Алматинский Институт Энергетики и
Связи
Кафедра
иностранных языков
АНГЛИЙСКИЙ
ЯЗЫК. ПЕРЕВОД ТЕХНИЧЕСКИХ ТЕКСТОВ.
Методические указания для студентов II курса направления «Радиотехника»
Алматы 2006
СОСТАВИТЕЛЬ: С.Н. Колмакова. Английский язык.
Технический перевод. Методические указания для студентов специальности 050719 –
Радиотехника, электроника и телекоммуникации. – Алматы: АИЭС, 2006.- 35с.
Методические указания предназначены для
тренировки и закрепления терминологического словаря по устным темам и
рассчитаны для студентов по направлению «Радиотехника». Задания носят
информативный характер. Они позволяют расширить словарный запас и закрепить
знания о том, в каком контексте можно употребить ту или иную лексическую
единицу.
Студенты самостоятельно читают и
переводят тексты по различным темам и выполняют упражнения к данным текстам.
Рецензент: ст.преп.каф.ИЯ Коробейникова Л.Я.
Печатается по плану издания
Алматинского института энергетики и связи на 2006 г.
@
Алматинский институт энергетики и связи, 2006 г.
Unit 1. Portable Computers
1.1 Match these words with
their definitions:
Clipboard |
Surface on which pictures or data are shown |
Stylus |
Electrical force |
Screen |
Pattern used as a guide for creating letters or characters |
Grid |
Individual dot on a computer screen |
Voltage |
Network of lines crossing at right angles |
Pixel |
Pointed implement for drawing or writing |
template |
Portable board with a clip at the top for holding papers |
1.2 Read the text
and decide why the author chose the title Delete
Keys. Can you suggest a better title?
Delete Keys – Clipboard
Technology
For the last generation, Silicon Valley and Tokyo have been
working to design computers that are ever easier to use. There is one thing,
however, that has prevented the machines from becoming their user-friendliest:
you still have to input data with a keyboard, and that can require you to do a
lot of typing and to memorize a lot of elaborate commands.
Enter the clipboard computer, a technology that has been in
development for the 20 years but took hold in the mass market only this year.
Clipboard PCs- which, as their mane suggests, are not much bigger than an
actual clipboard-replace the keyboard with a liquid crystal display (LCD)
screen and an electronic stylus. Users input data by printing individual
letters directly on the screen.
There are two technologies at work in a clipboard PC: one
allows raw data to get into the computer and the other allows the computer to
figure out what that data means. The first technology relies principally on
hardware and varies depending on the particular computer. In one system,
marketed under the name GRIDPad, the computer’s LCD screen is covered by a
sheet of glass with a transparent conductive coating. Voltage is sent across
the glass in horizontal and vertical lines forming a fine grid; at any point on
the grid, the voltage is slightly different. When the stylus –which is
essentially a voltmeter –touches the screen, it informs the computer of the
voltage at that point. The computer uses this information to determine where
the stylus is and causes a liquid crystal pixel to appear at those coordinates.
The position of the stylus is monitored several hundred times a second, so as
the stylus moves across the glass, whole strings of pixels are activated.
“What we do is sort of connect the dots,” says Jeff Hawkins,
the creator of GRIDPad. “Users can then write whatever they want on the screen
with a kind of electronic ink”.
Making that writing
comprehensible to the computer, however, requires the help of some powerful
software. When the stylus is being used, the computer is programmed to look for
moments when the tip does not touch the screen for a third of a second or more.
Every time this happens –and it happens a lot when somebody is printing – the
software assumes that one letter or number has been written. The pixel
positions of this fresh character are then passed on to the computer’s pattern
recognition software, which instantly identifies the letter or number written.
The software does
this by first cleaning up the character –smoothing out crooked lines ad
removing errant dots. The remaining lines and curves are then compared with a
series of templates in the computer’s memory that represent hundreds of
thousands of different versions of every letter in the English alphabet and all
ten numerals. When the computer finds the closet match, it encodes the
character in memory and displays it on the screen as if it had been typed. The
entire process takes just a fraction of a second. To delete a word, you simply
draw a line through it. To move to the next page, you flick the stylus at the
bottom of the screen as if you’re flicking the page of a book.
There are a handful
of clipboard computers now on the market, including GRIDPad, which is sold in
the US; Penvision, manufactured by NCR and sold around the world; and Sony’s
Palmtop and Canon’s AL Note, both sold only in Japan. IBM and Apple are also
pouring millions of dollars into the technology.
In addition to this
hardware, a variety of software is also making its way to the market. Depending
on the power of the computer and the sophistication of the software, clipboard
systems can be programmed to understand the particular quirks of a particular
user’s printing; this is especially useful feature in Japan, where elaborate
kanji characters make up most of the written language. Improvements in software
may soon allow machines sold in the US to understand not only printing but continuous
script as well.
Given such
flexibility, the designers of clipboard computer are predicting big things –
and a big market – for their products. “There is no doubt about it,” says an
optimistic Hawkins. “You are going to own one of these things in the
not-too-distant future.”
1.3 Decide whether
the following statements are true or false in relation to the information in
the text:
a) the Americans
and the Japanese are working together to produce user-friendlier computers;
b) the clipboard
computer was first sold twenty years ago;
c) on a clipboard,
an electronic pen replaces the traditional keyboard;
d) in the GRIDPad
system, when the pen touches the screen, it informs the computer and a liquid
crystal pixel appears at that point;
e) the software decides
that one character or number is complete if the tip of the stylus is not in
contact with the screen for more than half a second;
f) the whole
process of recognizing letters or numbers and printing them on the screen takes
very little time;
g) there are many
clipboard computers sold today which are all available everywhere in the world;
h) clipboard system
can be made to understand any kind of writing.
1.4 Find the
reference for the words in italics in
the text:
a) from becoming their
user-friendliest;
b) one allows raw
data to get;
c) it informs the
computer;
d) every time this happens;
e) which instantly
identifies;
f) it encodes the
character in memory;
g) this is an
especially;
h) for their
products;
1.5 Find the word
or phrases in the text that have similar meaning to:
Understand, sold, covering,
points, join, making even, not straight, made by mistake, move quickly and
sharply, unique features.
1.6 Choose the
correct word to complete each sentence. You may have to change some words slightly:
a) electron, electronic, electronics,
electronically
An ______ pen is one example of an input device.
A computer solves problems______ .
Many _______ students go on to work as engineers;
b) technology, technological, technologically,
technologist
The computer is the greatest
______invention of the 20th century.
There are two ______ involved in a clipboard PC.
Today’s computers are _______ far superior to those used a
few years ago;
c) identify, identifying, identifiable,
identity
The clipboard’s pattern
recognition software immediately ______ the letters and numbers written by the
stylus.
Most computer
companies will not allow people without an ______card to enter their premises.
A password is a mechanism for _____the computer-user and allowing
access;
d) compute, computing, computation,
computerize, computerization
The ______ of the
manufacturing division will be expensive in the term, but cost-effective in the
long term.
We should be able to ______ our profit for next year fairly
accurately with the new program.
I could tell from all the ______on the board that a maths
lesson was in progress.
1.7 Read the text:
General Features of operating
System
An operating system is a master control program which
controls the functions of the computer system as a whole and the running of
application programs. All computers do not use the same operating systems. It
is therefore important to assess the operating system used on a particular
model before initial commitment because some software is only designed to run
under the control of specific operating systems. Some operating systems are
adopted as “industry standards” and these are the ones which should be
evaluated because they normally have a good software base. The reason for this
that software houses are willing to expand resources on the development of
application packages for machines functioning under the control of an operating
system which is widely used. The cost of software is likely to be lower in such
circumstances as the development costs are spread over a greater number of
users, both actual and potential.
Mainframe computers usually process several application
programs concurrently, switching from one to the other, for the purpose of
increasing processing productivity. This is known as multiprogramming, which
requires a power operating system incorporating work scheduling facilities to
control the switching between programs. This entails reading in data for one
program while the processor is performing computations on another and printing
out results on yet another.
In multi-user environments an operating system is required
to control terminal operations on a shared access basis as only one user can
access the system at any moment of time. The operating system allocates control
to each terminal in turn. Such systems also require a system for record locking
and unlocking, to prevent one user attempting to read a record whilst another
user is updating it, for instance. The first user is allocated control to write
to a record and other users are denied access until the record is updated and
unlocked.
