Прочитайте текст и выполните заданияWhat Is a Computer System? 1. The term computer is used to describe a device made up of a combination of electronic and electromechanical (part electronic and part mechanical) components. By itself, a computer has no intelligence and is referred to as hardware. A computer, or computer system, doesn’t come to life until it is connected to other parts of a system. A computer system is a combination of five elements: Software. People. Hardware. Procedures. Data/information. 2. When one computer system is set up to communicate with another computer system, connectivity becomes a sixth system element. In other words, the manner in which the various individual systems are connected – for example, by phone lines, microwave transmission, or satellite – is an element of the total computer system. 3. Software is the term used to describe the instructions that tell the hardware how to perform a task; without software instructions, the hardware doesn’t know what to do. People, however, constitute the most important component of the computer system. People operate the computer hardware; they create the computer software instructions and respond to the procedures that those instructions present. 4. The purpose of a computer system is to convert data into information. Data is raw, unevaluated facts and figures, concepts, or instructions. This raw material is processed into useful information. In other words, information is the product of data processing. This processing includes refining, summarizing, categorizing, and otherwise manipulating the data into a useful form for decision making. 5. People «capture» data in a variety of ways – for example, by reading, listening, or seeing. Then they may record the data on a document. For instance, Roger Shu records his name on an employee timecard by first entering the letter R. This letter, and each of the remaining letters in his name, is an element of data, as are the numbers 12/22 and 5, used to indicate the date and the number of overtime hours worked. By themselves, these data elements are useless; we must process them to make them mean something. The report produced when Roger’s data is run through a computer-based employee records system gives us information – for example, the amount of money due Roger for his overtime work. 6. Now we’ll discuss the basics about the hardware devices that convert data into information in a typical computer-based system. If, at a job interview, you are asked about what kind of computer equipment you’ve used before or what you know about hardware, and you don’t have an answer, your interviewer will probably perceive you as a person who doesn’t take an active role in what’s going on around you – a perception that could dramatically hurt your chances of getting the job you want. In today’s business world, not knowing what computer hardware is and what typical hardware components do is similar to being a taxi driver and not knowing what a car is and that it has components such as an engine, doors, windows, and so on. 7. Computer hardware can be divided into four categories: (1) input hardware, (2) storage hardware, (3) processing hardware, and (4) output hardware. 8. INPUT HARDWARE. The purpose of input hardware is to collect data and convert it into a form suitable for computer processing. The most common input device is a keyboard. It looks very much like a typewriter keyboard with rows of keys arranged in the typical typewriter layout, as well as a number of additional keys used to enter special computer-related codes. Although it isn’t the only type of input device available, the computer keyboard is the one most generally used by the business community. 9. STORAGE HARDWARE. The purpose of storage hardware is to provide a means of storing computer instructions and data in a form that is relatively permanent, or nonvolatile – that is, the data is not lost when the power is turned off – and easy to retrieve when needed for processing. Storage hardware serves the same basic functions as do office filing system except that is stores data as electromagnetic signals, commonly on disk or tape, rather than on paper. 10. PROCESSING HARDWARE. The purpose of processing hardware is to retrieve, interpret, and direct the execution of software instruction provided to the computer. The most common components of processing hardware are central processing unit and main memory. The central processing unit (CPU) is the brain of the computer. It reads and interprets software instructions and coordinates the processing activities that must take place. The design of the CPU affects the processing power and the speed of the computer, as well as the amount of main memory it can use effectively. With a well-designed CPU in your computer, you can perform highly sophisticated tasks in a very short time. Main memory (also called internal memory, primary storage, or just memory) can be thought of as an electronic desktop. The more desk surface you have in front of you, the more you can place on it. Similarly, if your computer has a lot of memory, you can place more software instructions in it. The amount of memory available determines whether you can run instructions that are contained in the more sophisticated software programs. Having a large amount of memory in your computer also allows you to work and manipulate great amounts of data and information at one time. Quite simply, the more main memory you have in your computer, the more you can accomplish. 11. OUTPUT HARDWARE. The purpose of output hardware is to provide the user with means to view information produced by the computer system. Information is output in either hardcopy or softcopy form. Hardcopy output can be held in your hand, such as paper with text (words or numbers) or graphics printed on it. Softcopy output is displayed on a monitor, a televisionlike screen on which you can read text and graphics.
28. Определите, является ли утверждение: They say that a computer has its own intelligence. · истинным; · ложным*; · в тексте нет информации. 29. Определите, является ли утверждение: A computer system is a combination of hardware and software. · истинным; · ложным*; · в тексте нет информации. 30. Определите, является ли утверждение: A sixth element of a computer system is connectivity. · истинным*; · ложным; · в тексте нет информации. 31. Определите, является ли утверждение: Without the software the hardware does not know what to do. · истинным*; · ложным; · в тексте нет информации.
32. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) соответствует следующая информация: Information is the product of data processing. (4) 33. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) соответствует следующая информация: The design of the CPU greatly affects the processing power and the speed of the computer. (10) 34. Ответьте на вопрос: What categories is computer hardware divided into? 1. Computer hardware can be divided into five categories: input hardware, storage hardware, processing hardware, and output hardware, memory hardware. 2. Computer hardware can be divided into four categories: input hardware, storage hardware, software, and output hardware. 3. Computer hardware can be divided into four categories: input hardware, storage hardware, processing hardware, and output hardware. * 4. Computer hardware can be divided into four categories: input devices, storage hardware, processing hardware, and output hardware.
35. Определите основную идею текста: 1. Data comprises the raw, unevaluated facts, concepts, or instructions processed by the computer to output information, the useful product of processing. 2. The need to know how to input, process, store, and output data and information has become increasingly relevant to anyone who plans to enter the business environment.* 3. The equipment must be used with software, the instructions that tell the computer what to do. 4. Connectivity – how separate computer systems are connected – can become a sixth component of a computer system.
Test 2
|
