IV. Fill in the missing modal verbs or their equivalents:

1. Modern specialists … know the latest computer technology.

2. No man … do 500 000 sums per second, but a modern computer … .

3. A program is a set of instructions written in a special computer language, telling the computer what operations and processes … to be carried out and in what order they … be done.

4. When … you give your lecture on computer languages? – I … to do it next week. Now I am very busy. I … process the results of the experiment.

5. In order to make a good report on data communication systems you … to sit for many hours in the library.

V. Translate into Russian paying attention to modal verbs followed by the Infinitive Passive:

1. Data, however, is the particular information that has to be processed by the computer.

2. A computer can be made more powerful by connecting a second processor to work in parallel with the first one.

3. In the early 1960’s several of integrated circuits could be mounted on a single printed card.

4. The computer must be programmed to accept data in any or all of the media.

5. The data may be stored or it may be sorted according to a plan desired by the programmer.

6. The culmination of all the advancements was the microprocessor, which has become virtually synonymous with microelectronics, but should not be confused with it.

Section CReading

I. A computer consists of a number of components. How do we call a component used to save data and programs? Look through paragraph 1 to prove your idea.

II. Skim paragraph 2 and name all storing units of the computer system.

III. Study the following words and word combinations and make sure you know their translations. Use a specialized dictionary in case of any difficulties.

on a temporary / permanent basis

to retain information

storage cell

to conduct

to detect

auxiliary

storage unit

input / output unit

semiconductor

very-large-scale integration (VSLI) circuitry

storage capacity

volatile

power supply

IV. State the type of word-building of the following words and translate them into Russian.

numerous, storage, nonconducting, nonresistive, extensively, compactness, microelectronic

V. Using the English-Russian dictionary write out the translation of the following English abbreviations.

asf; abl; dct; e.c; e.g; et al; i.e; etc

VI. Read the text attentively and name the operating principle of the computer memory.

5 10 15 20 25 30

Computer memory is a physical device that is used to store such information as data or programs (sequences of instructions) on a temporary or permanent basis for use in an electronic digital computer. The memory of a typical digital computer retains information of this sort in the form of digit 0 and 1 of the binary code. It contains numerous individual storage cells, each of which is capable of holding one such binary digit (or "bit") when placed in either of two stable electronic, magnetic, or physical states corresponding to 0 and 1. The main memories of digital computers usually operate by means of transistor circuits. In these electronic circuits, binary digits are represented by means of electric charge — on or off, closed or open, conducting or nonconducting, resistive or nonresistive — that can be held, detected, and charged for purposes of storing or manipulating the data represented by the digits. Most digital computer systems have two levels of memory — the main memory and one or more auxiliary storage units. Besides the main memory, other units of the computer (e.g., the control unit, arithmetic-logic unit (ALU), and input / output units) also use transistor circuits to store electronic signals. The flow of electric current through the transistors in memory units is controlled by semiconductor materials. Semiconductor memories utilizing very-large-scale integration (VSLI) circuitry are extensively used in all digital computers because of their low cost and compactness. Composed of one or more silicon chips only about a quarter of an inch in size, they contain several million microelectronic circuits, each of which stores a binary digit. Semiconductor memories provide great storage capacity but are volatile, — i.e. they lose their contents if the power supply is cut off.