Fifth generation (1984-1990)
The development of the next generation of computer systems is characterized mainly by the acceptance of parallel processing. The fifth generation saw the introduction of machines with hundreds of processors that could all be working on different parts of single program. The scale of integration in semiconductors continued at an incredible pace – by 1990 it was possible to build chips with a million components – and semiconductor memories became standard on all computers.
Other new developments were widespread use of computer networks and the increasing use of single-user workstations. Prior to 1985 large scale parallel processing was viewed as a research goal. For example, a machine was designed in which 20 processors were connected up to a single memory module. Each processor had its own local cache memory, a special memory subsystem that temporarily holds data or program instructions to improve overall computer performance. Most caches copy data from a standard computer memory, RAM, to a type of memory that allows faster data access by the CPU.
Disk Caches are designed to compensate for the speed discrepancy between the very fast CPU and the much slower disc drives. Internal and external memory caches are designed to compensate for the discrepancy between the CPU and the slower RAM chips. All Caching Systems are designed to prevent main memory, RAM, from being an information bottleneck between the CPU and the much slower hard disc drives.
On the other hand, Intel instead of using one memory module connected each processor to its own memory and used a network interface to connect processors. This distributed memory architecture meant that large systems, using more processors, could be built. The largest machine had 128 processors.
Toward the end of this period a third type of parallel processor was introduced to the market. In this style of machine, known as data-parallel or SIMD, there were several thousand very simple processors. All processors worked under the direction of a single control unit.
Scientific computing in this period was still dominated by vector processing. The term «vector» has two common meanings. The first is in the geometric sense: a vector defines a direction and magnitude. The second concerns the formatting of fonts. If a font is a vector font, it is defined as a line of relative size and direction rather than as a collection of pixels. This makes it easier to change the size of the font, but puts a bigger load on the device that has to display the fonts.
Most manufacturers of vector processors introduced parallel models, but there were very few processors in these parallel machines. In the area of computer networking, both wide area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN) technology developed at a rapid pace, stimulating a transition from the traditional mainframe computing environment toward a distributed computing environment in which each user has his own workstation for relatively simple task (editing and compiling programs, reading mail) but sharing large, expensive resources such as file servers and supercomputers. RISC technology (a style of internal organization of the CPU) and plummeting costs for RAM brought tremendous gain in computational power of relatively low cost workstations and servers. This period also saw a marked increase in both the quality and quantity of scientific visualization.
Sixth generation (1990 – …)
Transitions between generations in computer technology are hard to define, especially as they are taking place. Some changes, such as the switch from vacuum tubes to transistors, are immediately apparent as fundamental changes, but others are clearly only in retrospect. Many of the developments in computer systems since 1990 reflect gradual improvements over established systems, and thus it is hard to claim they represent a transition to a new «generation», but other developments will prove to be significant changes.
This generation is beginning in parallel computing, both in the hardware area and in improved understanding of how to develop algorithms to exploit diverse, massively parallel architectures. Parallel systems now compete with vector processors in terms of total computing power and most expect parallel systems to dominate the future.
Combinations of parallel / vector architectures are well established, and one corporation (Fujitsu) has announced plans to build a system with over two hundred of vector processors. Manufacturers have set themselves the goal of achieving teraflops
(1012 arithmetic operations per second) performance by the middle
of the decade, and it’s clear only a system with a thousand processors or more will obtain this. Workstation technology has continued to improve, with processors designs now using a combination of RISC, pipelining, and parallel processing. This development has sparked an interest in heterogeneous computing: a program started on one workstation can find idle workstations elsewhere in the local network to run parallel subtasks.
One of the most dramatic changes in the sixth generation will be the explosive growth of wide area networking. Network bandwidth has expanded tremendously in the last few years and will continue to improve for the next several years. Network technology is becoming more widespread than its original strong base in universities and government laboratories as it is rapidly finding application in education, community networks and private industry.
Swiftly changing situation in computer progress is tightly connected with the impressive permanent improvement of microprocessors, which are known as central processing units (CPUs). A microprocessor, which includes a huge amount of transistors, is fabricated on a surface of a thin silicon layer with the help of a very complicated and precise semiconductor technology. Such electronic elements are usually called integrated circuits or chips. Engineers’ striving for a multifunctional processor with high speed of operations performance forces them to increase the number of transistors and, as a consequence, to lessen their size. This dynamic of the INTEL CPU development is shown in the table below:
| Name of processor | Date of introduction | Number of transistors | Size of transistors, microns | Speed, MIPSx |
| 6,000 | 0,64 | |||
| 29,000 | 0,33 | |||
| 134,000 | 1,5 | |||
| 275,000 | 1,5 | |||
| 1,200,000 | ||||
| Pentium | 3,100,000 | 0,8 | ||
| Pentium II | 7,500,000 | 0,35 | ||
| Pentium III | 9,500,000 | 0,25 | ||
| Pentium 4 | 42,000,000 | 0,18 | 1,700 |
MIPS* stands for million instructions per second.
What to expect?
My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my time there.
Unknown
As you can see, the number of transistors and the speed of performance in the period of 1979-2000 were steadily increasing simultaneously with the decreasing of transistor size – from 6 down to 0,18 microns. For comparison, the thickness of a human hair is about 100 microns. It’s worth to stress that the illustrated above tendency is still keeping on.
return false">ссылка скрытаIn 1965, three years before Intel was founded, Gordon Moore noticed that microchip capacity* seemed to double every 18 to 24 months. This rate of increase later became known as Moore’s Law. We gathered up a list of every major Intel processor family and got the corresponding number of transistors per chip. The result, a graphical representation, demonstrates that Moore’s Law is alive and well. What is the future of Moore’s Law?
Andy Groove, former Intel CEO**, predicted that Intel would ship a processor with one billion*** transistors in 2011 which is in line with Moore’s Law. Other industry experts see silicon technology reaching its physical limits**** at around 2017. The implications of the continued viability of Moore’s Law are profound. In addition to the fact that our increasingly computerized economy will become even more productive, other technologies such as voice recognition, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence begin to appear possible. And speaking of profound, if Moore’s Law were to somehow survive on into 2030, the processor would than surpass the computational power of the human brain.
Gordon Moore was one of the Intel founders
* number of transistors on a chip
** Chief Executive Officer
*** a thousand millions – 1 000 000 000 (US, now often in Britain)
**** amount of transistors per one unit of a chip surface area
It would be possible to finish on this optimistic prediction the brief, though far from being complete, history of computers. But still the question concerning even the nearest future of these machines has not been exhausted yet since in scientific literature you can find «slightly» different opinions. We can’t help sharing the extracts of them with you:
For more than forty years manufacturers have crammed more and more devices, particularly transistors, into microprocessors. The current technological process to pack them is a photography-like technique called DUVL (Deep-Ultraviolet Lithography). Every technology has its limits. According to estimations DUVL will reach them around 2005. So at this time the Moore’s Law won’t work and engineers will have to look for other technologies to enhance the density of devices onto the chip. There are several possible ways to achieve it.
The first one, traditional, implies to improve the DUVL towards the higher resolution. It would be possible provided a new high resolution equipment were designed. The question is – what are the prospects and how long it’ll work? In other words, is the game worth the candle? Some scientists who are in doubt about this way of technological progress are looking for possible alternatives as, for example, biological or DNA and quantum computers. DNA is an abbreviation for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, the main part of every cellular organism that preserves the basic genetic code. DNA computers will have many advantages in comparison with to-days ones:
· they will be much more smaller;
· they will store much more information;
· they will perform calculations simultaneously; it’ll allow to solve complex mathematical problems in hours – problems that might take contemporary computers hundreds of years to complete. «The tear-drop sized DNA computer will be more powerful than the world’s most powerful supercomputer».
Our computers work by manipulating «0» or «1». Quantum computers will be able to encode information the same way or in between «0» or «1». In this case atoms are working together to serve as computer memory and microprocessor. Such computers will be millions of times more powerful than to-days most powerful supercomputers! What’s more, if it happened, people would be wearing them like a watch. Wearable computers will be built into people’s clothing or jewelry. Voice and handwriting recognition software will provide the possibility to interface with such computers without the help of keyboard or mouse. It is quite interesting, isn’t it?
