What is an Electronic Computer?

An electronic computer is a device that can accept information, store it, process it, and present the results of the processing in some acceptable form. A most important adjunct to this definition is that a computer is told how to process the information by instructions, which are stored in coded form inside the computer. A computer thus differs radically from a calculator, which can do the same thing that a computer does, except that the instructions are not stored inside the machine. The coded instructions are called a program (modern usage prefers the word routine). We therefore speak of a computer as an internally-stored-program device.

Modern electronic digital computers have many attributes in common. They are usually built in several units, only one of them is a computer or "processor". The other units are control, storage and input-output devices. The modern machine is more often called a computing system. These systems use semiconductors and include magnetic-core and magnetic-tape storage. Almost every digital computer has been found capable of doing more than it was originally designed to do.

Any computer or calculator contains devices for five main functions: input, storage, arithmetic, control and output. Input refers to the process by which information is put into the machine. Output is the process by which the results are moved out of the machine. Storage refers to the mechanism that can retain information during calculation and furnish it as needed to other parts of the machine. The arithmetic unit is that part of the machine, which can carry out one or more of the basic arithmetic operations on the information held in storage. Finally, the control refers to those parts of the machine that dictate the functions to be performed by all the other parts.

In a computer, four of the five functions are, in principle, the same as in a calculator. Most computers are electronic, so that the practical details of these functions are somewhat different. Originally input to the computer was provided by such things as punched cards or punched paper tapes. Storage was provided by a device such as a rotating magnetic drum or by magnetic cores. Arithmetic was carried out by various electronic circuits, as a part of the control function. Output was provided by such devices as punched cards, punched paper tapes, a typewriter, or a printer, which can print a complete line of information at a time. The main difference is that the instructions telling the computer what to do must be placed in storage before the computer proceeds with the solution of a problem. These instructions, which are made up of ordinary decimal digits are placed in the same storage device that holds the data.

 

Active Vocabulary

device	пристрій
information	інформація
accept ~	приймати ~
store ~	накопичувати ~
process ~	обробляти ~
instruction	команда (інструкція)
adjunct	додаток, доповнення
routine	програма
thus	таким чином
therefore	тому
internal	внутрішній
internally-stored-program device	пристрій з програмою в пам’яті
digital	цифровий
attribute	атрибут; характеристика, характерна ознака
unit	блок
input-output unit	блок вводу-виводу
storage	пам’ять
~ device	~ зберігаючий пристрій (накопичувач)
retain	утримувати, підтримувати; зберігати
furnish	забезпечувати, доставляти
to furnish with information	надати інформацію
arithmetic unit	арифметичний блок
carry out	виконувати
hold (held, held)	тримати, утримувати
refer to	відносити до …
to be refered to as …	називатися
perform	виконувати
in principle	в основному
provide	надати, забезпечувати
punched cards	перфокарти
punched paper tapes	паперова стрічка
drum	барабан; циліндр, що обертається
core	магнітне середовище для зберігання даних
rotate	обертати
magnetic core	«магнітний сердечник»
circuit	схема; ланцюг; маршрут
proceed	приступати; перейти до чого-небудь
make up	складати
datum (pl. data)	дана величина (дані)
decimal	десятковий

Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises

Study the Table of word-building means given in Grammar Revision.

 

2. Form words with opposite meaning by adding prefixes un-, dis-, in-, ir-, il- to the proper words:

regular, advantage, appear, important, usual, adequate, able, direct, possible, probable, productive, significant, limited, natural, relevant.

 

3. Form the words after the model and translate them into Ukrainian:

a) V + -ment:

to improve, to manage, to treat, to develop, to adjust, to achieve

b) V + -ion (-tion, -ation):

to consume, to distribute, to locate, to inform, to investigate, to form, to irrigate, to observe, to react, to construct, to invent, to restrict, to produce.

c) V + -er (-or):

to consume, to use, to construct, to irrigate, to produce, to build, to control, to perform, to turn, to compute.

d) A + -al:

geologic, economic, electric, mechanic, technologic, scientific.

e) V + -ing:

to design, to manufacture, to build, to understand, to start, to install.

f) A + -ly:

direct, usual, virtual, general, frequent.

g) A + -ity:

available, arid.

h) V + -al:

to remove, to renew, to dispose.

4. Define meanings of the words by their affixes. State what part of speech they indicate:

construct – construction – constructor – constructive; exist – existing; engineer – engineering; design – designing – designer; wood – wooden; resident – residential; irrigate – irrigation; build – building – builder; produce – production – producer – product.

5. Look through the text and give Ukrainian equivalents for the following words and word-combinations:

to accept information; to process information; to present the results of processing; instructions; to store information in a coded form; internally-stored-program device; attributes; input-output devices; refer to; to retain; to provide; to carry out; control function; to print a complete line of information; to place in storage; to proceed; decimal digits.

