Text A

Electronics helps man

Our age has been called a variety of things: the Space Age, the Electronic Age, the Atomic Age, etc. One of them, however, is very exact and that is the Age of Automation.

Automation is considered to be the highest stage in the development of technology. It has made the development of rocket production and nuclear industry possible. Automation

is known to be very effective in continuous cycle production rolled stock production and operation of thermal and hydropower plants. Automation of production processes is impossible without automatic control; the required machines based on electronic computation. Electronic computing techniques find broad application in many spheres and are a basis for the devel­opment of modern program-controlled machine tools and the controlling of spaceship flights. The following can be given as examples of how electronics helps man.

The letters at the General Post Office are now handled by electronic automats. Not long ago hundreds of women sorted letters arriving from all the world by hand. Now, one girl sits at a control panel watching a screen which is like that of a television set. The address appears on the screen and the girl having read the number of the post office to which the letter is addressed presses the necessary button and the envelope is conveyed to the mail bag which is then taken to the post office indicated on the envelope.

A number of higher learning establishments are installing electronic data processing systems for the counting of educational data. Automatic translating machines, computer-based teaching devices and other different applications of computer technology are the things which help people in their life, work and study.

Grammar and lexical exercises

1. Put 10 questions to the text and answer them.

II. Translate the following sentences with emphatic inversion.

1. It is the programme that ensures the execution of all operations assighed to the computer. 2. It is the programmist that is the connecting link between the computer and the problem it has to solve. 3. It was not until the 20th century that electronic computers were constructed and put into operation. 4. It was 50 years ago when the first relay machine capable of adding two 23-digit numbers in 0,3 sec was completed.

III. Change the following sentences using the inversion and translate them into Ukrainian.

Patterns: A. If I were in your place, I should do this work myself. Were I in your place, і should do this work myself. B. If he had known the subject better, he wouldn't have failed in his exam. Had he known the subject better, he wouldn't have failed in his exam.

1. If it were necessary to increase the speed of this particular engine, it could be achieved by using a special device. 2. If the road had been better, we should have been here in due time. 3. If the engineer had been informed of the results before, he would have allowed you to repeat the test. 4. If we had used new methods, we should have saved much time. 5. The plan would not have been filfilled in time if the people had not worked with such energy. 6. If the oil supply had stopped even for a moment, serious damage might have resulted. 7. If the mechanic were there, he would repair the equipment. 8. If the air within the cylinder were motion less, only a small proportion of the fuel would find enough oxygen. 9. If the book on that subject were available in our library, I should be able to make a good report. 10. If he had all the necessary materials, he would accomplish his model in time.