Language work: Infinitive constructions.

Ex. 1. Make sentences as in the example.

Example Not easy/ write instructions in Pascal

It is not easy to write instructions in Pascal.

Use this Help box.

Help box

The infinitive is used:

a. after adjectives

• It is difficult to use machine code.

b. after modal verbs with to: ought to, used to.

• I ought to make a back-up copy.

• Using a computer is much easier than it used to be.

c. after modal and auxiliary verbs without to: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, would rather, would sooner.

• Unfortunately, computers can’t understand English.

- I’d rather buy a game than a spreadsheet.

1. advisable/ test the program under different conditions.

2. expensive/ set up a data-processing area.

3. unusual for a program/ work correctly the first time it is tested.

4. difficult for students/ learn FORTRAN.

5. important/ consider the capabilities of the programming language.

6. quite easy/ write instructions in BASIC.

Ex. 2. Read the information in the Help box and then look again at the text. Underline the infinitive constructions after modal verbs.

Example

Unfortunately, computers cannot understand ordinary spoken English …

Ex. 3. Look at these pairs of examples and decide where there is an ‘important’ change in meaning.

1. a. I remember shutting down the computer before I left the room.

b. Please remember to buy the new program.

2. a. They stopped to look at the flowchart.

b. They stopped looking at the flowchart.

3. a. I like studing C language.

b. I like to study C language.

4. a. It has started to rain.

b. It has started raining.

5. a. He needs to work hard.

b. This hard disk needs repairing.

Ex. 4. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Слово «компьютер» означает «вычислитель», т.е. устройство, чтобы делать вычисления.

2. Компьютеры могут хранить в памяти полученные промежуточные и итоговые результаты.

3. Компьютеры могут обрабатывать и другие виды информации.

4. Это устройство может обмениваться информацией с оперативной памятью и внешними устройствами.

5. Для того, чтобы компьютер мог осуществить определённые действия, необходимо составить программу.

6. Для эффективного использования компьютера необходимо знать назначение и свойства необходимых программ.

7. Операционная система – это программа, которая может управлять компьютером.

Task 2. Using Infinitive constructions, retell the text ‘Programming languages’.

Unit 18

LANGUAGES

READING MATERIAL

T E X T A

Task

1. Make a list of as many computer languages as you can think of.

b) Do you know any language used to interact with the Internet through voice-recognition?

c) Study this table and answer the questions below.

The VoiceXML language

Language	Date	Characteristics	Uses
VXML or Voice XML (Voice Extensible Markup Language) Created by a Working Group of four companies – ATT, Lucent, Motorola and IBM	2000	Based on the XML language. For input, VoiceXML uses voice recognition. For output, it uses prerecorded audio content and speech synthesis (text-to-speech). How do you access a voice web portal? First, you dial its phone number. Then the call is received by a telephone server and the VoiceXML pages are fetched via HTTP. Finally, you get the required information. A typical VoiceXML page could be ‘sports.vxml.’	Used to create voice-user interfaces. Makes Internet content accessible via voice and phone. Instead of using a web browser on a PC, you use the telephone to access voice-equipped websites via a VoiceXML interpreter (a voice browser). Applications: -Voice portals (telephone services where you can hear information about sports, news, traffic, etc.) -Voice-enabled intranets -Voice e-commerce -Home appliances controlled by voice.

Ex. 1. Answer the following questions.

1. What does VXML mean?

2. Who created VoiceXML?

3. When was it developed?

4. What technologies does it use for input and output?

5. What are the most suitable applications for VoiceXML?

6. What do you think are the benefits of having a voice Web?