Некоммерческое акционерное общество

АЛМАТИНСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ ЭНЕРГЕТИКИ И СВЯЗИ

Кафедра иностранных языков

 

 

 АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

Тексты для развития навыков чтения и перевода

Методические указания для студентов

специальности 5В070300 и 5В070400

 

 

Алматы 2011 

СОСТАВИТЕЛЬ: Ж.К.Байгаскина. Английский язык. Тексты для        развития навыков чтения и перевода. Методические указания для студентов специальности 5В070300 и 5В070400 – Алматы: АУЭС, 2011г. – 32 с.

 

          Методические указания предназначены для развития  умений чтения и перевода общетехнических текстов у студентов русского и казахского отделений специальности информационная технология, вычислительная техника и программное обеспечение, а также их можно использовать для самостоятельной работы студентов с преподавателем.

          Методические указания содержат неадаптированные тексты из технической литературы и закрепительные лексико-грамматические  упражнения для повторения и закрепления грамматического материала, что будет способствовать обогащению словарного запаса обучаемых, развитию навыков вести беседу по соответствующей тематике и умению написать аннотацию к тексту.     

 

 Рецензент: доцент Серикбаева У.Б.

 

           Печатается по плану издания некоммерческого акционерного общества    «Алматинский университет энергетики и связи» на 2011 г.

 

© НАО «Алматинский университет энергетики и связи», 2012 г.

 

 Сводный план 2011 г., поз. 288

 

 

Unit I

Operating Systems: Hidden Software

 

1 Read this text to check your answer and to find the answers to these questions:

1) What difference is there between applications software and operating systems?

2) Why is the supervisor program the most important operating system program?

3) What is the difference between resident and non-resident programs?

4) What are the main functions of an operating system?

 

When a brand new computer comes off the factory assembly line, it can do nothing. The hardware needs software to make it work. Are we talking about applications software such as wordprocessing or spreadsheet software? Partly. But an applications software package does not communicate directly with the hardware. Between the applications software and the hardware is a software interface - an operating system. An operating system is a set of programs that lies between applications software and the computer hardware.

The most important program in the operating system, the program that manages the operating system, is the supervisor program, most of which remains in memory and is thus referred to as resident. The supervisor controls the entire operating system and loads into memory other operating system programs (called non-resident) from disk storage only as needed.

An operating system has three main functions: (I) manage the computer's resources, such as the central processing unit, memory, disk drives, and printers, (2) establish a user interface, and (3) execute and provide services for applications software. Keep in mind, however, that much of the work of an operating system is hidden from the user. In particular, the first listed function, managing the computer's resources, is taken care of without the user being aware of the details. Furthermore, all input and output operations, although invoked by an applications program, are actually carried out by the operating system.

 

Vocabulary

operating systems система управления электроприводом

come off the assembly line сходить с конвейера

software package – пакет программ

spreadsheet крупноформатная таблица, электронная таблица,

partly – частично

            applications software – прикладная программа

          supervisor – супервизор

          referred to – упоминать

execute – выполнять

aware осведомленный

invoked призывать, вызывать

interface соединять, интерфейс

2 Fill in the gaps in this summary of storage devices using the correct word from this list.

           but        however         because        so       therefore        for this reason

 

Floppies are very cheap. 1 _________ they are slow and have a limited capacity. Hard disks are fast and can store large amounts of data 2 ____________ they are fixed inside the computer. 3 _________ you cannot use them to transfer data. You can transfer data with removable hard disks. 4 ___________ they are expensive. CD-ROM disks can hold quite large amounts of data. 5 ____________, they are usually read-only 6___________ you cannot change the information on them. Magneto optical disks are like CD-ROMs 7____________ you can write data on to them. They are removable and have large capacities. 8 _____________ they are expensive and do not conform to a standard. 9 _____________they are not very common. Magnetic tape is cheap and has a large capacity. 10 _____________it does not allow random access and drives are slow. 11 ____________ it is only suitable for backups.

 

3 Complete the gaps in this summary of the text on operating systems using these linking words and phrases: although, because, but, in addition, such as, therefore.

The user is aware of the effects of different applications programs …………… operating systems are invisible to most users. They lie between applications programs, …………….. word-processing, and the hardware. The supervisor program is the most important. It remains in memory, …………. it is referred to as resident. Others are called non-resident  …………… they are loaded into memory only when needed. Operating systems manage the computer's resources, ………………. the central processing unit.  ………………., they establish a user interface, and execute and provide services for applications software.  ……………. input and output operations are invoked by applications programs, they are carried out by the operating system.

 

Language work:  - ing form (1) as a noun; after prepositions

We can use the -ing form of the verb as a noun. It can be the subject, object or complement of a sentence. For example:  

The -ing form is also used after prepositions. This includes to when it is a preposition and not part of the infinitive. For example:

 

 1  Managing the computer's resources is an important function of the operating system.

4  Without the user being aware of the details, the operating system manages the computer's resources.

2  The operating system starts running the user interface as soon as the PC is switched on.

5 We begin by focusing on the interaction between a user and a PC operating system.

3  Another function of the operating system is executing and providing services for applications software.

6    We look forward to having cheaper and faster computers.

 

4 Rewrite each of these sentences like this:

An important function of the operating system is to manage the computer's resources.

Managing the computer's resources is an important function of the operating system.

1) One task of the supervisor program is to load into memory non­resident programs as required.

2) The role of the operating system is to communicate directly with the hardware.

3) One of the key functions of the operating system is to establish a user interface.

4) An additional role is to provide services for applications software.

5) Part of the work of mainframe operating systems is to support multiple programs and users.

6) The task in most cases is to facilitate interaction between a single user and  a PC.

7) One of the most important functions of a computer is to process large amounts of data quickly.

8) The main reason for installing more memory is to allow the computer to process data faster.

 

5 Complete these sentences with the correct form of the verb: infinitive or -ing form.

1) Don't switch off without (close down) your PC. 2) I want to (upgrade) my computer. 3) He can't get used to (log on) with a password. 4) You can find information on the Internet by (use) a search engine. 5) He objected to (pay) expensive telephone calls for Internet access. 6) He tried to (hack into) the system without (know) the password. 7) You needn't learn how to (program) in HTML before (design) webpages. 8) I look forward to (input) data by voice instead of (use) a keyboard.

 

 

 

Unit II

1 Find the answers to these questions in the following text:

1) What did Linus Torvalds use to write the Linux kernel? 2) How was the Linux kernel first made available to the general public? 3) What is a programmer likely to do with source code? 4) Why will most software companies not sell you their source code? 5) What type of utilities and applications are provided in a Linux distribution? 6) What is X? 7) What graphical user interfaces are mentioned in the text?

 

Linux

 

Linux has its roots in a student project. In 1992, an undergraduate called Linus Torvalds was studying computer science in Helsinki, Finland. Like most computer science courses, a big component of it was taught on (and about) Unix. Unix was the wonder operating system of the 1970s and 1980s: both a textbook example of the principles of operating system design, and sufficiently robust to be the standard OS in engineering and scientific computing. But Unix was a commercial product (licensed by AT&T to a number of resellers), and cost more than a student could pay.

Annoyed by the shortcomings of Minix (a compact Unix clone written as a teaching aid by Professor Andy Tannenbaum) Linus set out to write his own 'kernel' – the core of an operating system that handles memory allocation, talks to hardware devices, and makes sure everything keeps running. He used the GNU programming tools developed by Richard Stallman's Free Software Foundation, an organisation of volunteers dedicated to fulfilling Stallman's ideal of making good software that anyone could use without paying. When he'd written a basic kernel, he released the source code to the Linux kernel on the Internet.

Source code is important. It's the original from which compiled programs are generated. If you don't have the source code to a program, you can't modify it to fix bugs or add new features. Most software companies won't sell you their source code, or will only do so for an eye-watering price, because they believe that if they make it available it will destroy their revenue stream.

What happened next was astounding, from the conventional, commercial software industry point of view – and utterly predictable to anyone who knew about the Free Software Foundation. Programmers (mostly academics and students) began using Linux. They found that it didn't do things they wanted it to do – so they fixed it. And where they improved it, they sent the improvements to Linus, who rolled them into the kernel. And Linux began to grow.

There's a term for this model of software development; it's called Open Source. Anyone can have the source code – it's free (in the sense of free speech, not free beer). Anyone can contribute to it. If you use it heavily you may want to extend or develop or fix bugs in it – and it is so easy to give your fixes back to the community that most people do so.

An operating system kernel on its own isn't a lot of use; but Linux was purposefully designed as a near-clone of Unix, and there is a lot of software out there that is free and was designed to compile on Linux. By about 1992, the first 'distributions' appeared.

A distribution is the Linux-user term for a complete operating system kit, complete with the utilities and applications you need to make it do useful things – command interpreters, programming tools, text editors, typesetting tools, and graphical user interfaces based on the X windowing system. X is a standard in academic and scientific computing, but not hitherto common on PCs; it's a complex distributed windowing system on which people implement graphical interfaces like KDE and Gnome.

As more and more people got to know about Linux, some of them began to port the Linux kernel to run on non-standard computers. Because it's free, Linux is now the most widely-ported operating system there is.

 

Vocabulary

root – корень

annoy – досаждать

shortcomings – недостаток

core – центр

allocation – размещение 

kernel стержень

dedicated – узкоспециализированный

released опубликовать/публиковать

revenue – доход

astounding поразительный

utterly совершенно

typesetting tools наборное оборудование

hitherto  до настоящего времени, до сих пор

port переноситься

 

2 Re-read the text to find the answers to these questions.

Match the terms in Table A with the statements in Table B.

a) Kernel                             1)  A type of software development where any    

                                                 programmer can develop or fix bugs in the software.     

b) Free Software                 2)  The original systems program from which

      Foundation                           compiled programs are generated.

c) Source code                    3)  A complete operating system kit with the utilities and                                                                                                

                                                  applications you need to make it do useful things.

d) Open Source                  4)  A standard distributed windowing system on which

                         people implement graphical interfaces.                     

e) A distribution                 5)  An organisation of volunteers dedicated to making

                                                 good software that anyone could use without paying.

f)  X                                    6)  The core of an operating system that handles memory

                                                 allocation, talks to hardware devices, and makes sure

                                                 everything keeps running.

 

3 Mark the following statements as True or False:

a)    Linux was created in the 1980s.

b)    Minix was created by a university student.

c)    Linux is based on Unix.

d)    Minix is based on Unix.

e)    Linux runs on more types of computer than any other operating system.

 

Verbs + object + infinitive; Verbs + object + to-infinitive

 

New developments in computing are often designed to make something easier. These verbs are often used to describe such developments:

allow                    let

enable                   permit

help

 

Study these examples:

1)  A GUI lets you point to icons and click a mouse button to execute a task.

2) A GUI allows you to use a computer without knowing any operating system commands.

3) The X Window System enables Unix-based computers to have a graphical look and feel.

4) Voice recognition software helps disabled users (to) access computers.

 

Allow, enable and permit are used with this structure:

verb + object + to-infinitive

 

Let is used with this structure: verb + object + infinitive

 

Help can be used with either structure

 

 

4 Complete the gap in each sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1)  The Help facility enables users ………… (get) advice on most problems.

2)  Adding more memory lets your computer ………… (work) faster.

3)  Windows allows you ………… (display) two different folders at the same time.

4)  The Shift key allows you ………… (type) in upper case.

5)  The Mouse Keys feature enables you ………… (use) the numeric keypad to move the mouse pointer.

6)  ALT + TAB allows you ……….. (switch) between programs.

7) The Sticky Keys feature helps disabled people ………… (operate) two keys simultaneously.

8)  ALT + PRINT SCREEN lets you ………… (copy) an image of an active window to the Clipboard.

 

5 Work in groups. Complete this questionnaire for yourself. Then take turns in your group to explain how to perform each of these actions. You may need these verbs:

choose

right/left/double-click on

hover

drag and drop

select

 

 

Do you know how to:

Yes

No

 

create a folder?

 

 

start a program?

 

 

shut down the system?

 

 

4 adjust the speaker volume?

 

 

5  arrange the icons?

 

 

display the date?

 

 

in Windows, show Tooltips?

 

 

 

6 Study these instructions for moving a file from one folder to another using Windows Explorer. Then write your own instructions for one of the actions in Task 5. Compare your instructions with those given in the Help facility on your computer.

1) If you want to move a file that was saved in a different folder, locate and open the folder.

2) Right-click the file you want to move; then click Cut on the shortcut menu.

3) Locate and open the folder where you want to put the file.

4) Right-click the folder; then click Paste on the shortcut menu.

 

 

 

Unit III

 

1 Find the answers to these questions in the following text.

1) What developments are driving the development of completely new interfaces?

2) What has inspired a whole cottage industry to develop to improve today's graphical user interface?

3) In what way have XML-based formats changed the user interface?

4) What type of computers are certain to benefit from speech technology?

5) Name a process where a mouse is particularly useful and a process where it is not so useful.   

6) What facilities are multimodal interfaces likely to offer in the future?

7) What type of input device will be used to give vision to the user interface?

8) What development has led to an interest in intelligent agents?

9) List ways in which intelligent agents can be used.

 

User Interfaces

 

Cheaper and more powerful personal computers are making it possible to perform processor-intensive tasks on the desktop. Break-throughs in technology, such as speech recognition, are enabling new ways of interacting with computers. And the convergence of personal computers and consumer electronics devices is broadening the base of computer users and placing a new emphasis on ease of use. Together, these developments will drive the industry in the next few years to build the first completely new interfaces since SRI International and Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center did their pioneering research into graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in the 1970s.

True, it's unlikely that you'll be ready to toss out the keyboard and mouse any time soon. Indeed, a whole cottage industry – inspired by the hyperlinked design of the World Wide Web - has sprung up to improve today's graphical user interface. Companies are developing products that organize information graphically in more intuitive ways. XML-based formats enable users to view content, including local and network files, within a single browser interface. But it is the more dramatic innovations such as speech recognition that are poised to shake up interface design.