Some environments operate in concurrent batch and real-time
mode. This means that s “background” job deals with routine batch processing
whilst the “foreground” job deals with real-time operations such as airline
seat reservations, on-line booking of hotel accommodation, or control of
warehouse stocks. The real-time operation has priority, and the operating
system interrupts batch processing operations to deal with real-time enquires
or file updates. The stage of batch processing attained at the time of the
interrupt is temporarily transferred to backing storage. After the real-time
operation has been dealt with, the interrupted program is transferred back to
internal memory from backing storage, and processing recommences from a
“restart” point. The operating system also copies to disk backing storage the
state of the real-time system every few minutes to provide a means of
“recovering” the system in the event of a malfunction.
An operating system is stored on disk and has to e booted
into the internal memory RAM where it must reside throughout processing so that
command are instantly available. The operating system commands nay exceed the
internal memory capacity of the computer in which case only that portion of the
OS which is frequently used is retained internally, other modules being read in
from disk as required. Many microcomputers function under the control of a disk
operating system known as DOS.
1.8 Match these
common DOS commands with the appropriate explanation:
BACKUP, CHDIR or CD, CHKDSK,
CLS, DEL, DIR:SORT, REN, TYPE, FIND, DISKCOPY:
a)
searches for a specific string of text in a file;
b)
allows a text file from the current directory to be
displayed on screen;
c)
allows the user to change the mane of a file;
d)
saves the contents of the hard disk to a floppy disk
for security purposes;
e)
is used when it is necessary to change the current
directory;
f)
clears data from the screen;
g)
alphabetically sorts and lists a disk directory;
h)
makes back-up copies of the contents of one disk to
another;
i)
deletes a specified file from the current directory,
specified drive, or
specified path;
j) produces a
status report of the currently logged-on disk, indicating the
amount of disk space used, the
available capacity, and the number of files on disk.
Unit 2. Online Service
2.1 Read the text:
Online Service
I’m frequently asked which online service is best, but the
answer is there is no best. Rating a particular service over another is
entirely subjective. Price is important to some people, while the number of
files available for download is important to others. Because of these and so
many other different judgments, there can be no absolute. It all comes down to
individual needs and preferences.
Still, users tent to be fiercely loyal to their “home”
online service-which is usually the first online service they ever used. They
tend to judge all other online services based on this first service – often
preventing themselves from seeing the advantages of a specific service. For my
part, I like all the services I use and I’m on two dozen.
Each offers one or more products or features that either do
not exist elsewhere or are superior to the same features on other service. And
I’ve really subjective reason for being on one service – I use it to send
monthly articles to magazines in Japan.
So, the real answer to the question is simple: the best
online service is the service that has what you want and is easy for you to
use. The point? Keep an open mind when checking out an online service. Judge it based on what it offers and how it
meets your needs – not in comparison to what you’re used to using. Eventually,
we’re all going to be interlinked, no matter which service we use, in what
DIALOG’s Richard Ream calls a “network of networks”.
Until then, most of us have to go to more than one service
to find everything we need.
TAB Book Clubs
Online: You’ve probably seen magazine ads for The Computer Professionals’Book
Society. These are sponsored by TAB Books. This division of McGraw –Hill is now
online on BIX, taking order and answering questions from members. The club
conference is moderated by Tammy Ray and Jeanette Shearer. You can check them
out by typing JOIN TAB.BOOK.CLUBS.
Dell Computer Forum: Dell Computer Corporation has opened a
product support area on CompuServe. The Dell area is part of the PC Vendor D
Forum. Type GO DELL or GO PCVEND to take a look.
CompuServe bolstered its position in Europe by making some
of its services available via France’s national Mintel system in July. French
Mintel users have access to an extra-cost service that is essentially a
“limited edition”, English-language version of CompuServe. Among the services
available are software and database downloads. E-mail and message –base posting
are not available to Mintel users.
Hobby Group Expands: DELPHI’s Hobby Shop special-interest
group continues to expand its areas of interest. The most recent additions to
the database and the group topics are Antique Auto, which focuses on classic
vehicles, and Autotech, where you can learn about new cars and technology.
2.2 Decide whether
these statements are true or false:
a) most people
chose an online service because of the price or the number of available files;
b) everybody has
one service which he/she likes more than all the others;
c) you should judge
each service according to whether it is better or worse overall than the
service you are currently using;
d) eventually, all
services will be accessible from the service you are using;
e) McGraw-Hill is
owned by BIX;
f) Tammy Ray and
Jeanette Shearer think the BIX service is average.
2.3 Fill in the
gaps in this summary:
In my opinion, there is no single “best” online service. The
choice depends on your ______ needs and preferences. Most users have their own
_______, but this can prevent them from seeing the _______ of other services.
Each one offers something which is either _______ to that service, or which is
_______ than the same features on other services. So, when considering an
online service, decide whether its features _________ to what you need. Until
all services are _______, most of us will need to _________ using more than
one.
2.4 Match each word
in the first column with a synonym in the second column:
A |
B |
But |
Ultimately |
While |
However |
Still |
Whereas |
For my part |
Nevertheless |
Eventually |
Personally |
Until then |
meanwhile |
2.5 Before reading
the text below, answer the questions:
a) what are the
advantages of digital transmission?
b) how does digital
transmission differ from analog transmission?
c) what information
does the code supply?
Analog transmission
The older telephone systems function on the basis of analog
signals representing voice modulation patterns which are represented by
variations in wave forms. When using telephone lines for transmitting data by
terminal to a computer, the digital signals from the terminal need to be
converted to analog signals by a acoustic coupler or modem prior to
transmission. A modem is a device which
serves a dual purpose because it acts as a Modulator and DEModulator, hence the
name MODEM. An analog communication system requires a modem at either end of
the communication line. When the signals are received by the distant computer,
the signals are reconverted to digital form prior to being input for
processing.
Digital Transmission
Analog transmission has been in use for many years as the
basis of telephone technology and is very effective for this purpose, but it is
not so suitable for high-speed transmission of information. Digital
transmission consists of electrical pulses representing data in binary code as
a series of on/off pulses. A number of different codes exist, some of which are
based on a 6-, 7-, or 8-bit structure. ASCII is a 7-bit code and EBCDIC is an
8-bit code. The codes represent characters, transmission control signals,
information separators, and device control. Digital technology has a number of
advantages compared to analog, including higher transmission speed, lower
incidence of errors, and the facility for mixing data consisting of voice,
image, and the text on the same circuit. It is for this reason that data
transmissions will be increasingly digital in the future. A network structure
known as Integrated Digital Network facilitates these aspects.
2.6 Give the
correct word to the following definitions:
a) a combination of electronic devices and
conductors that from a conducting path;
b) an agreement
that covers the procedures used to exchange information between co-operating
computers;
c) this kind of
transmission has been the basis for telephone technology for many years, though
it is gradually being replaced;
d) to send programs
or data from a central computer to a
remote PC;
e) single
vibrations of electric current;
f) a VDU screen and
keyboard used to interact with a computer, usually with no computing capacity
of its own;
g) this kind of
transmission consists of electrical signals representing data in binary code;
h) a public
database that can be accessed over a computer or telephone network;
i) a ____controller
controls a number of similar peripheral device such as terminals and links them
to the main computer;
j) this merges
information from several channels into one channel;
k) a device that
converts the computer’s digital bit stream into an analog signal for
transmission over a telephone line;
l) a _____board is
a public teleconferencing system that allows users to read and write messages;
m) the process of sending
signals electronically.
Unit 3. Programming and Languages
3.1 Read the following text:
Programs and Programming
languages
Computers can be deal with different kinds of problems if
thy are given the right instructions for what to do. Instructions are first
written in one of the high-level languages, e.g. FORTRAN, COBOL, ALGOL, PL/I,
PASCAL, BASIC, or C, depending on the type of problem to be solved. A program,
written in one of these languages, is often called a source program, and it
can’t be directly processed by the computer until it has been compiled, which
means interpreted into machine code. Usually a single instruction written in
high-level language, when transformed into machine code, results in several
instructions. Here is a brief description of some of the many high-level
languages:
FORTRAN acronym for FORmula TRANslation. This language is
used for solving scientific and mathematical problems. It consists of algebraic
formulae and English phrases. It was first introduces in the United states in
1954.
COBOL acronym for Common Business-Oriented Language. This
language is used for commercial purposes. COBOL, which is written using English
statements, deals with problems that do not improve a lot of mathematical
calculations. It was first introduced in 1959.
ALGOL acronym for ALGOrithmic Language. Originally called
IAL, which means International Algebraic Language. It is used for mathematical
and scientific purposes. ALGOL was first introduced in Europe in 1960.
PL/I Programming Language I. Developed in 1964 to
combine features of COBOL and ALGOL. Consequently, it is used for data
processing as well as scientific applications.
BASIC acronym for Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic
Instruction Code. Developed in 1965 at
Darthmouth College in the United States for use by students who require a
simple language to begin programming.
