Meeting a friend

A: Hallo, В.! Where are you going?

B: Hallo, A.! Haven't seen you for ages! I am going to the Institute.

A: Oh! You are a student now! What Institute have you entered?

B: I've entered the Polytechnic Institute.

A: Good for you! And what department do you study at?

B: I study at the Electrical Engineering Department. My speciality is Electronic Computers (Automated Control Systems, Applied Mathematics).

A: You liked mathematics at school, didn't you? They say one should know that subject well to study your speciality.

B: You're right. Mathematics was my favourite subject at school.

A: And you know already what a computer is, don't you?

B: Yes, I do. A computer is a machine, which performs a sequence of reasonable operations on information. I also know what simple and complex computers are.

A: It's very interesting! Tell me, please.

B: With pleasure, listen to: a simple computer is an ordinary business adding machine, and a complex computer is a modern electronic digital computer which performs more than 100 mln. operations a second.

A: Can you say, please, what kinds of operations a modern electronic computer performs?

B: Yes, I can. It performs addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. These operations are called arithmetical operations. But modern computers perform logical operations too.

A: Well, what are they?

B: Logical operations that I know are comparing and selecting.

A: What will you do after graduating from the Institute?

B: I shall work as a system-engineer (an engineer-mathematician). But I am sorry. I must hurry to the Institute, I'm afraid to be late for the lectures. So long!

A: Wish you luck in your studying. So long!

Notes:

Haven't seen you for ages! – He видел тебя целую вечность!

to enter the Institute – поступать в,институт

Good for you! – Молодец!

electrical engineering department – зд. электромеханический факультет

automated control systems – автоматизированные системы управления

applied mathematics – прикладная математика

they say – говорят

one should know – нужно знать

with pleasure – с удовольствием

to be called – называться

to graduate from the Institute – окончить институт

a system-engineer – инженер-системотехник

an engineer-mathematician – инженер-математик

to hurry – спешить, торопиться

So long! – Пока!

wish you luck – желаю тебе удачи