English for computer users

И. В. Щербакова 
М. В. Тимашова 

English  
for computer users 

Учебное пособие 

Москва 
2022 

УДК 811.111:004(075) 
ББК  81.432.1я723 
Щ61 

Научный редактор: 
Зубкова И. А., канд. филол. наук, доц. каф.  
«Русский язык как иностранный» ФГБОУ ВО «Донской 
государственный технический университет» 

Рецензенты: 
Акай О. М., д-р филол. наук, доц. каф. английского языка  
в сфере журналистики и массовых коммуникаций  
ФГБОУ ВО «Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет»; 
Евсюкова Т. В., д-р филол. наук, проф. каф. лингвистики  
и межкультурной коммуникации ФГБОУ ВО «Ростовский  
государственный экономический университет (РИНХ)»; 
Ковальчук Н. В., канд. филол. наук, доц. каф.  
«Иностранный язык в сфере технических наук и технологий»  
ФГБОУ ВО «Донской государственный технический университет» 

Щербакова, И. В. 
Щ61  
English for computer users : учебное пособие / И. В. Щербакова, 
М. В. Тимашова ; под. ред. И. А. Зубковой. — Москва : Директ-Медиа, 
2022. — 124 с. 

ISBN 978-5-4499-3348-5 

Учебное пособие предназначено для студентов, обучающихся по специальности «
Информационные системы и технологии» очной и заочной 
форм обучения, и отвечает требованиям программы для СПО Министерства 
Образования Российской Федерации. 
Пособие включает тексты с лексическим минимумом для специальности «
Информационные системы и технологии», теорию грамматики 
английского языка в таблицах и схемах с пояснениями и практические 
упражнения, разделы по реферированию статей публицистических изданий 
из аутентичных источников на английском языке и дополнительные 
тексты для практического письменного перевода по специальности. 

УДК 811.111:004(075) 
ББК  81.432.1я723 

ISBN 978-5-4499-3348-5
© Щербакова И. В., Тимашова М. В., текст, 2022
© Донской государственный технический университет, 2022
© Издательство «Директ-Медиа», оформление, 2022

Оглавление 

Предисловие ............................................................................................................................................... 5 

Module I. Работа с текстом................................................................................................................... 6 
Unit 1. Development of electronics .............................................................................................. 6 
Unit 2. Scientific and technological progress ........................................................................... 9 
Unit 3. History of computers ....................................................................................................... 11 
Unit 4. The first computers .......................................................................................................... 15 
Unit 5. Computer .............................................................................................................................. 18 
Unit 6. The use of computers ....................................................................................................... 21 
Unit 7. Monitor .................................................................................................................................. 23 
Unit 8. Keyboard ............................................................................................................................... 26 
Unit 9. Scanner .................................................................................................................................. 28 
Unit 10. Printer ................................................................................................................................. 31 
Unit 11. Internet ............................................................................................................................... 35 
Unit 12. Computer system architecture .................................................................................. 37 
Unit 13. Computer programming .............................................................................................. 41 

Module II. Реферирование статей публицистических изданий 
на английском языке .......................................................................................................................... 45 
Article 1. Richard Bird obituary ................................................................................................. 48 
Article 2. Why aren’t more girls in the UK choosing to study computing 
and technology? ................................................................................................................................ 49 
Article 3. Computers open up the world of relationships — archive, 1983 ............ 52 
Article 4. University subject profile: computer science 
and information systems .............................................................................................................. 53 
Article 5. White House announces internet program for low-income 
Americans ........................................................................................................................................... 54 
Article 6. Twitter launches privacy-protected site on dark web 
to bypass Russia’s block ................................................................................................................ 55 
Article 7. Russia bans Facebook and Instagram under ‘extremism’ law ................... 57 
Article 8. Irish parliament red-faced over printer too big 
to fit through doors ......................................................................................................................... 58 
Article 9. Computers can write their own code. So are programmers 
now obsolete? .................................................................................................................................... 59 
Article 10. ‘A catastrophic failure’: computer scientist Hany Farid 
on why violent videos circulate on the internet .................................................................. 61 
Article 11. EU deal will force iPhones to use USB-C charger by 2024 ........................ 65 

Module III. Тексты для перевода ................................................................................................... 67 
Text 1. Europe wants to help clear out your drawer full of chargers ......................... 67 
Text 2. A Short History of Tech Predictions .......................................................................... 68 

3 

Text 3. Fraud and Identity Theft Trial to Test American Anti-Hacking Law ........... 69 
Text 4. Apple unveils new software to make the iPhone and other 
products feel new ............................................................................................................................ 71 
Text 5. How Updates in iOS 16 and Android 13 Will Change Your Phone ............... 74 
Text 6. Elon Musk Threatens to End Twitter Deal Without Information 
on Fake Accounts ............................................................................................................................. 76 
Text 7. Apple Starts Connecting the Dots for Its Next Big Thing .................................. 79 
Text 8. What Sheryl Sandberg’s Exit Reveals About Women’s Progress 
in Tech .................................................................................................................................................. 81 
Text 9. The Man Who Controls Computers With His Mind ............................................. 85 
Text 10. ‘Allinllachu.’ Google Translate Adds Quechua to Its Platform ..................... 88 

Grammar reference ................................................................................................................................ 92 

Tests .............................................................................................................................................................. 98 
Variant 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 98 
Variant 2 ........................................................................................................................................... 100 
Variant 3 ........................................................................................................................................... 103 
Variant 4 ........................................................................................................................................... 105 
Variant 5 ........................................................................................................................................... 108 
Variant 6 ........................................................................................................................................... 110 

Control works ........................................................................................................................................ 114 
Control works 1 ............................................................................................................................. 114 
Control works 2 ............................................................................................................................. 115 
Control works 3 ............................................................................................................................. 116 
Control works 4 ............................................................................................................................. 117 
Control works 5 ............................................................................................................................. 118 

Memo ......................................................................................................................................................... 120 

Литература ............................................................................................................................................ 121 

Предисловие 

Учебное пособие предназначено для изучения дисциплин «Иностранный 
язык», «Иностранный в профессиональной сфере», которые относятся к базовой 
части профессионального цикла. 
Пособие предназначено для лиц, имеющих базовую начальную подготовку 
по английскому языку, овладевших грамматическим минимумом.  
Первый раздел пособия представлен текстами по специальности с дополнительными 
упражнениями по лексике и грамматике. Раздел поделен на 
темы. Все темы имеют единую структуру, что позволяет осуществлять поэтапное, 
целенаправленное формирование языковых речевых навыков и умений. 
Тренировка лексики и выполнение грамматических упражнений направлены 
на отработку и закрепление материала.  
Второй раздел представлен обобщающей лекцией по реферированию 
статей публицистических изданий на английском языке. Приведены клише и 
примеры для закрепления данной темы. 
Третий раздел определен как обобщающий. В нем представлены тексты 
для перевода, с целью закрепления лексического и грамматического материала. 
Представлен грамматический материал с тестами. Каждая грамматическая 
тема выделена в таблице.  
Учебное пособие предназначено для студентов, совершенствующих знания 
лексики и грамматики английского языка. Каждая тема включает систему 
упражнений, направленных на закрепление грамматических знаний, а также 
на развитие монологической и диалогической речи. 

Module I. Работа с текстом 

Unit 1. Development of electronics 

Exercise 1. Read the text. 

Words and word combinations: 
1) performance — рабочая характеристика; параметры; производительность; 
быстродействие 
2) to predict — прогнозировать
3) capability — способность; возможность
4) branch of science — область науки
5) to embrace — охватывать
6) circuit assembly — сборка схемы
7) film technique — пленочная технология
8) invisible to unaided eye — невидимый невооруженному глазу
9) to react — реагировать
10) speed of response — скорость реакции (отклика)
11) advantage/disadvantage — достоинство, преимущество / недостаток
12) benefit — выгода, польза; помогать, приносить пользу
13) to result from — возникать, происходить в результате
14) packing density — плотность упаковки
15) small-scale integrated circuit — малая интегральная схема
16) medium-scale 1С — средняя интегральная схема (СИС)
17) large-scale 1С — большая интегральная схема (БИС)
18) very-large-scale 1С — сверхбольшая интегральная схема
19) fineline — прецизионный; с элементами уменьшенных размеров
20) transmission line — линия передачи
21) waveguide — волновод
22) to emerge — появляться, возникать
23) to displace — перемещать, смещать
24) mode — вид, метод, способ; режим работы
25) pattern — шаблон, образец; образ, изображение
26) power — мощность, энергия, питание; производительность, быстродействие; 
способность, возможность 