C developed in the 1970s to support the UNIX operating
system. C is a highly portable general-purpose language.
Other such languages are APL, PASCAL, and LISP and PROLOG,
both of which are used for work in artificial intelligence. LOGO is a development of LISP which has been used
to develop computer-based training packages.
When a program written in one of these high-level languages
is designed to do a specific type of work such as calculate a company’s payroll
or calculate the stress factor on a roof, it is called an applications program.
Institutions either purchases these programs as packages or commission their
own programmers to write them to meet the specifications of the users.
The program produced
after the source program has been converted into machine code is referred to as
an object program or object module. This is done by a computer program called
the compiler, which is unique for each computer. Consequently, a computer needs
its own compiler for the various high-level languages if it is expected to
accept programs written in those languages. For example, in order that an IBM
RS/6000 may process program in FORTRAN, it needs to have a compiler that would
understand that particular model and the FORTRAN language as well.
The compiler is a
system program which may be written in any language, but the computer’s
operating system is a true system program which controls the central processing
unit, the input, the output, and the secondary memory devices. Another systems
program is the linkage editor, which fetches required systems routines and
links them to the object module. The resulting program is then called the load
module, which is the program directly executable by the computer. Although
systems programs are part of the software, they are usually provided by the
manufacturer of the machine.
Unlike systems programs, software packages are sold by
various vendors and not necessarily by the computer manufacturer. They are a
set of programs designed to perform certain applications which conform to the
particular specifications of the user. Payroll is an example of such a package
which allows the user to input data – hours worked, pay rates, special
deductions, names of employees – and get salary calculations as output. These
packages are coded in machine language on magnetic tapes or disk which can be
purchased, leased, or rented by users who choose the package that most closely
corresponds to their needs.
3.2 Fill in the
gaps in these sentences:
a) a _______
________ is a program written in one of the high-level languages;
b) a program
written in a high-level language must be interpreted into _______ ______ before
the computer will read and process it;
c) a program
designed to perform a specific task is called an _______ ;
d) the ________
________ or ________ ________ is the program produced when the original program
has been converted into machine code;
e) a _______ is a
program that converts a high-level language into machine code;
f) they systems
program which fetches required systems routines and links them to the object
module is known as the ______ _______ ;
g) the ______
_______ is the program directly executable by the computer.
3.3 These are the
answers to questions about the text. Write the questions:
a) no, it is quite
wordy it is used for commercial purposes;
b) to support the
UNIX operating system;
c) an applications
program;
d) it is done by
the compiler;
e) it fetches
required systems routines and links them to the object module;
f) no, they are
also sold by other vendors.
3.4 Complete the table below:
Language |
Developed |
Function |
Characteristics |
FORTRAN |
|
|
|
|
1959 |
|
|
|
|
Mathematical and scientific
purposes |
|
|
|
|
Combines features of COBOL
and ALGOL |
BASIC |
|
|
|
|
|
To support Unix operating
system |
|
|
1962 |
|
|
PASCAL |
|
|
|
3.5 Look back in
the text, find the references for the words in italics:
a) if they are given the right;
b) it can’t be directly processed;
c) it is called an applications program;
d) commission their own programmers;
e) to write them to meet;
f) that would understand;
g) which controls the central;
h) links them to the object;
i) they are set of programs;
j) which can be purchased.
3.6 Choose the
correct word to complete the sentences. You have to change some words slightly:
a) instruction, instruct,
instructed, instructor
Our maths ________ explained
to us the principles of binary arithmetic.
We were ________ to document
our programs very carefully.
Both ________ and data have to
be changed to machine code before the computer can operate on them;
b) compilation,
compiler, compile, compiled
Our university computer does
not have a PASCAL _______ .
Usually, a programmer _______
his program before he puts in the data.
A source program can’t be
directly processed by the computer until it has been ________ ;
c) result, results,
resulting
The linkage editor links
systems routines to the object module. The _______ program, referred to as the
load module, is directly executable by the computer.
The ________ of these
mathematical operations were obtained from the university mainframe and not
from my micro;
d) specification,
specify, specific, specified, specifically
Our company bought three
packages with very _______ applications: payroll, accounts receivable, and
accounts payable.
An applications program is
designed to do a _______ type work, such as calculating the stress factor of a
roof.
Did the analyst give the new
programmer the _______ necessary to start on the project?
3.7 Read the
program below and the following text:
/* CALCULATE AVARAGES */ MAIN ( ) ( Float a ,b, c,
d, average; print f ( “Enter
three numbers : “) ; scan f ( “ %f %f
%f “, &a , &b , &c ) ; d = a + b + c ; average = d / 3 .
0 ; print f ( “ The
average is % f “ , average ) ; ) |
Comment
Lines
A C source consists of
statements and comment lines. Comment
lines are enclosed by the characters /* (at the start of the comment) and
*/ (at the end of the comment).
The
Function Main ( )
Every C program must have a
function called main which must appear only once in a program. The parentheses
following the word main must be present, but there must be no parameters
included. The main part of the program is enclosed within braces ( ), and
consists of declaration statement, assignment statements, and other C functions.
In the above program there are six statements within the braces: a declaration
statement (the first statement of the main program starting with the word
float), two assignment statements (the fourth and fifth statements starting
with the variable names d and average), and three function statements, two to
print information on the screen and one to scan the keyboard for input.
As C a free from language, the
semicolon (;) at the end of each line is a must. It acts as a statement
terminator, telling the compiler where an instruction ends. Free from means
that statements can be identified and blank lines inserted in the source file
to improve readability, and statements can span several lines. However, each
statement must be terminated with a semicolon. If you forget to include the
semicolon, the compiler will produce an error, indicating the next line as the
source of the error. This can cause some confusion, as the statement objected
to can be correct, yet as a syntax error is produced.
Variables
and the Declaration Statement
A variable is a quantity that
is referred to by a name, such as a, b, c, d and average in the above program.
A variable can take on many values during program execution, but you must make
sure that they are given an initial value, as C does not do so automatically.
However, before variables can be used in a program, they must be declared in a
type declaration statement.
3.8 Complete the
sentences:
a) the function
_______ must appear only once in a program;
b) /*CALCULATE
AVERAGES */ is a ________ line;
c) the statement
float a, b, c, d, average is a _______ statement;
d) the program
below contains ________ function statements;
e) the assignment
statements are on lines _______ and _______ ;
f) the main part of
the program is enclosed within _______ ;
g) each line of any
C program must end with a ________, which acts as a statement __________ ;
h) if you forget to
include the correct punctuation, the _______ will produce a _______ error;
i) a quantity
referred to by name is known as a ________ ;
j) a _______
_______ statement must be used to declare variables.
3.9 Find the words
in the text that means:
a) brackets;
b) not fixed;
c) systematically check;
d) recognized;
e) completed;
f) starting;
Unit 4. Computer
Software
4.1 In the magazine article which follows, a number of
software developers express their opinions on the future of software
technology. After reading the article tick the relevant boxes to show which
opinions are expressed by the speakers.
Opinions |
Mary Evans |
Gerry Harper |
Matt Andrews |
Bob Bolton |
In general, customers are
getting what they want. |
|
|
|
|
In general, customers are
not getting what they want. |
|
|
|
|
Software is too complex. |
|
|
|
|
Software is not complex
enough. |
|
|
|
|
Software developers know
what users want. |
|
|
|
|
Software developers don’t
know what users want. |
|
|
|
|
Catherine
Ball investigates this week software.
Software technology is getting
more complicated. Developers have to cut through a jungle of computer
languages, operating environments, and shifting standards to choose how they’ll
create their software. It’s not an easy job. Software purchasers will have to
live with the results for years to come. Which advances in software technology
will prevail? Which ones will be just a flash in the pan? I chose four
well-known software developers and asked each to talk about current and future
trends in software technology. Their comments reveal some common and diverse
themes.
I began asking them if they thought that software purchasers
are getting what they need? What should developers be doing differently to give
purchasers a better product?
Mary Evans
In general, I think people are
getting what they want – there are a lot of creative things being done with
paint software, word processing, DTP systems, and the like. Do users want more?
Of course! Users will always want more. The computer is an incredibly powerful
tool, and any software that makes it easier, faster, more creative, or more
cost-effective will inevitable be in demand. But I’m generally optimistic about
the way things are going at the moment. I think most of the major software
manufacturers are able to read the market quite well.
Gerry Harper
I’m afraid I completely disagree with
Mary. I just don’t think that software
purchasers are getting the technical support they need. While the products are
getting more and more complex, and more and more expensive, it seems that
support is starting to be thought of as an additional business opportunity.
