Міністерство освіти і науки україни
ХАРКІВСЬКИЙ НАЦІОНАЛЬНИЙ ЕКОНОМІЧНИЙ УНІВЕРСИТЕТ
Професійно-орієнтовані тексти з екстенсивного читання
з навчальної дисципліни «Англійська мова»
для студентів ІІ курсу напрямів підготовки
«Комп’ютерні науки» та «Видавничо-поліграфічна справа»
усіх форм навчання
Укладач: Уразова Світлана Вікторівна
Відповідальний за випуск: Борова Т.А.
Харків, ХНЕУ, 2009
Затверджено на засіданні кафедри іноземних мов.
Протокол № 2 від 28.09. 2009р.
Професійно-орієнтовані тексти з екстенсивного читання з навчальної дисципліни «Англійська мова» для студентів ІІ курсу напрямів підготовки «Комп’ютерні науки» та «Видавничо-поліграфічна справа» усіх напрямків підготовки усіх форм навчання/ Укл. С.В.Уразова. – Харків: Вид. ХНЕУ, 2009. – 24 с. (англ. мов.)
Мета роботи – систематизувати знання студентів з граматики англійської мови. Основну увагу приділено теперішнім, минулим і майбутнім граматичним часам.
Рекомендовано для студентів І курсу усіх напрямків підготовки усіх форм навчання
Вступ
Методичні рекомендації рекомендовані для студентів ІІ курсу напрямів підготовки «Комп’ютерні науки» та «Видавничо-поліграфічна справа» усіх форм навчання. Методичні рекомендації було розроблено згідно з навчальною програмою з англійської мови для професійного спілкування та з вимогами Болонського процесу.
Професійно-орієнтовані тексти з екстенсивного читання та завдання до них розроблені з метою поглиблення знань у сфері кібернетики та поліграфічної справи та вдосконалення навичок читання студентів ІІ курсу. Метою даного видання є надання необхідного текстового матеріалу для аудиторної та самостійної роботи студентів та сприяння практичному оволодінню англійською мовою. Робота побудована на сучасних методичних принципах викладання іноземної мови у немовному вузі.
Видання складається з трьох розділів, кожний розділ включає вправи до професійно-орієнтованих текстів з екстенсивного читання. Завдання спрямовані на збагачення словникового запасу студентів та засвоєння матеріалу за темами «Кібернетика» та «Поліграфія». Завдання містять лексичні вправи: підстановочні вправи, відповіді на запитання, вибір вірної відповіді.
Завдання дають змогу викладачу перевірити роботу студентів, а студентам дають можливість закріпити та активізувати словниковий запас та поглибити свої теоретичні знання з даних тем.
Unit 1 Cybernetics, Its Historical Development and Application
Task 1. Check your knowledge before you read the text. Answer the questions.
1. What is cybernetics?
2. What does cybernetics study?
3. What sciences is cybernetics closely connected with?
4. What philosophic problems does cybernetics rise?
Task 2. Read the text. Choose the best sentence (a-j) to fill each of the gaps (1-10) in the text.
Cybernetics has historically been defined as "Communication and control in human and machine." In modern terms, this clearly encompasses the increasingly important area of research, in which human and technology are merged into an overall system. (1) _____________
This interdisciplinary science deals with communication and control systems in living organisms, machines, and organizations. In 1948 Wiener concluded that a new branch of science needed to be developed. This field would draw from the realms of communication, automatic control, and statistical mechanics. He chose the word cybernetics, deriving it from the Greek word for "steersman" which underlines one of the essential ingredients of this field—that of governance or control. (2) ___________." What really makes cybernetics stand apart from other fields in science and engineering is that it focuses on what machines do rather than the details of how they actually do it. Cybernetics developed as the investigation of the techniques by which information is transformed into desired performance. The science arose out of problems that were encountered during World War II in the development of so-called electronic brains and of automatic-control mechanisms for such military apparatuses as bombsights.
The term cybernetics is much misused in the popular media, it is often used to convey notions of high-technology, robotics, and even computer networks like the Internet. (3) ______________
Systems of communication and control in living organisms and those in machines are considered analogous in cybernetics. To achieve desired performance from human organs or from mechanical devices, information concerning the actual results of intended action must be made available as a guide for future action. In the human body, the brain and nervous system function to coordinate the information, which is then used to determine a future course of action; control mechanisms for self-correction in machines serve a similar purpose. The principle is known as feedback, which is the fundamental concept of automation.
Wiener concluded that for a system to be classed as cybernetic, communication between parts of a system was a necessary characteristic, as was feedback from one part to another. (4) _______________
Historically, the human body, in particular the human brain, has been viewed by many as a type of machine. (5) _______________. Much effort was directed toward understanding the operation of the human brain in this light.
Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, significant advances were made in understanding the physiology of the human brain. The discovery of the brain as the center of perception, and the identification of neurons were all contributors to the conclusion that the brain is the regulator, controller, and seat of behavior of the human species. Because these ideas are fundamental to cybernetics, the human brain and the notion of intelligence are also considered as subjects that are within the realm of the cybernetic field. (6) ________________
One of the basic beliefs of cybernetics is that information is statistical in nature and is measured in accordance with the laws of probability. In this sense, information is regarded as a measure of the freedom of choice involved in selection. As the freedom of choice increases, the probability that any particular message will be chosen, decreases. The measure of probability is known as entropy.