Development of electronics 
Electronics is a field of engineering and applied physics dealing with the design 
and application of electronic circuits. The operation of circuits depends on the flow of 
electrons for generation, transmission, reception and storage of information. 
Today it is difficult to imagine our life without electronics. It surrounds us eve-
rywhere. Electronic devices are widely used in scientific research and industrial 
designing, they control the work of plants and power stations, calculate the trajecto-
ries of space-ships and help the people discover new phenomena of nature. Automa-
tization of production processes and studies on living organisms became possible 
due to electronics. 
The invention of vacuum tubes at the beginning of the 20th century was, the 
starting point of the rapid growth of modern electronics. Vacuum tubes assisted 

6 

 
in manipulation of signals. The development of a large variety of tubes designed for 
specialized functions made possible the progress in radio communication technology 
before the World War II and in the creation of early computers during and shortly 
after the war. 

 
The transistor invented by American scientists W. Shockly, J. Bardeen and  
W. Brattain in 1948 completely replaced the vacuum tube. The transistor, a small piece 
of a semiconductor with three electrodes, had great advantages over the best vacu-
um tubes. It provided the same functions as the vacuum tube but at reduced weight, 
cost, power consumption, and with high reliability. With the invention of the transis-
tor all essential circuit functions could be carried out inside solid bodies. The aim of 
creating electronic circuits with entirely solid-state components had finally been 
realized. Early transistors could respond at a rate of a few million times a second. 
This was fast enough to serve in radio circuits, but far below the speed needed for 
high speed computers or for microwave commu nication systems. 
The progress in semiconductor technology led to the development of the inte-
grated circuit (1С), which was discovered due to the efforts of John Kilby in 1958 there 
appeared a new field of science — integrated electronics. The essence of it is batch 
processing. Instead of making, testing and assembling discrete components on a chip 
one at a time, large groupings of these components together with their interconnec-
tions were made all at a time. 1С greatly reduced the size of devices, lowered manufac-
turing costs and at the same time they provided high speed and increased reliability. 

Exercise 2. Read the text again and find out if the following statements are 
true or false. 

1) Vacuum tubes did not assist in manipulation of signals. 
2) Nowadays our life it is difficult to imagine without electronics. 
3) The transistor had great advantages over the best vacuum tubes. 

7 

 
4) With the invention of the transistor all essential circuit functions could not 
be carried out inside solid bodies. 
5) There appeared an old field of science — integrated electronics. 
6) Early transistors could not respond at a rate of a few million times a second. 

Exercise 3. Answer the following questions. 

1) What is electronics? 
2) Can you imagine modern life without electronics? 
3) Where are electronic devices used? 
4) What was the beginning of electronics development? 
5) What made the progress in radio communication technology possible? 
6) What is the transistor? 
7) What aim was realized with the invention of the transistor? 
8) When were integrated circuits discovered? 
9) What advantages did the transistors have over the vacuum tubes? 

Exercise 4. Give the English equivalents for. 

Прикладная физика; передача и прием информации; поток электронов; 
трудно представить; научные исследования; промышленное проектирование; 
вычислять траекторию космических кораблей; обнаруживать явления природы; 
благодаря электронике; отправная точка; способствовать управлению 
сигналами; быстрый рост; разнообразие ламп; создание первых компьютеров; 
полностью заменил; полупроводниковый кристалл; уменьшить вес; сократить 
стоимость; потребление электроэнергии; высокая надежность; твердотельные 
компоненты; довольно быстро… но гораздо ниже; высокоскоростной компьютер; 
микроволновые системы связи; полупроводниковая технология; область 
науки; интегральная схема; пакетная обработка; сборка дискретных компонентов 
на кристалле; снизить производственные затраты; обеспечить высокую 
скорость. 

