Unit I текст What is a computer упражнен

Unit I
I  Warm up
1. Make up a list of the computer system elements.
2. What sorts of computers do you know?

II Vocabulary

Match the words from the text bellow with their corresponding definitions.

1.temporarily (adv)    a) to do or perform in a planned way
2. conduit (n)    b) being or using information recorded as a series of the numbers 0 and 1
3.simultaneously (adv)    c) information, especially raw or unprocessed information.
4. to store (v)    d) to keep somewhere for use in the future
5. to execute (v)    e) not lasting, not for a long time
6. keyboard (n)    f) the set of keys on a computer that you press in order to make it work
7. to enter  (v)    g) to key in
8. data (n)    h) being done at exactly the same time
9. digital (adj)    i) passage for electric wires to go through

III  Read the text to check your answers or to find right answers

What is a Computer

A computer is a programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are: it responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner; it can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).
Modern computers are electronic and digital. The actual machinery - wires, transistors, and circuits - is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software.
All general-purpose computers require the following hardware components:
● memory : Enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data and programs.
● mass storage device : Allows a computer to permanently retain large amounts of data. Common mass storage devices include disk drives and tape drives.
● input device : (a keyboard and a mouse, a lightpen, a scanner, a trackball, a graphics tablet, a joystick) the input device is the conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer.
● output device : A display screen, a printer, or other device that lets you see what the computer has accomplished.  
● Central processing unit (CPU): The heart of the computer, this is the component that actually executes instructions. It is the brains of the computer and is the most important element of a computer system.
Computers can be generally classified by size and power as follows, though there is considerable overlap:
● Personal computer : A small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. In addition to the microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor for displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.
● Workstation : A powerful, single-user computer. A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.
● Minicomputer : A multi-user computer capable of supporting from ten to hundreds of users simultaneously.
● Mainframe : A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously.
● Supercomputer : An extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second.

IV Comprehension Check

Answer the questions.
1.    What are the two principle characteristics of a computer?
2.    What is the difference between a hard ware and a soft ware?
3.    What input\output devices were mentioned in the text? Can you add any other devices?
4.    Why is CPU called the brain of the computer?
5.    How can we classify computers?

Are the following sentences true or false?
1.    Hardware is a physical part of a computer.
2.    Input device are the pieces of hardware which allow us to see what the computer has accomplished.
3.    CPU directs and coordinates the activities taking place within a computer.
4.    Workstations and personal computers have much in common.
5.    Minicomputers are very small.


V Find the equivalents of the following expressions in the text:

- жесткий диск
- программное обеспечение
- устройства сохранения информации
- устройство ввода\вывода
- постоянно сохранять большое количество данных
- выполнять инструкции
- классифицировать по мощности и размеру
- выведение информации на экран
- поддерживать от 10 до 100 пользователей одновременно.