(2) Augusta ada king, countess of lovelace

(1815-1852)

Even though the Analytical Engine was never constructed, a demonstration program for it was written. The author of that program has the honor of being the world's first computer programmer. Her name was Augusta Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace.

She was the daughter of the 6^th Lord Byron (the famous poet) and Annabella Byron, who legally separated two months after her birth. Her father then left Britain forever and his daughter never knew him personally.

Ada was a liberated woman at a time when this was not fashionable. In addition to her interest in foreign languages and music, she was also an excellent mathematician. The latter was very unusual for a young lady in the 19^th century. (She was also fond of horseracing, which was even more unusual.) Ada's mathematical abilities became apparent when she was only 15. She studied mathematics with one of the most well known mathematicians of her time, Augustus de Morgan.

I n 1833, she met the British mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage. At that time, he was working on the Difference Engine, a mechanical device designed to solve complicated mathematical problems. She became interested in Babbage's inventions.

In 1842, Lady Lovelace discovered a paper on the Analytical Engine that had been written in French by an Italian engineer. She translated the paper into English. At Babbage's suggestion, she added her own notes, which turned out to be twice as long as the paper itself. Much of what we know today about the Analytical Engine comes from Lady Lovelace's notes.

To demonstrate how the Analytical Engine would work, Lady Lovelace included in her notes a program for calculating a certain series of numbers that is of interest to mathematicians. This was the world's first computer program. "We may say more aptly", Lady Lovelace wrote, "that the Analytical Engine weaves algebraical patterns just as the Jacquard-loom weaves flowers and leaves." Most aptly said indeed!

The United States Department of Defense honored Ada Byron's achievements in the computer field in 1979, naming its high-level programming language, ADA, after her.

Ex. 26. Render the following sentences into English. (TIP: The translation of some sentences can be found in the texts given above.)

1. Калькуляторы, сделанные Паскалем и Лейбницем, были ненадёжны, так как технология того времени была не в состоянии производить детали c необходимой точностью.

2. Компьютер, полностью современный по концепции, был задуман в 30-х годах IX века.

3. Бэббидж был плодотворным изобретателем. Его разработки включают такие устройства, как офтальмоскоп, отмычки, спидометр, «скотосбрасыватель» и др. Несмотря на свою эксцентричность, он был гением.

4. Одной из причин, по которой Бэббидж забросил свою разностную машину, была гораздо лучшая идея, пришедшая ему в голову. Вдохновленный жаккардовым станком, управляемым перфокартами, Бэббидж захотел сделать перфокарточное счётное устройство.

5. Именно благодаря аналитической машине, которую он никогда не завершил, Бэббидж имеет честь называться «создателем компьютера».

6. Автор демонстрационной программы для аналитической машины Ада Ловлис стала первым в мире компьютерным программистом. Переводя по предложению Бэббиджа статью об аналитической машине, написанную итальянским инженером по-французски, она добавим собственные замечания, которые оказались в два раза длиннее самой статьи.

7. Аналитическая машина создаёт алгебраические узоры точно так же, как станок Жаккарда ткет цветы и листья. Действительно удачно сказано!

UNIT SEVEN FIVE GENERATION OF COMPUTERS

Ex. 1. Practice the reading of the following words and phrases:

ton, concept, automatically, electricity, version, ballistics, decade, cryptographer, to reprogram, to adapt, innovation, efficient, laboratory, company, giant, idea, result, miniaturization, diode, component, microchip, microprocessor, microsecond, microwave, nanosecond, to characterize, medicine, industry, dynamic, intelligent, natural, technology Japan, Japanese, Europe, European;

atomic bomb, electromagnetic components, specialized technician, germanium transistor, silicon chip.

