Text a Running the computer program

The operating system is a collection of program provided by the computer's manufacturer that allows us to schedule jobs for the computer, to translate source programs into object programs, to sort data stored on secondary storage devices, and to copy data from any input device to any output device. These programs are called control programs, language programs and utility programs.

The control program (often called the supervisor, monitor, or executive) is a main-storage-resident program. Its functions are to schedule jobs, schedule input and output for our programs, and to monitor the execution of our programs.

The language processors are programs that translate source programs into object programs. There are three types of language processors: assemblers, compilers, and interpreters. Each language has its own language processor.

The service programs are programs that are commonly used in all data processing centers. They have functions that are required by everyone using a computer. Examples of service programs include linkage editors to prepare object programs for execution, a librarian to catalog programs into a library area on magnetic disc, utility programs to transfer data from device to device, and sort-merge programs for sorting data on magnetic tape or disk.

Text b The conversion of symbolic languages

As we see, most of the symbolic languages are oriented toward the particular application areas of business or science (math). The one problem with all symbolic languages is that none of them can be understood by a computer. The symbolic languages may say AP, ADD, or use a "plus" sign to indicate an addition step, but the only thing that means addition to a computer is its binary machine code. We have symbolic programs that are relatively easy for humans to understand, but they cannot be understood by computers. On the other hand, we have machine code that is understood by the computer, but it is difficult for humans to use. The solution is a translator that translates the symbolic program into machine code. The translator allows the human to work with relatively easy-to-understand symbolic languages and it allows the computer to follow instructions in machine code. The translation of symbolic instructions to machine code is accomplished through the use of a program called a language processor. There are three types of language processors. They are called assemblers, compilers, and interpreters. Each translates symbolic instructions to machine code, but each does it differently.

(The translator is a program itself. It is part of a group of programs, called the operating systems that help us to use the computer.)

Text c Testing the computer program

There are two kinds of errors or bugs with which programmers must deal. The first type is the coding error. Such errors are syntax errors that prevent the language processor from successfully translating the source program to object program code. The language processor identifies the nature and the location of the error on the source program listing, so these errors are relatively easy to find and correct. The second type of bug is the logic error. The computer program can be successfully translated, but the program does not produce the desired results. These errors are generally much more difficult to find and to correct than are coding errors. Logic errors can be avoided through careful planning of the program logic, but it is the programmer's responsibility to test thoroughly all of the program's functions, in order to verify that the program performs according to specifications.

There are many tools provided to the programmer to help in debugging the program logic. These tools are called debug packages or tracing routines. They assist the programmer in following the logic by printing out calculation results and field values used in making logic decisions in the program. In a few cases it may be necessary to use a memory dump — a printout of the instructions and date held in the computer's memory — in order to find the cause of logic errors.

UNIT II

OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS

Text I

Operational systems

EXERCISE 1

Read and translate the text.

When computers were first introduced in the 1940’s and 50’, every programme written had to provide instructions that told the computer how to use devices such as the printer, how to store information on a disk, as well as how to perform several other tasks not necessarily related to the programme. The additional programme instructions for working with hardware devices were very complex and time-consuming. Programmers soon realized it would be smarter to develop one programme that could control the computer’s hardware, which other programmes could use when they needed it. They created the first operating system.

Today, operating systems control and manage the use of hardware devices such as the printer or mouse. They also provide disk management by letting you store information in files. The operating system also lets you run programmes such as the basic word processor. Lastly, the operating system provides several of its own commands that help you to use the computer.

DOS is the most commonly used PC operating system. DOS is an abbreviation for disk operating system. DOS was developed by a company named Microsoft. MS-DOS is an abbreviation for “Microsoft DOS”. When IBM first released the IBM PC in 1981, IBM licensed DOS from Microsoft for use on the PC and called it PC-DOS. From the users’ perspective, PC-DOS and MS-DOS are the same, each providing the same capabilities and commands.

The version of DOS released in 1981 was 1.0. Over the past decade, DOS has undergone several changes. Each time the DOS developers release a new version, they increase the version number.

