Lesson 2 evolution of the computer (part 2)

1. Read and memorize the following words and word-combinations:

to leave (left, left) out - пропускати, не враховувати abacus - рахівниця Christianity - християнство

to pave the way - прокладати дорогу, підготувати ґрунт

to devise - придумати, винаходити

multiplication - множення

rod - прут

aid - допомога

inventor - винахідник

immediately - безпосередньо, негайно

to embody - втілювати

slide rule - логарифмічна лінійка

digital calculation - цифрове обчислення

device - пристрій, прилад, механізм

to represent - представляти

moreover - крім того

to have practical value - мати практичну цінність

scientific curiosity - наукова допитливість

to consist of - складатися з

wheel - колесо

to contain - містити в собі

technique ~ техніка, технічний прийом

possibility - можливість

actually - насправді, дійсно

essential part - необхідна частина

to add - додавати

successive addition - послідовне додавання

II. Read and translate the following text;

Calculating machines as such are by no means new, of course. If one leaves out the abacus or counting frame, which appeared long before Christianity, they are about 300 years old or more: John Napier, a Scot, must be given credit for paving the way, at the begin­ning of the 17^th century. He did not devise a system of numbering rods as an aid to multiplication (known as Napier's «bones») but was the inventor of logarithms, which were almost immediately embodied in the slide rule.

The “bones” were an elementary aid to digital calculation while the slide-rule was probably the earliest analogue device and these represent the two main streams in computing technology as we know today

Napier's « bones”, however, had no real practical value, and were little more than a scientific curiosity It was a Frenchman, Blaise Pascal, who achieved the first successful mechanization in 1642. His machines consisted of a series of wheels with numbers round them, the first wheel representing units, the second tens, the third hundreds, and so on, and it worked on the same sort of principle as the modern involution counter. Although it was a very simple device it contained one important de­velopment which is an essential part of digital comput­ing technique - a means of making the”carry over” used in adding numbers together, into an automatic process. Moreover, it showed the possibility of multiply­ing numbers by successive addition-another principle used in modern computers and this was actually embod­ied in a machine by Leibnitz in 1671. Prom then on­wards a variety of improved calculating machines were devised all based on the original idea of wheels moved round in steps, and in the 19^th century commercial models began to appear.

EXERCISES:

I Answer the following questions:

1. When did the abacus or counting frame appear?

2. What can you say about Blaise Pascal's first success­ful mechanization in 1642?

3. What important development did this very simple device contain?

4. What another principle used in modern computers was embodied in a machine by Leibnitz in 1691?

5. Did commercial models begin to appear inthe 18^th or the 19^th century?

II.Read the English words and find their Ukrainian equivalents in the right column.

almost і так далі

probably крім того

however майже

andsoon однак, не дивлячись на

moreover звичайно

of course вірогідно

3. Define the word using the word-combinations in brackets:

abacus-(device, is, used, manual, originally, China, in, calculating, South America))

4. Retell the text.