Computers

Unit 6

 

Computers

 

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. These machines have much better memories and they can store much information.

No man alive can do 500.000 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 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 dressiness 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 loudest 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 in formations is of great importance today. That’s why computer technology must be taught in secondary school. The new subject “basic information science” and “computing machine” was introduced at schools. The pupils teach computers to investigate school problems. Contact with the machine increases the interest in learning, makes them more serious about studying new subject. School computers are used not only for studying information science, but also examination purposes. Young people who finish school are trained to operate computers.

 

 

 

1. Read the text.

 

2. Guess the meaning of the underlined words.

 

3. Define true and false sentences:

(a) The first calculating machine was invented in 1858.

(b) Computer was invented by Charles Babbage.

(c) Computer can do 500 000 sums in one second.

(d) Any doctor can keep up with all discoveries.

(e) Young people who finish the school must be trained to operate tractors.

(f) The pupils teach computers to investigate school problems.

(g) Computers do not play any role in modern hospitals.

     4. Answer the following questions:

(a) What role does computer play in your life?

(b) How often do you use computer?

(c) Can you call yourself as “an Internet user”?

(d) In what sphere do computers use widely?

(e) Could a person keep the endless information in his head?

(f) Do you think that in the future computer can replace a person?

(g) What advantages of a computer do you know?

(h) Who invented the first calculated machine?

(i) How do you imagine our life without computers?

5. Ask your partner questions about:

(a) Computers; (b) Information science; (c) scientists; (d) medical computer centers; (e) Charles Babbage; (f) school problems.

6. Retell the text.

7. How do you understand the joke? Discuss it with your partner.

AST technical support had a caller complaining that her mouse was hard to control with the dust cover on. The cover turned out to be the plastic bag the mouse was packaged in.