen think that computers make their life easier and more interesting and the knowledge of a computer helps to find a good job.

Journalist: Are there any social problems of computer technology in England?

Sociologist: . . . . . . . . . . .

Ex. 43. Read and translate TEXT B, using a dictionary.