Deep blue

In 1996, IBM challenged Garry Kasparov to a chess match with a supercomputer called Deep Blue. The computer operated by a team of 6 IBM programmers had the ability to calculate more than 100 million chess positions per second. Applying this massive computational power, Deep Blue won the first game of the match. Kasparov, however, defeated Deep Blue by a score of 4 games to 2 to win the match.

A year later, Kasparov accepted a rematch against an improved version of Deep Blue. This supercomputer uses 256 processors working together to calculate between 50 and 100 billion chess moves in under three minutes. Having won the first game, Kasparov, however, lost in the six-game chess match. Deep Blue II became the first computer to defeat a reigning world chess champion.

Nowadays, computers like Deep Blue are used to forecast the weather, to do drug and genetics research, to design clean-up plans for toxic waste and to power web servers on the Internet. Deep Blue serves as a prototype for future computers to be required to solve complex problems.

Ex. 12. Use modal verbs instead of their equivalents if possible and translate the sentences.

1. The publisher had to obtain the necessary permissions to reproduce illustrations.

2. Because a modem can be used for inter-computer communication, many people are able to do now their office work on their PC at home and transfer the files to a computer at the office.

3. Only if a teacher has permitted, a student is allowed to leave the classroom.

4. No information is to be put onto the Internet before this information has been checked and analyzed.

5. Using digital recording technology, CDs invented in 1979 were able to store more information than traditional vinyl records.

6. Visitors of the exhibition were not allowed to take photographs.

7. Because off-the-shelf [имеющийся в продаже] programs do not always fit a company's needs, software often has to be developed to order [на заказ].

8. If the price for the Internet access were not so high, more young people would be able to use the Internet for educational purposes.

9. While using an online database service, you have to pay for the time you use. So you are to have a good idea of what you want before you log on.

10. Flight simulators are perfect examples of programs creating a virtual reality, in which the user does not only watch but is able to participate.

Ex. 13. Read and translate the following attributive groups:

the input-output port; data access time; the satellite communications system; the microelectronics development; the high-level programming language; the floppy disk drive; the programming error; the round-table discussion; high capacity CD-ROMs; the vacuum-tube computers; superb print quality;

a new research field; space exploration problems; the power supply system; Web page designers; integrated circuit components; the radio communication technology; business data processing; indoor climate control systems; hardware manufacturers; the temperature and pressure control; the second-generation machines.

Ex. 14. Memorize the following terms.

add-on device – дополнительное (внешнее) устройство; приставка software program – программа, реализованная программно (в отличие от реализованной аппаратно) electronic spreadsheet – динамическая электронная таблица, ДЭТ operating environment – операционная (рабочая) среда processing speed – скорость обработки [данных]; быстродействие palm-sized computer – карманный компьютер digital sound system – цифровая система звукозаписи animated image – "оживлённое" (динамическое) изображение still image – неподвижное (статическое) изображение

Ex. 15. Read and translate TEXT A.