Ex. 2. Memorize the following words.

to occur – случаться, происходить to weigh – весить, взвешивать weight – вес, масса, тяжесть relay – реле, переключатель obsolete – устаревший, вышедший из употребления to limit – ограничивать Syn: to restrict limit – предел, ограничение Syn: restriction numerous – многочисленный to exist – существовать existence – существование, наличие approximate – приблизительный, примерный approximately – приблизительно, примерно previous – 1) предыдущий; предшествующий; 2) до, прежде, ранее чего-л. to generate – производить, создавать, вырабатывать generation – поколение to comprise – содержать, включать, заключать в себе bulky – большой, громоздкий, занимающий много места manual – ручной to cost (cost, cost) – стоить cost – стоимость costs – затраты, расходы entire – полный, целый, весь to consume – потреблять, расходовать, тратить consumption – потребление, расход consumer – потребитель, клиент, заказчик, покупатель energy consuming – энергопотребляющий, энергоемкий to heat – нагревать(ся) heat – тепло, теплота to interact – взаимодействовать, влиять друг на друга interaction – взаимодействие, взаимосвязь interactive – интерактивный, диалоговый to eliminate – устранять, уничтожать, ликвидировать elimination – устранение, уничтожение, ликвидация to consider – считать, полагать prototype – опытный образец, прототип to afford – позволять себе affordable – 1) возможный, допустимый; 2) доступный по цене recent – 1) недавний, последний; 2) новейший, современный recently – недавно intelligence – интеллект, умственные способности artificial intelligence – искусственный интеллект (разум) intelligent – 1) умный; 2) интеллектуальный, раумный, обладающий искусственным интеллектом; саморегулируемый [о программе, аппарате]

Ex. 3. Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the italicized words.

1. Each number in the series 2 - 4 - 8 - 16 is twice as large as the previous number.

2. Relay is a part of electrical equipment that receives radio or television signals and sends them on.

3. You may need to restrict access to certain files, i.e. to limit the number of people who can read them.

4. The interaction between the input and output hardware is controlled by software called the Basic Input Output System (BIOS).

5. I'm worried the heat from the lamp will melt the cord.

6. Though the operations of the first generation computers were very rapid in comparison with manual calculations, they were slow by today's standards.

7. A recent study of Open University graduates found that students aged 60 - 65 had better results than any other age group.

8. ENIAC consumed so much electricity that it sometimes caused power shortages in its home city of Philadelphia.

9. Third-generation technology allows you to download videos to a mobile phone.

10. Between 1946 and 1956, all computers had bulky central processing units that consumed massive amounts of energy.

11. My home PC is only six years old, but it is already obsolete compared to today's models.

12. Anyone who has ever bought something with a credit card – in person, by mail order, or over the Web – is included within some of the numerous customer databases.

Ex. 4. Fill in the gaps with the words from your active vocabulary. The first letter of each missing word is given. Mind your grammar!

1. My job requires lifting heavy w___ such as TVs and refrigerators.

2. There is no l___ on the amount of money that may be brought into the US.

3. The third g___ of computers was more reliable than the second one due to the use of silicon chips instead of transistors.

4. Scientists have many theories about how the universe first came into e___.

5. Computers can create a___ objects in their memories. This allows developers to test product design without actually creating a real p___.

6. Cable TV service c___ $19.95 a month.

7. A p___ of the solar-powered car will be on display next month.

8. The new g___ of mobile phones equipped with sophisticated digital cameras has already appeared on the market.

9. Mexicans are c___ to be the biggest c___ of soft drinks.

10. The company has now transferred all its m___ records onto computer.

11. The h___ turns off automatically when the room reaches a certain temperature.

12. Industrialized countries c___ natural resources in huge quantities.

13. The English scientist Alan Turing devised the most famous test for assessing computer i___.

14. The Internet c___ more than 4 billion IP addresses.

15. The old 5¼-inch floppy disks are now o___.

16. I spend a___ 60 percent of my working day on the phone.

17. The r___ movie version of the book was not a big success.

18. The boxes full of encyclopedias were b___ and w___ a ton.

19. Credit cards e___ the need to carry a lot of cash.

20. I advise you to buy the most powerful computer system you can a___.

Ex. 5. Choose the required word.