More generally, I’ve thought for some time that applications are getting too
big, and that they’re trying to do too much. Yes, they’re versatile and
powerful, but they’re also often overwhelming. I think what we need are simple
little programs that are easy to understand and use, and that work together to
accomplish more complex tasks.
Matt
Andrews
I really can’t agree with that. To
imagine we can just go back to “simple little programs” just ignores the
complex needs of many of today’s software users. No. I’m sure that you can’t
stop progress. Suppliers know what their customers want – they just can’t
supply it quickly enough. I’ve studied the market very closely, and I’ve found
that purchasers’ needs seem always to exceed the capability of the available
software by a constant time-frame of about six to twelve months.
Bob
Bolton
I think users are getting what they
want, provided that their needs fit the off-the-shelf application. Specialized
software is usually so specific that it should be written in-house for
businesses. Developers should add features that the customer needs, not what
they think customers want. Some effort should be made to get feedback form the
users before making an upgrade so that the proper features are added.
4.2 Each of the
following comments from the text is followed by two paraphrases. Decide which
paraphrases (a or b) is closer in meaning to the original comment.
Developers have to cut through a
jungle of computer languages, operating environments, and shifting standards ….
:
a)
the huge number of languages, environments, and standards
makes life
difficult for
software developers.
b)
software developers have to act to reduce the number
of languages,
environments, and
standards which currently exist.
Their comments reveal some common and
diverse themes:
a)
they talk about ordinary and wide-ranging topics;
b)
they agree about some issues, but disagree about
others.
I think most of the major software
manufacturers are able to read the market quite well:
a) most software manufacturers
understand what consumers want;
b) most software manufacturers know
how to influence users to buy more of their products.
It seems that support is starting to
be thought of as an additional business opportunity:
a)
increased technical support is a means of making
software more attractive
to business;
b)
software manufacturers are using the fact their
products are complex to start
selling technical
support to their customers.
….purchasers’ needs seem always to
exceed the capability of the available software by a constant time-fame of
about six to twelve months:
a)
it takes about six to twelve months for purchasers to
understand fully the
software they buy;
b)
the software customers want now what will only become
available in about
six to twelve
months.
4.3 Look back in the text and find
words or phrases in the text that have a similar meaning to:
a) penetrate;
b) changing;
c) win, survive;
d) buyers;
e) understand;
f) flexible;
g) too big, complex to manage;
h) achieve;
i) go beyond;
j) information about a
product/service.
4.4 The features below are common on
commercially available word-processing and desktop publishing packages. Match
each feature with the correct definition.
word |
Definition |
Auto-kerning |
Can automatically
generate a table of contents for a document |
Mail merge |
Can carry out
simple calculations within a document such as totaling columns |
Style sheets |
A single text
file can contain several ‘rulers’ with different margins and tab settings |
Input tagging |
Automatic
numbering of figures, paragraphs |
Maths functions |
Can adjust the
space between successive characters to produce a ‘best fit’ |
Table of contents |
Program can read
in names and addresses from a database and create personalized letters for
mail-shots |
Auto numbering |
Can automatically
generate a sorted alphabetical index for a document |
Outline |
Text from word
processors and databases can be precoded with tags to allow the correct
format to be applied automatically |
Index generation |
These helps to
ensure uniform style throughout a document |
Multiple rulers |
A writing aid
enabling the structure of the document to be worked out be beforehand and
used as a guide when doing the detailed writing |
4.5 Write the words for the following
definitions:
a) a program designed to perform a
specific function;
b) a general term for programs which
do not form part of a computer but are used when operating;
c) a facility which allows the user to
read in a file of names and create ‘personalized’ letters;
d) a sequence of instructions that is
repeated until a desired condition is reached;
e) a program that manipulates rows and
columns of figures, used especially for accounting;
f) the combines use on computer of
text, graphics, video, animates and sound;
g) the _____ editor is a system
program that fetches required systems routines and links them to the object
module;
h) the business of preparing,
printing, and distributing books or magazines to the public;
i) someone who creates new software
products;
j) a program or series of programs
directed at some generic application that can be tailored by the user to match
his individual needs.
Unit5. Computer Networks
5.1 Read through the text below, and
then match each paragraph with the appropriate summary:
a) ____ network uses, past and
present;
b) ____ how distributed systems work;
c) ____ networks and the future;
d) ____ what networks are and how they
operate;
e) ____ the growth of networks, past
and present;
Computer
Networks
Computer networks link computers by
communication lines and software protocols, allowing data to be exchanged rapidly
and reliably. Traditionally, networks have been split between wide area
networks (WAN) and local area networks (LAN). A WAN is a network connected over
long-distance telephone lines, and a LAN is a localized network usually in one
building close together. The distinction, however, is becoming blurred. It is
now possible to connect up LANs remotely over telephone links so that they look
as though they are a single LAN.
Originally, networks were used to
provide terminal access to another computer and to transfer files between
computers. Today, networks carry e-mail, provide access to public databases and
bulletin boards, and are beginning to be used for distributed systems. Networks
also allow users in one locality to share expensive resources, such as printers
and disk-systems.
Distributed computers systems are
built using networked computers that co-operate to perform tasks. In this
environment each part of the networked system does what it is best at. The
high-quality bit-mapped graphics screen of a personal computer or workstation
provides a good user interface. The mainframe, on the other hand, can handle
large numbers of queries and return the results to the users. In a distributed
environment, a user might use his PC to make a query against a central
database. The PC passes the query, written in a special language, to the
mainframe, which then passes the query, returning to the user only the data
requested. The user might then use his PC to draw graphs based on the data. By
passing back to the user’s PC only the specific information requested, network
traffic is reduced. If the whole file were transmitted, the PC would then have
to perform the query itself, reducing the efficiency of both network and PC.
In the 1980s, at least 100, 000 LANs
were set up in laboratories ad offices around the world. During the early part
of this decade, synchronous orbit satellites lowered the price of long-distance
telephone calls, enabling computer data and television signals to be
distributed more cheaply around the world. Since then, fibre-optic cable has
been installed on a large scale, enabling vast amounts of data to be
transmitted at a very high speed using light signals.
The impact of fibre optics will be
considerably to reduce the price of network access. Global communication and
computer networks will become more and more a part of professional and personal
lives as the price of microcomputers and networks should improve our work
environments and technical abilities.
5.2 Match these
words and phrases with their definitions:
Word or phrase |
Definition |
Bulletin board |
Analyze the
syntax of a string of input symbols |
User interface |
A
teleconferencing system allowing users to read messages left by the other
users |
Protocol |
Agreement
governing the procedures used to exchange information between co-operating
computers |
Make a query |
Means of
communication between a human user and a computer system |
Parse |
Taking place at
exactly the same time as something else |
Synchronous |
Request a search |
5.3 Read the
summary of the text below and fill in the gaps using the list of words below:
distinction, distributed systems, environments,
fibre-optic, LANs, parses, protocols, queries, screen handling, synchronous,
workstations
Computer networks link computer
locally or by external communication lines and software _______, allowing data
to be exchanged rapidly and reliably. The _____ between local area and wide
area networks is, however, becoming unclear. Networks are being used to perform
increasingly diverse tasks, such as carrying e-mail, providing access to public
databases, and for _______. Networks also allow users in on locality to share
resources.
Distributed systems use networked
computers. PCs or _______ provide the user ________. Mainframes process
________ and return he results to the users. A user at his PC might make a
query against a central database. The PCs passes the query, written in a
special language, to the mainframe, which then _____the query, returning to the
user only the data requested. This allows both the networks and the individual
PC to operate efficiently.
In the 1980s, at least 100,000 _______
were set up world-wide. As ______orbit satellites have lowered the price of
long-distance telephone calls, data can be transmitted more cheaply. In addition,
_______ cable has been installed on a large scale, enabling vast amounts of
data to be transmitted at a very high speed using light signals. This will
considerably reduce the price of network access, making global networks more
and more a part of our professional and personal lives. Networks should also
improve our work _______ and technical abilities.
5.4 Using the reference given, look
back in the text and find words that have the similar meaning to:
unclear, place, carry out, cost, world-wide
find words that
have the opposite meaning to:
disparate, conflict, preventing, tiny, increase
5.5 Read the text,
given below:
Network
Configurations
Star
In the star
configuration, the central computer performs all processing and control
functions. All access devices are linked directly to the central computer. The
star configuration has two major limitations. First of all, the remote devices
are unable to communicate directly. Instead, they must communicate via the
central computer only. Secondly, the star network is very susceptible to
failure, either in the central computer or the transmission links.
Switched
The central switch,
which could be a telephone exchange, is used to connect different devices on
the network directly. Once the link is established, the two devices communicate
as though they were directly linked without interference from any other device.