Speech will become a major component of user interfaces, and applications will be completely redesigned to incorporate speech input. Palm-size and handheld PCs, with their cramped keyboards and basic handwriting recognition, will benefit from speech technology.

Though speech recognition may never be a complete replacement for other input devices, future interfaces will offer a combination of input types, a concept known as multimodal input. A mouse is a very efficient device for desktop navigation, for example, but not for changing the style of a paragraph. By using both a mouse and speech input, a user can first point to the appropriate paragraph and then say to the computer, 'Make that bold.' Of course, multimodal interfaces will involve more than just traditional input devices and speech recognition. Eventually, most PCs will also have handwriting recognition, text to speech (TTS), the ability to recognize faces or gestures, and even the ability to observe their surroundings.

At The Intelligent Room, a project of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Artificial Intelligence Lab, researchers have given sight to PCs running Microsoft Windows through the use of video cameras. 'Up to now, the PC hasn't cared about the world around it,' said Rodney A. Brooks, the Director of MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab. 'When you combine computer vision with speech understanding, it liberates the user from having to sit in front of a keyboard and screen.'

It's no secret that the amount of information – both on the Internet and within intranets – at the fingertips of computer users has been expanding rapidly. This information onslaught has led to an interest in intelligent agents, software assistants that perform tasks such as retrieving and delivering information and automating repetitive tasks. Agents will make computing significantly easier. They can be used as Web browsers, help-desks, and shopping assistants. Combined with the ability to look and listen, intelligent agents will bring personal computers one step closer to behaving more like humans. This is not an accident. Researchers have long noted that users have a tendency to treat their personal computers as though they were human. By making computers more 'social,' they hope to also make them easier to use.

As these technologies enter mainstream applications, they will have a marked impact on the way we work with personal computers. Soon, the question will be not 'what does software look like' but 'how does it behave?'

 

Vocabulary

on the desktop на рабочем столе

recognition распознание

convergence конвергенция, сходимость

consumer   бытовая электроника

put emphasis on smth. делать ударение

ease of use легкий в использовании

graphical user interfaces графический интерфейс пользователя

to toss out выбрасывать

cottage industry надомная промышленность

inspired вдохновенный

hyperlinked –  осуществление гиперсвязи

spring up возникать

handwritingпочерк

recognition распознание

gesture жестикулировать

Intelligent Room интеллектуальный участок памяти  

onslaught нападение

help-desks компьютерная служба помощи

marked impact заметное воздействие

 

2 Re-read the text to find the answers to these questions.

Match the terms in Table A with the statements in Table B.

           Table A                                                               Table В

a)   GUI                                          1)  Software assistant that performs tasks

                                                          such as retrieving and delivering

                                                          information and automating repetitive tasks.

b) Multimodal interface              2)  Text to speech.

c)  Intelligent agent                     3)  Graphical user interface.

d)   TTS                                          4)  A project of the Massachusetts Institute

                                                          of Technology's Artificial Intelligence Lab.

e)  The Intelligent Room             5)  A system that allows a user to interact with

                                                          a computer using a combination of inputs

                                                          such as speech recognition, hand­writing

                                                          recognition, text to speech, etc.

 

3 Mark the following statements as True or False:

a)  Fewer people are using computers because computer functions are becoming integrated into other electronic devices.

b)  Keyboards and mice will soon not be required for using personal computers.

c)  There have been no improvements in interface design since the development of the GUI.

d)  Speech recognition is likely to completely replace other input devices.

e)  Computer speech and vision will free the user from having to sit in front of a keyboard and screen.

f)  Intelligent agents will make computers seem more like humans.

 

4 Work in groups. Read paragraph A and additional paragraphs selected by your teacher. Complete this note-taking frame for each text you read.

 

 

 

B

 

C

 

D

Users

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use

 

 

 

Program types

 

 

 

Data input

 

 

 

Output

 

 

 

 

 

а) The system consists of 5 networked PCs, one in each of the consulting rooms, one in the Practice Manager’s office and the other in Reception alongside the file server. (Each PC has its own laser printer.) All users have access to Microsoft Office.

b) Doctors use the system to access a number of databases. The most important holds the records of all the patients in the practice. These files contain personal details and the medical history of the patient. The doctor can call up the appointments book prior to the consultation. By clicking on the patients name, they have immediate access to that patient’s records. At the end of each consultation, the doctor enters brief case notes including the diagnosis and treatment. This database can also be used to produce statistics tor research and reports.

Doctors can also access a drugs database on CD-ROM which provides prescribing information on thousands of drugs including their suitability for different categories of patients. This is updated every month. Another database is a conditions dictionary which provides information on a wide range of problems.

c) Reception staff use specially tailored software developed from a database to enter all appointment dates and times for each doctor. The program generates daily lists of appointments and can be accessed by the doctors. Reception use the patient database to identify children and old people who are due to have vaccinations. They then use mailmerging to create letters asking for appointments to be made.

d) The Practice Manager uses a payroll package based on a spreadsheet to calculate salaries for each employee of the health centre. She enters all income and expenditure to produce practice accounts. She uses a database to produce a monthly rota of which doctors are on call in evenings and at weekends. This rota is available over the network to all users.

 

5 Exchange information with others in your group to complete notes for all the texts. Ask and answer questions like these:

1) How do Reception use the system?

2) What type of program do they use?

3) What kind of data do they enter?

4) What is the output from the program?

 

6 Complete the gaps in these instructions for finding the records of all members of the Green family living in postcode WX14 3PH and registered with any doctor in the practice.

1)  First enter the search criteria by …………. .

2) To  …………,   enter Green in the Surname box.

3) Ensure both male and female members of the family are found by ………… .

4)  ………… select the Address tab.

5) Having................ , enter the postcode.

6) ………… choose the Registration tab.

7) Once ................... , select All doctors.

8) …………, click on Find to ………… .    

 

 

 

Unit IV

 

1 Find the answers to these questions in the text below.

1) How do you pay for the applications provided by an ASP?

     a)    no charge

     b)    charged according to use

     с)     payment

2) What two main services does an ASP provide?

3)  How does an ASP ensure that they have enough storage space for the changing

needs of customers?

4) What types of applications are available from ASPs?

5) Why is it useful for a small business to be able to rent specialist tools from an ASP?

6) What is one of the best established areas of ASP use?

 

Application Service Providers

 

If your hard disk is packed to bursting point, the IT department is far too busy to fix your email problems, and your business can't afford to buy the tools that you'd like to develop the company website, then it's time to think about using an application service provider (ASP). Rather than installing software on each machine or server within your organisation, you rent applications from the ASP, which provides remote access to the software and manages the hardware required to run the applications.

There are a lot of advantages to this approach. The havoc caused by viruses makes the idea of outsourcing your email and office suite services an attractive option. It also gives you more flexibility - you pay for applications as and when you need them, rather than investing in a lot of costly software which you're then tied to for years. Not having to worry about upgrading to the latest version of your office suite or about battling with the complexities of managing an email system, leaves businesses with more time. Time to focus on, what they do best.

