The writing module

III. Writing exercises:

Exercise 1. Complete the sentences with the suggested words:

multitasking\ assembly\ an interface\ support\ language processors.

When operating systems were first developed, they could ……. only single users; many mainframe operating systems and some microcomputer operating systems can now support ……(performing several tasks so fast that it appears they are being done at once. However, both high-level and ……..languages must be translated into machine language for the CPU to use them. Operating system creates ……between user and the system hardware. System Software can be classified as operating system and……..

Exercise 2. Fill in the table with words and expressions from the text:

The part of the operating system	Which?	is most important; without these instructions, the computer cannot operate.
System software is any computer software	Which?	so that application software can perform a task.
If system software is stored on	What?	it is usually termed firmware.

Exercise 3. Compose a story on one of the topics (up to 100 words):

“The importance of system software for computer operation”

“Trusted operating systems”

“The invention and development of operating systems”

Lesson 3 operating system the reading module

I.Read the text:

The operating system and utility programs are the two major categories of system software. Just as the processor is the nucleus of the computer system, the operating system is the nucleus of all software activity.

An operating system (commonly abbreviated OS and O/S) is the software component of a computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the limited resources of the computer. The operating system acts as a host for applications that are run on the machine. As a host, one of the purposes of an operating system is to handle the details of the operation of the hardware. This relieves application programs from having to manage these details and makes it easier to write applications. Almost all computers, including handheld computers, desktop computers, supercomputers, and even video game consoles, use an operating system of some type. Some of the oldest models may however use an embedded operating system that may be contained on a compact disk or other data storage device.

OS is the first program loaded into memory when the computer is turned on and, in a sense, brings life to the computer hardware. Without it, you cannot use your word processing software, spreadsheet software, or any other applications.

Without an operating system, you cannot communicate with your computer. When you give the computer a command, the operating system relays the instructions to the 'brain' of the computer, called the microprocessor or CPU. You cannot speak directly to the CPU because it only understands machine language. When you are working in an application software program, such as Microsoft Word, commands that you give the application are sent through the operating system to the CPU.

Operating systems offer a number of services to application programs and users. Applications access these services through application programming interfaces (APIs) or system calls. By invoking these interfaces, the application can request a service from the operating system, pass parameters, and receive the results of the operation. Users may also interact with the operating system with some kind a software user interface (UI) like typing commands by using command line interface (CLI) or using a graphical user interface (GUI, commonly pronounced “gooey”). For hand-held and desktop computers, the user interface is generally considered part of the operating system. On large multi-user systems like Unix and Unix-like systems, the user interface is generally implemented as an application program that runs outside the operating system. (Whether the user interface should be included as part of the operating system is a point of contention.)

Common contemporary operating systems include Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux and Solaris. Microsoft Windows has a significant majority of market share in the desktop and notebook computer markets, while servers generally run on Linux or other Unix-like systems.