At the end of the session, the connection is closed, freeing capacity for other
users and allowing access to other devices. Multiple switches can be used to
create alternative transmission routes.
Ring
Each device is
attached to a network shaped as a continuous loop. Data proceeds in only one
direction and at a constant speed round the loop. Devices may send information
only when they are in control of the ‘token’. The token is a package of data
which indicates which device has control. The receiving device picks up the
token, and then clears it for another’s use once it has received the message.
Only one deice may send data at any given moment, and each device must be
working for the network to function.
Bus/Ethernet
A bus network
consists of one piece of cable terminated at each end to which all deices are
connected. In a bus-based network, each device is able to broadcast a message
when it has directed silence for a fixed period of time. All devices receive
the broadcast and determine from the content of the message whether it was
intended for them. The only problem occurs when two devices try to send at the
same time. When a sending device detects another’s transmission, it aborts its
own.
5.6 These are
answers to questions about the text. Write the questions:
a) to connect different devices on the
network directly;
b) no, it goes in only one direction
round the loop;
c) no, only one device may send data
at any given moment;
d) from the content of the message;
e) it cancels its own transmission.
5.7 You are a customer interested in
the Netplan Eazy Kit. Before deciding whether to buy it, ask questions to find
out:
a) what you need in order to use the
Netplan Eazy Kit;
b) the total number of PCs you can ran
on it;
c) the cost of adding additional PCs;
d) how difficult it is to install;
e) what software it runs;
f) the other features offered.
You represent the
makers of the Netplan Eazy Kit. Answer any questions and try to encourage the
customer to buy it:
Netplan Eazy Kit
This is not the only way to share
software. If your idea of sharing is looking over a colleague’s shoulder, then
Netplan may have the idea solution. To benefit from a network you only need two
PCs.
The Netplan Eazy Kit costs just $215
and gives you all the hardware, software, and cabling you need to link two PCs.
And for $100 per PC you can extend the network to up to six users. With Netplan
Eazy even the smallest business can save time, and effort.
Extra efficiency: the Netplan Eazy Kit
allows PCs to share the same data and software without having to copy and
transfer disks. So whether you’re dealing with customer enquiries or updating
accounts, you can do it from the same machine. You can even send messages from
one PC to another by e-mail. Netplan Eazy will also save you money on expensive
resources like printers.
It’s so Eazy: if you can use a
screwdriver, you can install Nteplan Eazy yourself. That’s all it takes. And
one installed, it runs on all popular software. We also offer our customers
unlimited access to our Freephone Helpline as part of the package. So why wait?
Contact your nearest Netplan dealer today. Details are on the back cover of this
magazine.
Unit 6. Computer Viruses
6.1 Read the text:
How
Computer Viruses Work
A computer virus – an unwanted program
that has entered your system without your knowing about it – has two parts,
which I’ll call the infector and the detonator. They have two very different
jobs. One of the features of a computer virus that separates it from other
kinds of computer program is that it replicates itself, so that it can spread
(via floppies transported from computer to computer, or networks) to other
computers.
After the infector has copied the
virus elsewhere, the detonator performs the virus’s main work. Generally, that
work is damaging data on your disk, altering what you see on your computer
display, or doing something else that interferes with the normal use of your
computer.
Here’s an example of a simple virus,
the Lehigh virus. The infector portion of Lehigh replicates by attaching a copy
of itself to COOMAND.COM (an important part of DOS), enlarging it by about 1000
bytes.
So let’s say you put a floppy
containing COOMAND.COM into an infected PC at your office – that is, a PC that
is running the Lehigh program. The infector portion of Lehigh looks over DOS’s
shoulder, monitoring all floppy accesses. The first time you tell the infected
PC to access s your floppy drive; the Lehigh infector notices the copy of
COMMAND. COM on the floppy and adds a copy of itself to that file.
Then you take the floppy home to your
Pc and boot from the floppy. (In this case, you’ve got to boot from the floppy in
order for the virus to take effect, since you may have many copies of COMMAND.
COM on your hard and floppy disk, but DOS only uses the COMMAND.COM on the boot
drive).
Now the virus has silently and
instantly been installed in your PC’s memory. Every time you access a hard disk
subdirectory or a floppy disk containing COMMAND.COM, the virus sees that file
and infests it, in the hope that this particular COMMAND.COM will be used on a
boot disk on computer some day.
Meanwhile, Lehigh keeps a count of
infections. One it has infected four copies of COMMAND.COM, the detonator is
triggered. The detonator in Lehigh is a simple one. It erases a vital part of
your hard disk, making the files on that part of the disk no longer accessible.
You grumble and set about rebuilding your work, unaware the Lehigh is waiting
to infect other unsuspecting computers if you boot from one of those four
infected floppies.
Don’t’ worry too much about viruses.
You may never see one. There are just a few ways to become infected that you
should be aware of. The sources seem to be service people, pirated games,
putting floppies in publicly available PCs without write-protect tabs,
commercial software (rarely), and software distributed over computer bulletin
board systems (also quite rarely, despite media misinformation).
May viruses have spread through
pirated – illegally copied or broken – games. This is easily to avoid. Pay for
your games, fair and square.
If you use a shared PC or a PC that
has public access, such as one in a college PC lab or a library, be very
careful about putting floppies into that PC’s drive without a write-protect
tab. Carry a virus –checking program and scan the PC before letting it write
data onto floppies.
Despite the low incidence of actual
viruses, it can’t hurt to run a virus checking program now and then. There are
actually two kinds of antivirus programs: virus shields, which detect viruses
as they are infecting your PC, and virus scanners, which detect viruses once
they’ve infected you.
Viruses are something to worry about,
but not a lot. A little common sense and the occasional virus scan will keep
you virus-free.
Remember these four points:
a) viruses can’t infect a data or text
file;
b) before running an antivirus
program, be sure to cold-boot from write-protected floppy;
c) don’t boot from floppies except
reliable DOS disks or your original production disks;
d) stay away from pirated software.
6.2 Match the words and definitions
below:
A detonator |
A protective
device |
An infector |
To remote all
traces of something |
To boot |
A device used to
set off an explosion or other destructive process |
To trigger |
To discover or
recognize that something is present |
To erase |
To set a process
in motion |
Pirated |
Something which
transmits a disease or virus |
A shield |
Stolen, obtained
without the owner’s consent |
To detect |
To load the
operating system into memory |
6.3 Decide whether
the following statements are true or
false in relation to the information in the text. If you feel a statement is
false, change it to make it true:
a) viruses can’t be spread through a
computer network, only via floppies transported from computer o computer;
b) the virus will spread as soon as
you put the infected floppy in your PC;
c) the infector works by interfering in
some way with the normal use of your computer;
d) the detonator in Lehigh works by
altering what you see on your screen;
e) most viruses spread through pirated
games;
f) you should run an antivirus program
every time you see your computer;
g) there are not very many viruses in
circulation;
h) virus shields are more effective
that virus scanners.
6.4 These are answers to questions
about the text. Write the questions:
a) two, one that infects and one that
does the damage;
b) by interfering in some way with the
normal use of the computer;
c) after it has infected four copies
of COMMAND.COM;
d) every time you access a hard disk
subdirectory or a floppy disk containing COMMAND.COM;
e) yes, by using your common sense and
by occasionally scanning for them.
6.5 Using the line references given
look back in the text and find the words or phrases with similar meaning to:
reproduces,
infect, changing, immediately, complain
find word or
phrases with the opposite meaning to:
reducing,
removed, records, ignorant, frequency
6.6 Read the
newspaper report and discuss the questions that follow:
NSA consultant’s
son is computer saboteur:
A court heard today
how a Cornell University graduate student, Robert T. Morris Jr. (25), infected
a host of government and educational computer centers with a computer virus,
known as ‘worm’, which literally brought all computational activity to a halt
in over 6,000 installations. Morris, the son of a prominent National Security
Agency computer consultant, was sentenced for his offences yesterday. As
punishment, he was required to spend no time in prison but, instead, serve
three years’ probation, contribute 400 hours of community service, and to pay a
$10,000 fine along with associated court and probation costs.
a) how serious do you think Robert
Morris’s crime was?
b) do you think the punishment was?
1) too severe
2) about right not severe
enough
c) do you know of any similar
incidents of computer hacking?
6.7 Decide if these words or phrases
have ‘protective’ or ‘destructive’ meaning:
detonator infector erase pirated
infect write-protect tab worm virus
scanner
hacker password smart card shield
signature cipher keyboard lock access control
Unit 7. Computers in the Office
7.1 Read the text:
Visions of Tomorrow
First safety. Radiation screens are
available, and have been for some years. Most of them place an emissions
barrier between you and the front of your display, while others encase the
entire monitor, protecting you from side and rear emissions as well. Many
offices already have these screens available for their workers.