Computer speech
DensityHow tightly information is packed together on a storage medium (tape or disc). A higher density means that data are closer together, so the medium can hold more information.
Disc driveIt’s a machine that reads data from and writes data onto a disc. It has one or more heads that read and write data. There are different types of disc drives for different types of discs. E.g., a hard disc drive (HDD) reads and writes hard discs, and floppy drive (FDD) reads and writes floppy discs. A magnetic disc drive reads magnetic discs, and an optical drive reads optical discs.
DriverIt is a piece of software that lets a PC talk to peripherals and other hardware. It interprets standard operating system commands to the specific, quirky needs of the hardware. There are drivers built into the operating system to control memory, cash, and other basics of a PC; the system BIOS chip holds drivers for such essential components as the keyboard and floppy drive. Driver software is written for each piece of hardware.
AdapterIt is a device that permits to connect a peripheral unit (e.g. monitor) to a computer.
OperatingThe «master control software» of a PC
System (OS) hat allows the computer itself to operate. It is the first program to load into memory when the computer is started, and remains in memory as long as the computer is running. The operating system controls the computers use and allocation of system resources, such as processing time, memory, disc space and so on. All applications must interact with the operating system to gain access to system resources, and all applications are limited by the operating system for which they are designed.
PathThe location of a file or directory. The path describes the location in relation to either the root directory, or the current directory. E.g.: C: \ Windows \ System.
Plug and Play An industry standard that allows computer peripherals to be automatically configured by the OS.
2. Exercises
1. Read and translate the text.
2. Check up your understanding. Give full answers:
1. What are the main features of the fifth computer generation?
2. What were the Caching Systems designed for?
3. What can you tell about the fifth generation chips?
4. What does it mean CPU?
5. Can you tell the difference between WAN and LAN?
6. Can you define a sharp threshold between the fifth and the sixth generations of computers?
7. What are the main features of the sixth generation?
8. Why are engineers striving for the improvement of CPUs?
9. What forces engineers to increase the number of transistors in microprocessors?
10. Why do we need high speed of operation performance?
11. What are the main functions of an operating system?
12. Which operating systems do you know and which one do you use?
13. What is your opinion? Is it necessary to invent new computer technologies? Why?
14. Which are possible new ways of technological computer progress?
15. What computer do you dream of?
3. Retell the text briefly using the following expressions and terms:
Fifth generation, sixth generation, parallel processing, semiconductor memory, chips, widespread use of, cache, RAM, CPU, transistor, gradual improvement of, explosive growth of, computer progress, be tightly connected with, high speed of operations, Moor’s Law, microprocessor.
4. What’s missing? If you are in doubt, refer to the text. Take it into account that in each item the first letter of the missed word is used:
1. Caches are designed to compensate for the speed d…. between CPU and RAM.
2. Widespread use of computer n…. is one of the features of the fifth generation.
3. Intel instead of using one memory module connected each p…. to its own m…. .
4. A new type of parallel processor was introduced to the m…. .
5. Scientific computing was still dominated by v…. p…. .
6. The switch from vacuum tubes to t…. is apparent as fundamental change.
7. N…. technology is rapidly finding application in education.
8. Swiftly changing situation in c…. progress is tightly connected with the improvement of m…. .
9. A microprocessor includes a huge amount of t…. .
10. Gordon Moore noticed that m…. c…. seemed to double every 18 to 24 months.
11. The processor will be able to surpass the c…. p…. of the human brain.
12. For forty years manufacturers have c…. many devices into CPU.
13. The tear-drop sized DNA c…. will be very powerful.
14. Voice and handwriting recognition s…. will provide the possibility to i…. with computers.
5. Rearrange the words and get the right sentences:
1. processors / largest / 128 / machine / had / the /.
2. processor / had / cash / its / local / memory / own / each /.
3. between / to / define / in / computer / transitions / technology / are / enerations / hard /.
4. is / very / technology / becoming / widespread / network /.
5. a layer / is / on / a thin / of a / silicon / fabricated / microprocessor / surface /.
6. for / scientists / are / possible / looking / some / alternatives /.
7. to serve / working / are / together / as / computer / atoms / memory /.
