Exercise 4. Remember the meaning of the terms that you will find in the text. 1. Spread sheet package - a kind of computer programs that you calculate data on sale, taxis, profits and so on. 2. Floppy disk - a disk made of plastic material upon which data are stored on magnetic tracks. 3. Compatible - it is usually said about two computers when their programs can be run on both of them. 4. Peripheral devices, or peripherals are units connected to the central processing units (CPU); they are input devices, output devices and storage devices. 5. Input is the process of transferring data or program instruction into the computer. 6. Output is the result produced by a computer. 7. Storage is the process of keeping information in a special device in computer. 8. Software may be denoted as a set of programs or instructions executed by the computer. 9. Hardware is a computer machinery and equipment. 10. Digital computer is a type of computer that uses a binary system. 11 11. Chip is a tiny piece of silicon containing a complex electronic circuits. Before reading the passage " The Rise of the Personal Computer" find in the text "The Rise of IBM" the chronological information on the models of computers produced by this company. Was the policy of IBM successful in the 1960s? THE RISE OF THE PERSONAL COMPUTER The first personal computer, the Altair, was announced in Popular Electronics in its January 1975 issue. The Altair was also the first example of new computer hardware. It caused a sensation in the computer industry: those who wanted could have their own computers to play with at home, and a mighty computer industry soon began to grow. A young computer hacker from Seattle by the name of William Gates, then a freshman at Harvard, sold the Altair developers a computer language that would run on their machine and that made it possible to program many advanced functions. Emboldened by their success with Altair, Gates and his friend founded Microsoft Corporation, which has become the world's largest person
I would like to tell you what happened to me last week. I was at the beach when my phone rang. I took it. 'Hello?' I asked cautiously. 'Hi, Jonah!' said the voice of Anna, my girlfriend. 'It seems my car has been stolen and there is no bus stop around. Could you take me to the nearest police station? I'm on Saint Patrick's Street.' Having dressed up,I sat into my car immediately and drove to the place where Anna was supposed to be. When I met her, I saw her eyes puffy because of crying. She sat next to me in my car and we took off in silence. When we reached the nearest police station and I opened the door I was stunned by a loud sound. My first thought was that it had been a shot, but then I saw confetti flying from above and my friends hooting 'CONGRATULATIONS!' 'Surprised?' asked Anna who had immediately cheered up. 'It's a year since the day we started dating so I wanted to sneak up on you and asked my policemen friends.' 'Thank you, guys' said I and then addressed to my girlfriend. 'But still, where is your car?' 'Ah, don't worry, it's parked nearby. Look out of the window.' I did so, but there was no Anna's car. 'Oops...' she pronounced as I glared at her.
I would like to tell you what happened to me last week. I was at the beach when my phone rang. I took it.
'Hello?' I asked cautiously.
'Hi, Jonah!' said the voice of Anna, my girlfriend. 'It seems my car has been stolen and there is no bus stop around. Could you take me to the nearest police station? I'm on Saint Patrick's Street.'
Having dressed up,I sat into my car immediately and drove to the place where Anna was supposed to be. When I met her, I saw her eyes puffy because of crying. She sat next to me in my car and we took off in silence.
When we reached the nearest police station and I opened the door I was stunned by a loud sound. My first thought was that it had been a shot, but then I saw confetti flying from above and my friends hooting 'CONGRATULATIONS!'
'Surprised?' asked Anna who had immediately cheered up. 'It's a year since the day we started dating so I wanted to sneak up on you and asked my policemen friends.'
'Thank you, guys' said I and then addressed to my girlfriend. 'But still, where is your car?'
'Ah, don't worry, it's parked nearby. Look out of the window.'
I did so, but there was no Anna's car.
'Oops...' she pronounced as I glared at her.