Exercise 5. Choose the correct form of the verb. 

1) The program … by a boy. 
a) was write 
b) was written 
c) were written 

2) The computer … to my brother by my mom. 
a) were bought 
b) was buy 
c) was bought 

3) Most of people … the networks only for sending and receiving e-mail mes-
sages. 
a) use 
b) did not use 
c) uses 

Exercise 6. Match the English words to their Russian meanings. 

1) very-large-scale
a) большая интегральная схема

2) integrated electronics
b) сборка схемы

3) film technique
c) невидимый невооруженному глазу

4) large-scale 
d) сборка дискретных компонентов

на кристалле

5) semiconductor technology
e) интегрированная электроника

8 

 

6) circuit assembly 
f) пленочная технология

7) application of electronic circuits
g) сверхбольшая интегральная схема

8) the Assembly of discrete components 

on a chip

h) способствовать управлению

сигналами

9) invisible to unaided eye
i) применение электронных систем

10) to facilitate the control signals
j) полупроводниковые технологии

Exercise 7. Complete the following sentences using the text above. 

1) It is difficult to imagine … … … … … . 
2) The transistor is … … … … … . 
3) Transistors could respond … … … … . 
4) The operation … … … . 
5) Electronic devices … … … … . 

Exercise 8. Translate the sentences from English into Russian. 

The invention of vacuum tubes at the beginning of the 20th century was, the 
starting point of the rapid growth of modern electronics. Vacuum tubes assisted in 
manipulation of signals. The development of a large variety of tubes designed for 
specialized functions made possible the progress in radio communication technology 
before the World War II and in the creation of early computers during and shortly 
after the war. 

Exercise 9. Make up the plan of the text and retell it according to the plan (not 
less than 100 words). 

Unit 2. Scientific and technological progress 

Exercise 1. Read the text. 

Scientific and Technological Progress 
It’s difficult to overestimate the role of science and technology in our life. They 
accelerate the development of civilization and help us in our co-operation with na-
ture. Scientists investigate the laws of the universe, discover the secrets of nature, 
and apply their knowledge in practice improving the life of people. 
Let’s compare our life nowadays with the life of people at the beginning of the 
20th century. It has changed beyond recognition. Our ancestors hadn’t the slightest 
idea of the trivial things created by the scientific progress that we use in our every 
day life. I mean refrigerators, TV sets, computers, microwave ovens, radio telephones, 
what not. They would seem miracle to them that made our life easy, comfortable and 
pleasant. On the other hand, the great inventions of the beginning of the 20th century, 
I mean radio, aeroplanes, combustion and jet engines have become usual things and 
we can’t imagine our life without them. 
A century is a long period for scientific and technological progress, as it’s rather 
rapid. Millions of investigations, the endless number of outstanding discoveries have 
been made. Our century has had several names that were connected with a certain era 
in science and technology. At first it was called the atomic age due to the discovery  
of the splitting of the atom. Then it became the age of the conquest of space when  

9 

 
for the first time in the history of mankind a man overcame the gravity and entered 
the Universe. And now we live in the information era when the computer network 
embraces the globe and connects not only the countries and space stations but a lot 
of people all over the world. All these things prove the power and the greatest pro-
gressive role of science in our life. 
But every medal has its reverse. And the rapid scientific progress has aroused a 
number of problems that are a matter of our great concern. These are ecological prob-
lems, the safety of nuclear power stations, the nuclear war threat, and the responsi-
bility of a scientist. 
But still we are grateful to the outstanding men of the past and the present 
who have courage and patience to disclose the secrets of the Universe. 