The paperless office is still a dream,
but the basic tools are in place. We receive mail in two basic forms: on paper
in an envelope, or electronically on your computers. Most of us have access to
e-mail in one form or another. That’s half the battle won. The other half is
the bit more difficult, but it can be, and is being, done. All mail can be
opened in the mail room and scanned into the computer using optical character
recognition (OCR). Then a document-image-processing program takes over and lets
you accomplish electronically what you would normally do with paper. Various
personal computer products are available for this purpose.
Pen-based computing is coming into its
own. Pen-input capabilities are beginning to show up in hardware, applications,
and operating systems. You can’t take notes that will go directly onto your
computer, and the technology wouldn’t know what to do with your doodles, but it
would know that a doodle isn’t a valid word. And that’s a start – a good one.
Multimedia really needs no
explanation. There are many packages that help you create multimedia
presentations, and the tools to create customized multimedia training programs
are also plentiful, CD-ROM disks, such as Ziff-Davis’s Computer Select and
Microsoft’s Bookshelf, let you access mountains of information with ease.
Computer are already much smaller than
they used to be, and you can’t go to an industry show these days without
finding some company promoting its ‘smaller footprint’. When you start talking
about laptops, notebooks, and palmtops, the question becomes, ‘how small is too
small?’ FAX capabilities are already available on boards that you can plug into
your computer. When you combine the technologies present in internal modems
with voice recognition, the basics for having your computer replace your
phone-voice line are in place.
Voice recognition is another
technology that may appear limited it its present from, but it shows great
promise for the future. Current voice-recognition systems can handle speaker-
dependent continuous speech or speaker – independent discrete speech.
Speaking to your computer will be a
major factor in the office of the future. In some locations, it is already a
major factor in the office of today. Stock is traded in some brokerage houses
by verbal command from the broker to the computer. So, you ask your computer a
question, and it answers you – verbally. Depending on the rate of speech
sampling used and the resolution the A/D converter uses for each sample, we can
already create a credible approximation of human speech with digitalized sound.
Lager display screens? You can get screens of up to 35 inches now,
and between Barco and Mitsubishi competing for the honor of having the largest
monitor, it’s hard to predict just how big they will get in the future. As for
color, some companies offer upwards of 16 million. Somewhere in that number
must lie the perfect color for reducing eye-strain.
The real disaster that most of us
still have to deal with is the tradition keyboard, which is the cause of much
pain and suffering in the form of carpal tunnel syndrome and other
repetitive-strain injuries. Wrist rests are available to alleviate the problem,
and new designs for strange-looking keyboards, star-track style, are moving
from the drawing board to the factory.
Enterprise networks are proliferating
almost as fast as LANs did just a year or two ago. Public data networks are
ripe for the dialing up and signing on. And the Internet already exists, with
several of the research and educational facilities on its membership rolls.
Worldwide connectively is already
available in the enterprise networks of some major corporations. Admittedly,
these are proprietary networks, but they are living proof that the concept can
and does work.
7.2 Each of the
following sentences from the text is followed by two paraphrases. Decide which
paraphrase (a or b) is closer in meaning to the original comment.
Pen-based competing is coming into its
own:
a)
pen-based computing is receiving the recognition it
merits;
b)
pen-based computing is good for tasks where a
conventional pen would
normally be used.
…you can’t go to an industry show
these days without finding some company promoting its ‘small footprint’:
a)
at every exhibition these days, you will find at least
one company
advertising its own
miniature computer;
b)
it is impossible to get invited t a compute show these
days unless you have
a contact in a
company manufacturing miniature computer.
Current voice-recognition systems can
handle speaker-dependent continuous speech or speaker-independent discrete
speech:
a)
some of today’s voice-recognition systems are set up
to recognize
continuous speech
from certain people, while others can recognize specific words from anyone;
b)
all of today’s voice-recognition systems are set up to
recognize either
continuous speech
from certain people or specific words from anyone.
Public data networks are ripe for the
dialing up and signing on:
a)
there are public data networks waiting to b used;
b)
public data networks are now sufficiently developed to
be used.
7.3 Give the correct answer and
reasons for your choices:
Do you think the English in the text
is:
a)
very formal?
b)
quite formal?
c)
neutral?
d)
quite informal?
e)
very informal?
Do you think this article originally
appeared in:
a)
a computer magazine?
b)
a general magazine for young people?
c)
a general magazine for adults?
d)
an online bulletin board?
e)
the science page of a newspaper?
Do you think this article is written
by:
a)
a British person?
b)
an Australian;
c)
an American;
d)
a non-native speaker of English.
7.4 Using the references given look
back in the text and find the reference for the words in italics:
a) while others encase;
b) the
other half is a bit more difficult;
c) but it can be;
d) it its present form;
e) it
is already a major factor;
f) which
is the cause;
g) on its membership.
7.5 Using the
references given look back into the text and find the words a similar meaning
to:
a) whole;
b) usually;
c) acceptable;
d) seem;
e) believable;
f) decreasing;
g) spreading;
h) ready;
Now find the words or phrases that
mean the opposite of:
a)
danger;
b)
destroy;
c)
rare;
d)
separate;
e)
minor;
f)
less than;
g)
enjoyment;
h)
aggravate.
7.6 Choose the
correct word to complete each sentence. You may have to change words slightly:
consider, considered, consideration, considerable,
considerably
a)
we’ll have to ______ using another company if they
can’t provide the
software we need;
b)
the company has invested a ______sum of money in
ergonomic
workstations;
c)
the CEO has submitted this proposal for your ______ ;
d)
this computer is ______ faster than the old one.
apply, applying, applicant, application, applicable
a)
we have interviewed five ______ for the new position;
b)
the last part of the form is not ______ to foreign
students;
c)
my student is thinking of ______ for a government
grant to continue his
research;
d)
the new book uses business ______ to teach computer
studies.
explain, explained, explaining, explanation,
explanatory
a) the package
includes an ______ booklet;
b) the instructions
are very clear and do not require any further _______ ;
c) it will only take a
couple of minute to ______ how the program works;
d) if you are a new to
this system, almost everything will have to be ______ .
depend, depending, dependent,
dependence, dependable, dependably
a) the company has
supplied us ______ for over ten years;
b) we have to reduce
our _____ on imported goods;
c) this is very
_______ equipment. We have never ha a serious breakdown;
d) today, many
companies ______ more on FAXes than on mail.
connect, connected,
connecting, connector, connectivity, connection
a) _______ is an
important concept in global communications;
b) he only got that
contract because he has ________ in the government;
c) make sure the
_____is not loose before you call a service technician;
d) once the new
telephone lines are ______, our system should be more
efficient.
7.7
Before reading the text, try to decide which of the following definitions
best describes a management
information system:
a)
a system for supplying information to management;
b)
a system for managing information;
c)
a system which
supplies information about management.
Information Systems
The objective of information system is to provide
information to all levels of management at the most relevant time, at an acceptable
level of accuracy, and at an economical cost.
Individual businesses require information according to the
nature of their operations. A car manufacturer is particularly interested in
the extent of competition from oversea s manufacturers in the home market and
competition from other home-based manufacturers. A tour operator is concerned
about purchasing power and its effect on holiday bookings and the political
situation prevailing in the various countries.
As a general guide, the detail contained in reports
containing information varies according to the position of the recipient in the
hierarchical management structure. The chairman and managing director of a
company require details of operations which are broad in scope and which
concentrate on key factors pinpointing economic and financial trends.
Functional management require information relating to the departments they are
responsible for in sufficient detail to enable them to apply whatever measures
are required to bring situations into line with requirements. They require
information relating to events as they occur so that appropriate action can be
taken to control them.
Information systems are often computerized because of the
need to respond quickly and flexibly to queries. At the bottom level in the
information hierarchy is the transaction processing systems, which capture and
process internal information, such as
sales, production, and stock data. These produce the working documents of the
business, such as invoices and statements. Typically, these are the first
systems which a company will install. Above the transaction-level systems are
the decision support systems. These take external information – market trends
and other external financial data – and processed internal information, such as
sales trends, to produce strategic plans, forecasts, and budgets. Often such
systems are put together with PC spreadsheets and other unconnected tools.
Management information systems lie at the top of the hierarchy of information
needs. The MIS takes the plans and information from the transaction-level
systems to monitor the performance of the business as a whole. This provides
feedback to aid strategic planning, forecasting, and/or budgeting, which in
turn affects what happens at the transactional level.