6. Supply the preposition if one is missing:
1. A new type of CPU was introduced …. the market.
2. Disc caches are designed to compensate …. the speed discrepancy between the very fast CPU and the much slower disc drives.
3. …. the other hand, Intel instead of using one memory module connected each processor …. its own memory.
4. Transitions between generations …. computer technology is hard to define.
5. Network will continue to improve …. the next several years.
6. A microprocessor is fabricated …. the surface of a thin semiconductor layer.
7. The transistor size decreased …. 6 down …. 0,18 microns.
8. The illustrated above tendency is keeping …. .
9. The quantity of transistors in a microprocessor is …. line with Moore’s law.
10. Some scientists are looking …. possible alternatives.
11. Wearable computers will be built …. people’s clothing and jewelry.
7. There are two words in each item. You must explain how is «a» like «b» and how «a» differs from «b»:
1. (a) cash, (b) RAM;
2. (a) machine, (b) computer;
3. (a) discrepancy, (b) harmony;
4. (a) interface, (b) adapter;
5. (a) quality, (b) quantity;
6. (a) generation, (b) people;
7. (a) advancement, (b) improvement;
8. (a) transistor, (b) integrated circuit;
9. (a) tendency, (b) intention;
10. (a) CPU, (b) artificial intelligence.
8. Give the opposites of the following nouns:
1. rapid; 2. simple; 3. end; 4. gain; 5. change; 6. progress;
7. increase; 8. future; 9. harmony; 10. reality; 11. connection.
9. Give the synonyms of the following words:
1. chip; 2. goal; 3. program; 4. single; 5. end; 6. build; 7. obtain; 8. perform; 9. wide; 10. become; 11. clear.
10. What verbs precede these words?
1. data; 2. memory; 3. program; 4. market; 5. processor;
6. technology; 7. goal; 8. quality; 9. quantity; 10. speed; 11. size.
11. Supply the articles where necessary and explain your choice:
1. …. scale of integration in …. semiconductors continued at …. incredible pace.
2. …. Disc Caches are designed to compensate for …. speed discrepancy between …. very fast CPU and …. much slower disc drives.
3. …. largest computer had 128 processors.
4. …. term «vector» has …. two common meanings.
5. On …. other hand, Intel connected each processor to its own memory.
6. …. transitions between …. generations in …. computer technology is hard to define.
7. This development has sparked …. interest in heterogeneous computing.
8. …. microprocessor is fabricated on …. surface of …. thin silicon layer.
9. Such …. electronic elements are usually called …. chips.
10. …. number of transistors and …. speed of performance in this period were steadily increasing with …. decreasing of transistor size.
12. Translate into English:
1. К концу этого периода на рынке появился третий тип процессоров.
2. Одним из наиболее существенных изменений в шестом поколении компьютеров является взрывной рост компьютерных сетей.
3. Сетевая технология находит все более широкое применение в образовании.
4. Быстро изменяющаяся ситуация в развитии компьютерной техники связана с непрерывным усовершенствованием (улучшением) микропроцессоров.
5. Инженеры стремятся к созданию многофункциональных микропроцессоров с большой производительностью.
6. Это обстоятельство вынуждает их увеличивать число транзисторов и, следовательно, уменьшать их размеры.
7. Вопрос, касающийся даже ближайшего будущего компьютеров, еще не исчерпан.
8. Некоторые ученые ищут возможные альтернативы, такие как ДНК- или квантовые компьютеры.
9. ДНК-компьютеры будут иметь много преимуществ по сравнению с современными компьютерами.
10. Они будут намного меньше и будут хранить значительно больше информации.
13. Are you up to giving a right explanation? Look for a statement in this book or put your own idea in an oral frame and use it.
Confusing adverb QUITE. Don’t neglect!
This is a very wide spread but confusing adverb because it has several different meanings:
1. The first rather puzzling one in a colloquial English is expressionof agreement, e.g.:
A: You should have done this work.
B: Quite.
In this case instead of «quite» you could use, for example, «indeed».
2. Used with a noun preceded by the indefinite article this adverb traditionally meant «completely» or «entirely»:
«You are a humorist. …Quite a humorist».
J. Austen
Informal constructions of such type often imply emphasis or irony:
«Well now, that’s quite something. Thank you».
N. Blake
«It had been quite a week and I wanted a day of relaxation».
R. Crossman
3. When «quite» is used with a word or phrase which can express the idea of completeness (all right, certain, empty, full, ready, sure, determined, wrong, excellent, different, enough, impossible etc) it means «completely», «totally»:
– It would be quite impossible for someone to know all the computer programs.
– You are quite right.
4. The above rule is not set in stone. There are many examples that do not clearly accord with it. In the written language the context will help to understand the meaning of «quite». In the spoken language the intonation will do that:
Quite ‘good (week, lowing tone «quite», strong, rising tone «good») means «very little less than good». In this case «quite» has almost the same meaning as «fairly».
‘Quite ‘good (equal stress) means «moderately good».
‘Quite good (strong, rising tone «quite», week, lowing tone «good») means «much less than good».
When «quite» is used with such adjectives or adverbs the less «quite» isstressed the stronger the following adjective (adverb) becomes and vice versa. Hence, you must listen to your partner very attentively!
Now, two examples of imaginary conversations:
a Prof. hands you in your test and says, «This time you are ‘quite good». You take gratefully your test and answer,
«Oh, professor, thank you, I’m lucky to hear it»!
b You meet your girlfriend. «Hi, Jane, haven’t seen you for ages! How are you?» «Hi, Tom, ‘quite well, thanks» says Jane. «That’s fine!» answer you happily.
Analyze these examples. Are your answers right? If you think they are right, explain why, if not, give the proper versions.
5. In constructions like
don’t or can’t + quite + infinitive
«quite» is normally a «downtoner»:
Many people don’t quite know what to do when somebody faints.
I can’t quite understand.
6. Almost every student knows that «a few» means a small number, but «quite» placed before «a few» increases the number considerably and means «quite a lot».
The difficulties lying behind the correct use of QUITE are plain to see, but, paradoxically, most educated people seem to have no particular problem in using or understanding the word in its various constructions and meanings.
3. Vocabulary training
1. Identification of words
Match the words in the left-hand column with their explanations in the right-hand column, e.g. 1-7.
| 1. apparent | 1. make known to other people |
| 2. contemporary | 2. impossible to believe |
| 3. cram | 3. distributed over a wide area |
| 4. discrepancy | 4. lasting only for a limited time |
| 5. estimation | 5. a difference or disagreement between two things |
| 6. expand | 6. stop or hinder, make impossible |
| 7. exploit | 7. easily seen, evident |
| 8. incredible | 8. make good use of |
| 9. introduce | 9. very great or strong, immense |
| 10. permanent | 10. grow wider or bigger |
| 11. prevent | 11. lasting indefinitely |
| 12. temporary | 12. fill full, stuff, force into a space |
| 13. tremendous | 13. judgment of thing’s approximate value |
| 14. widespread | 14. modern |
2. Useful expressions
Try to understand and translate the following expressions, using the explanation of the words. Then invent sentences using these expressions.
1. Plummeting costs; plummet – weight of lead hung on a line, for taking depths at sea.
2. To spark an interest in; spark – a small red-hot part thrown off from something burning, fiery particle.
3. Speaking of profound; profound – showing great knowledge or understanding.
4. Is the game worth the candle? (Proverb) Worth – value, price; candle – a stick of wax enclosing a wick, which is burnt to give light.
5. The tear-drop sized computer; tear – a drop of liquid from the eye; drop – a small rounded mass of liquid.
6. To have advantages in comparison with; advantage – superiority, gain or benefit.
7. On the other hand.
3. Reading comprehension
Read the text, try to understand the topic, look for the logical sequence of the items and put them in the proper order. The first item is in the right position.
1. You turn the computer on and it loads data from ROM and performs a power-on self test (POST) to make sure all the components are functioning properly.
2. When you open an application, it is loaded into RAM. To conserve RAM usage, many applications load only the essential parts of the program initially and then load other pieces as needed.
3. The computer loads the basic input / output system (BIOS) from ROM. The BIOS provides the most basic information about storage devices, boot sequence, Plug and Play (auto device recognition) capability and other items.
4. After an application is loaded, any files that are opened for use in that application are loaded into RAM.
5. The computer loads the OS from the hard drive into the system’s RAM. Generally, the critical parts of the OS are maintained in RAM as long as the computer is on. This allows the CPU to have immediate access to the operating system.
6. When you save a file and close the application, the file is written to the specified storage device, and than it and the applications are purged from RAM.
4. Computer terms in use
Match the terms in the left-hand column with their definitions in the right-hand column.
| 1. adapter | 1. a memory subsystem that provides faster access to data by serving as a storage area between RAM and CPU |
| 2. algorithm | 2. an information system based on two ore more computers |
| 3. architecture | 3. a computer designed to provide various services for an entire network |
| 4. cache | 4. specific rules or steps prescribed for solving a problem |
| 5. driver | 5. the design of software, hardware or a complete computer system |
| 6. integrated circuit | 6. the ability to simultaneously process more than one element of data |
| 7. microchip capacity | 7. CPU |
| 8. microprocessor | 8. an electronic circuit on a silicon chip |
| 9. network | 9. a number of transistors on a chip |
| 10. parallel processing | 10. a piece of software that translates requests from one form into another; it lets a PC talk to peripherals |
| 11. path | 11. a device that makes it possible to connect a specific peripheral unit device (e.g. monitor) to a computer |
| 12. plug and play | 12. the location of a file or directory, e.g. C: \ Windows \ System |
| 13. server | 13. an industry standard that allows computer peripherals to be automatically configured by the OS |
B. Find out Russian equivalents of the computer terms given below.
If it is beyond your grasp, give at least Russian explanation.
Disk driveIt is a machine that reads data from and writes data onto a disk. A disk drive rotates the disk very fast. It has one or more heads that read and write data. There are different types of disk drives for different types of discs. A hard disk drive (HDD) reads and writes hard disks, and
a floppy drive (FDD) reads and writes floppy disks.
Disk cashing It is a method to improve the performance of the file system. A section of memory is used as a temporary holding place for frequently accessed file data.
Mass storage It refers to various techniques and devices for storing large amount of data. Mass storage devices retain data even when the computer is turned off. Usually refers
to a hard disk, although it could refer to a floppy disk, CD-ROM disk or DVD disk.
Keyboard A keyboard on a computer is almost identical to a keyboard on a typewriter. Computer keyboards will typically have extra keys, however. Some of these keys are meant to be used in conjunction with other keys just like shift on a regular typewriter. Other keys (Insert, Delete, Home, End, function keys etc) are meant to be used independently and often perform editing tasks. Keyboards on different platforms will often look slightly different and have somewhat different collections of keys. Smaller keyboards with only math-related keys are typically called Keypads.
Function keys On a computer keyboard, the keys that start with an «F» and are usually (but not always) found on the top row. They are meant to perform user-defined tasks.
4. Vocabulary peculiarities
Read and translate the text.
The ball is rolling
Next evening. The Smiths are in the sitting room. Tom’s father, John, is sipping coffee and reading a paper. Tom’s mother, Jane, is watching a musical on TV. Tom is anxious, he is waiting for Jack. At 9 pm the phone is ringing.
Tom: Tom speaking.
Jack: Hi, how are things?
Tom: Hi, nothing new. Drop in. Daddy is waiting for you. He is eager to discuss the matter over with you.
Jack: Well, it’ll take me about 20 minutes to come round.
I hope I’ll help your Dad to make a right choice. But don’t let me down. … Not a word about computer games. At least, try to pretend you are not interested in. Ifit comes to that, put on an air of indifference. Otherwise your Dad will fly off the handle and our business won’t pan out well. As a matter of fact, I guess that from now on you’ll be under his observation. So, in the beginning you must do without all this computer games.
Tom: Take it easy. I gave Daddy my personal word and
am not going to get out of my promise.
Jack: That’s OK. In this case your Dad will fall in with our plans, … but hold on for a moment. I’ v got very useful information for him. Here it is. I’ll bringit round. Bye.
Tom: Bye, Jack, we’re waiting for you.
20 minutes later. The doorbell is ringing.
Father: The bell is ringing. Answer it, Tom. If it’s Jack show him in.
Tom: Oh, man, come in. We’re waiting for you.
Jack: How do you do.
Father: How do you do, Jack.
Mother: Glad to see you, Jack. Won’t you sit down?
Jack: Thanks, Mrs. Smith.
Mother: It’s nice of you to come over. Do you care for a cup of coffee or tea? Maybe some snack?
Jack: No, thanks Mrs. Smith. I prefer tea, please.
Mother (pouring tea in a cup): Here you are, Jack. Now do take some sugar and cakes.
Jack: Thank you, Mrs. Smith.
Mother: You’re welcome, Jack.
Father: Are you really a first-class hacker, Jack? Tom told me you know computers from A to Z.
Jack: I wouldn’t say so. Tom is exaggerating. But what can I do for you, Mr. Smith? I’m glad to be at your service.
Father: You see, I’m going to buy … Well, the problem is I need a modern computer. Maybe it would be possible to upgrade our old box. Can you help me out of trouble?
Jack: With great pleasure, Mr. Smith but I think the game isn’t worth the candle*. Tom told me about your multimedia problem. I thought it over and see no way out than to buy a new computer. It would be much better than to upgrade your old box. Besides, it’ll save you much trouble in future. By the way, I’ve found an article concerning the basics of buying a personal computer system. It might be of some interest to you; it’s quick-reading and time saving summary.
Father: Oh, thanks so much. You know, of the thousands of books published annually, only a handful are really worth reading. No doubt, this one will come in handy. I’ll go through it from cover to cover to make up for my ignorance. Then I’ll ask you for some help in purchasing the machine.
Jack: You’re not the least bit worried about your new computer. You can rely on me and we will fix it up.
Needless to say, in several days a «supercomputer» was bought and all the necessary programs were installed. Jack did his best. As to Tom, he went ape and shouted out, «This is it!» His father was also satisfied with a new computer.
Useful vocabulary
A. Phrasal verbs
| bring round | bring to your home |
| care for | like |
| come over | visit |
| come round | come to my house |
| drop in | pay a short visit (unannounced) |
| fall in with | accept someone plans and agree to co-operate |
| fix up | arrange |
| get out of | free oneself from an obligation |
| go through | examine carefully |
| hold on | wait (on telephone) |
| let down | disappoint someone by failing to act well as expected |
| make up for | compensate for |
| pan out | turn out, develop |
| show in | conduct |
B. Expressions and idioms
| come in handy | be useful |
| do one’s best | try as hard as one can |
| do without smth | live in spite of lacking smth |
| do you care for | would you like |
| fly off the handle | be excessively angry |
| from now on | from this moment and further |
| go ape | become highly excited or behave in a crazy way |
| help out of trouble | help someone to get out of difficulty |
| if it comes to that | used when you are going to add smth to what has just been said |
| put on the air of indifference | pretend that you are absolutely not interested in smth |
| save much trouble | rescue from difficulties |
| take it easy | don’t worry |
| the ball is rolling | continue an activity |
| the game isn’t worth the candle | smth is not worth the effort needed |
| this is it | have possession of an object, beyond which more of the same is unnecessary |
| to give personal word | promise |
| to know smth from A to Z | know smth perfectly well |
Verb study practice
1. In the story about two friends Tom and Jack you came across new phrasal verbs, e.g.: butter up, give in, run into, find out, help over, back up, be in for, be up to, come round, come true, cut down.
Now replace the words in italics by one of the phrasal verbs given above.
1. Tom’s father supported him to buy a computer.
2. I’ll give him this book if he visits me.
3. He tried to gain the boss’ favor by flattering.
4. Tom met accidentally his friend Jack in the street.
5. If you think this problem will be easy to solve you are about to encounter a shock.
6. I hope your dream of modern computer will end by being real.
7. He is able to reduce your expenses.
8. I kept inviting my friend to stay for dinner and finally he ceased to resist.
9. Thank you for helping me to deal with this difficult matter.
10. He discovered a lot of interesting information in the last number of «Upgrade».
2. Fill the gaps using against, in, round, up, along, over, into, down, true, out, on, by, to, through, off.
1. Tom is getting …. well at the computer classes. He is studying hard.
2. The TV picture began to jump and it went …. like that for a long time, so we turned it ….
3. After Sam proved that he could work on computer, his father gave …. To him and bought him one.
4. He wrote to find …. about the job in a company.
5. It was a dream come …. when he became a real hacker.
6. John had to work hard to keep …. with other students.
7. Calm …. and don’t worry about your exam.
8. On his way downtown Jack looked …. on his old friend Tom.
9. Mary refused to go to the party and kept …. studying.
10. I ran …. Jane yesterday in the street.
11. Ann talked her plan …. with her father before she bought a computer.
12. He took …. working on computer in his spare time.
13. The first year was tough, but business looked …. after that.
14. Be sure to turn …. the computer.
15. I’m going to upgrade my computer. Stand …. .
16. There are good machines on sale. Jump …. the chance!
17. Every time a new CPU is launched its price is skyrocketing; I’m waiting till they will cut it …. .
18. Sam wanted to sell his car, but Mary was …. it.
19. Show the visitor …. . Will you please?
20. I will tell him what to do when he comes …. .
21. Why don’t you come …. and see us one evening?
22. We must go …. this instructions together. I don’t understand them.
Expression study practice
Choose one of the given below expressions and fill the gap.
Then make up your own sentences using these expressions: the game is (not) worth the candle; do ones best; to know smth from A to Z; take it easy to help out of trouble; drop in; shell out; be in for; come true; give in.
1. This program is not very good. If you install it you are …. a lot of trouble.
2. Let your dreams about a new computer …. .
3. You don’t need to …. much money for this CPU. It is not much better than yours.
4. Tom …. trying to find out what was wrong with his computer. Then he …. and called a professional.
5. Don’t worry about this bug, ….; I’ll come and …. .
6. Sam can upgrade computer without any efforts. He …. !
7. Your box is quite good. I don’t think you need to upgrade it; …. .
8. May I …. to consult you?
Let’s have a chat about your computer experience
What was in your opinion:
· The most interesting event? Why?
· The most dangerous event? Why?
· The most nice event? Why?
Please, give full answer. Your interesting story is also acceptable.
5. Some useful information
The basics of buying a personal computer system
(This article was thoroughly studied by Tom’s father)
Introduction
There are many different kinds of computers to choose from and finding the one that is right for you and fits your budget can be difficult. The purpose of this text is to describe the parts of the computer and the benefits and pitfalls of these parts so that you can make an educated decision on your computer purchase.
PC versus Macintosh
The two major types of computer systems are PC’s and Macintosh. There are advantages and disadvantages of both. The Macintosh is generally more user friendly than the PC and many schools are using the Macintosh. Macintosh is also popular in the advertising and graphic arts market. Many advertising agencies and graphic artists use the Macintosh because of the easy operating system and graphics software available for Macintosh.
The PC is more widely used in the home and business, and there is much more software available for the PC compared to the Macintosh.
Where to buy your PC
Computers are available from the variety of sources. In the USA the first place you would think to look are the big retailers, such as Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, or others. The big retailers offer a variety of different computer choices and can be easy to shop at. You pick the computer you want, pay for it and walk out the door. Another reason to shop at a big retailer is convenience, especially if you have a problem and you need to return or exchange your computer. You can find good deals and sales at the big retailers.
Another way to buy a computer is through a mail or order company or directly from the manufacturer. With a mail order company you may have to wait a little longer to get your computer, but this is not always bad. When you order a computer you can get the exact computer that you are looking for. You can make up your order so that you get all the things you need in the computer. One down side to ordering a computer through the mail is if you have a problem, you may have to send it back, and wait for a replacement.
Two things to check for with any purchase, that many people overlook are:
1. Does the manufacturer have a toll free technical support phone number?
2. Does the company charge a fee for using the technical support?
Components of a computer
A computer is a complex machine that contains of many different components. When buying a computer, you should know what these parts are and what they do. This will help you to know what to look for in a quality computer (Fig. 1).
CPU
The CPU, or central processing unit, is the brain of the computer. The CPU controls all the action that occurs inside the computer. In detail, the processor consists of the following items:
· The control unit (CU) which coordinates the processing steps.
· The arithmetic / logic unit (ALU) which performs calculations and make decisions. The registers which represents a small but very fast auxiliary memocript:if(confirm('http://