Task 2. Answer the following questions

1. What is an operating system? 2. What system provides an interface between applications programs and the computer hardware? 3. Is the work of the operating system always obvious to the user? 4. What is the most important program in an OS? 5. How does the supervisor program work? 6. What is the difference between resident and non-resident programs? 7. How can you explain the meaning “command driven”? 8. What is a command prompt? 9. How can you define Unix? What versions is it available in? 10. What do you know about GUI? 11. What are three main functions of an operating system? Give some examples to prove your answer. 12. Why is it important to assess the operating system on a computer before buying it? 13. What is multiprogramming?

Task 3. Give the Ukrainian equivalents for:

load, available, multi-tasking computer, user, user interface, word processor, non-resident programs, command-driven, execute, abbreviations, multi-user mainframe computer, printing files, blank, graphical user interface.

Task 4. Find the English equivalents for the following word combinations.

1. командний рядок, підказка; 2. прикладні програми; 3. текстовий процесор; 4. електронні таблиці; 5. операційна система; 6. пакет програм; 7. резидентна програма; 8. керуюча програма, програма розпорядник; 9. великі комп'ютери; 10. піктограми; 11. натиснути і відпустити клавішу; 12. апаратне забезпечення комп'ютера

Task 5. Mark the following as True or False.

1. The work of the operating system takes place in the background and is always obvious to the user. 2. The most important in an OS is the supervisor program. 3. Programs that remain in memory while the computer is in use are known as non-resident programs. 4. The screen is usually blank except for a symbol (e.g.$) which acts as a command prompt. 5. OS commands are usually long words. 6. Unix is a command driven operating system used in all sizes of computer but mostly large multi-user, multi-tasking mainframe computers. 7. The hardware doesn’t need software to make it work. 8. An application software package communicates directly with the hardware. 9. An operating system has only two main functions.

Task 6. Match the terms in Table A with the statements in Table B.

Table A

Table B

1. operating system 2. interface 3. applications (program or software) 4. Unix 5. menu 6. spreadsheet 7. swipe card 8. word processor 9. software package

a. The hardware or software that connects two systems and allows them to communicate with each other. b. A popular multi-user multi-tasking operating system originally designed for mainframe computers. A wide variety of versions exist. c. The set of programs that controls the basic functions of a computer and provides communication between the application programs and the hardware. d. A computer program designed to be used for a particular purpose, e.g. a wordprocessor, spreadsheets or database program. e. A type of application program with an array of cells that is used for calculating formulas. f. A list of options displayed on a computer screen. g. An application program or collection of programs that can be used in different ways. h. A type of computer application program used for typing and editing text documents. i. A plastic card with a magnetic strip running across it containing confidential data.

Task 7. Fill in the blanks with the words from the box.

interface, supervisor, manage, memory, package, software, drives, interface, nonresident, command driven

1. An applications software ____ does not communicate directly with the hardware. 2. Between the applications software and the hardware is a software _____ – an operating system. 3. The most important program in the operating system is the _____ program, most of which remains in memory. 4. An operating system has three main functions: 1) ____ the computer resources, such as the central processing unit, ____, disk ____ and printers, 2) establish a user _____, and 3) execute and provide services for applications _____. 5. Unix is a ____ operating system used in all sizes of computers. 6. Programs that only stay in memory while they are being used are known as _____ programs.

Task 8. Complete the gaps in this summary of the text on operating systems using these linking words and phrases.

although because in addition such as but therefore

The user is aware of the effects of different applications programs ____ operating systems are invisible to most users. They lie between applications programs, ____ wordprocessing, and the hardware. The supervisor program is the most important. It remains in memory, _____ it is referred to as resident. Others are called non-resident ____ they are loaded into memory only when needed. Operating systems manage the computer's resources, _____ the central processing unit. ______, they establish a user interface, and execute and provide services for applications software. ______ input and output operations are invoked by applications programs, they are carried out by the operating system.

Task 9. Here is a list of typical tasks performed by an operating system. In each case the main verb has been omitted. Fill in the blanks using the words a) execute, b) monitor, c) format, d) diagnose. Sometimes more than one may apply

A typical operating system will:

1. _________ input and output devices.

2. _________ the status of hardware devices.

3. _________ hardware interrupts.

4. _________ new disks.

5. _________ disk directories.

6. _________ disk reading and writing operations.

7. _________ disk errors.

8. _________ disk commands relating to the deletion, copying, renaming, and dumping of files.

Task 10. Problem-solving: try to find the commands from the lists below which will have these actions.

VMS: help, directory, search, copy, rename, print, show users, show time, create/directory, phone, delete

Unix: write, cp, lpr, Is, mkdir, date, rm, man, grep, rwho, mv

Action	VMS command	Unix command
List all the files in a directory Delete a file Rename a file Copy a file Send a file to a printer Obtain help Create a directory Show date and time Show users on system Talk to other users on system Search for a string in a file

Task 11. Translate the following sentences into English. Mind grammar

1. В даний час існує багато видів різних системних програм, і операційна система займає серед них особливе місце.

2. На продуктивність, надійність, і функціональні можливості персонального комп'ютера впливають багато факторів, встановлена на ньому операційна система - один з них.

3. Коли операційна система здатна виконувати декілька завдань, причому ці завдання виконуються одночасно, вона називається багатозадачною.

4. Операційна система контролює роботу процесора і, якщо запущена задача потребує ресурсві, то її виконання має бути призупинено до отримання ресурсу.

5. Можливості персональних комп'ютерів з обробки інформації обмежені, причому параметри обсягу оброблюваної інформації і швидкості обчислень є найбільш критичними.