However, there are some potential pitfalls. To 25 use applications remotely requires a lot of bandwidth, which is only really available from a broadband connection or a leased line to the ASP itself. It is also important to ensure that the ASP will be able to provide a secure, reliable service which will be available whenever you need it.

Providing applications and storage space for vast numbers of users requires some powerful technology on the part of the ASP. This includes security controls and data storage as well as providing the physical links to customers. For the most part, ASPs don't own the data centres that store the information. Instead, they lease space from data storage specialists. In this way, they can be confident of meeting customers' increasing storage requirements by buying more space as it's needed.

There's a wide variety of applications available for use via ASPs. Office suite applications and email services are two of the most generic applications available through ASPs. Large, complex business applications such as enterprise resource planning tools like SAP are another popular candidate for delivery through an ASP. Other business services, such as payroll and accounting systems are also available. This is particularly beneficial to small businesses which are likely to grow quickly and don't want to deal with the problems caused by outgrowing their existing system and having to move to a high-end package. ASPs also offer a means of using specialist tools that would otherwise prove prohibitively expensive. Small businesses have the opportunity to use such tools for short periods of time as and when they need them, rather than having to buy the software as a permanent investment.

One of the major barriers for small businesses which want to make a start in e-commerce is ensuring that they have sufficient resources to cope with sudden large increases in customers. This means not only having adequate storage for all your customers' details, but ensuring that you have the technology in place to handle

stock levels, efficient delivery and large volumes of traffic. It's very rare for an e-commerce business to handle all of these elements by itself, making this one of the best-established areas of ASP use. Being able to respond rapidly to changes in the size of your customer base and the type of product that they want to order from your business, demands more flexibility than traditional software can provide.

 

Vocabulary

application service providers провайдер программных сервисов

bursting point предохранительная диафрагма, пункт

remote access удаленный доступ

approach  технология

havoc опустошение, беспорядок

pitfall ловушка, западня

bandwidth пропускная способность, полоса пропускания

broadband широкополосный

lease нитеразделитель, разделять нити

vast многочисленный

payroll платежная ведомость

otherwise иначе, а то

prohibitively предельно

cope справляться

respond реагировать, отвечать

 

2 Re-read the text to find the answers to these questions.

                       Note the advantages and disadvantages of using an ASP.

              Match the items in Table A with the statements in Table B.

   Table A                                                      Table В

 

a)  Website                                 1) Set of standard programs used in an office.                                                                                                                                                              

b)  ASP                                      2) Facility for storing large amounts of information.                                                                                                                       

c)  Virus                                     3) Capacity of a network connection.                                                                                                        

d)  Office suite                           4) High capacity Internet connection.                                                                                                  

e)  Bandwidth                            5) Self-replicating program.                                                                                                       

f)  Broadband                             6) Common enterprise resource planning tool.                                                                                                      

g)  Data centre                           7) Application service provider.                                                                                                             

h)  SAP                                      8) Collection of related webpages.                                                                                                             

 

3 Using information from the text, mark the following as True or False:

a)  Software from an ASP must be installed locally on a user's computer.

b)  You need a high bandwidth connection to use an ASP service.

c)  ASPs usually use their own storage space for customers.

d)  Using an ASP gives you more flexibility.

e)  An e-commerce business usually provides all of the required technology itself.

 

4 Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense.

1)    Bill __________ (work) for the company for I the last twenty-five years.

2)  He ________ (graduate) in business studies and ________ (take) a job in London.

3)   He  ________ (train) as a systems analyst while he ________ (work) in London.

4)   Now he__________ (look after) all the systems used by the Technical Services Division.

5)   At the moment he__________ (develop) и system for handling repairs.

6)  When something __________ (go) wrong in a pub, a service engineer _________ (send) to fix it.

7)  Details of every repair ___________ (download) to the company's mainframe each night.

8)   Nо changes can   _________ (make) until the system _________ (test).

9)   Bill thinks that communications _______ (get) faster and faster in the future.

10)   He thinks that a paper-free office ___________ (not happen).

 

5 Fill in the gaps with the correct form of an appropriate verb from this list.

               may         might          must          should        will

1)   Technicians ___________ have normal colonr vision to follow colour-coding of wires.

2)   You ___________ try to remove a floppy disk when the drive is running.

3)   Biological computers  ___________ replace electronic computers in the future.

4)   You ___________ update your webpage regularly.

5)   You ___________ have pages with dead-ends on your website.

6)   You ___________ know your password to gain access to the network.

7)   Computers ___________ get cheaper and more powerful.

8)   You___________ back up your files regularly.

 

 

 

Unit V

 

1 Study this text and the diagram of a wireless network setup. Match the diagram key to the components of the network.

 

Wireless networking

 

Wireless (WiFi) networks are just like fixed LANs but instead of using cables, devices are linked by radio waves.

Each computer in a wireless network requires a wireless network interface card (NIC). These can be built in or you can use plug-in adaptors. These allow each component in the network to communicate with a wireless access point (AP) to create a wireless local area network (WLAN). The AP operates like a router in a fixed LAN. It also provides a bridge which plugs into the hub of a fixed LAN allowing both fixed and wireless users to talk to each other. If your LAN is connected to the Internet, the WLAN can also use it. If not, you can connect the WLAN to the Internet via an ADSL or cable modem.

What are the advantages of a wireless network? You don't need cabling. In older buildings, it can be expensive to install cables and access points. With WiFi, one access point can cover an entire floor or even a building. You can work anywhere within range of the access point. On a sunny day, you could work outside. You can make any room in the house your study. There are now WiFi hotspots in hotels, libraries and airports so you can link to a network away from home or your office.

There are disadvantages. Fixed LANs can run at 1000 Mbps. Wireless networks arc much slower and the further you are from an access point, the slower the rate. Although there are savings on the cost of cabling, wireless NICs arc more expensive than the wired versions. Then there is the problem of interference, if a neighbour is using the same channel, and security. Other users may be able to intercept your data. Encryption programs like Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) can help.          

 

                     

                        USB cable

                                                              

Print server

 

 

                                     

 

                                                                               

                                                                                  Wireless access point or router

                     ADSL or cable modem

 

Key to the diagram

1) A modem providing access to the Internet.

2) A wireless AP enabling computers to connect to the fixed LAN.

3) Computers equipped with wireless NICs.

4) A fixed LAN linking computers with cables.

5) A network printer connected to a wireless print server.

6) A data line linking fixed LAN clients to a wireless access point.

 

Vocabulary

wireless network – беспроводная сеть

plug-in – съемный

router маршрутизатор, программа трассировки

plugs into включать

hub радиально-узловая сеть, сеть с центральной станцией

access point точка доступа, узел доступа

arc образовывать дугу

savings сбережения

intercept перехватывать

encryption programs шифрование, кодирование

privacy секретность

 

 

Language work              Relative clauses with a participle

Relative clauses with a participle are often used in technical descriptions. They allow you to provide a lot of information about a noun using as few words as possible.