 

6. Look through the text and find English equivalents for the following words and word-combinations:

приймати інформацію; зберігати/накопичувати інформацію; прийнятна форма; обробляти інформацію; команди; програма; характерна ознака; керування; пристрій; відносити до; утримувати; здійснювати; забезпечувати; схема (ел.); циліндр, що обертається; магнітне середовище для зберігання даних.

 

7. Look through the text and find the nouns corresponding to the following verbs and translate them into Ukrainian:

result, define, compute, process, inform, differ, calculate, instruct, control, store, operate, function, punch, print.

8. Translate into English:

1. Електронний комп’ютер – це пристрій, який здатний приймати інформацію, зберігати та обробляти її, а також видавати результати обробки в будь-якій прийнятній формі.

2. Комп’ютер радикально відрізняється від калькулятора, який може виконувати ті самі дії, що і комп’ютер, за винятком того, що команди не зберігаються в машині.

3. Сучасні цифрові комп’ютери мають багато спільних характеристик.

 

4. Будь-який комп’ютер або калькулятор містить пристрої для п’яти основних функцій – вводу/виводу, арифметичний блок, блок пам’яті та блок управління.

5. Арифметичний блок – це пристрій, який може виконувати одну або більше арифметичних операцій над інформацією, яка міститься в пам’яті комп’ютера.

9. For each definition write a word from the text:

1. A device that can accept information, store it, process it, and present the results of the processing in some acceptable form.

2. The coded instructions.

3. The process by which information is put into the machine.

4. The process by which the results are moved out of the machine.

5. The mechanisms that can retain information during calculation and furnish it as needed to other parts of the machine.

6. The part of the machine which can carry out one or more of the basic arithmetic operations on the information held in storage.

7. The parts of the machine that dictate the functions to be performed by all the other parts.

Reading Comprehension

1. Review the whole text again. Outline the subject matter of the text, its components structure, topic sentences and main ideas. Use the following phrases:

– The text deals with … (speaks about, presents, shows, points out, discusses, reviews, throws light on, traces the history of, etc)

– The subject matter of the text is …

– The text can be segmented into … paragraphs.

– The first (second, third, fourth, etc.) paragraph considers … (deals with, informs of, describes, etc.)

– The topic sentence of the first (second, third, fourth, etc.) paragraph is …

– The main idea of the first (second / third / fourth, etc.) paragraph is …

– The main idea of the text is …

– The conclusion the author came to is …

– The reasons for this conclusion are …

2. Say whether the following statements are true or false. Justify your choice. Use the given phrases:

It’s right. Quite so.

I quite (fully) agree to it.

Certainly. Exactly.

I doubt that …

I don’t think so.

This is not the case.

It’s wrong, I am afraid.

Quite the reverse.

The definition is inappropriate.

 

1. An electronic computer does not differ radically from a calculator.

2. The coded instructions are called a program.

3. Modern electronic digital computers don’t have many attributes in common.

4. Any computer contains devices for five main functions: input, storage, arithmetic, control and output.

5. The arithmetic unit refers to those parts of machine that dictate the functions to be performed by all the other parts.

6. Storage was provided by such a device as a rotating magnetic drum or by magnetic cores.

 

3. Answer the following questions:

1. What do they call an electronic computer?

2. What is a most important adjunct to the definition of an electronic computer?

3. What differs radically a computer from a calculator?

4. What is the term for a coded instruction?

5. How many units are there in a computer?

6. What is the function of the control unit, input/output, storage and the arithmetic unit?

7. What way were the input, output, arithmetic and storage units provided by?

8. What form are instructions placed in the storage device in?

Conversational Practice

1. Suppose that the information in the statement is insufficient. Repeat the statement and add your own reasoning, thus developing the idea. Use the following phrases:

There’s one more thing to be noted …

I may as well add that …

Moreover …

You’ve omitted …

What is missing (lacking) in the statement is that …

1. A computer has essentially only three parts: a memory, an instruction processor and a data processor.

2. A datum is anything that can be an operand.

3. Memory holds both data and instructions.

4. Instructions are organized into programs, often called routines or codes.

2. Agree or disagree with the statements given below. Use the introductory phrases and develop the idea further. Use the following phrases:

That’s right.

I fully agree to it.

I don’t think so.

This is not the case.

It’s wrong, I’m afraid.

Quite the reverse.

1. The computer models explain what people actually do when they think or perceive.

2. There must be a digital way of performing human tasks.

3. Discuss the statement. The following phrases may be helpful:

I am confirmed in my opinion that …

The statement may be confirmed by …

I can (not) be denied that …

I deny that the statement is true.

 

Modern computers are much faster, more complex, multifunctional and useful than most people dreamed 50 years ago.