Window NT (net technology) is an operating system developed by Microsoft. NT is an enhanced version of the popular Microsoft Windows 3.0, 3.1 programmes. NT requires a 386 processor or greater and 8 Mb of RAM. For the best performance, you have to use a 486 processor with about 16 Mb or higher. Unlike the Windows, which runs on top of DOS, Windows NT is an operating system itself. However, NT is DOS compatible. The advantage of using NT over Windows is that NT makes better use of the PC’s memory management capabilities.

OS/2 is a PC operating system created by IBM. Like NT, OS/2is DOS compatible and provides a graphical user interface that lets you run programmers with a click of a mouse. Also like NT, OS/2 performs best when you are using a powerful system. Many IBM-based PCs are shipped with OS/2 preinstalled.

UNIX is a multi-user operating system that allows multiple users to access the system. Traditionally, UNIX was run on a larger mini computers to which users accessed the systems using terminals and not PC’s. UNIX allowed each user to simultaneously run the programmes they desired. Unlike NT and OS/2, UNIX is not DOS compatible. Most users wouldn’t purchase UNIX for their own use.

Windows 95 and 98, are still the most popular user-oriented systems with a friendly interface and multitasking capabilities. The usage of Windows 95 and its enhanced version Windows 98 is so simple that even little kids learn how to use it very quickly. Windows 95 and 98 are DOS compatible.

The new series of operating system by Microsoft are Windows Millennium, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Each of these new products is addressed to the both corporate and private clients. New strategy of the Microsoft is aimed at creating “a one of all” product, which will be useful for both the beginners and advanced users.

EXERCISE 2

Learn the following words and expressions.

complex - сложный

to consume - потреблять

consumer - потребитель

torealize – понять, осознать

smart - умный

decade – декада, десятилетие

simultaneously - одновременно

top – верх, вершина

ontopofDOS – «сверху», наосновеДОС

with a click of a mouse – однимщелчкомкнопкимыши

toship - поставлять

multipleusers – многочисленные пользователи

EXERCISE3

Translate words and choose the right meaning for the word:

1.Выполнять

1. activate, b)investigate, c)delete, d)perform

2.обеспечивать

1. instruct, b)promote, c)provide, d)deal

3.программа

a) command, b)control, c)programme, d)system

4.разрабатывать

a) discover, b) delete, c) edit, d) develop

5.загружать

a) insert, b) boot, c) process, d) realize

6.удалять

a) manage, b)install, c)run, d)delete

7.редактировать

a)switch, b) edit, c)store, d)fill

8.совместимый

a) interchangeable, b) dependable, c) compatible, d) portable

9.улучшенный

a) enhanced, b) enlarged, c) entered, d) enriched

EXERCISE 4

Answer the questions about the text.

1. What problems did programmers face in the 1940’s and 1950’s?

2. Why were the first programmes “complex” and “time consuming”?

3. What are the basic functions of operating system?

4. What does the abbreviation DOS mean?

5. What company developed the first version of DOS operating system?

6. What is the difference between the PC-DOS and MS-DOS?

7. What does the abbreviation NT stand for?

8.Who is the developer of OS/2?

9.What makes UNIX so different from the other operational systems?

10.What are the special features of Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000?

EXERCISE5

Here is the list of operational systems mentioned in the text. Fill in the blanks using the right abbreviation.

1. UNIX

2. DOS

3. NT

4. OS/2

5. Windows 95

1. Like NT, … is DOS compatible and provides a graphical user interface that lets you run programmes with a click of a mouse.

2. … is the most commonly used PC operating system.

3. … is a multi-user operating system that allows multiple users to access the system.

4. … is an operating system developed by Microsoft, an enhanced version of the popular Microsoft Windows programmes.

5. The usage of … is so simple that even little kids learn how to use it very quickly.

EXERCISE 6

True or false? Read and translate the statements. Correct the false ones.

1. When computers were first introduced in 40’s and 50’s programmers had to write programmes to instruct CD-ROMs, lasers, printers and scanners.

2. The operational system controls and manages the use of the hardware and the memory.

3. There are no commands available in operating systems, they are only in word processors.

4. Microsoft developed MS-DOS to compete with IBM’s PC-DOS.

5. NT requires computers with 486 CPU and 16 Mb random access memory.

6. OS/2 is DOS compatible because it was developed by Microsoft.

7. Traditionally, UNIX was run by many users simultaneously.

8. Windows 95 and Windows 98 are DOS compatible and have “friendly” and convenient interface.

EXERCISE7

Translate the sentences into English.

1.Современные операционные системы контролируют использование системного оборудования, например, принтера и мыши.

2.С точки зрения пользователя, операционные системы PC-DOS и MS-DOS идентичны, с равными возможностями и набором системных команд.

3. OS/2 являетсяDOS – совместимой операционной системой, позволяющей запускать программы при помощи графического интерфейса пользователя. 4.Дополнительные программы для работы с устройствами системного оборудования были очень сложны и поглощали много времени.

5.Операционная система также позволяет запускать программы, такие как простейший текстовый редактор.

6. DOS – наиболее распространенная операционная система для персонального компьютера.

EXERCISE8

Act the dialogue. Translate it. Learn it by heart.

A: Galaxy Computer Supplies.

B: Extension 143, please.

A: Hold on.

C: Overseas Sales. Who’s calling, please?

B: Hello. This is Christopher Terrien of RGF France. I’d like to place an order.

C: Certainly, Monsieur Terrien. Go ahead.

B: We need 40 lap-top computers – NC-200. Do you have them in stock?

C: Yes, we do. Is that an urgent order?

B: Not really. You can deliver them in one month. Quote us your price CIF, please.

C: OK. Anything else?

B: Yes. I’d like to find out about a guarantee and terms of payment. Well, yes, one more thing: if we could consider a 30% discount?

C: We can give you a 20% discount, Monsieur. Anyway, you are given a two-year guarantee and you have 60 days to pay.

B: Deal! Thank you.

C: Tell me the delivery address, please. Would you confirm this order in writing, please, Monsieur Terrien?

B: Of course.

C: Thank you very much.

B: Good-bye.

EXERCISE 9

Read and translate the text with the dictionary. Write down 5 special questions to the content of the text.

William H.Gates,

Chairman and Chief Software Architect in

Microsoft Corporation

William (Bill) gates is a chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft has revenues of US$ 36.84 billion, and employs more that 55.000 people in 85 countries and regions.

While at Harvard, Gates developed a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer – the MITS Altair.

In 1999, Gates wrote Business @ the Speed of Thought, a book that shows how computer technology can solve business problems in fundamentally new ways. The book was published in 25 languages and is available in more than 60 countries. Gates has donated the proceeds of the book to non-profit organizations that support the use of technology in education and skills development.

Philanthropy is so important to Gates. He has endowed a foundation with more than $27 billion to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning, with the hope that in the 21 century advances in these critical areas will be available for all people, especially from low-income communities in the United States and Canada.

EXERCISE 10

Discuss the following questions in class.

1. Computer society thinks that Intel company, the most powerful CPU producer, has an agreement with Microsoft corporation that the letter will develop more sophisticated, large and demanding software to force users to buy new processors and upgrade their computers. Do you think this might be true? How does this suggestion correlate with Windows 2000 and Microsoft Office 2000? Do you think that Bill Gates’ monopoly on Windows operating systems is very dangerous for the competition and price-making process?

2. Ask anyone in your group who has a computer if Windows 98 is better than Windows 2000? Why and why not?

UNIT III

COMPUTER VIRUSES

Text I

What We Call aComputer Virus

EXERCISE 1

Read and translate the text.

The word “virus” is used in the same sense as the biological equivalent to describe all kinds of malware (malicious software), including worms or Trojans. A computer virus is a computer program written to alter the way a computer operates, without the permission or knowledge of the user. A true virus must replicate itself, and must execute itself. A computer virus will pass from one computer to another like a real biological virus passes from person to person. For example, it is estimated by experts that the Mydoom worm infected a quarter-million computers in a single day in January 2004. There are tens of thousands of viruses out there, and new ones are discovered every day. Here is the classification of basic types of viruses.

Viruses can be subdivided into a number of types, the main ones being: Boot sector viruses, Companion viruses, Email viruses, Logic bombs and time bombs, Macro viruses.