In natural processes, occurring without assistance or control, the tendency is toward a state of disorganization, or chaos. (7) _______________ Purposive behavior in humans or in machines requires control mechanisms that maintain order by counteracting the natural tendency toward disorganization. Since many systems are influenced by random factors, statistical methods are also used to forecast or describe information flow.
With respect to computer systems, cybernetics has been prominent in two areas. The first is artificial intelligence, where computer algorithms have been developed that attempt to exhibit some traits of intelligent behavior—initially by playing games and later by processing speech and carrying out complex image and pattern manipulation operations. (8) _______________ Early robotic systems were nothing more than complex servo-mechanisms that carried out manual tasks in place of a human laborer; however, the modern cybernetic approach is to attempt to construct robots that can communicate and be guided toward acting together as a team to achieve a collective goal. This has generated interest in a new type of adaptive machine that has the capacity to re-organize its strategies.
Cybernetic theories have also been used to describe the origin of religion in societies and the development of ethical systems. (9) ______________ Religion becomes one of many feedback mechanisms for regulating the functioning of individuals within the social group.
Finally, beyond a computing and philosophical context, cybernetics offers some advantages in our understanding of nature. First, it permits a unified approach to studying and understanding machine-like systems. This results from the distinct way in which the cybernetic viewpoint of systems is formulated; it is not restricted to particular machine or system types. (10) ________________ One is not required to undertake greatly differing analyses to gain an appreciation of both. Secondly, it offers a manageable way of dealing with the most predominant type of system—one that is highly complex, non-linear, and changes over time.
a) He defined cybernetics to be "control and communication in the animal and the machine.
b) This perception was generated by people who were hopeful of finding a way of modeling human behavior in the same way that they could model human-made machines—an approach with which they were comfortable.
c) The second is in robotics, which frequently encompasses artificial intelligence and other cybernetic areas such as communication and automatic control using feedback.
d) It is worth emphasizing that from a cybernetics viewpoint, it is the functioning of the overall system that is of prime importance.
e) In general, a cybernetic view of religion sees it as an adaptive mechanism for the survival of groups as they evolve and change in an atmosphere of physical and social competition.
f) Hence, the presence of feedback means that a cybernetic system is able to measure or perceive a quantity of some sort, then compare this to a required or desired value, and then instigate some strategy or behavior that affects change in that quantity.
g) In reality, cybernetics refers to the study of communications and control in animal and machine.
h) Thus, according to the principles of cybernetics, order (lowering of entropy) is least probable and chaos (increased entropy) is most probable.
i) For example, we can draw a correspondence between an electro-mechanical system like a collection of servo-motors and linkages that give a robot locomotion, and a biological system like the nervous and musculo-skeletal systems of a caterpillar.
j) As a consequence, a great deal of research has been carried out in the areas of biological control theory, neural modeling, artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive perception, and chaos theory from a perspective that resulted from the development of cybernetics.
Task 3. Find words or phrases in the text to the given definitions.
1. the branch of science concerned with control systems in electronic and mechanical devices and the extent to which useful comparisons can be made between man-made and biological systems
2. ability to measure or perceive a quantity of some sort, compare it to a required or desired value, and instigate some strategy or behavior that affects change in that quantity
3. an idea, a belief or an image that a person has as a result of how he/she sees or understands sth
4. the capacity for understanding; ability to perceive and comprehend meaning
5. a measure of the efficiency of a system, such as a code or language, in transmitting information
6. control and usage of sth in a skilful way
7. complete disorder, confusion
8. to perform mathematical and logical operations on data according to programmed instructions in order to obtain the required information
Task 4. Say whether the statements are true or false. If the statement is false correct it.
1. Cybernetics has historically been defined as "Communication and control in human."
2. The term cybernetics, derived from the Latin word for "steersman" underlines one of the essential ingredients of this field—that of perception and measurement.
3. Cybernetics developed as the investigation of the techniques by which information is transformed into desired performance.
4. To achieve desired performance from human organs and mechanical devices, information concerning the probable result of intended action must be made available as a guide for future action.
5. The presence of analytical skills means that a cybernetic system is able to measure or perceive a quantity of some sort and compare this to a required or desired value.
6. A great deal of research has been carried out in the areas of biological control theory, neural modeling, artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive perception, and chaos theory from a perspective that resulted from the development of cybernetics.
7. Historically, the human body, in particular the human heart, has been viewed by many as a type of machine.
8. A cybernetic view of religion sees it as an adaptive mechanism for the survival of groups as they evolve and change in an atmosphere of physical and social competition.
Task 5. Choose the correct word or phrase to complete the sentences.
1. Cybernetics deals with ___________ in living organisms, machines, and organizations.
a) efficiency of the system b) communication and control systems
c) environment and mission changes
2. Cybernetics developed as the ___________ of the techniques by which information is transformed into desired performance.
a) investigation b) protest
c) invention
3. In the human body, __________ function to coordinate the information, which is then used to determine a future course of action.
a) the heart and brain b) the brain and nervous system
c) the brain
4. Cybernetics views _________ as an adaptive mechanism for the survival of groups as they evolve and change in an atmosphere of physical and social competition.
a) economics b) religion c) artificial intelligence
5. The modern cybernetic approach is to attempt to construct robots that can __________ and be guided toward acting together as a team to achieve a collective goal.
a) see, hear and talk b) move c) communicate
6. As ___________ increases, the probability that any particular message will be chosen decreases.
a) the freedom of religion b) the freedom of choice
c) the lack of choice