7.8 Decide whether
these statements are true or false:
a) all businesses
are interested in more or less the same information regardless of the nature of
their operations;
b) the managing
director of a company needs a lot more detailed information about the
day-to-day operations than his executives do;
c) functional
management require up-to-the-minute information so that they can take action to
control events s they happen;
d) information
systems are usually computerized;
e) transaction
processing systems are usually the first systems to be installed.
Unit 8. Computers in Education
8.1 Read the text quickly to find:
a) the overall purpose of NCET;
b) another expression meaning ‘educational technology’;
c) whether NCET produces learning materials;
d) how many priorities NCET’s Schooling Directorate has;
e) three groups of people helped by NCET’s Vocational
training programme;
f) three examples of new and developing technologies that
the Council gives advice about.
National Council for Educational
Technology
The Council’s purpose is to bring beneficial change to the
processes of learning in the education and training through the development and
application of educational technology.
Educational technology – or learning technology, as it is
sometimes known - embraces everything from the way computers, satellites, and
interactive video are used in schools, colleges, and industry to issues of
copyright and flexible learning. Focusing on the learner, our purpose is to
support change in the ways we learn by applying the benefits of educational
technology – especially the new information technologies – to the process of
learning.
We design and produce learning materials in all subjects to
support education and training. We carry out research and manage projects,
offer consultancy on technical matters, support training for trainers and
teachers, and offer expertise in areas such as open and flexible learning,
resource management, and educational software. We provide a comprehensive
information and enquiry service.
Information Technology in
Schools
Through its I.T. in Schools Program, NCET’s Schooling
Directorate is pursuing four properties:
To identify and
promote and spread good practice in the use of new technologies;
To provide
professional guidance to teacher trainers so that they can help teachers and
schools in managing I.T. and in applying in to all areas of study;
To develop
high-quality curriculum materials and encourage other publishers to do the
same;
To give particular
support for those concerned with children and young adults with special
educational needs, including the handicapped.
Learning after School and at
Work
NCET’s Training Directorate focuses on the needs of those
wishing to learn after the school-leaving age. Projects under the Vocational
training program include looking into the training needs of women, older
workers, and those who use information technology to work from home. In further
education, lecturers and senior managers are being helped to plan for I.T. and
changing client needs. For industry, our work has included language training in
the run-up to 1992, and the application of artificial intelligence systems to
training. This directorate also takes the lead in important trans-sectoral
issues such as open and flexible learning, copyright, and the use of computers
in careers guidance.
Technical Expertise
Keeping abreast of developments in technology and
maintaining a national expertise on standards and specifications is the work of
NCET’s Technical Consultancy Directorate. Through links with other
organizations, it identifies issues associated with the adoption of new
technologies and, where appropriate, carries out projects to assess or develop
their potential in education and training. It has a watching brief and provides
consultancy on new and developing technologies such as satellites. CD-ROM, and
interactive video. Current projects involve the examination of the use of
educational software in schools, the use of massive storage systems, and the
use of satellites in education and training. The Directorate also produces
guidance to users on a wide range of technology, from desk-top publishing and
remote sensing to teleconferencing and audio-visual systems.
8.2 Imagine you
represent NCET and that a newspaper reporter is interviewing you. Use the
information in the text to complete the dialogue in your own words.
Reporter
What
exactly does the term ‘educational technology’ cover?
You ________________________________________________
Reporter I see. Apart from
offering advice on technical matters, what other services do you provide?
You
________________________________________________
Reporter
Does
the I.T. in Schools Program help
teachers as well as students?
You _________________________________________________
Reporter What about those
with special educational needs?
You
__________________________________________________
Reporter What
responsibility does the NCET’s Training Directorate have?
You __________________________________________________
Reporter
Does
that include helping people in industry?
You
__________________________________________________
Reporter One last question.
What kind of work is the Technical Consultancy Directorate doing in schools at
the moment?
You __________________________________________________
8.3 using the
references given, look back in the text and find words or phrases which have
similar meaning to:
a) includes;
b) advantages;
c) covering everything;
d) course;
e) physically or mentally challenged;
f) approach;
g) up-to-day with;
h) instructions to monitor;
8.4 A teacher has
been looking at some publicity material for the Adam & Eve program. Read
the material and fill in the gaps in he teacher’s notes.
Choose
your own text
Adam & Eve allow you to
create exercises based on any text you want. The text could be from the
course-book you are using, from a reader, from a newspaper – whatever your
students are interested in.
Analyze
your texts
Adam & Eve will analyze
the vocabulary of the text according to the database of word frequency
contained within the software. From this analysis you get a precise idea of the
level of difficulty of a text. You can compare one text with another text, and
you can see whether it fits in with the syllabus your students are working to.
Generate
exercise
Adam & Eve will then
create a wide variety of exercises based on this analysis. These exercises,
which are easily and quickly generated, can be presented to your students
either as printed worksheets - you will be provided with the answers on a
separate sheet – or can be put on to a floppy disk so that a performance will
be automatically evaluated and the score recorded.
Simple
use
No previous experience with
computers is necessary. If you can type using a word processor you will have no
difficulty in putting your texts into the software. The whole program is ‘menu
driven’ in any one of five languages so you will always know where you are and
it will be obvious from the screen where you can go next. There is a full and
clearly written manual to help you get started. Once you are familiar with the
basic workings, don’t forget to go back to the manual to learn about the
program’s finer points.
Something
for the whole school
Up to twenty-five different
teachers can work with Adam & Eve. The program will keep each teacher’s
texts and the exercises generated on those texts in separate files which are
only accessible using that teacher’s password.
Adam & Eve 1. You can create exercises
from any text e.g. ________, _________,
________ . 2. You can ________ a text
to assess its, ________to _______ it to another text, or to determine its
suitability for a given _________ . 3. Exercises can be easily
________, and can be presented to students either as _______ or on ________ . 4. No ______ of computers is
needed. This program is _______ driven in any of _______ languages. The
package comes with a comprehensive ________ . 5. Up to ________ teachers
can use the program. It can store all generated texts and exercise in
separate _______ . Each teacher has a personal ______ to ______ his or her
files. |
8.5 Choose the
correct word to complete the sentences. You may have o change some words
slightly:
create,
created, creating, creation, creativity
a)
the ______ of this database will give us a huge
advantage over our
competitors in the long run;
b)
the procedure for _______ a new file is very simple;
c)
the new position we are advertising is going to
require someone with
enormous ________ .
generate,
generated, generative, generation
a)
exercises can be quickly _______ using this program;
b)
our company is working on a new _______ of software
products;
c)
this development is sure to _______ great interest.
access,
accessed, accessible, accessibility
a) all user requests
to _______ a database are handled by the database
management system;
b) _______ to the
computer room is restricted to authorized personnel;
c) those files are not
_______ unless you know the password.
analyze, analyzed, analysis,
analyst
a) when a text is
_______, all pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and verb
forms are automatically identified;
b) this _____ shows
that most PC users are not aware of the full potential of
the software products they buy;
c) the DBMS first
receives the request and ______ it for syntax errors.
Unit 9. Computers
in Medicine
9.1 Read the text:
Computers in Medicine
Eileen Carleton has a
whimsical talent for hand signals. When 65-year-old stroke victim draws a
vertical line in the air, her family knows she is referring to a very slim
friend of her son.
But a lexicon of hand gestures – no matter how inventive –
and the few dozen words left in Carleton’s vocabulary following her stroke are
inadequate for conveying even the most basic wishes, observations, or questions
to her family. Through pilot study at the School of Medicine, however, Carleton
has learned to communicate using a specially designed computer program that has
restored not only her ability to express herself, but also, family members and
therapists say, her enthusiasm for life.
The stroke that Carleton suffered in 1985 damaged the
portion of her brains where words and speech are processed, leaving her with a
condition known as aphasia, or the inability to se language. While she is able
to comprehend much of what people say to her, she can’t formulate her thoughts
into coherent phrases or sentences.
Using the computer program, she can select from hundreds of
pictures that represent people, objects, actions, and descriptive qualities and
arrange them in sequence to communicate thought, obviating the need to use
words.
‘When Eileen first entered the study, she depended on her
husband Steve to figure out what she wanted to say from her gestures and facial
expressions. All she could say was, ‘Come on! You know!’, with increasing
frustration.’ said Dr Cheryl Goodenough Trepagnier, associate professor of
rehabilitation medicine.
The computer program used in the Tuffs study was developed
in conjunction with the Palo Alto, California, Veterans Administration medical
Center and grew out of research in the 1970s at the Boston Veterans
Administration Hospital. ‘Researchers had found that chimpanzees, whose brains
lack specialized language centers, could engage in a kind of communication
using plastic tokens that represented different objects an actions,’ Dr Trepagnier
said. ‘We wondered whether aphasics – whose language processing areas are
damaged – could benefit from the same idea.’
