Reading. Today computers are everywhere

Today computers are everywhere. When they came in use it was fashionable to talk of them as ‘electronic brains’, but it is safer to think of them as ‘high-speed morons’. They will do the wrong thing as readily as the right, introduce error where there was none and do the stupid as readily as the seemingly intelligent.

1 __________________________________________________________________. People must supply these things and monitor what the machines do at all time, and these people are programmers. I think a programmer is the main figure today because a computer without a program is just a heap of metal, and can you imagine our lives today without a computer?

Programmers write programs using special languages called programming languages.

2 __________________________________________________________________. Their first task is usually to analyze the problem, so that they can design a system to deal with it. When they have designed a code for a system and tested it, they then have to create documentation, that is, notes which explain the structure and logical steps of the program for future users and trainers. They have to be involved in the initial training of users, so that they can make changes to the program according to information obtained from the users.

3 __________________________________________________________________. Flowcharts have arrowheads to indicate the direction of program flow and special symbols to indicate different functions in the program.

It is very difficult to write a program without any faults. The errors, or bugs as they are commonly known, can be caused by a number of factors, and programs usually have to be debugged, i.e. tested and altered to eliminate all the errors, before they are used.

Programming is very stressful. Programmers are often asked to fix something on the network so that gives them a break.

4 _______________________________________________. It’s impossible.

5_______________________________________________________________. Computer magazines and the Internet are good for finding out what’s new on the scene, and this takes up your free time as well as work time, but you enjoy it, especially at the end of the day when things are beginning to go well.