We can use the passive participle as in

examples 1 and 2.

 1  Computers equipped with wireless NICs.  = computers which are equipped

2  A network printer connected to a wireless print server.

= a network printer which is connected

Study these examples from the Task 3 text.

We can use an active participle as in examples 3 and 4.

1 Computers equipped with wireless NICs.

2 A network printer connected to a wireless print server.

3 A modem providing access to the Internet.

4   A fixed LAN linking computers with cobles.

 

3  A modem providing access to the Internet. = modem which provides access to the Internet

4  A fixed LAN linking computers with cables.

= A fixed LAN which links computers with cables

 

 

 

2 Complete these definitions with the correct participle of the verb given in brackets.

1)  A gateway is an interface (enable) dissimilar networks to communicate.

2)  A bridge is a hardware and software combination (use) to connect the same type of networks.

3)  A backbone is a network transmission path (handle) major data traffic.

4)  A router is a special computer (direct) messages when several networks are linked.

5)  A network is a number of computers and peripherals (link) together.

6)  A LAN is a network (connect) computers over a small distance such as within a company.

7)  A server is a powerful computer (store) many programs (share) by all the clients in the network.

8)  A client is a network computer (use) for accessing a service on a server.

9)  A thin client is a simple computer (comprise) a processor and memory, display, keyboard, mouse and hard drives only.

           10)  A hub is an electronic device (connect) all the data cabling in a network.

 

3 Link these statements using a relative clause with a participle.

1)    a   The technology is here today.

       b   It is needed to set up a home network.

2)    a   You only need one network printer.

       b   It is connected to the server.

3)    a    Her house has a network.

       b   It allows basic file-sharing and multi-player gaming.

4)    a    There is a line receiver in the living room.

       b    It delivers home entertainment audio to speakers.

5)    a    Eve has designed a site.

       b    It is dedicated to dance.

6)    a    She has built in links.

       b    They connect her site to other dance sites.

7)    a    She designed the site using a website creation program.

       b   It is called Dreamweaver.

8)    a   At the centre of the home of tomorrow is a network.

       b   It is accessed through a control pad.

9)    a   The network can simulate the owner's presence.

       b   This makes sure vital tasks are carried out in her absence.

10)  a    The house has an electronic door-keeper.

       b    It is programmed to recognise you.

       c   This gives access to family only.

 

4 Work in two groups, A and B. Group A, list all the advantages of a network. Group B, list all the disadvantages. Then together consider how the disadvantages can be minimized.

Group A  Advantages of a network

Group B  Disadvantages of a network

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5  Verbs with prepositions are common in spoken English.

          Example:     to work something out = to solve a problem

Study these verbs with prepositions from this interview. Try to use them   

in the correct form in sentences 1to 5.

burn down       give up        come across      keep up with      come up

pick up            divide up      put out             find out             take up

 

1)   If the fire engine doesn’t arrive on time, the house will  ___________.

2)   I subscribe to magazines to ___________ developments in programming.

3) In programming you often ___________ the coding among a team of  programmers.

4)  If a site takes too long to download, people ___________ and go to another site.

5)   In the hardware class we __________ about things inside computers.

6)  People may ___________ your website by chance when they're browsing the net.

7)  If you get the answer right, the fire engine ____________ the fire.

8)  When you test a program, different kinds of problems  __________ .

9) Reading about new developments __________ a lot of Colin's free time.

10) He tries lo     __________ a copy of Dr Dobb's Journal when he can.

Unit VI

 

1 Find the answers to these questions in the following text.

1)   Into what units is data subdivided by the following layers?

a)    transport layer

b)   network layer

2)   What is the purpose of a transmission checksum test?

3)   How long does the data-link layer keep a copy of each packet?

4)   What processes can be carried out at intermediate nodes?

5)  Which network communications layer is described by each of the following statements?

a)   Makes sure that the message is transmitted in a language that the receiving computer can understand.

b)   Protects the data being sent.

с)    Encodes and sends the packets.

d)   Supervises the transmission.

e)   The part of a communications process that a user sees.

f)    Starts communications and looks after communications among network nodes.

g)   Chooses a route for the message.

h)    Makes backup copies of the data if required.

i)    Confirms the checksum, then addresses and duplicates the packets.

 

 

                                        Network Communications

 

The application layer is the only part of a communications process that a user sees, and even then, the user doesn't see most of the work that the application does to prepare a message for sending over a network. The layer converts a message's data from human-readable form into bits and attaches a header identifying the sending and receiving computers.

The presentation layer ensures that the message is transmitted in a language that the receiving computer can interpret (often ASCII). This layer translates the language, if necessary, and then compresses and perhaps encrypts the data. It adds another header specifying the language as well as the compression and encryption schemes.

The session layer opens communications and has the job of keeping straight the communications among all nodes on the network. It sets boundaries (called bracketing) for the beginning and end of the message, and establishes whether the messages will be sent half-duplex, with each computer taking turns sending and receiving, or full-duplex, with both computers sending and receiving at the same time. The details of these decisions are placed into a session header.

The transport layer protects the data being sent. It subdivides the data into segments, creates checksum tests – mathematical sums based on the contents of data – that can be used later to determine if the data was scrambled. It can also make backup copies of the data. The transport header identifies each segment's checksum and its position in the message.

The network layer selects a route for the message. It forms data into packets, counts them, and adds a header containing the sequence of packets and the address of the receiving computer.

The data-link layer supervises the transmission. It confirms the checksum, then addresses and duplicates the packets. This layer keeps a copy of each packet until it receives confirmation from the next point along the route that the packet has arrived undamaged.

The physical layer encodes the packets into the medium that will carry them – such as an analogue signal, if the message is going across a telephone line – and sends the packets along that medium.

An intermediate node calculates and verifies the checksum for each packet. It may also reroute the message to avoid congestion on the network.

At the receiving node, the layered process that sent the message on its way is reversed. The physical layer reconverts the message into bits. The data-link layer recalculates the checksum, confirms arrival, and logs in the packets. The network layer recounts incoming packets for security and billing purposes. The transport layer recalculates the checksum and reassembles the message segments. The session layer holds the parts of the message until the message is complete and sends it to the next layer. The presentation layer expands and decrypts the message. The application layer converts the bits into readable characters, and directs the data to the correct application.

 

Vocabulary

application layer прикладной уровень, уровень прикладной программы

attaches прикреплять

header кристаллодержатель, головная часть

presentation layer представительский уровень

encryption кодирование

node точка разветвления, вершина

half-duplex полудуплексный

full-duplex дуплексный

checksum контрольная сумма

scrambled зашифровать

transport перемещение

data-link systemсистема передачи данных

duplicates копировать

reroute перенаправлять

congestion перегрузка

reversed – полностью изменять

incoming – входящий

 

2 Re-read the text to find the answers to these questions.

             Match the terms in Table A with the statements in Table B.

a)  Bracketing                                    1)  Transmission mode in which each computer

                                                                takes turns sending and receiving.

b) Half-duplex                                   2)  Mathematical calculations based on the

                                                               contents of data.

c) Full-duplex                                    3)  Set boundaries for the beginning and end

                                                                of a message.

d) Checksum                                      4)  Transmission mode in which both computers

                                                                  send and receive at the same time. 

