LESSON 36

INFORMATION, MACHINE WORDS, INSTRUCTIONS, ADDRESSES AND REASONABLE OPERATIONS [2]

Task 1. Read and translate the text:

Задание 1. Прочитайте и переведите текст:

1. Information is а set of marks or signs that have meaning. These consist ofletters or numbers, digits or characters, typewriter signs, other kinds ofsigns, and so on. А computer reacts differently to different digits or characters, and reacts to them as units that have meaning. For example, information for an аnаlоg computer has to be in the form of distances, or rotations, or voltages, or other physical variables. And for а digital computer information has to be in the form of digits or numbers.

2. Anyinformation may be represented by the binary system including two digits: one(1) and zero (О). Each 1 and 0 is а separate binary digit called а bit. А bit is the smallest part of information. Bitsare typically grouped in units that are called bytes. А byte is the basic unitof information used in modem computers and consists of eight bits.

3. The bytes are handled usually in standard groups called machine words or just words. There are two basic types of information or words that can be putinto а mеmоrу cell or location: words that are numerical quantities and words that are Computer instructions. Regularly, an instruction to the machine is expressed as а word; and so the same set of characters may have meaning sometimes as а number, sometimes as an instruction. А speed of 96,000 characters per second is the same as а speed of 8,000 words per second. Most human beings could not take even 12-digit number per second.

4. Physically the set of bits is а set of arrangements of some physical equipment. One ofthe ways ofstoring information in а computer is storing by using а set of small magnetically polarized spots (пятна) on а magnetic surface.

5. The computer is told what operations to perform by means of instructions. An instruction is а command to the computer. It consists of а verb (an operational code), and а noun (an operand). For example, if the computer is instructed "Add 365 the number oftimes (раз) stated in the register R", and if the register R stores the code for number 3, then the computer will perform that operation three times. An instruction word looks like а number, and there is no way to tell from the word itself whether it is а quantity or an instruction. The computer must be told exactly (точно) which address contains an instruction and which contains а quantity.

6. Anaddress is the name ofparticular memory location or cell. Each memory location (word or byte) has its own unique address or number justlike а post office box. For example, if the computer contains 100 memory cells, their respective address might be the numbers from 1 to 100 (or 0 through 99). And instead of saying "А word is in а memory cell", the computer personnel say, "The contents (содержимое) of an address is а word."

7. Reasonable operations are mathematical and logical. Mathematical operations include arithmetic and algebraic operations. Arithmetic operations are addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, taking а square root, etc,; and algebraic operations are called raising to а power as well as differentiating and integrating.

8. Logical operations include comparing, selecting, sorting, matching, etc. These are operations which may be performed either on numbers, or on expressions consisted of letters such as ordinary words. А very important logical operation performed by а computer is determining, i.e., which of two operations is to be performed next.

Task 2. Answer the following questions:

Задание 2. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What is information?

2. What does а set of marks consist or?

3. What is one of the ways of storing information in а computer?

4. What is а byte?

5. What is a bit?

6. How many bits does а byte usually contain?

7. What is an instruction?

8. By means of what is the computer told what operations to perform?

9. What are machine words?

10. What does а machine word consist or?

11. What are addresses?

12. What is reasonable operation?

13. What do mathematical operations include?

14. What do logical operations include?

15. In what systemis information represented for the modern electronic computer?

16. What are the two basic types of words that are put into а memory?

Task 3. Find the English equivalents for the words given below in the text:

Задание 3. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих выражений:

физическое оборудование, скорость в секунду, численные величины, численные измерения, двоичная система, любая информация, один из способов, особая ячейка памяти, используя физические анaлогии, другие физические переменные.

Task 4. Find the antonyms in the (a) group and the synonyms in the (b) group:

Задание 4. Найдите синонимы в группе слов (а), антонимы в группе слов (б), и переведите их:

а) to perform; to compute; to take in; а figure; to arrange; to show; to carry out; а digit; to calculate; little; to display; small; to receive; to position; instruction; data; location; command; information; cell;

b) inside; to the right; addition; multiplication; simple; to the left; l division; outside; small; complex; big; subtraction; differentiating; at the right; integrating; at the left; the right-hand column; the left-hand column.

Task 5. Complete the following sentences:

Задание 5. Закончите следующие предложения:

1. Information is а set of marks or signs that ……...

2. Reasonable operations are …....

3. Logical operations include....

4. А very important logical operation is.......

5. Physically the set of bits is а set of arrangements of some........

6. Determining means which of two operations is to be performed......

7. The computer must be told exactly which address contains... and which contains.....

8. The computer is told what operations to perform by means of....

9. Any information may be represented by the binary systems including two digits:... and....

10. А bit is the smallest part of......