Past continuous vs. Past simple
| Past Continuous | Past Simple |
| We use it for an incomplete or continuing action in the past | We use it for a single and complete action in the past |
| We use it for an interrupted action in the past | We use it to say that one thing happened after another. |
| We use it for repeated actions in the past(with always) | We use it to talk about past habits or regular actions in the past |
| We use it to describe a background scene | We use it to describe past events and actions |
Exercise 3.Complete the sentences with the Past Continuous or the Past Simple.
Example: We were having (have) dinner when a friend of ours arrived(arrive).
- Roy ______(see)Alice and Tina when he ________(go) to work this morning.
- I________(break) a cup last night. I_______(do) the washing-up when it______(slip) out of my hand.
- We ____(not/go) out because it__________(rain)
- It _____(be) midnight. We______(drive) home.
- Christopher Columbus _______(sail) in the Santa Maria when he_______(discover) America.
Exercise 4. Put the verb into the Past Continuous (I was doing)or Past Simple:
When we went (go) out,itwas raining (rain).
I wasn't hungry last night. Ididn’t eat(not/eat) anything.
Were you watching (you/watch) television when I phoned(phone) you?
1. Jane wasn't at home when I went to see her. She ........ (work).
2. I ........ (get) up early this morning. I ..... (wash), ........ (dress) and then I .... (have) breakfast.
3. The postman ........ (come) while I ........... (have) breakfast.
4. We ........ (meet) Joan at the party. She ........ (wear) a red dress.
5. The boys ......... (break) a window when they ........ (play) football.
6. I was late but my friends ........ (wait) for me when I ........ (arrive).
7. I ........ (get) up at 7 o'clock. The sun ....... (shine), so I ....... (go) for a walk.
8. He....... (not/drive) fast when the accident ........ (happen).
9. Margaret ......... (not/go) to work yesterday. She was ill.
10. What ........ (.you/do) on Saturday evening? ”I went to the cinema”
11. What ........ (.you/do)at 9.30 on Saturday evening? “I ......... (watch) a film in the cinema.
Unit IV
COMPUTER
Lesson 1
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
Give if possible definitions of the following words and word combinations and try to pronounce them correctly:
Computer science, computation, abacus (pl abaci), circa, BCE, to employ, to refer to, to perform, gradually, onset, digital, value, to store, analog, logical, purely, to invent, Turing machine, to evolve, Turing test, to run.
READING TEXT
Read the following text:
HISTORY OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
The earliest known tool for use in computation was the abacus, and it was thought to have been invented in Babylon circa 2400 BCE. Its original style of usage was by lines drawn in sand with pebbles. Abaci, of a more modern design, are still used as calculation tools today.
Before the 1920s, computers were human clerks that performed computations. Many thousands of computers were employed in commerce, government, and research establishments.
After the 1920s, the expression computing machine referred to any machine that performed the work of a human computer.
The phrase computing machine gradually gave away, after the late 1940s, to just computer as the onset of electronic digital machinery became common.
Since the values stored by digital machines were not bound to physical properties like analog devices, a logical computer, based on digital equipment, was able to do anything that could be described "purely mechanical." Alan Turing, known as the Father of Computer Science, invented such a logical computer known as the Turing Machine, which later evolved into the modern computer. These new computers were also able to perform non-numeric computations, like music.
In 1948, the first practical computer that could run stored programs, based on the Turing machine model, had been built – the Manchester Baby.
Wikipedia
READING COMPREHENSION
I. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
- Many thousands of computers were ………………….. in different spheres of people’s life.
- Human clerks that performed computations were called ……………...
- The original style of abacus, the earliest known tool for use in computation, has been ………………….. circa 2400 BCE.
II. Given below are certain statements. Write ‘T’ against true statements and ‘F’ against false statements.
- Alan Turing is known as the Father of such a logical computer known as the Manchester Baby.
- A logical computer was able to do anything that could be described "purely mechanical".
- The earliest known tool for use in computation was the wheel.
- The phrase computing machine gradually gave away, after the late 1940s.
- The first practical computer that could run stored programs appeared in 1948.
Speaking practice
Discuss the topic “COMPUTERS” with your partner using newly learnt words: the periods of computer science development and the role of computers in our century.
Writing practice
I. Compose sentences as many as you can, using the following words and discuss them with your partner: