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UNIT 3. LESSON 3

Read the text without a dictionary.

3B. COMPUTER MEMORY AND HUMAN BRAINS

Comparisons of computer memory with the picture of human memory emerging from psychological research suggest basic differences in modes of operation, with little likelihood that one can replace the other.

Comparisons of the structural and functional properties of computer memory and human memory have been attempted often over the years, usually by computer scientists than psychologists; but there has been an asymmetry in that engineering specifications for the computer memory are readily supplied, whereas corresponding parameters of human memory have been largely unknown.

Perhaps we can generalize a little about the comparison between man and computer. Everyone working with computers is familiar with the fact that they began as devices with an extremely specialized application. Since that time, however, they have become so diversified that it is now possible to obtain, on the one hand, a minior even microcomputer dedicated to some very specific task or, on the other hand, a general-purpose computer capable of dealing with a very wide variety of problems indeed. On this continuum from specialized to general purpose it begins to appear that the human memory system belongs somewhere off the top. This attribute runs through comparisons that can be made between various aspects of human and computer memory.

With regard to efficiency, the computer appears far superior to human memory as long as we make the comparison on the basis of information defined, as a computer would deal with it, as bits of items. However, the human memory system typically does not limit itself to discrete representations of discrete items, but may retain information about properties of items or events and their distribution over time that would not be taken into account in programming a computer or a computer model.

Although the efficiency of modern digital computers in storing and retrieving information is awe-inspiring to human beings, the comparisons we have made suggest that the idea of a race between man and computer is inappropriate. Even serious consideration of the possibility that computers could soon take over important functions of human memory seems premature. It is true that computers can successfully take over some intellectual functions from human beings, in particular calculation, but in these cases both computer and man are required to deal with the same inputs and produce the

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same outputs.

Even more difficult is the comparison of brains and machines in computation. As late as 1959 the term "computer" is defined in the S.E.D. (Standard English Dictionary) as the "one who computes". Similarly, the word "memory" is the faculty by which things are remembered. There is no mention that this faculty is shared by machines. The use of this word by engineers has now proceeded to such a point that it can be doubted whether, strictly, a brain has a memory at all. Nevertheless, the engineering studies have been an enormous stimulus to the study of the brain's memory system.

Many differences between brains and computers arise from the fact that the former use many slow and imprecise channels in parallel, whereas computers use few and speedy ones. As a result, the computer can do its basic operations with the aid of relatively few units of equipment which are precise, bulky and expensive.

COMPREHENSION TEST

I.Find the wrong statement.

1.There are several generations of computers.

2.They are widely used now and will be used still more in future.

3.There are no principal differences between the computer and human memory.

4.The computer memory may retain data about the distribution of events in time.

II.Complete the sentence.

1.can retain any information about all properties of a thing.

Computers... 2. are studied mostly by psychologists.

3.may be dedicated to some specific task or may be a generalpurpose machine.

III.Find the answers to the following questions.

1.What is the basic difference between computer memory and human memory?

2.What specialists compared these two memories?

3.Which memory do we know better?

4.What purpose are computers used for?

5.Which memory is more effective?

6.What functions can computers successfully take over from human beings?

7.How was the word 'computer' initially defined?

8.Who used the term memory about computers at first?

9.Does a human brain have a memory at all?

10.What channels are used by both memories?

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Translate the text into English. Entitle the text.

TEXT 3C

Первые ЭВМ были сложными электронными приборами. Они занимали целые

комнаты.	Современные		ЭВМ		занимают	лишь	часть	того	пространс.
Микропроцессор не больше размера человеческого ногтя.
Все компьютеры состоят из пяти основных частей.
Первая	часть - это			арифметическое		устройство. Оно		выполняет
арифметические		операции		с	высокой	скоростью. Вторая		часть -	это

запоминающее устройство. Оно содержит числа и информацию. Третья часть компьютера - это устройство управления. Оно применяет инструкции в нужной последовательности. Четвертая часть компьютераэто устройство ввода. Оно осуществляет ввод информации. Пятая часть компьютераэто устройство вывода. Оно выдает окончательные ответы.

ЭВМ - это сложное устройство, состоящее из множества элементов. Неполадки любой части могут вывести машину из строя.

3D. IT'S A SMALL WORLD

What change is electronics undergoing now? The evolution of electronic technology over the past decade has been so rapid that it is sometimes called a revolution.

Microelectronics has changed our lives beyond recognition. Small and reliable sensing and control devices are essential elements in the complex systems that have landed on the Moon and are exploring cosmic space. Microelectronic devices are also the essence of new products, ranging from communication satellites to hand-held calculators and electronic watches.

More significant is the effect of microelectronics on the computer. The first computer had 18,000 valves and weighed 30 tons. Now matchbox-sized computers are being built. The capacity of the computer for storing, processing and displaying information has been greatly increased due to microelectronics. So how did the era of microelectronics begin?

1) Valves. Anyone who has looked inside an old radio-receiver will remember the large heavy valves and other components, joined together by numerous wires. It was once the universal practice to manufacture each of the components separately and then assemble the complete device by wiring the components together with metallic conductors. A lot of soldering work was required to put the parts together. That was the earliest step in the development of radioelectronics - the era of electronic vacuum tubes.

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2) Transistors. The first "revolution" came in the late forties with the advent (appearance) of the first solid state device - the transistor. It was in fact the starting point of modern electronics.

Transistors revolutionized radio engineering and electronics because they had many advantages over vacuum tubes. They were smaller, lasted longer and were more efficient as they used less power. Without transistors the process of miniaturization could never have been started. In many situations transistors replaced large powerhungry vacuum tubes. Transistors were perfect for a lot of purposes. They offered reduced size, lower consumption of power and higher reliability than vacuum tubes.

I. Translate the text using the dictionary.

II. Give the main idea in 2-3 sentences.

III. Make up a short plan of the text.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION. TEXT 3E

Listen to the text and find out which words are left out.

1. ... computes by using physical analogs of numerical measurements.

2. ... computes by using the numbers (digits) and yeses and noes expressed usually in 1's and 0's.

3. ... are known as input, storage, arithmetic and logic, output, and control.

4. ... appear so simple that one of the inventors says: "The machine does practically nothing, but it does ‘nothing’ very well".

I. Give the main idea of the text.

II. Render the text into Russian.

III. Retell the text.