Foreign languages

Knowledge of foreign languages is especially important today because they are the main and the most efficient means of information exchange between the people of our planet. Students should learn English as a foreign language because today English is the language of the world. Over 350 million people speak it as a mother tongue. The native speakers of English live in Great Britain, in the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. English is one of the official languages in the Irish Republic, Canada and South African Republic. As a second language it is used in the former British and US colonies.

It is the major international language for communication in such areas as science, technology, business and mass media. English is used as one of the official languages of the United Nations Organisation and other political organisations. It is the language of computer software, literature, education, modern music and international tourism.

Learning a foreign language IS not an easy thing. It is a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But every educated person, every good specialist has to know English because it is absolutely necessary nowadays.

It is well known that reading books and magazines in the original, watching films and talking with the native speakers helps a lot. When learning a foreign language you learn the culture and history of the country where this language is spoken.

Computers

Computers are electronic machines. They communicate with the user, perform different kinds of arithmetic operations, such as addition, subtraction, division and multiplication, solve a series of logical problems and make thousands of logical decisions. Modern computers operate quickly and accurately. However, they don’t think.

Every computer consists of software and hardware. Information in the form of programmes and data is called software, but the pieces of equipment that make up the computer system are known as hardware.

The most important item of hardware is the CPU (Central Processing Unit). This is the electronic unit at the centre of the computer system. The brain of the computer is the processor. It does all the processing and controls all the devices in the computer system. The main memory stores all the programmes and data used by the processor.

All the other devices in the computer system are known as peripherals. These include input devices, output devices and storage devices. An input device supplies information into the computer. The most commonly used input device is a keyboard. An output device such as a monitor or a printer displays the processed data. A storage device is used for the permanent storage of information on floppy discs or CD-ROM discs.

Computer viruses

2 November 1988 Robert Morris younger, graduate student of informatics faculty of Cornwall University (USA) infected a great amount of computers, connected to Internet network. This network unites machines of universities centres, private companies and governmental agents, including National Aeronautics Space administration, as well as some military scientific centres and labs.

So what is a computer virus?

Computer virus is an executable code able to reproduce itself. Unlike other computer programs they carry intellectual functions on protection from being found and destroyed. They have to fight for survival in complex conditions of conflicting computer systems.

Viruses are written by lone wolves or programming groups. Using special programs called “Virus creators” even beginners in computer world can build their own viruses. The aim of creation of viruses in such way is pretty obvious: the author wants to become well known all over the world and to show his powers. The results of the attempt can be very sad, only real professionals can go famous and stay uncaught. To write something really new and remarkable programmer should have some extra knowledge and skills (good strategic thinking and intuition, attention to details and a skill to solve the most varied tactical questions, knowledge of computer language and the operating system).

A computer virus group is an informal non-profit organization, uniting programmers-authors of viruses regardless of their qualifications. Everyone can become a member of the club, if he creates viruses, studies them for the reason of creation and spreading. But do not forget that creation, use and spreading harmful programs for PC is a criminal offence, as well as using cracked version of programs. Our penal code establishes a punishment up to seven years of jail.