English for IT Students

московский ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ 

ИНСТИТУТ СТАЛИ и СПЛАВОВ 

Технологический университет 

МИСиС 

Кафедра русского и иностранного язьпоов и литературы 

Н.А. Виноградова, О.Ю. Саленко ь 

EngUsh for IT Students 

Учебно-методическое пособие 

для студентов специальностей 3519,2202,2102 

Рекомендовано редакционно-издахельским 
советом института 

МОСКВА 2001 

УДК 811111.004 

Виноградова НА. 
СаленкоОЮ. 
English for IT Students: 
Учеб.-мегод пособие - М ; МИСиС, 2001.-213 с. 

Пособие 
содержит 
оригинальные 
материалы 
по 
истории 
компьют^а, его устройству и функциям, а также ряд материалов по 
программному обеспеченшо, развитию информационных технологий и 
некоторым аспектам их применения в современном мире. В представленных 
матфиалах 
учтены 
лексико-грамматические 
особенносш 
научнопопулярных текстов в облает информатики и программирования, и 
сохранена стилистика оригинальных текстов. 

В пособие включено понятие «ключевых слов» принципиально 
необходимое при работе в сети Интернет Порядок подачи материала и 
структура упражнений обеспечивает последовательное усвоение знания 
языка в области информатики, а также формирование знаний и умений в 
области профессионально ориентированного иностранного языка, а именно 
развитие навыков чтения и перевода текстов по специальности и 
коммуникации в профессиональной сфере. Система грамматических 
упражнений построена по принципу восходящей сложности Закрепление 
пройденного материала обеспечивается наличием Revismg Units 

Посюбие дополнительно учебным материалом, а также англоанглийским спов^)ем компьютерных терминов и сокращений. 
Предназначено для студентов неязыковых вузов, обучающихся по 
специальностям 0730 - Прикладная математика, 3519 - Прикладная 
информатика, 2202 - АСУ, 2102 - Автоматизация и управление 

© Московский государственный 
институт стали и сплавов 
(Технологический университет) 
(МИСиС), 2001 

CONTENTS 

Unitl 
, 
6 

Text 1. Computers in science 
fiction 
, 
6 

Grammar: Present Simple and Present Continuous 
9 

Text 2. Faces of the future: the getty's L.A. Culture net..... 
12 

Text 3. Chimerical concertos 
'. 
14 

Unit2 
15 

Text 1. The history of computers 
15 

Grammar: Referring to the past: Past Simple and Present Perfect 
18 

Text 2. Personal computers 
21 

Text 3. An artificial tongue 
23 

Unit3 
24 

Revismg (Units 1,2) 
24 

Text 1. Once upon a time 
26 

Grammar; Past Continuous and Past Perfect 
29 

Text 2. Steve Jobs: Apple's anti-Gates 
31 

Text 3. How do we feel about progress? 
34 

l M t 4 
35 

Text 1. PC types: which PDA is right for you 
.....35 

Grammar I: Comparatives 
36 

Grammar П: Articles 
38 

Text 2. Pen computers 
39 

Text 3. Notebooks come close, but miss the bull's-eye 
41 

Units 
; 
42 

Text 1. The elements of computer system 
42 

Grammar: Passives 
'. 
44 

Text 2. University library 
46 

Text 3. History: we're losing it 
48 

Unite 
....49 

Text 1. Linking equipment - the fully automated business 
49 

Grammar 1: Future 
.......51 

Text 2. The wizards of Ю 
52 

Grammar 2: Prepositions 
55 

Text 3. Computer leisure 
57 

Unit? 
58 

Revising Units 4 - 6 
58 

Text 1. Changing the world through discovery 
59 

3 

Grammar: Modal verbs 'Can, May, Must, have to, to be able to' 
62 

Text 2. Robots 
, 
65 

Text 3. Lock who's talking 
68 

Units 
70 

Text 1. What's inside a minicomputer? 
70 

Graurniar. Pronoims 
.••. 
72 

Text 2. Multiple meaning 
, 
76 

Text 3. Stop the world! 
, 
_ 
78 

Unit 9 
..:....- 
80 

Text 1. Main memory: Б1АМ and ROM 
80 

Grammar: Infinitives 
82 

Text 2. Girls + maths = misery? 
85 

text 3.550 of pure PC power 
.>...87 

Unit 10 
: 
89 

Tqxtl. Disks 
89 

Grammar: Imperatives, 'Should/Ought to. Had Better' 
91 

Tesxt2.Mice?Mice!!!.... 
92 

Text 3. Keys 
......-, 
96 

Unit 11 
,. 
97 

Rjevising Units 7 -10 
; 
97 

Text 1. Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer: how we built Microsoft 
100 