 

3 Mark the following statements as True or False:

a)    Most of the work that an application does to prepare a message

                for sending over a network is not seen by the user.

b)    ASCII is always used to transmit data.

с)    The encryption layer compresses the message.

d)    The network layer keeps track of how many packets are in each message.

e)   The network layer keeps a copy of each packet until it arrives at the

      next node undamaged.

f)    Analogue signals are used on ordinary telephone lines.

g)    When a message arrives at its destination, it passes through the

      same seven network communications layers as when it was sent,

                but in reverse order.

 

4 Identify which layer attaches the following headers to a network transmission:

a)    Specifying the language, the compression and encryption schemes.

b)    Identifying each segment's checksum and its position in the message.

с)    Containing the sequence of packets and the address of the receiving computer.

d)    Marking the beginning and end of the message and specifying whether the messages    will be sent half-duplex or full-duplex.

e)    Identifying the sending and receiving computers.

 

5 Fill in the missing words in the following sentences then put the sentences in the correct order:

a)  The checksum is recalculated by the …………… layer which also reassembles the message ……….. .

b)    The message is ………. and ………. by the presentation layer.

c)    The message is reconverted into ………. by the physical layer.

d)   The session layer then sends the message to the next   ………… .

e)   The application layer converts the bits into ………. characters, and directs the data to the correct ………. .

f)   The incoming ………. are recounted by the network layer for ……… and billing

purposes.

g)    The ……… layer confirms the arrival of the packets, ………. them in, and calculates the ………. for each packet.

h)  The parts of the message are ……… by  the …… layer until the message is ………. .

 

 

 

Unit VII

 

Recent Developments in IT

 

1 Study the texts on recent developments in Information Technology, A, B or C as your teacher directs and make brief notes on the main points in each of the two texts.

 

A1    Licence to chill

 

Barcodes in the packaging of groceries will soon be replaced with radio-frequency tags that can be read at a distance and with greater reliability. As well as indicating what the product is, the data in the tags will include additional information such as the 'best before' date and even nutritional data. Now, imagine that a fridge could read these tags and keep track of the items placed there.

If an item is about to exceed its 'use by' date, the fridge tells you, and you can either use it or throw it out. Fancy something different for dinner? No problem, ask the fridge to suggest some menus based on the ingredients it knows you have in stock. Or tell the fridge the menu you require and it will provide you with a shopping list of the items you don't have or order the items via email. This is the Screenfridge from Electrolux.

But why 'Screenfridge? On the door is a touch-sensitive panel or screen that provides a means of communicating with the users.

For many households, life revolves around the kitchen. This is the assumption Electrolux made in designing the Screenfridge. The same screen is a messaging centre. Since the fridge is equipped with a microphone, speaker and video-camera, you're not limited to textual information. The fridge is connected to the Internet, so it can be used to send and receive email or you could surf the Web to find a new recipe.

Many people have a TV in the kitchen, but if you already have a screen on the fridge, why clutter up the work surface with a TV? Call the Screenfridge's TV mode and watch your favourite programme on the fridge. The Screenfridge can be interfaced to a surveillance camera to check out visitors or to keep an eye on the children. Finally, the Screenfridge can perform some of the household management tasks normally associated with a PC. For example, it has a diary, address pad and a notepad.

 

 

A2   Smart fabrics make for enhanced living

Imagine a handbag that warns you if you are about to forget your umbrella or wallet, and which you can later turn into a scarf that displays today's pollution levels. Or how about creating a wall hanging that glows if someone tries to use your home's wireless internet connection?

All these bizarre objects could soon be possible thanks to a system of computerized fabric patches developed by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Each patch contains a functional unit of the system - a microcomputer and a memory plus either a radio transceiver, a sensor, a microphone, batteries or a display. Put the patches together in different ways and you can create a variety of information-providing or environmentally-sensing objects, say developers Adrian Cable, Gauri Nanda and Michael Bove at MIT's Media Lab.

To keep it waterproof, the circuit board inside a patch is coated with a hard transparent resin. It is then padded with a layer of foam and encapsulated in the chosen fabric. It can be populated with a variety of components, from Bluetooth transmitters to a cut-down PC motherboard.

The patches can be joined using Velcro which has been modified to enable electrical as well as physical connections. Wires from the circuit board arc attached to silver-coated contacts in Velcro. In this way, data and power can flow from one module to the next. Using square or triangular patches the user can fashion, and refashion, useful objects such as bags, curtains or scarves. "You could wear a system as a scarf today and a belt tomorrow."

To make a bag that prevents people forgetting things, Nanda and Cable have equipped a module with a radio antenna and receiver. The unit is programmed to listen for signals from radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on objects like cellphones, keys and wallets.

A sensor module in the bag's handle detects when the bag has been picked up, indicating the owner might be leaving. This triggers the reader to check through the objects the computer module has been programmed to look for. If it does not detect a required item, it uses a voice synthesiser module in another patch to warn: "Cellphone, yes! Wallet, yes! Keys, no!"

 

B1   Dawn of the cyberbabes

 

Stratumsoft are developing the first electronic virtual assistant» or EVA. If EVAs live up to the developers' claims, they could provide the illusion of personal service without the cost. Call centres, online advertisers and Internet service providers are among the initial targets. Eighty per cent of call centre requests could, Stratumsoft argues, be dealt with by an EVA. E-commerce is another application. 'The best experience you can have as a shopper is personal contact, and EVA is designed to give that", says Stratumsoft's director of marketing.

The technology behind EVA combines two global trends in website design. One, developed out of the computer animation and gaming industry, is the ability to give Web images the impression of three dimensions. The other is the use of dynamic database skills and artificial intelligence-style searching to retrieve information from data banks.

Each EVA can be programmed with information such as a product catalogue, answers to frequently asked questions or an online encyclopaedia. It is also equipped with a search engine to interpret customer requests made in colloquial language. Queries are typed in and answered via on-screen text boxes.

If the EVA does not have an answer, it will interrogate the questioner, record the response, and add the answer to its database for future enquiries. EVAs are not fully animated to imitate human features but they can be programmed to gesture and imitate different moods. An EVA is run via a Java applet - a small, self-contained program coded to download on to any type of personal computer rather than being transmitted over the Internet.

 

B2   The future of cars

 

Road traffic navigation systems will be much more advanced. We will be able to tell our computer what time we want to arrive and it will be able to negotiate slots with the traffic management systems for the appropriate roads to ensure we arrive there on time. With every car having automatic systems that communicate with those in other cars, it will be possible to more than double the capacity of the roads.

Electronic systems can automatically lock the brakes and accelerators of a whole chain of cars together to make for a much smoother and faster journey. All cars would brake together, with only microseconds delay instead of hundreds of milliseconds. Drive by wire systems could make it almost impossible to cut dangerously in front of another driver. It might be impossible to change lane unless there is a gap to move into.

As well as telling us which way to go, or taking us automatically, we will be able to get appropriate news and travel information as we travel through an area. Integration of the transport system into the net will make it possible to say Tind the nearest cinema showing such and such a film'. Communication systems built into the car will obviously keep us in touch as today, but we might also be able to message to cars around us.

Many sensors will be in the future car, for example in tyres and exhaust systems. Our cars might even respond to our emotions, picking up when we are stressed and helping to calm us down. It might become the norm to have sophisticated identification systems built into cars which prevent unauthorised people from driving them, or take them direct to the nearest police station. Retina scans, voice prints, finger prints or several other biometrics could be used.

Cars might look quite different in terms of their materials and coatings. Because of the danger of distracting other drivers, it is unlikely we will see video displays on the bodywork though this would be feasible technologically. What is more likely is being able to change the colour of the car each day, or to use slowly changing patterns.

 

C1   Walking robot carries a person

 

The first walking robot capable of carrying a human was unveiled on Friday in Tokyo, Japan.

Its creators at Waseda University in Tokyo and the robotics company Tsmuk hope their two-legged creature will one day enable wheelchair users to climb up and down and assist the movement of heavy goods over uneven ground.

The battery-powered robot, code-named WL16, is made of an aluminium chair mounted on two sets of telescopic poles. The poles are bolted to flat plates which act as feet.

WL-16 uses 12 actuators to move forwards, backwards and sideways while carrying an adult weighing up to 60 kilograms. The robot can adjust its posture and walk smoothly even if the person it is carrying shifts in the chair. At present it can only step up or down a few millimetres, but the team plans to

make it capable of dealing with a normal flight of stairs.

'I believe this biped robot, which I prefer to call a two-legged walking chair rather than a wheelchair, will eventually enable people to go up and down the stairs,' said Atsuo Takanishi from Waseda University.

Tsmuk chief executive Yoichi Takamoto argues that multi-legged robots will be more useful than so-called 'caterpillar models' for moving over uneven ground.

WL-16's normal walking stride measures 30 centimetres and it can stretch its legs to 136 cm apart. The prototype is radio-controlled, but the research team plans to equip it with a joy stick-like controller for the user in future. Takamoto says it will take 'at least two years' to develop the WL-16 into a working model.

 

C2   Sporting robots

 

Each year teams take part in an international football competition. The teams are organised into five leagues and the prize is a cup. Not just any cup, but the Robocup, for the players are all robots. They don't play on turf but the objective is the same, to hit a ball into a goal. The aim behind the Robocup is to promote the development of robots which can work together. Football is a good test of co-operation for any team and the robots are no exception. Although robot footballers are poor competition for a human team, each year their performance gets better and each year the standards expected are raised so that competitors must constantly develop better hardware and software.

The top league is the Sony legged robot division. They use modified versions of the well-known Sony robodog AIBO. A humanoid league will start as soon as there are sufficient two-legged players. The organiser of the Robocup is confident in the future of robotics,'By mid-21st century, a team of fully autonomous humanoid soccer players will win a soccer game, complying with the official rules of FIFA, against the winner of the most recent World Cup.'

Other sporting events for robots exist. For example, The British Association for the Advancement of Science organises a two-a-side event called Robot Volley Ball. The players' task is simply to return a ball within 60 seconds of its being served. The objective again, is to promote the development of robots which can work co­operatively. The advantages of having robots which can tackle a range of tasks together rather than constructing single expensive robots designed for one task only are obvious.

 

2 Work in groups of three. А, В and C. Play these roles in rotation: Speaker, Reporter and Judge.

The Speaker explains the main points of one text using only their notes.

The Reporter listens carefully and reports back to the Speaker a summary of the main points.

The judge listens carefully to both Speaker and Reporter and points out any mistakes, main points omitted or additions the Reporter has made.

Repeat this activity until you have played all three roles and all of

your texts have been covered.

 

3 List the predictions, if any, in the articles you have read. Have any of them already taken place since the article was written? How likely are the others to happen in the near future? Discuss your answers with others who have read the same texts.

Text

Predictions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Language work            Ability: can, could, be able to

        

Study these ways to describe ability:

1  Swarming robots can work together to perform searches.

Washing machines will be able to          report any breakdowns for repair.

3  Imagine being able to send music files to your MP3 player without a wire connection.

4 Professor Warwick had a chip fitted into his arm which could activate sensors in doors and computers as he approached.

5  Marconi was able to send a radio signal from Britain to Newfoundland.

 

Ability

 

 

present

can

be able to

future

X

will be able to

present perfect

X

has/have been able to

-ing form

X

being able to

 

past (specific action)

 

X

 

was/were able to

past (general and with verbs of sensation)

 could

X

We use can and be able to to describe ability in the present but can is more common. We use could for general abilities in the past but was/were able to describe an ability on a specific occasion. This table summarises their uses:

 

For past negatives and questions both verbs are possible. For example:

Early computers could not/were not able to operate at high speeds.

Could they/were they able to store much data?

 

 

 

4 Complete the blanks in this text using the correct form of can or be able to. In some cases there is more than one possible answer.

Imagine ……… 1 open doors and switch on computers as you approach them. Professor Warwick ………… 2  because he had an electronic chip fitted into his arm for a month. He   3 demonstrate to the press how computers would greet him with, ‘Good morning, Professor Warwick’ as he walked past. Next he wants to record the signals from his brain to his arm to see if he ………. 4 program a computer to operate his arm. In the long term, this may help people who ……….5  use their limbs. His wife too will have a chip implanted. They hope ………..6 feed messages into each other's brains. According to the Professor, one day we ………..7 communicate directly with machines. If he is right, we ……….8 drive a car from the passenger seat and we ……….9 operate a computer without using a mouse or keyboard. However, there is also the alarming prospect that someone ……….10  hack into your brain.

5 How do you think developments in IT will affect these areas of life in the next ten years?

1)  commerce

2)  work

3)  the relationship between humans and computers

 

 

 

Unit VIII

1 Read the three opening paragraphs of the text below and answer these questions:

1)  How does the author justify his claim that we are ‘in the midst of convergence’?

2)  What will be the difference between computers and humans after 2015?

3)  What does he mean by a 'positive feedback loop' in computer development?

4)  Why will knowledge of a major language be the only IT skill needed?

5)  Which of the author's predictions do you accept?

 

The future of Information Technology

 

We are in the midst of convergence. At the hardware layer, computers, phones and consumer electronics are converging. At the applications layer, we see convergence of information, entertainment, communications, shopping, commerce, and education.

Computers have come from nowhere 50 years ago and are rapidly catching up in capability with the human brain. We can expect human: machine equivalence by about 2015. But after this, computers will continue to get smarter. There is a noticeable positive feedback loop in technology development, with each generation of improved computers giving us more assistance in the design and development of the next. Ultimately, they will design their offspring with little or no human involvement. This technology development will push every field of knowledge forwards, not just computing. It will be almost as though extraterrestrials had landed in 2020 and given us all their advanced technology overnight.

