Компьютерная техника. Еремина Н.В. - 4 стр.

1 Unit I
1.1 Тext 1               What is а computer?


     1.1.1 When you read the following text, try to understand the meaning of
     the new words from the context. When you have read the whole text, check
     the new words in а dictionary. Those words underlined are explained in the
     glossary оr in the list of terms.

     One of the most spectacular developments of this century is the computer, а
machine, which performs long sequences of calculating and reasoning operations at
great speed and with vast reliability. As а consequence, there is now at the service of
mаn а power of over 200 billion calculating operations реr second, supplementing the
thinking and the memory of mаn. The basic job of computers is the processing of
information. For this reason computers can be defined as devices which accept
information in the form of instructions called а program and characters called data,
perform mathematical and/or logical operations on the information and then supply
results of these operations. The program, or part of it which tells the computers what
to do and the data, which provide the information needed to solve the problem, is
kept inside the computer in а place called memory.
     Computers are thought to have many remarkable powers. However, most
computers, whether large or small have three basic capabilities.
      First, computers have circuits for performing arithmetic operations, such as:
addition, subtraction, division, mu1tiplication and exponentiation.
      Second, computers have means of communicating with the user.
      Some of the most common methods of inputting information are to use punched
cards, magnetic tape, disks and terminals. The computer’s input device (which might
be а card reader, а tape drive or disk drive, depending on the medium used in
inputting information) reads the information into the computer. For outputting
information, two common devices used are а printer which prints the new
information on paper, or а CRT display screens which shows the results on а TV –
like screen. Third, computers have circuits, which can make decisions. The computer
can decide three things, namely: Is one number less than another? Are two numbers
equal? And, Is one number greater then another?

1. 2 Exercises

      1.2.1 In the following sentences the definitions have been mixed up. Write
      out the definitions correctly
  1) Silicon is the information that is inputted with the program and which
  mathematical and logical operations are performed.