On small cards, researchers drew symbols representing
different people, objects, and actions trained aphasic patients to select and
arrange the cards to form statements or questions. By selecting cards showing a
woman, a person walking, store, and a chicken, for example, an aphasic patient
could ask his wife to go to the grocery store to buy some poultry.
‘Some patients become quite adept at using the cards,’ Dr
Trepagnier said. ‘But as a number of card increased, it became awkward and
time-consuming to find the right cards and then put them back in the right
order. Patients found the cards too cumbersome and didn’t use them at home.’
In the mid-1980s, however, a computer program was developed
that, like the cards, used pictures to represent ideas, but was easier to use.
With the program, aphasic patient could select from hundreds of pictures simply
y a moving a computer mouse. Dr Trepagnier was among the first researchers to
test the new software on aphasics.
‘At first, there was a great deal of doubt over whether
aphasics would be able to use computer.’ Dr Trepagnier said. “But we found that
many took to the computer quite easily. As they became more proficient on the
computer, some showed gains in their overall self-confidence, as well.’
It’s hardly an exaggeration to say that the program
transformed Carleton’s life. In the aftermath of her stroke, Carleton ‘was so
despondent she sat on the couch all day and did nothing,’ said her speech
therapist, Evelyn Chedekel. ‘But as soon as she learned that she’s capable for
communicating with the computer, her whole world changed. Now she can introduce
topics, rather than hoping that people will guess what’s on her mind. When her
husband passed away suddenly, she was able to carry on.’
Encouraged by the results thus far, Dr Trepagnier will study
ways of expanding the computer program’s capabilities. For unknown reasons,
many aphasics have more trouble conceptualizing verbs than nouns. Making the
intellectual connection between a picture of a sailboat and the idea of a
sailboat is easier than connecting a picture of a boy running to the idea of
running. Trepagnier hopes to overcome this difficulty by designing a program
that enables patient to see computer images in motion.
9.2 Read the
summary of the text and fill in each gap with an appropriate word:
Eileen Carleton’s life has been completely transformed by Dr
Trepagnier’s computer program. Whereas she used to be entirely _______ on her
husband to deduce what she wanted to say, now she is able to _______ her own
ideas. Before, she had to hope other people would ______ what she was thinking.
Now she is ________ of starting a conversation with others.
Dr Trepagnier’s program was _______from research on symbolic
communication by chimpanzees, which _______specialized language areas in their
brains. As these language-processing areas are also known to be _______ in
human aphasics, the same idea of using visual symbols to represent different
people, objects, and actions was thought likely to be effective. Using cards to
show these symbols proved _______for most patients, but the introduction of
computer technology has greatly _______ the use of the system by aphasics,
whose lives have been immeasurably ________since the invention of this program.
9.3 Each of the
following sentences from the text is followed by two paraphrases. Decide which
paraphrase (a or b) is closer in meaning to the original comment.
But a lexicon of
hand gestures – no matter how inventive – and the few dozen words left in
Carleton’s vocabulary following her
stroke re inadequate for conveying even the most basic wishes, observations, or
questions to her family:
a)
Eileen Carleton’s hand gestures and words are not
clear enough to allow her
thoughts to be understood;
b)
Eileen Carleton does not have enough hand signals and
words to express her thoughts.
While she is able
to comprehend much of what people say to her, she can’t formulate her thoughts
into coherent phrases or sentences:
a)
Eileen understands quite a lot of what people are
saying to her and knows
what she wants to say.
However, she can’t translate her thoughts into understandable messages;
b)
Eileen finds it difficult to choose the right words
and sentences to express
herself while she is
concentrating on what people are saying to her.
As they became more proficient on the
computer, some showed gains in their overall self-confidence, as well:
a)
some people found that their growing confidence about
using the computer
made them generally more
self-confident;
b)
the more people used their computer, the more
self-confident they became.
It’s hardly an
exaggeration to say that the program transformed Carleton’s life:
a)
the program changed Carleton’s life in some respects;
b)
the program completely changed Carleton’s life.
9.4
Match each word in the list on the left with the appropriate synonym on the
right:
Inventive |
Deduce |
Inadequate |
Awkward |
Select |
Take part in |
Obviating |
Depressed |
Figure out |
Insufficient |
Engage in |
Completely changed |
Cumbersome |
skilled |
Proficient |
Creative |
Transformed |
Choose |
despondent |
removing |
9.5 Read the text:
Robot
Eye for Surgery
Laparoscopy is a procedure in
which a camera is pushed through a small hole in the abdominal wall. It allows
a surgeon to operate by television, with instruments inserted through a second
hole. The small size of the incisions reduces the trauma for patients and
speeds up recovery. Until recently, the procedure has required the presence of
a second doctor to guide the camera for the surgeon. A new development now
facilitates this procedure. A robot maneuvers the camera in response to the
surgeon’s head. Four tiny transmitters, worn on a headband, send radio signals
to a base unit. As the surgeon moves his head left or right, up or down,
forwards or backwards, the robot causes the camera to track his movements,
enabling him to view the exact area he wishes to see.
Robot
Surgery for Eye
Techniques derived from
virtual reality will soon allow surgeons to feel as well as see the inside of
the eye during an operation. During the operation, the surgeon manipulates a
set of controls known as the master. These are connected through a
high-performance computer to the robot. The robot’s limbs move in exactly the
same way, except that the movements can be scaled down as much as thousand
times, thus eliminating hand tremor and reducing damage to the eye. The
computer also relates at three-dimensional view of the inside eye, which the surgeon
can see wearing a virtual reality helmet and ‘feel’ via a sensory feedback
system which emulates the forces generated by cutting with a surgical tool.
9.6 Read the
following text:
Database
Management System
Databases are used within a medical context for many
purposes. For example, they are used to hold patient details so they can be
accessed from anywhere within a hospital or network of hospitals. With the
recent improvements in image comprehension techniques, X-rays and scan output
can also be held in databases and accessed in the same way.
These multi-user databases are managed by a piece of
software called a database management system (DBMS). It is this which
differentiates a database from an ordinary computer file. Between the physical
databases itself and the users of the system is the DBMS. All requests for
access to data from users – whether people at terminals or other programs
running in batch –are handled by the DBMS.
One general function of the DBMS is the shielding of
database users from machine code. In other words, the DBMS provides a view of
the data that is elevated above the hardware level, and supports user-requests
such as ‘Get the PATIENT record for patient Smith’, written in a high-level
language.
The DBMS also determines the amount and type of information
that each user can access from a database. For example, a surgeon and a
hospital administrator will require different views of a database.
When a user wishes to access a database, he makes an access
request using a particular data-manipulation language understood by the DBMS.
The DBMS receives the request, and checks it for syntax errors. The DBMS then
inspects, in turn, the external schema, the conceptual schema, and the mapping
between the conceptual schema and the internal schema. It then performs the
necessary operations on the stored data.
In general, fields may be required from several logical
tables of data held in the database. Each logical record occurrence may, in
turn, require data from more than one physical record held in the actual
database. The DBMS must retrieve each of the required physical records and
construct the logical view of the data requested by the user. In this way,
users are protected from having to know anything about the physical layout of the
database, which may be altered, say, for performance reasons, without the users
having their logical view of the data structures altered.
9.7 Match the
following words with their definitions:
word |
Definition |
Logical record |
The collection of data transferred
as a unit |
Field |
The user’s permitted view of
the data |
Physical record |
The logical design of the
database |
Internal schema |
An item of data such as a
number, a name |
External schema |
The way that the data is
physically held |
Conceptual schema |
The collection of data
relating to on subject |
Литература
1. Computing – Keith Boeckner
and P. Charles Brown, Oxford University Press, 2002.
2. English for computer science – Norma D. Mullen, Oxford
University Press, 2000.
3. A framework for smart systems – Steven H. Kilm, Oxford
University Press, 2004.
4. Dictionary of computing, 3rd ed. – Market
House Books, 1995.
Содержание
Unit 1. Portable
Computers ………………………………………………………3
Unit 2. Online
Service ……………………………………………………………7
Unit 3. Programming and Languages …………………………………………….9
Unit 4. Computer
Software……………………………………………………….14
Unit 5. Computer
Networks ……………………………………………………...17
Unit 6. Computer
Viruses ………………………………………………………..20
Unit 7. Computers in the Office………………………………………………….23
Unit 8. Computers in Education …………………………………………………28
Unit 9. Computers in Medicine ………………………………………………….31
Сводный план 2006 г., поз 36
Сара Нурлановна Колмакова
АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК. ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЙ ПЕРЕВОД
(для
студентов специальности 050719 – Радиотехника, электроника и телекоммуникации)
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