Today's astonishing computers

Read the text below attentively and translate it.

Not long ago computers were not very reliable and comparatively slow in operation. Since then, several generations of complex electronic computing equipment have been developed, each being significantly better than the one before it. Almost every day a new use is found for these astonishing devices to help man.

We know a computer to be a complex electronic device that can store and process vast quantities of information. Following instructions, computing equipment will perform calculations such as addition, subtrac­tion, multiplication and division, and provide the answers to a large vari­ety of problems in a tiny fraction of time.

A computer is known to be the "heart" of an electronic data process­ing system,² other parts of equipment being auxiliary.

There are two main types of computing equipment— digital and analogue. They work differently and yield different results. The digital computer is performing a much broader range of functions than the ana­logue one.

The analogue computer, as its name implies, produces analogues or parallels of the process to be described or the problem to be solved. Both the digital and the analogue computers must be "programmed". Ibis means they must be set up in such a way that they can produce a result from the information fed into them, and the information itself must be organized so that it can be handled by the machines. These de­vices working by electronic impulses perform at fantastic speed and with great precision.

Looking to the future, computer makers see no end to the things they would like to accomplish. The computer of the future seems to be developed by using bionics — biological functions of plants and ani­mals — as a guide in designing electronic circuits.

Nowadays computer makers are working at the problem of introduc­ing small computers into our everyday life making them personal. They are trying to develop a computer that will understand human language.

Each new generation of computers opens up new possibilities for ba­sic and applied research.

Learn the vocabulary.

tiny fraction of time — очень короткий период времени

data processing system — система обработки информации

to accomplish — осуществлять

auxiliary — вспомогательный

data — данные, информация

to describe — описывать

digital — цифровой

generation — поколение

plant — растение

precision — точность

to process — обрабатывать

range — диапазон

reliable — надежный

3. Give Russian equivalents to the following English word combinations from the text:

Сomparatively slow in operation, astonishing devices, to store and process vast quantities of information, to perform calculations such as addition, subtrac­tion, multiplication and division, electronic data process­ing system, , to yield different results, problem to be solved, to be handled by the machines, to perform at fantastic speed and great precision, computer makers, biological functions of plants and ani­mals, introduc­ing small computers into our everyday life.

4. Translate into English:

Новое поколение компьютеров, компьютер будущего, открывать новые возможности для базовых и прикладных исследований, большое разнообразие проблем, смотря в будущее, понимать человеческий язык, цифровой и аналоговый компьютер, очень надёжный, сложное электронное вычислительное оборудование, за короткий промежуток времени.

5. Answer the following questions:

1. What were the computers like not long ago?

2. Have they been developed since that time?

3. What is a computer?

4. What calculations can a computer perform?

5. What two types of.computing equipment do you know?

6. Do digital and analogue computers work in the same way?

7. How do digital and analogue computers work?

Read the text about early computing machines and their inventors and fill in the chart.

Date	Inventor	Invention

WHY DO PEOPLE BUILD?

1. Read the text below attentively and translate it:

We build because we need shelter. We need shelter from sun, rain, wind, and snow. Not much that modern people do takes place outdoors. Our activities mostly take place indoors. For these activities we may need air that is warmer or cooler than the air outdoors. We may also need less light by day and more light by night than is provided by nature.

It is a well-known fact that modern people in many countries also need services. Modern services must provide energy, water, communica­tions, and dispose of waste. Sanitary accommodation is also necessary and very important. For sanitary accommodation people must have ventila­tion. It is important to note that all services and accommodations are pre­planned and located on a site plan. A site plan must be prepared and pro­vided for every building and every construction.

In order to have shelter provided with modern services and accom­modation, people all over the world use many different construction matcrials and arrange them into different constructions. Since prehistoric times these constructions have served as shelter and accommodation for a man, a group of people, a family, a few families, many families, an organisation, or an enterprise.

What are the branches modern civil construction has? Among the branches the main ones are housing construction, construction of indus­trial enterprises, construction of railroads, highways, subways, construc­tion of bridges, dams, ports, canals, construction of different sporting fa­cilities. Among them there are stadiums, aquaparks, swimming pools, sporting complexes, and others.

Materials used for construction purposes possess different proper­ties. They differ in durability, strength, weight, fire- and decay-resistance and, naturally, cost.

Wbod, timber, brick, stone, concrete, metals, and plastics belong to the most popular building materials used nowadays. They all have their advantag­es and disadvantages that are taken into account when designing a structure.

Wood belongs to naturally growing materials. It is known to be the oldest construction material and is still widely used for different purposes. Wood is popular since it has low weight and is easy to work. Besides, it grows naturally and is cheap. But its usage is limited because of its disad­vantages: it easily burns and decays. As to stone, it also belongs to the old­est building materials. Among its advantages there are strength, high heat insulation and fire-resistance.

Brick belongs to artificial construction materials. It has been used in many countries and in different climates. In modern times bricks vary wide­ly with the method of production and temperature of burning.

Concrete is known to be one of the most popular building materials. It is produced by mixing cement, gravel, water, and sand in the proper amounts.

Read and translate the extract in writing.

Metals belong to hard and fire-resistant building materials. There exist two main groups of metals: ferrous and non-ferrous. Non-ferrous are metals whose main component is not iron. As to iron, steel and their al­loys, they belong to the group of ferrous metals.

2. Learn the vocabulary:

accommodation — приспособление

to use— использовать

air - воздух

use - использование

shelter – убежище

various properties — различные свойства

process of decay - процесс гниения, затухания

artificial atmosphere — искусственный воздух

gravel concrete — гравийный бетон

timber frame — деревянный каркас

gravel sand — гравийный песок

among — среди

arrangement - устройство, при­способление

branch— отрасль, ветвь

bridge — мост

civil — гражданский

difference — разница, различие

enterprise — предприятие

highway - дорога общего поль­зования, шоссе

facility — удобство, возможность

facilities — средства, возможно­сти, предметы оборудова­ния

since - с; с тех пор как; так как

advantage — преимущество

artificial — искусственный, фиктивный

concrete — бетон

gravel — гравий

property — свойство

foundation depth — глубина залегания фундамента

purpose — цель

resistance — сопротивление

strength — прочность, сила

timber — строевой лес, бревна,

brick — кирпич лесной материал

wood — древесина, роща

woodwork — плотницкая работа,

durable — прочный, долговременный

to decay — гнить, затухать

to vary — варьировать, меняться

because - так как

in order to — для того чтобы

indoors. - в помещении

outdoors — на воздухе, на улице

site — участок, место

waste — отбросы

to build — строить

to dispose — избавляться от

to provide – обеспечивать

to take place — иметь место

alloy—сплав

ferrous — соединения закиси железа

3. Form the new words according to the model:

Model: condition - условие; precondition - предварительное условие

determine -_____ ;___________ —__________

control -________ ;___________ —__________

examine -_______ ;___________ —__________

4. Translate into English:

Much air, less light, few people, more waste, little energy, a few buildings, fewer sites, many shelters, little sunshine, to take place outdoors (indoors), dispose of waste, sanitary accommodation, services and accommodations, to be pre­planned, a site plan, construction of indus­trial enterprises, construc­tion of bridges, construction of different sporting fa­cilities, popular building materials used nowadays, naturally growing materials, because of its disad­vantages, artificial construction materials, high heat insulation and fire-resistance, hard and fire-resistant building materials.

5. Translate into English:

Строительные материалы, принимать во внимание, доисторические времена, обладать разными свойствами, мелый вес, температура горения, метод производства, современное гражданское строительство, жилищное строительство, обеспечивается природой (естественным путём), строительство железных дорог, проектировать здание.