Exercises

• Read and translate the following international words, mind the parts of speech.

Hybrid (n, adj), symbol (n), binary (adj), manipulate (v), location (n) , command (n).

• Master the active vocabulary.

Length, rotation, voltage, a digital computer, a binary machine, to represent a symbol, a hybrid computer, input and output device, central processing unit, to run a disk drive, to transmit instructions, internal memory, to manipulate data, to accept input, to operate at a great speed.

• Read the first paragraph of the text and explain the difference between analog, digital and hybrid computers.

• Read the second paragraph of the text and explain what hardware is.

• Read the third paragraph of the text and find the information dealing with CPU.

• Make up statements which begin like this:

A processor is ….. .

Memory is ….. .

An input device is ….. .

An output device is …… .

• Match the following words and their definitions.

A processor a larger-than-byte-sized group of bytes.

The term “bit” a tem for primary.

A word is a term for external memory.

Internal memory an abbreviation for “Binary digit”.

Secondary memory the nerve centre of a digital computer which coordinates and controls the activities of all the other units and performs all the arithmetic and logical processes.

• Read the sixth paragraph and give examples of input and output devices.

• Translate the seventh paragraph of the text.

• Entitle each paragraph; make an outline of the text. Write a précis according to your outline.

• Give the description of the computer you use, give its name, manufacture, size, consistuent parts, recording devices, jobs assigned.

• Read the dialogue and a) point out the first steps in the work of the computer; b) say what a user must do to run a programme.

Dialogue

A: Hallo, Mike! Where are you going?

M: Hallo, Ann! Haven't seen you for ages! I am going to the computer room.

A: Oh, you, students of the Information Science Department, work much in the computer room.

M: You are right. We must spend much time with the computer to become good specialists. But you, students of the Philological Department, also read much to become good teachers, don't you?

A: I agree with you. But we have a vague idea what the computer is. I'd like to go with you and see how a computer will be operating.

M: O.K. Let's go together. (In the computer room.)

M: Have a seat, please, near this personal computer. First of all, we must switch the disk drive and the system unit on.

A: Oh, I see digits are replacing each other on the screen. What does it mean?

M: It means that the computer is testing its basic units: a keyboard, a screen, and primary memory. We call this process self-testing. A special program is controlling this self-testing now.

A: And now I see the message "NON-SYSTEM DISK OR DISK ERROR". What is it?

M: It means, there is a diskette in the disk drive, but there is no operational system on it. The user must put the system diskette in the disk drive, press a key, and repeat loading.

A: As far as I understand the process of loading is the next step, isn't it?

M: That's it. After self-testing the computer begins to load the operational system from the diskette.

A: And how shall we know when the process of loading is over?

M: There will be special messages on the screen. Some of them are questions to the user. Well, look, now the operational system is asking to point out the date and the time.

A: And what, must the user do to run a program?

M: The user must put the diskette in the disk drive, then type the name of the program on the keyboard, and press the key "ENTER".

A: But why are you typing "DIR" now?

M: I want to be sure that there is really the program I need on the diskette. Now you see there is a directory of diskette files on the screen. Each file has its name, type, length in Kbytes, the date and the time of its creation.

A: So you must find the name of the program and type it, mustn't you?

M: You are quite right. Now you see the necessary program is running.

A: Thank you very much for your computer lesson. I'm sorry, I'm afraid to be late for my English class. So long!

M: Glad to help you. See you.