Listening gap fill

Computers

Computer is an electronic device that can receive a set of instructions called program and then carry out them. The modern world of high technology could not be possible without computers. Different types and sizes of computers find uses throughout our society. They are used for the storage and handling of data, secret governmental files, information about banking transactions and so on.

Computers have opened up a new era in manufacturing and they have enhanced modern communication systems. They are essential tools in almost every field of research, from constructing models of the universe to producing tomorrow's weather reports. Using of different databases and computer networks make available a great variety of information sources.

There are two main types of computers, analog and digital, although the term computer is often used to mean only the digital type, because this type of computer is widely used today. That is why I am going to tell you about digital computers.

Everything that a digital computer does is based on one operation: the ability to determine: on or off, high voltage or low voltage or — in the case of numbers — 0 or 1 or do-called binary code. The speed at which the computer performs this simple act is called computer speed. Computer speeds are measured in Hertz or cycles per second. A computer with a «clock speed» of 2000 MHz is a fairly representative microcomputer today. It is capable of executing 2000 million discrete operations per second. Nowadays microcomputers can perform from 800 to over 3000 million operations per second and supercomputers used in research and defense applications attain speeds of many billions of cycles per second.

Digital computer speed and calculating power are further enhanced by the amount of data handled during each cycle. Except two main types of computers, analog and digital there are eight generations of digital computers or processing units. The first generation was represented by processing unit Intel 8086.

The second generation central processing unit was represented by processing unit Intel 80286, used in IBM PC AT 286. The third generation is Intel 80386, used in IBM PC AT 386. The microprocessors of the fourth generation were used in computers IBM PC AT 486. There are also central processing units of the fifth generation, used in Intel Pentium 60 and Intel Pentium 66, central processing units of the sixth generation, used in computers Intel Pentium 75, 90,100 and 133. Few years ago appeared central processing units of seventh and eighth generations. They are much more powerful and can perform from 2000 to over 3000 million operations per second.

When Charles Babbage, a professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, invented the first calculating machine in 1812, he couldn’t imagine the situation we find ourselves in today. Nearly everything we do in the world is helped, or even controlled by computers, the complicated descendants of his simple machine. Computers are used more and more often in the world today, for the simple reason that they are far more efficient than human beings. They have much better memories and they can store much information. No man alive can do 500000 sums in one second, but a computer can. In fact, computers can do many of the things we do, but faster and better. They can predict weather, and ever play chess, write poetry or compose music.

The use of computers
Just as television has extended human sight across the barriers of time and distance, so the computers extend the power of the human mind across the existing barriers.

Computers in medicine
Computers are one of great importance in modern hospital. The chief use of computers is the storing and sorting the medical knowledge, which has been enquired in the last 50 years. No doctor can possible keep up with all discoveries. The only solution of the problem is store medical knowledge in a computer. Today there are medical computer centers were all existing knowledge of symptoms of various diseases and of their treatment is stored. Doctors feed data on symptoms in the computer and get the necessary information on correct diagnostics and treatment.

Computers that can be learn
Ordinary computer can remember only the data stored in the hard disk. Now scientists have designed machines that are capable of learning from experience and remembering what they have learned. Such a machine is capable of recognizing objects without human help or control. Of course, they made many mistakes.

There is another similar machine, which can look at letter alphabet simple words, and they “say” thought a loudes speaker what it has seen. The machine has as certain learning power.

Computers at the school
Information science with the ideas and message of processing and storing information is of great importance today. That’s why computer technology must be told in secondary school. The new subject “basic information science” and “computing machine” was introduced for the siner forms at schools. The pupils teach computers to anlestigate school problems. Contact with the machine increases the interest in learning, makes them more serious about studying new subject. School computers are used for not only studying information science, but also examinations purposes. Young people who finish the school must be trained to operate computers.

It’s hard to believe that no one had computers a few years ago. I wonder how people lived. There must have been a lot of paperwork. I can’t imagine writing everything by hand. I also wonder how everything worked without computers. We need computers today for everything. Hospitals, airports, the police… nothing can work without computers. I’m sure I’d be ten times busier than now if I didn’t have a computer. Imagine having to find a piece of paper and an envelope and then walking down the street to mail a letter! I love my computer. It makes everything in my life so convenient. Sure, it freezes and crashes sometimes. Sure I lose some data. But that’s not often. Most of the time my computer is like my best friend.

LISTENING GAP FILL

It’s hard to believe ______________________ had computers a few years ago. I wonder how people lived. There must have been ______________________ paperwork. I can’t imagine writing everything by hand. I ______________________ everything worked without computers. We need computers today for everything. Hospitals, airports, the police… nothing can work without computers. I’m ______________________ ten times busier than now if I didn’t have a computer. Imagine ______________________ find ______________________ paper and an envelope and then walking down the street ______________________ letter! I love my computer. It makes everything ______________________ convenient. Sure, it freezes and crashes sometimes. Sure ______________________ data. But that’s not often. Most ______________________ my computer is like my best friend.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16