Grammar: Reported speech 
- 
102 

Text 2. The fim they had 
..105 

Text 3. Word-processing fecilities (part I) 
„ 
: 
108 

Unit 12 
109 

Text 1. The graphical user interface 
109 

Grammar: Gerund 
111 

Text 2. Computers in 
film-making 
113 

Text 3. Word-processing facilities (part II) 
117 

Unit 13 
118 

Text I: Software 
118 

Grammar: Participles 
120 

Text 2. Windows 95 
122 

Text 3. Have I told you lately that I hate Windows? 
124 

Unit 14 
127 

Revising Units 11-13 
127 

Text 1. The year 2000 
, 
130 

Grammar: Conditionals 
133 

Text 2. The World's New Millennium 
135 

Text 3. Your wish is my machine code 
138 

4 

Unit 15 
139 

Text 1. Computer languages 
139 

Grammar: Relative clauses 
141 

Text 2. Unplugged but unbowed 
143 

Text 3. Network (part 1) 
147 

Unit 16 
148 

Text 1. Programming 
........t.i. 
148 

Grammar: Modal verbs of deduction 
151 

Text 2. Dateline 
153 

Text 3. Local area networks 
;. 
« 
156 

Unit 17 
157 

Text 1. What is an e-mail? 
157 

Grammar: The position of adjectives and adverbs 
159 

Text 2. An overview of teleworldng 
162 

Text 3. Securing e-commerce without heavy investments 
.........165 

Unit 18 
i.A 
166 

Revising Units 15 -17 
166 

Text 1. Basic uses of the Intcanet 
; 
170 

Text 2. The Internet via cable 
173 

Text3. Intemet providers 
176 

Unhl9 
.:..... 
177 

Revising Unit 18 
., 
177 

Text 1. E-mmune &om attack 
177 

Text 2. How computer viruses work 
181 

Text 3. MS-DOS 
183 

Resoiurce Materials 
185 

Glossary 
t 
201 

Acronyms 
; 
......г!! 

New discoveries fuel new inventions 

UNIT 1 
Text1 

Computers in science fiction 

People say, that science fiction influences the computing technology a 
gjeeat deal and anticipates* the technologies we're using and developing. 
Kfeny science fiction authors envision the future as accurately as 
historians chronicle the past. 
30 years ago Fritz Lieber wrote about a computer beating humans at 
chess. In "The 64-Square Madhouse" Lieber describes the first 
international grandmaster tournament in which an electronic computing 
machine plays chess. One of the most interesting elements of the story particularly after Deep Blue's victory over Kasparov - is Lieber's citation 
of the grandmaster Mikhail Botvinnik, Russian world chess champion, 
who once said "Man is limited, man gets tired, man's program changes 
vay slowly. Computer not tired, has great memory, is very fast." 
Isaac Asimov, Ue prominent science fiction writer, who is living isolated 
and doesn't appear in public now, in 1958 described a handheld 
pro^^mmable calculator — multicolored for civilians and blue-steel for 
the military. The calculator, as you know, appeared on the maricet about 
20 years later. 
In 1959 in his classic story "The Martian Shop" Howard Fast described a 
calculator which had speech recognition capabilities. He also described a 
miniature music box with a vast repertoire of recorded music - like a 
small CD or MP3 player. In the 1950s these technologies seemed 
inqwssible. 
As early as 1920s science fiction writers began to imagine intelligent 
artificial people. In 1940, imagination became metal when Sparko and 
Elektro, the first artificial men, appeared at the World's Fair. 
Today's artificial creatures seem more real than ever. The Japanese are 
producing the fiilly automatic mechanical fish, using technology they 
hope will one day power ships and submarines. Sony's $2,500 artificial 
dog Aibo replaces remote control with a CPU (central processing unit) 
and sensors powerful enough to perform complex actions. 
While it is almost always easy to see the benefits of a new technology, it 
isn't always easy to foresee the troubles. 20* century science fiction 
6 

authors often exaggerate computer glitches** and dangers of computing 
technology. 
For instance, in Ambrose Bierce's "Moxton's Master", a chess-playing 
robot loses its temper after it fails to win a chess-game and murdas 
Moxton, the robot's creator. Fredaic Brown's "Answer" describes the 
birth of the first supercomputer. When asked, "Is there a God?" fte 
computer answers "Yes, NOW there is", and kills his creator when he 
goes for the plug. 
The first picture of a world run entirely by computers is "The Machme 
Stops" by E.M.Foster, published m 1909. Ibe Machme feeds, clothes and 
houses people in that world (гешетпЬег "The Matrix*^) and people never 
see each otiier face to face (but only through two-way video). After they 
do, the system collapses. In Arthar C.Claike's classic novel "The City and 
the Stars" published in the 1950s, 4ve see a similar idea. People live in an 
enclosed city of their own construction, like in a prison. A machine called 
the Central Computer governs everything, and a dependent humanity is 
afraid of the world outside. Clarke thinks that people shouldn't surrender 
their will to technology and lose themselves in an artificial world of their 
own creation. 
One of several goals science fiction authors try to achieve is to predict the 
fixture and qualitv of anv prediction depends on the person making them. 
anticipate* -prognose, 
glitch**- malfunction, jailure 

Lexical Exercises 

I. Match English words and combinations with their Russian 
equivalents: 
A. To envision the fiiture, humans, to achieve, science fiction, a 
handheld programmable calculator, speech recognition capabilities, an 
advantage of smth/doing smth, as early as ... year, artificial, creatures, 
fully automatic, benefits of a new technology, computer glitches, to 
run smth, infiueaice smth, anticipate. 
B. получаемые от новой технологии вьпх>ды, создания, щ)майное 
программируемое счегао-решающее устройетво, люди, возможноетн 
распознавания речи, научная фантастика, преимущество чнх)-л1Йо, 
ухдкшлягь чем-шйо, уже в ... году, предищвгь/пре^отадывать, 
искусственный, полностью автоматические, компьютерные сбои, 
оказывать влияние на что-либо, зримо представкпь будущее, 
наделять чем-либо. 

U. Isscrt proper words and word combiBations from Ex.1 in the gaps. 
l.In all times people tried 
. 2. She reads only thrillers, she never 

reads 
. 3. Christianity came to Rus' 
988. 4. At present ahnost 

nobody can see 
. 5. Computer virus 'I love you' is blamed for many 

. 
. 6. I often have to make a lot of calculations in my job. I am 

dreaming of buying 
. 7. Our new washing machine is 
. 8.1 can't 

say it was easy 
these results. 9. The m ^ characters of this film' are 

funny 
who came from Mars. 

Comprehension Check: 

I. Re^d) tfae following abstracts from the text above and find б factual 
mtotakes: 
Science fiction authors have tested countless technologies in the virtual 
environments of their fiction but still they haven't been able to envision 
the fiitrae as accurately as historians have chronicled the past. 
30 years Fritz Lieber in his book "The 64-Square Madhouse" gave the 
d^taued description of a chess tournament between a man and an 
electronic computing machine. In this book Lieber mentioned the famous 
grandmaster Kasparov's words concerning the superb abilities of the 
computers. 
In 1958 Isaak Asimov, the wdl-known American gcience-fictioD writer 
described a handheld programmable calculator, the device which appeared 
on the market together with a miniature music box with a vast repertoire 
of recorded music 20 months later after the book was published. 
At the end of the 19th century science fiction writers had already begun to 
imasneimechanical creatures. Today's artificial metal creatures produced 
by the J^anese companies Sony and Mitsubishi seem very real 
But the science fiction writes have foreseen not cmly the benefits of new 
tecfaoolQgies but also their dangers. They suggest that wten humanity 
surrenders its will to tedmology and loses itself m an artificial wra-Id, it 
gets tapped in a prison of its own constracticm. 
Predicting fee dangers that new technologies may bring into people's life 
has always been one of the goals science fiction aufeors have been trying 
to achieve. 
П. Ai£$wer the questions 
1. What Атшсап science fiction writers were mentioned in the main 

text? Have you already read any bookg written by them? 

2. What other American science fiction writers do you know? 

3. In your opinion, what problems do science fiction authors consider 

more often in their works: the benefits of new technologies or their 
dangers? Can you give any examples? 

4. What is more popular in Russia now - science fiction (sci-fi) novels or 

sci-fi movies? Why? 

