1 курс - 2 семестр / Unit 14 - FROM THE HISTORY OF COMPUTER

FROM THE HISTORY OF COMPUTER

2. Read and translate the text:

The educated man of 200 years ago did not need to know anything about science. The educated man of 25 - 30 years ago did not need to know anything about computers. But the educated man of today needs to have some significant knowledge of science and a little significant knowledge about computers.

The computer is no doubt the most amazing achievement of mankind. It is a data storage system created by man. A human tells the machine what to do, when to do it and how it should be done.

The word computer comes from a Latin word which means to count. Nearly one hundred and fifty years ago there were no such things as computers. Knotted ropes, marks in clay, the abacus are all methods of keeping track of numbers.

In 1833 an English inventor and mathematician Charles Babbage, professor of Cambridge University designed the first computer. But he never built it. If Babbage had been able to get enough money to build the computer, the analytical engine would have been as big as a locomotive. It would have been able to store 1,000 50-digit numbers.

During the 70 years following Babbage's death in 1871, computer scientists improved on Babbage's original idea. In 1939, Harvard University physicist Howard Aiken built the forerunner of today's computer. It used thousands of electrical switches that clicked on and off to compute data. It was much slower than later computers, which use electronic components instead of switches. In our country the first electronic digital computer MACM was constructed by the Ukrainian Academician S.O.Lebedev in 1950.

Invention of electronic computers is one of the greatest achievements of mankind. The significance of it can be compared with the invention of the steam-engine and the utilization of atomic energy.

Nowadays computers greatly increase man's thinking capabilities of planning, analyzing, computing and controlling. Hundreds of computers are already in daily use. They penetrate almost into all spheres of our modern society, from nuclear energy production and missile design to the processing of bank checks, weather forecasting, manufacturing, research and medical diagnoses. Computers are everywhere. You can use a computer to write a letter, design a house, draw a picture or exchange messages with someone around the world.

Computer technology is a rapidly growing industry. According to the technical experts it is very educational. They say that computers help children to learn much more quickly. In some Japanese elementary schools there are already lessons on using computers. For older children the electronic diary was produced. There's also some equipment which is like an electronic teacher. This computer answers questions on all scholastic subjects from biology to geography. At home the computer is becoming a kind of technological grandmother. It sings nursery rhymes, tells fairy stories and helps with homework.

But young people's true passion is videogames. Some experts are alarmed. In their opinion, computers block the imagination and spontaneity of young people. And there are a lot of videogames which are violent and not educational.

from the history of the computer
significant	суттєвий
a forerunner	попередник
electrical switches	єлектроперемикачи
to doubt	сумніватись
achivement	досягнення
utilization	використання
missile design	проектування ракет
to be alarmed	бути стривоженим
passion	прbстрасть, захоплення
to penetrate	входити

1. Answer the questions:

1. What do you know about computers?

2. Who invented the first computer?

3. What role do computers play in our life?

4. Can you imagine your today's life without computer?

3. Translate the following sentences and make up 4 different questions to each of them:

1. Inventions of electronic computers have the greatest achievements.

2. Hundreds of computers are already in daily use.

3. Computer penetrates almost into all spheres of our modern society.

4. Find the “odd” word:

1. Country: ground, land, state, region.

2. Engine: machine, water, mechanism, motor.

3. Diary: appointment book, magazine, notebook, laptop.

4. Money: bank, cash, coin, currency.

5. Computer: hardware, keyboard, motherboard, CD player.

5. Match the words with their translations:

1. to store	a) глина
2. steam-engine	b) збільшувати
3. forerunner	c) ядерна енергія
4. instead of	d) накопичувати
5. measurement	e) обладнання
6. properties	f) попередник
7. nuclear energy	g) властивості
8. increase	h) виміри
9. clay	i) замість чого-небудь
10. equipment	j) паровий двигун

6. Try to put these words in the right order and make a sentence.

1. The a which to from word Latin computer word means comes count.

2. The of ago not to about did anything need educated 200 science man know years.

3. It on off that to and of data clicked switches electrical used thousands compute.

7. Correct the mistakes.

1. Can you give me some advices, please?

2. These binoculars is very expensive.

3. The police is looking for computer hackers that robbed the National Bank.

4. Prof. Kovalenko went to the Brazil on holidays and then he's going to visit the USA.

5. For the older children the electronic diary was produced.

6. The news about that accident were shocking.

7. People can use the computer to write a letter or exchange messages with someone around a world.

8. Professor of Cambridge University designed the first computer in XIX century.

8. Fill in a/an or the where necessary.

1. This is ___ portable computer. ____ portable computer is black.

2. You can format ____ floppy disk in _____ matter of seconds.

3. ______ abbreviation PC stands for 'personal computer'.

4. When I noticed that something was wrong, I switched off _____ PC.

5. _____ soundcard lets you listen to music and record things to your computer.

6. According to _____ technical experts computer is very educational.

7. Invention of electronic computers is one of _____ greatest achievements of mankind.

8. _____ thousands of computers are already in daily use.