Контрольное задание № 1 (стр. 12 )

Пояснения к тексту

mention should be made — следует упомянуть

digital computer — цифровой компьютер

a number of—ряд

short lived — недолговечный

stored-programme machine — запрограммированная вычислительная машина

memory — запоминающее устройство

analogue — аналоговый компьютер

desk-sized computer — настольный компьютер

COMPUTERS

A computer is known to be a device that has the ability to accept, store and process enormous quantities of data in an extremely short time. A computer allows to get information almost immediately, the data being punched into cards or being recorded on the magnetic tape. Much has been written about the early history of computing. Mention should be made that Charles Babbage, now widely recognized as the father of computing, was working out the first of his mechanical calculating machines in the early 1820s long before the first electrical telegraph message was transmitted. The modern history of digital computers began in 1939 with the work done by Howard Aiken. A number or automatic machines were constructed in the early days of computing, the machines of this type being designed to solve differential equations. Although they performed many useful functions their speed of calculations was limited by the relays and other electromechanical equipment they used. The second development was the construction of the machine in 1946 which was the forerunner of the first generation of electronic digital computers. Until the discovery of the germanium transistors in 1947 electronic computers were like very large furnaces, consuming enormous quantities of electrical power. They produced more heat than processed information. The first computer, for example, weighed 30 tons and occupied 1,500 square feet of floor space. Its short lived 18,000 vacuum tubes produced 150 kilowatts of heat. The early machines using valves were employed mainly for scientific and experimental work. The next generation of electronic computers emerged in the middle of 1950s. These were "stored-programme" machines holding programming instructions in the main memory6 of the computer. They could store and process more information and faster.

7. Today it is possible to obtain a computer with great processing capability. We know a computer to solve a complicated problem many millions of times faster than a skilled mathematician. It processes thousands of calculations per second. There are two main classes of computing equipment: analogue and digital. They work on different principles and yield different results. The digital computers can perform a much broader range of functions than the analogue computers. The application includes all forms or automatic control in science and industry. The computer has become an integral part of the organization of business of all types. There exist various types of computers ranging from the pocket calculator through the desk-sized computer8 to machines which still need vast halls to house them.

ВАРИАНТ 2

I. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык, обращая внимание на различные значения глаголов should, would.

We would not solve the problem of protecting spaceships against solar radiation, if we had no plastics with some unique properties. The old equipment should be replaced by a new one.

II Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык, принимая во внимание, что инфинитивные и причастные обороты соответствуют чаще всего придаточным предложениям.

We know matter to exist in four states: solids, liquids, gases and plasma. The plastics to be produced in our laboratory will replace iron and its alloys. Being very light, strong and non-corrosive, aluminium is an ideal construction metal. To get to other planets man must have powerful sources of energy.

III. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык, обращая внимание на различные значения выделенных слов.

The speed of electrons is almost the same as the speed of light. Provided these metals are alloyed with titanium, they will withstand high temperatures. Neither this part (деталь) nor that one must be made of plastics. Since these materials could not withstand high temperatures our scientists had to create heat-resistant alloys.

IV. Прочтите и устно переведите на русский язык с 1-го по 6-ой абзацы текста. Перепишите и письменно переведите 1, 3, 4 и 5-й абзацы.

Пояснения к тексту

machining and finishing processes — процессы обработки и отделки

blades — лопатки турбины

strength — прочность-

extremes of pressures — сверхвысокие давления

mention should be made — следует упомянуть

life — срок службы

auxiliaries — вспомогательное оборудование

domestic appliances — бытовые товары

PLASTICS AS METAL REPLACEMENTS

Today plastics are referred to as materials of great importance, for no other group of materials is able to offer such a unique combination of alloying, modifying as well as by changing the structure of polymers, chemists and technologists are able to produce different kinds of plastics. Metal replacement by plastics is often due to the economic factors only. The use of plastics enables the manufacturers to eliminate many expensive machining and finishing processes. Moreover plastics parts can be mass producer at a lower cost compared with metal parts. Although plastics do not possess the high strength of steel they are suitable for many purposes. Plastics can be reinforced by incorporating fibrous materials such as glass fiber, nylon and, at last, pure carbon fibers. The carbon plastics are known to open up vast new possibilities in the engineering field. Already some of the latest aircraft engines are using blades made of such plastics. These plastics are able to withstand much higher temperatures than metals. There exist plastics which have high mechanical strength and are able to withstand the extremes of pressures4. It gives them a great advantage over metals. Mention should be made that plastics are widely used in chemical industry, all plastics possessing good resistance to chemicals. The great advantage offered by plastics over iron is that they are highly resistant to corrosion and therefore ensure a much longer life. Because of their combination of mechanical and dielectrical properties plastics found their first major industrial application in the electrical industry. A great number of plastics used in the electronics field find applications where a good insulation property is an essential quality, e. g. wire covering, diodes, transistors, etc. An increasing number of electronic auxiliaries previously made of metal is now being fabricated of plastics. These include many kinds of mechanical components required for computers. The development of rocket and space engineering made it necessary to develop new types of plastics. A great deal. of research had been carried out before special grades of plastics were obtained for space technology. Now they are widely used in space vehicles because of their light weight and their ability of performing special functions metals cannot do. Without such materials it would be impossible to build spaceships. Generally speaking, in every branch of the industry from power transmission to communications and from spaceships to domestic appliances plastics are playing a vitally important role.

V. Прочтите 7-й абзац текста и вопрос к нему. Из приведенных вариантов ответа укажите номер предложения, содержащего правильный ответ на поставленный вопрос.

What property of plastics is of great importance for the construction of spaceships?

... the ability to resist chemicals. ... the ability to withstand high temperatures. ... light weight.

ВАРИАНТ 3

I. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык, обращая внимание на различные значения глаголов should, would.

1. A radio engineer should know the principles of TV and radar equipment operation.

2. They would solve this problem earlier, if they applied a digital computer.

II. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык, принимая во внимание, что инфинитивные и причастные обороты соответствуют чаще всего придаточным предложениям.

То separate a compound into its elements, chemical means must be used. Radioisotopes are composed of atoms of different mass, all carrying1 the same charge and hence chemically identical. The problem to be solved is of great importance for our industry. Haying released the energy in the form of radiation, man learned to use it for detecting various defects in metals.

III. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык, обращая внимание на различные значения выделенных слов.

1. Isotopes occur either naturally or they can be manufactured artificially.

2. The labour productivity has greatly increased, for the workers applied the new technology.

3. Through television we can see as well as hear programmes and events even if they take place many kilometres away.

4. Until recently metals were the only materials used in these instruments.

IV. Прочтите и устно переведите на русский язык с 1-го по 4-й абзацы текста. Перепишите и письменно переведите 1, 3 и 4-й абзацы.

Пояснения к тексту

in the path of the protons — на пути действия протонов

to throw off—выбрасывать

mention should be made — следует упомянуть

ISOTOPE PRODUCTION

About 1907 scientists discovered that two samples of an element which behaved exactly alike chemically, differed in their physical structures. Scientists called such chemically alike - but physically unlike - substances "isotopes". Thus, isotope is the name given to a substance which - although it differs physically from another substance - takes the same place along with the other substances in the chemical table of elements. The great majority of isotopes found in nature do not emit radiation and are called stable isotopes. Stable isotopes occur in nature mixed with other isotopes of the same element. The separation of isotopes from one another when they are mixed is a necessary part of the production of both stable isotopes and radio isotopes. The machine which does this is electromagnetic separator but the machine is large, expensive and consumes a lot of electricity. Since 1931 scientists have been designing more and more powerful apparatus for speeding up electrically charged particles. These machines are known to give the possibility for producing isotopes as well. Perhaps the best known of these machines is the cyclotron. In the cyclotron the element is placed as a target in the path of the protons leaving the cyclotron at high speed. However the cyclotron is a very expensive machine since it consumes a lot of electricity, and requires a lot of time to produce required quantities of the new isotopes. We know most radioisotopes to be made today in nuclear reactors by bombarding stable, nonradioactive isotopes with neutrons. After bombardment the nuclei of stable atoms acquire additional particles and become unstable. These unstable nuclei try to become stable again by throwing off their additional energy in the form of radiation, thus forming the desired isotope. Mention should be made3 that the production and separation of isotopes is a very complicated and expensive process but it is carried out because of the increasing uses of radioisotopes in industry and medicine. This increasing use of radioisotopes is due to the development of the nuclear reactor which has provided a relatively cheap and easy way of producing isotopes. The radiation emitted by radioisotopes is being utilized in a variety of ways. Sometimes isotopes do jobs conventional devices cannot do at all. Radioisotopes are widely used for tracing complicated chemical reactions, for generating electric power for spaceships.

V.        Прочтите 5-й абзац текста и вопрос к нему. Из приведенных вариантов ответа укажите номер предложения, содержащего правильный ответ на поставленный вопрос.