From the history of computer

The educated man of 200 years ago did not need to know anything about science. 1. C. But the educated man of today needs to have some significant knowledge of science and a little significant knowledge about computers.

The computer is no doubt the most amazing achievement of mankind. It is a data storage system created by man. A human tells the machine what to do, when to do it and how it should be done.

The word computer comes from a Latin word which means to count. 2. _______. Knotted ropes, marks in clay, the abacus are all methods of keeping track of numbers.

In 1833 an English inventor and mathematician Charles Babbage, professor of Cambridge University designed the first computer. 3. _______. If Babbage had been able to get enough money to build the computer, the analytical engine would have been as big as a locomotive. It would have been able to store 1,000 50-digit numbers.

During the 70 years following Babbage’s death in 1871, computer scientists improved on Babbage’s original idea. In 1939, Harvard University physicist Howard Aiken built the forerunner of today’s computer. 4. _______. It was much slower than later computers, which use electronic components instead of switches.

In our country the first electronic digital computer MACM was constructed by the Ukrainian Academician S. O. Lebedev in 1950. Such computers as BESM, Minsk, Ural, Razdan-3, M-20, M-220, Nairi-3, Strela, Dniepr were created in our country.

5. ______. An analogue computer computed by using physical analogue of numerical measurements. A digital computer computed by using numbers or digits. A hybrid computer was a machine which combines some of the properties of digital and analogue computers.

The invention of electronic computers is one of the greatest achievements of mankind. The significance of it can be compared with the invention of the steam-engine and the utilisation of atomic energy.

Nowadays computers greatly increase man’s thinking capabilities of planning, analyzing, computing and controlling. Millions of computers are already in daily use. They penetrate almost into all spheres of our modern society, from nuclear energy production and missile design to the processing of bank checks, weather forecasting, manufacturing, research and medical diagnoses. Computers are everywhere. 6. _______.

Computer technology is a rapidly growing industry. According to the technical experts it is very educational. They say that computers help children to learn much more quickly. In some Japanese elementary schools there are already lessons on using computers. For older children the electronic diary was produced. Many young people in Tokyo use it for taking notes, doing homework, drawing and keeping telephone numbers. There’s also some equipment which is like an electronic teacher. This computer answers questions on all scholastic subjects from biology to geography. At home the computer is becoming a kind of technological grandmother. It sings nursery rhymes, tells fairy stories and helps with homework. But young people’s true passion is videogames. Some experts are alarmed. 7. _______. And there are a lot of videogames which are violent and not educational.

Task 5.

Find in the text English equivalents to the following Ukrainian words and word combinations:

освічена людина, базові знання, найбільш дивовижне досягнення людства, помітки на глині, винахідник, аналітичний двигун, попередник, комп’ютер змішаного типу, розробка ракет, прогноз погоди, електронний щоденник, для того щоб, найпростіша мова програмування, більш повний, виводити математичні формули, перевага, програмне забезпечення, комп’ютерне обладнання, надзвичайний технологічний розвиток, промислове підприємство, ефективна робота.

Task 6.

Translate the following English words and word combinations into Ukrainian:

data storage system, knotted ropes, marks in clay, abacus, keeping track of numbers, as big as a locomotive, the forerunner of today’s computer, exchange messages with someone, rapidly growing industry, a kind of technological grandmother, true passion, to communicate with computer, the first mechanical calculator, a problem oriented high level programming language, a household word, to indicate the degree of modernity, the working out.

Task 7.	Make up word combinations from the following words/word combinations and translate them into Ukrainian:
	1. analytical	a) computer
	2. missile	b) knowledge
	3. data storage	c) schools
	4. elementary	d) engine
	5. digital	e) forecasting
	6. weather	f) system
	7. significant	g) design

Task 8.

Give the definition to the following words and word combinations in English:

computer, knowledge, forerunner, digital computer, PASCAL, software, hardware.

Task 9.

Find in the box the endings to the following words to make up word combinations and translate them into Ukrainian:

1. to get …, 2. to build …, 3. to store …, 4. to improve on …, 5. to compute …, 6. to combine …, 7. to be …, to 8. to penetrate into …, 9. to write …, 10. to design …, 11. to draw …, 12. to take …, 13. to keep …, 14. to answer …, 15. to sing …, 16. to tell …, 17. to help with …, 18. to block ….

a) telephone numbers, b) a picture, c) one of the greatest achievements, d) data, e) the imagination, f) homework, g) idea, h) notes, i) money, j) properties, k) nursery rhymes, l) a letter, m) the computer, n) numbers, o) sphere, p) a house, q) the question, r) fairy story

	Task 10.	Translate the following sentences into English:
1. Англійський винахідник першим розробив комп’ютер, але не побудував його.
2. Існує три типи комп’ютерів, найкращій з них – змішаного типу.
3. За допомогою комп’ютера ми можемо проводити медичну діагностику та прогнозувати погоду.
4. Комп’ютерна промисловість швидко розвивається.
5. Перший цифровий комп’ютер в Україні було розроблено в 1950 році.
6. Людина широко використовує комп’ютери у всіх сферах життя.
7. Комп’ютери допомагають дітям вивчати шкільні предмети.

Task 11.

Put questions to the underlined words:

1. The word computer comes from a Latin word which means “to count”.

2. Invention of computers is one of the greatest achievements of mankind.

3. Experts say that computers help children to learn much more quickly.

4. A digital computer computes by using numbers or digits.

5. In our country the first electronic digital computer MACM was constructed by the Ukrainian Academician S. O. Lebedev in 1950.

Task 12.

Put all possible questions to the following sentence and its members:

Computers penetrate into all spheres of our modern society.

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