Lesson 1. Give if possible definitions of the following words and word combinations and try to pronounce them correctly:

ACTIVE VOCABULARY

Give if possible definitions of the following words and word combinations and try to pronounce them correctly:

Computer science, computation, abacus (pl abaci), circa, BCE, to employ, to refer to, to perform, gradually, onset, digital, value, to store, analog, logical, purely, to invent, Turing machine, to evolve, Turing test, to run.

 

READING TEXT

Read the following text:

HISTORY OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

The earliest known tool for use in computation was the abacus, and it was thought to have been invented in Babylon circa 2400 BCE. Its original style of usage was by lines drawn in sand with pebbles. Abaci, of a more modern design, are still used as calculation tools today.

Before the 1920s, computers were human clerks that performed computations. Many thousands of computers were employed in commerce, government, and research establishments.

After the 1920s, the expression computing machine referred to any machine that performed the work of a human computer.

The phrase computing machine gradually gave away, after the late 1940s, to just computer as the onset of electronic digital machinery became common.

Since the values stored by digital machines were not bound to physical properties like analog devices, a logical computer, based on digital equipment, was able to do anything that could be described "purely mechanical." Alan Turing, known as the Father of Computer Science, invented such a logical computer known as the Turing Machine, which later evolved into the modern computer. These new computers were also able to perform non-numeric computations, like music.

In 1948, the first practical computer that could run stored programs, based on the Turing machine model, had been built – the Manchester Baby.

Wikipedia

READING COMPREHENSION

I. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.

- Many thousands of computers were ………………….. in different spheres of people’s life.

- Human clerks that performed computations were called ……………...

- The original style of abacus, the earliest known tool for use in computation, has been ………………….. circa 2400 BCE.

 

II. Given below are certain statements. Write ‘T’ against true statements and ‘F’ against false statements.

- Alan Turing is known as the Father of such a logical computer known as the Manchester Baby.

- A logical computer was able to do anything that could be described "purely mechanical".

- The earliest known tool for use in computation was the wheel.

- The phrase computing machine gradually gave away, after the late 1940s.

- The first practical computer that could run stored programs appeared in 1948.

 

Speaking practice

Discuss the topic “COMPUTERS” with your partner using newly learnt words: the periods of computer science development and the role of computers in our century.

 

Writing practice

I. Compose sentences as many as you can, using the following words and discuss them with your partner: