Speaking

21. Work in pairs. Make up a dialogue, using the following questions and answers. Если это упр к тексту на summary, то надо его дать до упр 21 как подготовку к пересказу

Q: What is another word for integrated circuit?

A: The circuit, often called a chip ...

Q: What benefits do smaller, denser chips offer?

A: The smaller, denser chips can also provide speed benefits, because in high-speed devices, the length of time it takes a signal to travel a given distance can become a factor.

Q: How many transistors are used in modern integrated circuits?

A: … one that uses very-large-scale integration (VLSI) contains more than 1,000 transistors. All ICs now employ VLSI, ...

Q: What are the two integrated circuit classifications?

A: Bipolar integrated circuits contain bipolar junction transistors as their principle elements. Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) integrated contain MOS transistors as their principle elements.

Q: How are integrated circuits categorized?

A: Integrated circuits are also categorized according to the number of transistors or other active circuit devices they contain ...

Q: Are integrated circuits analog or digital?

A: Some integrated circuits are analog devices; an operational amplifier is an example. Other ICs, such as the microprocessors used in computers , are digital devices. Some hybrid integrated circuits contain both analog and digital circuitry; a bilateral switch, which switches analog signals by means of a digital control signal is an example of a hybrid IC. Integrated circuit functions are virtually limitless.

Q: Are there any advantages in the size of integrated circuits?

A: Some microprocessors, for example, contain more than one billion transistors on their chips. The smaller, denser chips can also provide speed benefits, because in high-speed devices, the length of time it takes a signal to travel a given distance can become a factor.

22. Summarize the text ‘Integrated Circuits’ in 150 words.

23. Divide into 2 groups. Group 1 translates Extract a and group 2 – extract b of the text “What Is an Integrated Circuit” with a dictionary in writing.

EXTRACT A. 

Our world is full of integrated circuits. You find several of them in computers. For example, most people have probably heard about the microprocessor. The microprocessor is an integrated circuit that processes all information in the computer. It keeps track of what keys are pressed and if the mouse has been moved. It counts numbers and runs programs, games and the operating system. Integrated circuits are also found in almost every modern electrical device such as cars, television sets, CD players, cellular phones, etc. But what is an integrated circuit and what is the history behind it? The integrated circuit is nothing more than a very advanced electric circuit. An electric circuit is made from different electrical components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors and diodes, that are connected to each other in different ways. These components have different behaviors. The transistor acts like a switch. It can turn electricity on or off, or it can amplify current. It is used for example in computers to store information, or in stereo amplifiers to make the sound signal stronger. The resistor limits the flow of electricity and gives us the possibility to control the amount of current that is allowed to pass. Resistors are used, among other things, to control the volume in television sets or radios. The capacitor collects electricity and releases it all in one quick burst; like for instance in cameras where a tiny battery can provide enough energy to fire the flashbulb.

The diode stops electricity under some conditions and allows it to pass only when these conditions change. This is used in, for example, photocells where a light beam that is broken triggers the diode to stop electricity from flowing through it.

These components are like the building blocks in an electrical construction kit. Depending on how the components are put together when building the circuit, everything from a burglar alarm to a computer microprocessor can be constructed.

EXTRACT B. 

When building a circuit, it is very important that all connections are intact. If not, the electrical current will be stopped on its way through the circuit, making the circuit fail. Before the integrated circuit, assembly workers had to construct circuits by hand, soldering each component in place and connecting them with metal wires. Engineers soon realized that manually assembling the vast number of tiny components needed in, for example, a computer would be impossible, especially without generating a single faulty connection. Another problem was the size of the circuits. A complex circuit, like a computer, was dependent on speed. If the components of the computer were too large or the wires interconnecting them too long, the electric signals couldn't travel fast enough through the circuit, thus making the computer too slow to be effective. So there was a problem of numbers. Advanced circuits contained so many components and connections that they were virtually impossible to build. This problem was known as the tyranny of numbers.The integrated circuit has come a long way since Jack Kilby's first prototype. His idea founded a new industry and is the key element behind our computerized society. Today the most advanced circuits contain several hundred millions of components on an area no larger than a fingernail. The transistors on these chips are around 90 nm, that is 0.00009 millimeters*, which means that you could fit hundreds of these transistors inside a red blood cell. Each year computer chips become more powerful yet cheaper than the year before. Gordon Moore, one of the early integrated circuit pioneers and founders of Intel once said, "If the auto industry advanced as rapidly as the semiconductor industry, a Rolls Royce would get a half a million miles per gallon, and it would be cheaper to throw it away than to park it."**

*1 inch = 25.4 millimeters

**1 US gallon = 3.8 litres, 1 mile = 1.6 km

24. In Russian write a content-based summary of the text you have translated.

25. Translate into English the summary made in ex.24 of the text you haven’t read.

26. Make a reverse written translation (from Russian into English) of the Extract you have translated.

27. Serve as simultaneous interpreter. Make an oral reverse interpretation of the text.

28. Find more information about Integrated Circuits and tell your group mates.