Ex. 5. Choose the words which mean “Hardware”.

1) program

2) mouse

3) CPU

4) printer

5) modem

6) instruction

7) cursor or the pointer

8) keyboard

9) symbol

Ex. 6. Draw a diagram of a computer system using the professional vocabulary.

Ex. 7. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the Webster’s dictionary definition of the hardware?

2. What groups of hardware exist?

3. What is input hardware? What are the examples of input hardware?

4. What is the mouse designed for?

5. What is processing hardware? What are the basic types of memory used in a PC?

6. What is a storage hardware? What is CD-ROM used for? Can a user record his or her data on a CD? What kind of storage hardware can contain more information: CD-ROM, RAM or ROM?

7. What is modem used for? Can a PC user communicate with other

people without a modem?

 

Ex. 8. Decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1. The purpose of the input hardware is to collect data and convert them into a form suitable for computer processing.

2. Scanner is used to input graphics only.

3. CPU reads and interprets software and prints the results on paper.

4. User is unable to change the convents of ROM.

5. Printer is a processing hardware because it shows the information.

6. Modem is an electronic device that makes possible the transmission of data from one computer to another via telephone or other communication lines.

7. The purpose of storage hardware is to store computer instructions and data.

 

Ex. 9. Match the given words with their definitions from the text:

1) CPU

2) ROM

3) Floppy-disk

4) CD-ROM

5) Printer

6) Modem

7) Hard disk

8) Keyboard

 

Ex. 10. Read and translate the text. Give a summary of it.

Types of Software

A computer to complete a job requires more than just the actual equipment or hardware we see and touch. It requires Software – programs for directing the operation of a computer or electronic data.

Software is the final computer system component. These computer programs instruct the hardware how to conduct processing. The computer is merely a general-purpose machine which requires specific software to perform a given task. Computers can input, calculate, compare, and output data as information. Software determines the order in which these operations are performed.

Programs usually fall in one of two categories: system software and applications software.

System software controls standard internal computer activities. An operating system, for example, is a collection of system programs that aid in the operation of a computer regardless of the application software being used. When a computer is first turned on, one of the systems programs is booted or loaded into the computers memory. This software contains information about memory capacity, the model of the processor, the disk drives to be used, and more. Once the system software is loaded, the applications software can start to work.

System programs are designed for the specific pieces of hardware. These programs are called drivers and coordinate peripheral hardware and computer activities. User needs to install a specific driver in order to activate his or her peripheral device. For example, if you intend to buy a printer or a scanner you need to worry in advance about the driver program which, though, commonly go along with your device. By installing the driver you “teach” your main board to “understand” the newly attached part.

Applications software satisfies your specific need. The developers of application software rely mostly on marketing research strategies trying to do their best to attract more users (buyers) to their software. As the productivity of the hardware has increased greatly in recent years, the programmers nowadays tend to include all kinds of gimmicks in one program to make software interface look more attractive to the user. These class of programs is the most numerous and perspective from the marketing point of view.

Data communication within and between computers systems is handled by system software.

Communications software transfers data from one computer system to another. These programs usually provide users with data security and error checking along with physically transferring data between the two computer's memories. During the past five years the developing electronic network communication has stimulated more and more companies to produce various communication software, such as Web-Browsers for Internet.

 

Ex. 11. Choose the words which mean “Software”.

1) Program

2) Mouse

3) CPU

4) Word processor

5) Modem

6) Web-browser

7) Operating system

8) Scanner

9) Developer

10) Equipment

 

Ex. 12. Find the equivalents in the text.

1. Программное обеспечение определяет порядок выполнения операций.

2. Прикладные программы выполняют поставленную вами конкретную задачу (удовлетворяют вашу потребность).

3. Этот класс программ самый многочисленный и перспективный с точки зрения маркетинга.

4. Системные программы предназначены для конкретных устройств компьютерной системы.

5. Устанавливая драйвер, вы «учите» систему «понимать» вновь присоединенное устройство.

6. Когда компьютер впервые включается, одна из системных программ должна быть загружена в его память.