Grammar: Present Simple and 
Present Countinuous 

Present Indefinite (Simple) 

Verbs 

'be' 
'have' 
'do' 
'carry' 

1"ners()p, 

T 
am 

2'^nerson 

You 
are 

have 
do 
carry 

^"'tierson 
He/Sh«yTt 

is 
has 
does 

carries 

" 
ifnffSflu 

w« 

2"^neTson 

Yon 

З^'оегяоп 

Thev 

are 
have 
do 
carry 

We use the Present Simple in statements, in commentaries and 
demonstrations to describe events that happen one after another. 
In flie third person singalar (with he, she, it) the verb in the Present 
Simple has the suffix -s. 

eg. Man's program changes very slowly. 
Questions and negatives are formed with the help of the auxiliary verbs 
Do and Does. 

e.g. Isaac Asimov hardly ever appears in public nowadays. Isaac 
Asimov doesn 't appear in public. Does haac Asimov appear in public? 
When we are speakmg about events that will take place in the future but 
according to the timetable, schedule we should use The Present Simple. 

e.g. The nearest computer saloon opens at twelve o'clock in the 
afternoon. 

Present Continuous [is/are + Participle 1 (do+ing)] 

Verbs 

'be' 
'do, carry' 
(any 
semantic 
verb) 

Singular 

1''person 

I 
am 

2" person 

You 
are 

3" person 
He/SheAt 

is 

Plural 

i* person 

We 

2" person 

You 

3" person 

They 

are 

doing 
carrying 

The Present continuous refers to: 
1) actions taking place at the moment of spealdng; 

e.g. The children are playing with their mechanical dog in the nursery. 

2) happening about the present time but probably not at he moment of 
speaidng, it is temporary, not permanent or regularly situation; 

e.g. The Japanese are producing the fully automatic mechanical 
fish, using technology they hope will one day power ships and 
submarines. 
3) actions that will happen in the nearest fiiture due to the previous 
arrangement. 

e.g. They are installing the new program tomorrow.(Jhgs)i arranged 
to do it beforehand.) 
Some typical adverbs: at the moment, now, just now, right new, 
presently, at present, for Ле moment. 
It is formed with the help of the auxiliary verb "to be" in one of its 
pres«it forms {am, is, are) and Participle I, that is verb + ing. 
Questions are formed by putting the auxiliary verb before the subject. 

e,g. Mitsubishi are producing an artificial fish. Are Mitsubishi 
producing an artificial fish? 
Negatives are formed by putting not after tiie auxiliary verb. 

e.g. Sony are not producing an artificial fish. 

Grammar Exercises 

I. Define the usage of the Present Continuous. 
1) action is taking place at the moment of speaking, 2) action it is 
temporary, not permanent or regular, 3) action will happen in the nearest 
fiiture due to the previous arrangement 
l.He is playing at the chess tournament tomorrow. 2.He is fond of science 
fiction. Now he is reading a book about computer wars. S.Where is 
Michael? He is in the computer class-room. He is trying to write his report 

in history using the hiternet. 4.We are looking for the monitor which is 
compatible to our computer. 5.He's got a lot of CDs witii classical music. 
Now he is listening to one of them. 6.The prices of computers are falling 
down slowly. 7. I 'am afraid, I can't join you at seven. I'm making a 
report about computer possibilities in the future. 

II. Translate the sentences given below; make them interrogative and 
negative, paying attention to the difference of the formation. 
1. Science fiction describes flie technologies we're using and developing now. 
2. In flieir books science fiction authors aren't paving attrition to the benefits 
that new technologies may bring into people's Ufe. 3. Man gets tired, man's 
program changes veiy slowly. 4. Conqjuter has great memory, is veiy fest 5. 
Today's artificial creatures seem more real than ever. 6. Beaten at a game, a 
chess-playing robot loses its tender and murders its creator Moxton. 7. Sony 
are manufacturing artificial dogs or fish? 8. Mitsubishi are producing an 
artificial fish. 9. The artificial fish behaves like an organic one. 