But we will never get far unless we can solve the interface problem. In the near future we may have electronic pets, with video camera eyes and microphone ears, linked by radio to the family computer. With voice and language recognition we will have easy access to all that the Internet can provide. We can tell the pet what we want and it will sort it out for us. It will be impossible to be technophobic about such an interface, and the only IT skill needed will be to speak any major language.

 

Vocabulary

convergence конвергенция, сходимость

converge сходиться

catch up наверстывание

feedback loop контур обратной связи

ultimately в конечном счете

offspring вторичная частица

involvement причастность

extraterrestrials инопланетянин

pet любимый, домашнее животное  

push выдвигать, подталкивать

sort out улаживать, подсортировать

 

2 Now work in groups of three, А, В and C. Read your text extract and complete parts 1 and 2 of this table.

      1)  Area of IT

      2)  Predictions

      3)  Comments

 

Text A

Telecoms applications will soon be bundled together in much the same way as office application suites are today. A major example is the electronic marketplace, which will bring customers and suppliers together in smart databases and virtual environments, with ID verification, encryption and translation. It will then implement the billing, taxation and electronic funds transfer, while automatically producing accounts and auditing. The whole suite of services will be based on voice processing, allowing a natural voice interface to talk to the computer, all the AI to carry out the request, and voice synthesis and visualisation technology to get the answer out.

Electronic money will be very secure but much more versatile than physical alternatives. E-cash can be completely global and could be used as a de facto standard. It does not have to be linked to any national currency, so can be independent of local currency fluctuations. Its growing use on the Net will lead to its acceptance on the street and we may hold a large proportion of our total funds in this global electronic cash. People will increasingly buy direct from customised manufacturers. Shops will be places where people try on clothes, not buy them. Their exact measurements can be sent instantly to the manufacturer as soon as they have chosen an outfit. The shops may be paid by the manufacturer instead.

 

Text B

Employment patterns will change, as many jobs are automated and new jobs come into existence to serve new technologies. Some organisations will follow the virtual company model, where a small core of key employees is supported by contractors on a project by project basis, bringing together the right people regardless of where they live. The desks they will use will have multiple flat screens, voice interfaces, computer programs with human-like faces and personalities, full-screen videoconferencing and 3D sound positioning. All this will be without any communication cables since the whole system uses high capacity infrared links. The many short-term contractors may not have enough space in their homes for an office and may go instead to a new breed of local telework centre.

Of course, workers can be fully mobile, and we could see some people abandon offices completely, roaming the world and staying in touch via satellite systems. Even in trains and planes there may be infrared distribution to each seat to guarantee high bandwidth communication. One tool they may have in a few years is effectively a communicator badge. This will give them a voice link to computers across the network, perhaps on their office desk. Using this voice link, they can access their files and email and carry out most computer-based work. Their earphones will allow voice synthesisers to read out their mail, and glasses with a projection system built into the arms and reflectors on the lenses will allow a head-up display of visual information. Perhaps by 2010, these glasses could be replaced by an active contact lens that writes pictures directly onto the retina using tiny lasers.

 

Text C

Finally and frivolously to the very long term. By around 2030, we may have the technology to directly link our brain to the ultra-smart computers that will be around then, giving us so much extra brainpower that we deserve a new name. Homo Cyberneticus. In much the same time frame, geneticists may have created the first biologically optimised humans, Homo Optimus. It would make sense to combine this expertise with information technology wizardry to make something like the Borg, Homo Hybridus, with the body of an Olympic athlete and a brain literally the size of the planet, the whole global superhighway and every machine connected to it. Over time, this new form may converge with the machine world, as more and more of his thoughts occur in cyberspace. With a complete backup on the network, Homo Hybridus would be completely immortal. Ordinary biological humans would eventually accept the transition and plain old Homo Sapiens could become voluntarily extinct, perhaps as early as 2200.

 

3 Now exchange information with others in your group to list a the predictions made in the text. Discuss with your group the predictions made and add your own comments on the predictions in the last section of the table.

 

Language work:  Predictions (2): Future perfect and It in subject position

We use the Future perfect to predict actions which will be completed before a particular time in the future. It is often used with time expressions such as by 2020, before the end of the century. For example:

 

1 By 2010 scientists will have developed active contact lenses.

 

We can vary the strength of our predictions using the certainty verbs studied in Unit 16 instead of will. For example:

 

2 By 2030 geneticists may/might/could have created the first biologically optimised humans.

 

We can also make predictions using It in subject position when the true subject of the prediction is a that clause. For example:

 

1 It's likely that computers will be used to develop other faster computers.

2 It's possible that we'll work from telework centres in future.

 

 

4 Make predictions for 2020 for each of the following using the methods studied here. You may wish to use these verbs:

               develop      disappear      increase      replace      take over

 

1)  computing power                                 7)   machine intelligence compared          

2)  interfaces                                                   to human intelligence

3)  monitors                                               8)   the Internet

4)  teleworking                                          9)   keyboards

5)  money                                                  10)  speech recognition

6)  shops

 

5 Write sentences similar in meaning to each of these predictions with It in subject position. For example:

I don't think we'll use cable connections in future, (unlikely) It's unlikely that we'll use cable connections in future.

1)  I’m sure we won't use magnetic tape.   (certain)

2)  We may well have electronic chips in our bodies.   (probable)

3)  Computers could easily be used to develop other computers.   (likely)

4)  I don't think we'll replace teachers with robots.  (unlikely)

5)  There's a chance we'll develop alternatives to silicon.  (possible)

6) I really don't think we'll have replaced the motor car before 2020. (very unlikely)

7)  I’m almost sure most people will use colour laser printers in the next few years.     (highly probable)

8)  I'm definite we'll have more virtual personalities on the Web.  (certain)

9)  We might adopt Bluetooth as a standard for wireless applications.   (possible)

10) Doctors may be able to operate on patients at a distance.  (quite likely)

  

Список литературы 

1   Macmillan English dictionary  for advanced learners, China 2006.

2   Oxford advanced learner`s dictionary of  current English as Hornby Hong Kong, 1980.

3 English-Russian dictionary of computers and programming, A.Б. Борковский   Москва: «Русский язык» 1987.

4  Русско-казахский словарь: Алматы  Дайк-пресс 2005.

5  Upgrading and repairing Pcs., 17th Edition by Scott Mueller, Март 24, 2006.

6  Case Studies in IT and Systems – Eric H. Glendinning John McEwan OXTORD

7 Information and Technology Systems – Eric H. Glendinning John McEwan OXTORD

 

Содержание 

 

Unit I                                                                                                                             3

Unit II                                                                                                                            5

Unit III                                                                                                                          9

Unit IV                                                                                                                        13

Unit V                                                                                                                         16

Unit VI                                                                                                                        21

Unit VII                                                                                                                       24

Unit VIII                                                                                                                      30

Список литературы                                                                                                 34