7. Развитие систем электронной коммуникации за последние пять лет стимулировало к производству многих соответствующих программных продуктов всё возрастающим числом компаний-разработчиков.

Ex. 13. Answer the following questions.

1. What is software?

2. In what two basic groups software (programs) could be divided?

3. What is system software for?

4. What is an operating system – system or application software?

5. What is a «driver»?

6. What is application software?

7. What is application software for?

8. What is the tendency in application software market in recent years?

9. What is the application of the communication software?

 

Ex. 14. Decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1. Computer programs only instruct the hardware how to handle data storage.

2. System software controls internal computer activities.

3. System software is very dependable on the type of application software being used.

4. The information about memory capacity, the model of the processor and disk drives is unavailable for system software.

5. The driver is a special device usually used by car drivers for Floppy disk driving.

6. It is very reasonable to ask for a driver when you buy a new piece of hardware.

7. Software developers tend to make their products very small and with poor interface to save computer resources.

8. Communication software is of great need now because of the new advances in communication technologies.

9. Application software is merely a general-purpose instrument.

10. Web-browsers is the class of software for electronic communication through the network.

 

Ex. 15. Read and translate the text. Make up a plan of it. Retell the text using the plan.

WINDOWS

Microsoft Windows (or simply Windows) is a software programme that makes your IBM PC (or compatible) easy to use. It does this by simplifying the computer's user interface.

The word interface refers to the way you give your computer commands, the way you interact with it.

Usually the interface between you and the computer consists of the screen and the keyboard, you interact with the computer by responding to what's on the screen, typing in commands at the DOS command line to do your work.

DOS often isn't very intelligent at interpreting your commands and most people consider it awkward or intimidating as a user interface. These commands can be confusing and difficult to remember. Who wants to learn lots of computer commands just to see what's on your disk, copy a file, or format a disk?

Windows changes much of this. What's been missing from the PC is a programme that makes the computer easy to use. Windows is just such a program. With Windows, you can run programmes, enter and move data around, and perform DOS-related tasks simply by using the mouse to point at objects on the screen. Of course, you also use the keyboard to type in letters and numbers.

Windows interprets your actions and tells DOS and your computer what to do.

In addition to making DOS housekeeping tasks such as creating directories, copying files, deleting files, formatting disks, and so forth, easier, Windows makes running your favorite applications easier, too. (An application is a software package that you use for a specific task, such as word processing).

Windows owes its name to the fact that it runs each programme or document in its own separate window. (A window is a box or frame on the screen.) You can have numerous windows on the screen at a time, each containing its own programme and/or document. You can then easily switch between programs without having to close one down and open the next.

Another feature is that Windows has a facility – called the Clipboard that lets you copy material between dissimilar document types, making it easy to cut and paste information from, say, a spreadsheet into a company report or put a scanned photograph of a house into a real estate brochure. In essence, Windows provides the means for seamlessly joining the capabilities of very different application programs. Not only can you paste portions of one document into another, but by utilizing more advanced document-linking features those pasted elements remain "live". That is, if the source document (such as some spreadsheet data) changes, the results will also be reflected in the secondary document containing the pasted data.

As more and more application programmes are written to run with Windows, it'll be easier for anyone to learn how to use new programmes. This is because all application programmes that run in Windows use similar commands and procedures.

Windows comes supplied with a few of its own handy programmes. There's a word-processing programme called Write, a drawing programme called Paintbrush, a communications programme called Terminal for connecting to outside information services over phone lines, small utility programmes that are helpful for keeping track of appointments and notes, a couple of games to help you escape from your work, and a few others.

Years of research went into developing the prototype of today's popular graphical user interfaces. It was shown in the early 1980s that the graphical user interface, in conjunction with a hand-held pointing device (now called the mouse), was much easier to operate and understand than the older-style keyboard-command approach to controlling a computer. A little-known fact is that this research was conducted by the Xerox Corporation and first resulted in the Xerox Star computer before IBM PCs or Macintoshes existed. It wasn't until later that the technology was adapted by Apple Computer for its Macintosh prototype, the Lisa.