Read and translate the text. Find out the meaning of the words and phrases in bold

Mobile phones have become a common way of communicating. They are small computing devices in the form of a telephone handset that can connect to local radio networks, allowing users to make normal telephone calls. They often have extra hardware and software features including: keyboards; earphones; a phone book in the form of a database for storing telephone numbers; text messaging that allows short text messages to be transmitted and received (the text messages are displayed on a small screen built into the handset); a calls register that stores details of any telephone calls that are sent or received; computer games programs that can be downloaded (copied from a server computer) and played on the handset; a program that allows the handset to be used as a mathematical calculator; and an alarm call facility that automatically causes the handset to ring or a message to appear on the screen at a time chosen by the user. When sending text messages, abbreviations consisting of letters and numbers are used to save typing and to make it easier to display the messages on the small screen e.g. CU L8R is commonly used to represent 'see you later.

The messages are transmitted in a way that conforms to a special communications protocol i.e. according to an agreed standard. A common protocol used with mobile phones is called Wap (wireless application protocol). In a Wap system, messages are divided into small units called packets. The packets are transmitted separately over the radio network system and are put together to form the original message when they arrive at their destination. By sending packets belonging to a number of different users along the same connection, the system can be used by many people at the same time. Wap allows mobile phone users to use Internet online services such as emai l (electronic mail) and browsing webpages on the World Wide Web. Normal webpages written in HTML (hypertext markup language) cannot be used with Wap phones. Wap webpages are specially prepared using WML (wireless markup language) so that they can be used on handset screens. A newer language called XML (extensible markup language) will be used in the future, enabling webpages to be created that can be used in normal computer browser programs and on mobile phone screens. The high bandwidth (signal capacity) available using Wap also enables video transmissions to be received by mobile phones. More sophisticated communications systems providing higher bandwidths, such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), are likely to replace Wap in the future.

In the future, computers will become more powerful (faster and with bigger storage and processing capacity). They will also become cheaper to produce. This will make them more commonly available and allow them to be integrated with other devices such as videorecorders (a device for recording video signals onto magnetic tape cassettes), TVs and telephone systems. They may not even be called computers in the future, but computing devices will be designed for particular purposes and thrown away when they become faulty. Cheaper and more compact, flat digital panels are likely to be used for monitor screens in the future and security will be provided by biometric devices rather than passwords i.e. devices that measures some aspect of a living being e.g. eye scanning devices or fingerprint recognition devices. It will also become cheaper and more common to print photographs from a camera using a colour laser printer.

Flexible motherboards (the electronic circuit boards that hold and connect the main parts of a computer) will allow the design of computers to be more varied in the future. Voice control will allow the user to input data and control the computer by speaking. In the future, software will be rented and run across the Internet rather than being bought and installed on individual computers. They will be built into clothing and worn by the user. Domestic appliances such as fridges and cookers will be computer controlled. In the longer term, computers may be operated using laser light or quantum physics rather than electronics and may even be implanted into the user's body, even into the human brain. This may help people with disabilities.

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) can be either synchronous, where the users can communicate with each other at the same time in real-time i.e. immediately, enabling interactive communication; or it can be asynchronous, where messages are sent to a user who receives them and replies at a different time. Some messages are text only, some are audio only and others are multimedia (include text, graphics, audio, animation and video data).

A pager is a small radio receiver which beeps to alert the wearer of messages or telephone calls. It displays the telephone number of the caller so the wearer can call back. Some pagers can display very short messages.

A bulletin board is an electronic notice board system that enables users to display messages for other users to read.

A MOO (multi-user object oriented) system is an Internet virtual environment, developed from multi-user adventure games, that allows many users to interact in real time.

A GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver uses a microprocessor (the main electronic chip in a computer that does the main processing and controls the other parts of the computer) to compare coded digital signals (an electronic signal that has only two states i.e. off or on) from special satellites orbiting the earth to calculate latitude, longitude and altitude, and enable the user to determine their exact location. Extremely accurate atomic clocks are used in the satellites. GPS systems, although originally developed for the US military, can be used for a variety of purposes including orienting hikers, navigating ships, tracking trucks and buses, and locating stolen cars.

8. Read the text again and answer the questions:

1. What hardware features do mobile phones have?

2. What software features do mobile phones have?

3. Why do people often use abbreviations in text messages?

4. What are abbreviations made of?

5. What is Wap?

6. How does it work? Where is it used?

7. Why is Wap used?

8. What are the languages to write a webpage?

9. What is the difference between markup languages?

10. What is likely to replace Wap in future?

11. What are the prospects for computer development in future?

12. What is voice control?

13. Which way will computers change clothes, domestic appliances, life of people with disabilities?

14. What is computer-mediated communication?

15. What does multimedia mean?

16. What is a pager?

17. What is a bulletin board?

18. What is MOO developed for?

19. How does GPRS work?

20. How is GPRS used?

9. Give Russian equivalents to the following words and phrases:

А. Computing devices telephone handset, local radio networks, keyboards, earphones, phone book, short text messages, small screen built into the handset, calls register, downloaded, mathematical calculator, alarm call facility, CU L8R, special communications protocol, wireless application protocol, divided into small units, original message, arrive at their destination, by sending packets, along the same connection, Internet online services, hypertext markup language, wireless markup language, extensible markup language, signal capacity, enables video transmissions, higher bandwidths, likely to replace, powerful, bigger storage capacity, processing capacity, cheaper to produce, integrated with other devices, designed for particular purposes, to measure, eye scanning device, fingerprint recognition.

В. To print photographs, electronic circuit boards, to input data, to control the computer, rented and run across the Internet, domestic appliances, fridge, cooker, in the longer term, implanted into the user's body, quantum physics, computer-mediated communication, enabling interactive communication, animation, video data, beeps to alert, bulletin board, display messages, multi-user object oriented, virtual environment, multi-user adventure games, Global Positioning System, the main electronic chip, to compare coded digital signals, special satellites orbiting the earth, to calculate latitude, longitude, altitude, to determine exact location, extremely accurate, atomic clocks, originally developed, the US military, a variety of purposes, to orient hikers, to navigate ships, to track trucks and buses, to locate stolen cars.

10. Give English equivalents to the following words and phrases:

A. Устройство распознавания радужной оболочки глаза, цветной лазерный принтер, гибкая материнская плата, вводить данные, установлен на персональном компьютере, бытовая техника, кухонная плита, холодильник, квантовая физика, человеческое тело, люди с ограниченными возможностями, синхронный, ответ (2), радиоприемник, телефонный звонок, позволяет пользователям, выводить сообщения на экран, виртуальная среда, электронный сигнал, спутник, движется по орбите вокруг земли, широта, долгота, высота, определить точное местоположение, очень точный, первоначально разработан для…, вести корабль, отслеживать грузовик, найти украденный автомобиль.

B. Обычный способ, устройство (2), обычный телефон, телефонная трубка, клавиатура, наушники, телефонная книга, текстовое сообщение, передавать, получать, встроенный, хранить, скачать / загрузить, калькулятор, устройство оповещения, будильник, сокращения, буквы и цифры, согласно принятому стандарту, передаются отдельно, доставляются в место назначения, Интернет-страница, электронная почта, на экране, мощность сигнала, вероятно заменит, дешевле производить, доступный / имеющийся в наличии, проектировать/разрабатывать, для определенных целей, цифровые панели, биометрические устройства, устройство распознавания отпечатков пальцев.