UNIT 1. INTRODUCTION. TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTION.
Read Text B. USES OF COMPUTER NETWORKS
Business Applications
Most companies have a substantial number of computers. For example, a company may have a computer for each worker and use them to design products, write brochures, and do the payroll. Initially, some of these computers may have worked in isolation from the others, but at some point, management may have decided to connect them to be able to distribute information throughout the company.
The issue here is resource sharing. The goal is to make all programs, equipment, and especially data available to anyone on the network without regard to the physical location of the resource or the user. An obvious and widespread example is having a group of office workers share a common printer.
However, probably even more important is sharing information. Companies small and large are vitally dependent on computerized information. Most companies have customer records, product information, inventories, financial statements, tax information, and much more online. If all of its computers suddenly went down, a bank could not last more than five minutes. Networks called VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) may be used to join the individual networks at different sites into one extended network.
Home Applications
People initially bought computers for word processing and games. Recently, the biggest reason to buy a home computer was probably for Internet access. Now, many consumer electronic devices, such as set-top boxes, game consoles, and clock radios, come with embedded computers and computer networks, especially wireless networks, and home networks are broadly used for entertainment, including listening to, looking at, and creating music, photos, and videos.
Internet access provides home users with connectivityto remote computers. As with companies, home users can access information, communicate with other people, and buy products and services with e-commerce. The main benefit now comes from connecting outside of the home. Bob Metcalfe, the inventor of Ethernet, hypothesized that the value of a network is proportional to the square of the number of users because this is roughly the number of different connections that may be made.
Mobile Users
Mobile computers, such as laptop and handheld computers, are one of the fastest-growing segments of the computer industry. Their sales have already overtaken those of desktop computers. People on the go often want to use their mobile devices to read and send email, tweet, watch movies, download music, play games, or simply to surf the Web for information.
They want to do all of the things they do at home and in the office. Naturally, they want to do them from anywhere on land, sea or in the air.
Social Issues
Computer networks, like the printing press 500 years ago, allow ordinary citizens to distribute and view content in ways that were not previously possible. But along with the good comes the bad, as this new-found freedom brings with it many unsolved social, political, and ethical issues.
Social networks, message boards, content sharing sites, and a host of other applications allow people to share their views with like-minded individuals. As long as the subjects are restricted to technical topics or hobbies like gardening, not too many problems will arise. The trouble comes with topics that people actually care about, like politics, religion, or sex. Views that are publicly posted may be deeply offensive to some people. Worse yet, they may not be politically correct.
Furthermore, opinions need not be limited to text; high-resolution color photographs and video clips are easily shared over computer networks. Some people take a live-and-let-live view, but others feel that posting certain material (e.g., verbal attacks on particular countries or religions, pornography, etc.) is simply unacceptable and that such content must be censored. Different countries have different and conflicting laws in this area.
(3 285 symbols)
Vocabulary List ________________________________________________
substantial – существенный, значительный, важный
payroll – платежная ведомость
available – доступный, имеющийся, налицо, имеющийся в наличии, access – доступ
set-top box – декодер каналов кабельного телевидения;
entertainment – развлечение
VOCABULARY SECTION
Exercise 1. Find English equivalents in Text B:
большое количество компьютеров, для разработки продукта, рассчитывать заработную плату, первоначально, совместное пользование ресурсами, сделать доступными для всех, не зависимо от, пользоваться одним принтером, очень зависят от, клиентская база данных, товарные запасы, финансовая отчетность, расширенная сеть, бытовая электроника, встроенные компьютеры, электронная торговля, локальная сеть, самый быстрорастущий сегмент, на ходу, наряду с хорошим есть и плохое, форумы, сайты по обмену тематической информацией, множество других приложений, одинаково мыслящий, очень оскорбительны, живи и давай жить другим, должен подвергаться цензуре, противоречащие друг другу законы.
Exercise 2. Answer the questions:
1. What are computers used in offices for?
2. What are the advantages of computer networks office workers?
3. What information can be computerized by companies?
4. Why do people buy computers for?
5. What do many consumer electronic devices have nowadays?
6. What does Internet access provide home users with?
7. What is the fastest-growing segments of the computer industry?
8. What can people do with mobile devices?
9. What is the advantage of mobile devices?
10. What are the possibilities of computer networks?
11. What are their advantages?
12. What are their disadvantages?
13. How do people communicate through computer networks?
14. What problems arise with social networks?
15. How to your mind to deal with these problems?
Exercise 3. Fill in the gaps with proper words:
Computer Networks: Business Applications
Following are some business 1) _________ of computer networks:
Resource Sharing. The goal is to make all programs, equipment (like printers etc), and especially data, 2) ____________to anyone on the network without regard to the 3) ____________location of the resource and the user.
Server-Client model. One can imagine a company's information system as consisting of one or more 4) __________and some employees who need to access it remotely. In this model, the data is 5) ___________on powerful computers called Servers. Often these are centrally housed and maintained by a system 6)____________. In contrast, the employees have simple machines, called Clients, on their desks, using which they 7) __________ remote data.
Communication Medium. A computer network can provide a powerful communication 8) ___________ among employees. Virtually every company that has two or more computers now has e-mail (electronic mail), which employees generally use for a great deal of daily 9)____________.
eCommerce. A goal that is starting to become more important in businesses is doing business with consumers over the Internet. Airlines, bookstores and music vendors have discovered that many customers like the convenience of 10) ___________from home. This sector is expected to grow quickly in the future.
applications, access, medium, databases, communication, shopping, administrator, available, stored, physical