CHAPTER CHARACTERISTICS Computers are machines designed to process, electronically, specially prepared piece of 1 information which are termed data. Handling or manipulating the information that has been given to the computer, in such ways as doing calculations, adding information or making comparisons is called processing. Computers are made up of millions of elec- tronic devices capable of storing data or moving them, at enormous speeds, through complex circuits with different functions. a All computers have several characteristics in common, regardless of make or design. Information, in the form of instructions and data, is given to the machine, after which the machine acts on it, and a result is the retumed. The information presented to the machine is the input; the internal manipulative operations, the processing; and the result, 1 the output. These three basic concepts of input, processing, and output occur in almost every aspect of human life whether at work or at play. For example, in clothing manu- facturing, the input is the piece of cut cloth, the processing is the sewing together of these piece, and the output is the finished garment.— — SEC. STORAGE Figure: 5 Figure 5 shows schematically the fundamental hardware components in a computers 15 system. The centerpiece is called either the computer, the processor.or, usually, the central processing unit (CPU). The term “computer” includes those parts of hardware in which calculations and other data manipulations are performed, and the high-speed intemal memory in which data and calculations are stored during actual execution of programs. Attached to the CPU are the various peripheral devices such as card readers and key- 20 boards (two common examples of input devices). When data or programs need to be saved for long periods of time, they are stored on various secondary memory devices or storage devices such as magnetic tapes or magnetic dis Computers have often been thought of as extremely large adding machines, but this is a very narrow view of their function. Although a computer can only respond (0 certain 25 number of instructions, it is not a single-purpose machine since these instructions can be combined in an infinite number of sequences. Therefore, a computer has no known limit on the kinds of things it can do; its versatility is limited only by the imagination of those using it. In the late 1950s and early 1960s when electronic computers of the kind in use today 39 were being developed, they were very expensive to own and run. Moreover, their size and reliability were such that a large number of support personnel were needed to keep the equipment operating. This has al! changed now that computing power has become portable, mose compact, and cheaper. In only a very short period of time, computers have greatly changed the way in which 35 many kind of work are performed. Computers can remove many of the routine and boring tasks from our lives, thereby leaving us with more time for interesting, creative work. It goes without saying that computers have created whole new areas of work that did not exist before their development. (English for Computer Science, Norma D. Mullen)EXERCISES 4 o » Saaaa 71 oT weraus ._Answer the ‘following questions below! What are computers designed for? What is “processing”? What are computers made up of? How do the electronic devices store or move data? Explain several characteristics in common all computers have! Explain these three terms “input”, “processing”, “output”! Where are multiplication, addition, subtraction operations performed? ‘What parts does a computer include? Mention two examples of input devices! What kind of devices are magnetic tapes and magnetic disks? . “Computers are very large adding machines.” Whys is this view said to be very narrow? A computer can only respond to a certain number of instructions. But it is not a single-purpose machine. Why? What limits the versatility of the kinds of things a computer can do? What are the different things between today’s computer and that developed in the late 1950s? How can computers give us more time for interesting and creative work? Cross “ T “ for the true statements and “ F “ for the false ! :F 1. It is not necessary to prepare all information that will be processed by the computer. :F 2. Only some computers can process data given to them and produce the results. By the complex electronic circuitry of a computer, data can be either stored or moved at high speeds. Memory devices are used to process the data. The basic concepts of data processing exist only in the computer field. What computers can do are very much restricted. Computers today are not as expensive as them in the past. The size of computers in the past are bigger than those of today.T:F 9. More number of persons are needed to operate the past computer than those needed to do the same things with the computers today. T:F 10. Our working conditions are not yet changed by the computers. C. Look at the text again and find out what the bold words refer to. moving them the machine acts on it it is not a single-purpose... its versatility is limited they were very expensive their size avrwenn D. VOCABULARY a5). a9). (1.26) (1.28) a3) (31) Find out the synonyms (words having similar meaning) of the following words in the text! 1. named a. 2) 2. tremendous a. 5) 3. intricate (L. 6) 4, many kinds of (1.20) 5. react (1.25) Find out the antonyms (words having an opposite meaning) of the following words in the text! 6. multi (1.26) 7. limited (1.27) 8. immovable (1.34) 9. — interesting (37) 10. after (1.39)STRUCTURES Relative pronouns (whose, of which,) Study the following sentences! 1, The secretary entered the seminar room. Her bag is red. * The secretary whose bag is red entered the seminar room. 2. The computer is mine. Its monitor is color. * The computer of which monitor is color is mine. EXERCISES Combine the following sentences using “whose”, “of which” ! 1 2. EF 4. ‘The professor works carefully. His car is very expensive. The computer has two floppy disk drives. Its printer is very sophisticated. ‘The young programmer is a manager. His house is in the small village. The book is very thick. Its chapters discuss differem types of programming Jan- guages. The students study computer science in this university. Their books are on your table. Relative pronouns (by which, in which, etc...) Study the following sentences! 1, The pencil is very short. You wrote a letter by the pencil. * The pencil by which you wrote a letter is very short. The bag is very big. I put my dictionary in the bag. * The bag in which I put my dictionary is very big. The student is in the classroom now. My sister came to the office with the stu- dent. * The student with whom my sister came to the office is in the classroom now.EXERCISES Combine the following sentences using “by which”, “in which”, “on which”, “to whom”! 1. The computer desk is very small. We place our printer on the table, 2. The integration of computer systems parts is very important. The success of any computer system depends on the integration. 3. A computer department plays a very important part in acompany. In the com- puter department many activities are governed. 4. The company is a very nice place to work. The very skillful programmer came from the company. 5. Our secretary was in the party last night. You talked to the secretary in the lobby this moming. Add relative pronouns to the following sentences: The president, ... many people had never heard before, spoke on the radio last night. Any paper ... you read will give the same story. All people ... ever me t him have disliked him. The people ... you were living with in New York are coming to see you here. 1 2 3 4. 5. The people ... are looking at that university are my brothers. 6. ai 8 That is the knife and fork ... I eat with. Oxford University, ... is one of the oldest in the world, has many different colleges. George Washington, ... became President of the United States, never visited that place. 9. We cannot decide whether tomatoes, ... we are all fond of, are fruit or vegetable. 10. Dr Edward often met his friends in the capital of the country. His house was quite near, 11. The knife, ... I cut the apple, is very sharp. 12. The elephant, ... is an animal that never forgets, lives than a hundred years. 13. Mozart, ... mi you have just been listening to, was one of the world’s finest composers. 14. Parliament, ... has just started a new session, is going to discuss the new Bill today. 15, The lark, ... has a very beautiful song, builds its nest on the ground.