1. UNDO is a command on a computer that cancels the [following or previous?] action.

2. [Black or white?] surfaces absorb heat from the sun.

3. A child's intelligence develops [rapidly or slowly?] between the ages of four and five.

4. IBM is continuing to cut costs in an effort to be [more or less?] competitive.

5. Gas and oil consumption always [increases or decreases?] in cold weather.

6. Videophones are still too [expensive or cheap?] for the average consumer.

7. People of [older or younger?] generations often have a hard time with computers.

8. The laptop has a [weight or storage capacity?] of just 4 kilos.

9. Digital cameras have [manual or automatic?] functions.

10. This particular computer will cost you around $1,000 but that is just an [approximate or exact?] estimate.

11. Main memory only stores information while the computer is switched [on or off?] and it has a [limited or unlimited?] capacity.

12. An intelligent person has a [high or low?] level of mental ability and is [good or bad?] at understanding ideas and thinking clearly.

Ex. 6. Give English equivalents to the italicized words. Mind your grammar!

1. Our portable computer весит 7 pounds and стоит about $4,000.

2. The first electronic computers were like very large furnaces потреблявшие огромное количество of electrical power.

3. There is no точного method of measuring умственных способностей so far.

4. We пришлось ограничить the number of guests because of space problems.

5. The new type of Network Computer can make существующие PCs устаревшими within five years.

6. Many people считают Ada Byron among the best mathematicians of her поколения.

7. Internet banking значительно уменьшит the стоимость of doing business.

8. In some poor countries, only the elite может позволить an education for their children.

9. This function will enable you to restore the system to its предыдущее state if you have a catastrophic problem.

10. Some scientists consider that dolphins are умнее than humans.

11. Japan's rapid progress in hardware technology ведёт к развитию искусcтвенного разума.

12. How much will it стоить us to заменить the устаревшее оборудование?

Ex. 7. Copy the words. In each group, tick one word that have the opposite meaning. Can you do it without a dictionary?

1.  out of date  obsolete  up to date  old-fashioned

2.  to occur  to take part  to happen  to take place

3.  approximately  exactly  precisely  accurately

4.  to comprise  to except  to include  to incorporate

5.  to combine  to control  to direct  to manage

6.  entire  complete  total  incomplete  whole

7.  to generate  to produce  to manipulate  to create

8.  fast  slow  quick  rapid

9.  usually  typically  commonly  seldom  generally

10.  because of  due to  in order to  owing to

11.  unrestricted  limited  unlimited  limitless

12.  otherwise  moreover  in addition  besides

Ex. 8. Read and translate the sentences containing the word long. Memorize the phrases: as long as (пока, до тех пор пока); no longer (больше не).

1. There was a long silence before she spoke.

2. I’m tired. It’s been a long day.

3. Is the cable long enough to reach the socket?

4. I like it now the days are getting longer.

5. He has long experience of this type of work.

6. Helen had a long memory for names and dates.

7. The repair will take an hour at the longest.

8. The report is only three pages long.

9. An automatic rifle continues to fire as long as the trigger is pressed.

10. They’ll respect you as long as you play fair.

11. You'll be quite safe as long as you follow my instructions.

12. We’ll go as long as the weather is good.

13. This question is no longer important to him.

14. They no longer live here.

15. He can stay no longer here. Otherwise, he'll miss the train.

16. She first visited Ireland when she was 10 and developed a lifelong interest in the country.

17. The Beatles started playing together in June 1961, and it was not long before they got a recording contract.

18. The long-running musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" was closed after more than 30,000 performances.

19. How long is the trailer? I don't think it will fit in the garage.

20. We had to wait all day long.

21. ‘Have you ever been to Rome?’ ‘Yes, I have, actually. Not long ago.’

22. The programme is designed to help people who have been out of work for a long time.

23. Will you be away for long?

24. I’m sorry I haven’t written to you for so long.

25. So long!