- •1. Analog computers are the most modern ones nowadays.
- •2 Digital computers are the most modern ones nowadays.
- •3. The evolution of digital computing is often divided into generations.
- •4 The evolution of digital computing is not divided into generations.
- •5. Calculators are useless devices.
- •6. Charles Babbage was truly a man ahead of his time.
- •7. A computer is any device that can perform calculations.
- •8. Chips are the heart of today’s computers.
- •10. Most personal computers can’t perform any operations.
- •1. The first generation electronic computers were quite successful.
- •2. Three machines have promoted the development of the first electronic computers.
- •3. Eniac and edvac are the same machine.
- •4.Software technology during the period of the first generation computers was very primitive.
- •4. There were no important innovations in computer architecture of the second generation.
- •5. The third generation brought huge gains in computational power.
- •6. The third generation didn’t bring huge gains in computational power.
- •7. New high level programming languages were created for the second and the third generation.
- •8. New high level programming languages were not created for the second and the third generation.
- •9. Automation can be described as a “revolutionary” development.
- •1. The fourth generation computers used very large scale integration in the construction of computing elements.
- •3. The fifth generation computers are characterized by acceptance of parallel processing.
- •5. Programming languages for the fourth generation computers tend to use a declarative programming style.
- •6. Programming languages for the fourth generation computers do not tend to use a declarative programming style.
- •7. The widespread use of computer networks and the increasing use of single-user workstations characterize 5th generation.
- •8. The same.
- •9. The computer industry is one of the most important branches.
- •10. The computer industry is not one of the most important branches.
4.Software technology during the period of the first generation computers was very primitive.
Yes, you’re right. The software technology of that period was quite primitive. But I’d like to add, that in spite of its drawbacks it was of great use in solving numerous scientific and engineering problems. The first programs were written in machine code. The programmers wrote down the numbers that corresponded to the instructions they wanted to store in memory. Later programs known as assemblers performed the translation task.
5. Software technology during the period of the first generation computers wasn’t very primitive.
Sorry, but I can’t agree with you. Дальше смотри 4.
6. The first electronic machines were not useful in applied science and engineering.
I’m afraid you are wrong. As primitive as they were, these first electronic machines were quite useful in applied science and engineering. For example the Atanasoff-Berr computer was able to complete solving complicated systems of differential equations in under an hour.
7. Computers are not electronic machines for processing data.
On the contrary, computers are electronic machines for processing data. Data are pieces of information entered to the computer so that it could process them. And processing means handling the information presented to the computes. It includes calculations, classifying the information or making comparisons.
8. A computer is a very large adding machine.
On the one hand the statement is correct because computer can work as an adding machine. But it is a very restricted view of the computers. They can function in many different ways: they store, classify, control and monitor information and perform many other tasks. So, the general purpose of modern computers can be formulated as follows: a man should think, and a machine should work.
9. Many people are puzzled how computers function.
Well, you are absolutely right. In spite of the fact that we are used to computers we are still surprised at the speed they work. Modern computers can perform very complex operations in a fraction of seconds. In the modern world people are impressed with speed.
10. To add 5 million numbers with a pencil and paper is easier than with the help of a computer.
Sorry, I can’t agree with this statement. Even the earliest computers could considerably accelerate calculations. If performed manually such a calculation would take about a week. The computer is able to complete such a task in under an hour.
UNIT 3
1. The second generation computers were of higher level design.
Yes, the statement is correct. In comparison with the 1-st generation these computers saw important developments at all levels of computer design, starting from basic circuits technology to the programming languages.
2. The second generation computers were of lower level design.
Sorry, I can’t agree with this statement. Далее 1.
3. There were important innovations in computer architecture of the second generation.
Yes, you’re right. The architecture of the second generation saw such important innovations as index registers, floating point units, high-level programming languages and the first supercomputers. Index registers were used for controlling loops and floating point units were applied for calculations based on real numbers. These innovations increased the computers throughput and scalability. During the second generation such high-level programming languages were introduced as Fortran, Algol and Cobol. The first supercomputers, that is machines that are in an order of magnitude more powerful than ordinary ones also appeared at that time.