Ш. Open the brackets putting the verbs in either the Present Simple 
or the Present Continuous: 
1. Now every child (to play) computer games at least once a week. 2. In 
his book "Business @The Speed Of Thought" Bill Gates (to describe) the 
ways of running a big company. 3. Computers (to change) much quicker 
than people's mentality. 4. At present all editors (to publish) books on 
computer science. 5. Modem technologies (to influence) our life a great 
deal. 6. They (to try) to install a new program right now. 7. New software 
(to appear) every six months. 8. Computer (to replace) secretaries, shop 
assistants, managers, accountants in today's offices and shops. 9. Every 
month he (to spend) a lot of money shopping on-line. 10. Nowadays all 
business (to depend) on computers greatly. 11. MISA scientists (to use) 
various electronic devices in their everyday work. 12.Science fiction 
writers often (gift) different machines with human mind and behaviour. 

IV. Put questions to the sentences in the exercise above. 
l.How often? 2.What? 3.How fest? 4.What books? 5.bi what way? 6.What? 
7.What programs? S.Where? 9.WhCTe? lO.What? To what extend? 1 l.Who? 
What devices? 12. What with? 

11 

Text 2 

Warm~up: Do you often go to museums? When did you last visit a 
museum? What museum was it? 
Would you like to visit a virtual museum? If you have such 
experience, share it with the class. 
Will you prefer to "go" to a virtual museum or a real one? 
Why? 

Faces of the Future: the Getty's 
L.A.Cuiture Net 

The Internet is the road to the fiiture. Govenunents, businesses and 
nonprofits are uploading information about their organizations onto the 
World Wide Web, and the public is conducting more and more of its 
activities on-line. Due to the digital revolution people can obtain 
information about art and culture in the net Today, many museums 
realize that developing a Web site is not just an option, but a necessity. 
Los Angeles Culture Net (LACN) links art and cultural information from 
several Los Angeles institutions at a network. 
The project uses 
information technology to create web-pages of cultural resources. Though 
Philadelphia and Cleveland, have developed on-line city networics, LACN 
is one of the first focused on cultural heritage. 
The organizers are trying to encourage cidtural organizations to 
participate actively. "Faces of L.A." links digital archives and collections 
from several institutions in a virtual database that provides instant access 
to a wide variety of resources and make them searchable. To find all 
Leonardo da Vinci's masteфieces one has to travel to several countries, 
but using a virtual database you can see the drawings or paintings, no 
matter where they're located, and conqjare and contrast them. 
"Faces of L.A." project comprises five museums, three libraries and the 
American Film Institute. The California Museum of Science and Industry 
site describes its "Snap Shot Science" project, which links Los Angeles 
artists and scientists with middle school students. The students use the 
"Faces of L.A." database as both a research tool and a resource for 
exhibition material. 
Actually, some museum directors get very concerned about intellectual 
property rights, but they really feel the ftirther necessity to combine their 
12 

efforts to develop more curriculmn xmits and add more institutions to 
L. A. Culture Net. They are also working with the California Arts Сош1с11 
to develop a statewide project called California Culture Net. 
Comprehension Check: 
I. What information about the following issues is given in the Text 2? 
LACN, "Faces of L.A.", "Snap Shot Science" jooject, California Culture Net 
II. True or false? 
1. People conduct more and more of activities on-line, because 
governments provide them with computers. 
2. LACN stands for 'Linte of Art and Cultural Network' of Los Angeles. 
3. Due to the digital revolution people can obtain information about 
government and business organizations. 
4. LACN is the first on-line city network. 
5. Any user can get different kinds of information from digital archives 
through "Faces of L.A.". 
6. "Faces of L.A." gathered all Leonardo da Vinci's та51еф1есе5 in one place. 
7. The middle school students can use only the California Museum of 
Science and Industry site. 
8. The number of cultural institutions which have joined the LACN is 
constantly increasing. 
Revising Grammar: 
Every sentence contains one mistake either spelling or grammar. Find 
them and correct the sentences: 
1.Governments, businesses and nonprofits are uploading information 
about there organizations onto the World Wide Web. 
2. Todays artificial creatures seem more real than ever. 
3. The Japanese are producmg the fully automatic mechanical fish 
4. In Ambrose Bierce's "Moxton's Master" the robot murders Moxton, the 
robots creator. 
5. A che^-playing robot loses it's tender after it feils to win a chess-game. 
6. "Faces of L.A." project comprise five museums, three Uteres and the 
American Film Institute. 
7. The organizers trying to encourage cultural organizations to participate 
actively. 
8. The students uses the "Faces of L.A." database as a research tool. 
9. "Faces of L.A." is links digital archives and collections firom several 
institutions. 
10. One of several goals science fiction authors try to achieve are to 
predict the future 

13