Words and word combinations: 
1) to accelerate — ускорить 
2) to investigate — исследовать 
3) a universe — вселенная 
4) to apply — обращаться 
5) to improve — улучшать 
6) an ancestor — предок 
7) a combustion — сгорание 
8) a miracle — чудо 
9) rapid — быстрый 
10) splitting — сильная 
11) a conquest — покорение 
12) a mankind — человечество 
13) to overcome — преодолеть 
14) a gravity — серьезность 
15) to reverse — переставлять 
16) to arouse — вызывать 
17) a concern — интерес 
18) a treat — развлечение 
19) a courage — смелость 
20) to disclose — обнаруживать 

Exercise 2. Give the English equivalents for. 

Ускорять развитие цивилизации, исследовать законы вселенной, изменяться 
до не узнавания, казаться чудом, век завоевании космоса, впервые в 
истории человечества, выходить во вселенную, пробуждать большое количество 
проблем, причина интереса, иметь храбрость и терпение, обнаружить 
секреты. 

Exercise 3. Complete the following sentences using the text above. 

1) We live in the information … … … … … . 
2) Scientists investigate the … … … … … . 
3) These are ecological … … … … . 
4) It became the age of … … … … . 
5) We are grateful to … … … . 

10 

 
Exercise 4. Answer the questions. 

1) What accelerates the development of civilization and helps us in our coop-
eration with nature? 
2) How did our life change from the beginning of the 20th century? 
3) What names has our century? 
4) What outstanding discoveries in our century do you know? 
5) What problems has the rapid scientific progress? 

Exercise 5. Choose the right variant. 

1) … a lot of computers all over the world. 
a) There were 
b) There are 
c) There is 
d) There was 

2) … ecological problem. 
a) There are 
b) There is 
c) There were  
d) There was 

3) … refrigerators, TV set, computers, microwave oven, radio telephones. 
a) There are 
b) There is 
c) There were 
d) There was 

4) … refrigerator, TV sets, computer, microwave ovens, radio telephone. 
a) There are 
b) There is 
c) There were 
d) There was 

5) … names that were connected with a certain era in science and technology. 
a) There are 
b) There is 
c) There were 
d) There was 

Exercise 6. Match the English words to their Russian meanings. 

1) the scientific progress
a) реактивные двигатели

2) the splitting of the atom
b) великие изобретения

3) the conquest of space
c) атомный век

4) the gravity
d) бесконечный ряд

5) investigation
e) человечество

6) a mankind
f) покорение космоса 

7) the great inventions
g) научный прогресс

8) the atomic age
h) гравитация

9) jet engines
i) расщепление атома

10) the endless number
j) исследование

Unit 3. History of computers 

Exercise 1. Read the text. 

Words and word combinations: 
1) calculating device — вычислительное устройство 
2) multiple — кратный 
3) abacus — счеты 
4) slide rule — логарифмическая линейка 
5) logarithm table — логарифмическая таблица 
6) calculus — исчисление; математический анализ 
7) general-purpose — общего назначения, универсальный 
8) to cut out the human being altogether — полностью исключить человека 

11 

 
9) to manipulate — обрабатывать, преобразовывать; управлять 
10) data processing — обработка данных (информации) 
11) tabulate the census — занести данные по переписи (населения) в таблицу 

12) means of coding — средства кодирования (шифровки) 
13) to punch the holes — пробивать отверстия 
14) punched card — перфокарта 
15) to perform — выполнять, производить (действие); осуществлять; 
16) unit of data — единица информации  
17) keyboard terminals — терминал (вывод) с клавишным управлением 
18) proliferation — размножение, быстрое увеличение 

The first calculating devices 

 
Let us take a look at the history of computers that we know today. The very 
first calculating device used was the ten fingers of a man’s hands. This, in fact, is why 
today we still count in tens and multiples of tens. 
Then the abacus was invented. People went on using some form of abacus well 
into the 16th century, and it is still being used in some parts of the world because it 
can be understood without knowing how to read. 
During the 17th and 18th centuries many people tried to find easy ways of calcu-
lating. J. Napier, a Scotsman, invented a mechanical way of multiplying and dividing, 
which is now the modern slide rale works. Henry Briggs used Napier’s ideas to pro-
duce logarithm tables which all mathematicians use today. 

12