Two other types of malware are often classified as viruses, but are actually forms of distributing malware: Trojan horses and Worms.

A boot sector virus affects the boot sector of a hard disk, which is a very crucial part. The boot sector is where all information about the drive is stored, along with a program that makes it possible for the operating system to boot up. By inserting its code into the boot sector, a virus guarantees that it loads into memory during every boot sequence. A boot virus does not affect files; instead, it affects the disks that contain them. During the days when programs were carried around on floppies, the boot sector viruses used to spread like wildfire. However, with the CD-ROM revolution, it became impossible to infect pre-written data on a CD, which eventually stopped such viruses from spreading. Examples of boot viruses are Polyboot.B and AntiEXE.

Multipartite viruses are a combination of boot sector viruses and file viruses. These viruses come in through infected media and reside in memory. They then move on to the boot sector of the hard drive. From there, the virus infects executable files on the hard drive and spreads across the system. There aren’t too many multipartite viruses in existence today, but in their heyday, they accounted for some major problems due to their capacity to combine different infection techniques. A significantly famous multipartite virus is Ywinz.

A logic bomb employs code that lies inert until specific conditions are met. The resolution of the conditions will trigger a certain function (such as printing a message to the user and/or deleting files). Logic bombs may reside within standalone programs, or they may be part of worms or viruses. An example of a logic bomb would be a virus that waits to execute until it has infected a certain number of hosts. A time bomb is a subset of logic bomb, which is set to trigger on a particular date and/or time. An example of a time bomb is the infamous ‘Friday the 13th’ virus.

Macro Viruses infect files that are created using certain applications or programs that contain macros. These include Microsoft Office documents such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, Access databases, and other similar application files such as Corel Draw, AmiPro, etc. Since macro viruses are written in the language of the application, and not in that of the operating system, they are known to be platform-independent—they can spread between Windows, Mac, and any other system, so long as they’re running the required application. With the ever-increasing capabilities of macro languages in applications, and the possibility of infections spreading over net-works, these viruses are major threats. The first macro virus was written for Microsoft Word and was discovered back in August 1995. Today, there are thousands of macro viruses in existence—some examples are Relax, Melissa.A and Bablas.

The only function of Trojans is to destroy and delete files. They can automatically delete all the core system files on your machine. The Trojan could be controlled by the attacker or could be programmed to strike like logic bomb-starting on a specific day or at specific hour. Trojans are aimed to generate a lot of internet traffic on the victim’s machine, to the extent that the Internet connection is too overloaded to let the user visit a website or download anything. They infect as many machines as possible and simultaneously attack specific e-mail addresses with random subjects and contents that cannot be filtered.

Computer Worms are programs that reproduce and run independently, and travel across network connections. The main difference between viruses and worms is the method in which they reproduce and spread. A virus is dependent upon a host file or boot sector, and the transfer of files between machines to spread, while a worm can run completely independently and spread of its own accord through network connections. The security threat of worms is equivalent to that of a virus. Worms are capable of doing a whole range of damage such as destroying essential files in your system, slowing it down to a great extent, or even causing some essential programs to crash. Two famous examples of worms are the MS-Blaster and Sesser worms.

EXERCISE 2

Learn the following words and expressions.

Malware (malicioussoftware) – поражающиевирусомпрограммы

malicious – злонамеренный, злокозненный

malevolent - недоброжелательный

crucial – значительный, ключевой

tobootup – загружаться, выполнять начальную загрузку

spreadlikewildfire - распространяться со сверхъестественной быстротой

toreside – обитать, пребывать

intheirheyday – в зените славы, расцвета

topropagate – распространяться

notorious - пользующийся дурной славой; печально известный; пресловутый;

vulnerable – уязвимый

dormant – дремлющий, потенциальный, скрытый

topinpoint – указать точно, засечь

breed – племя

a generic term – общееназвание

in common parlance - впросторечии

benign - добрый, милостивый

perse - сам по себе, по существу

EXERCISE 3

Answer the questions after reading the text.

• What viruses do you know?

• Where is the word ‘virus’ derived from? Do you know its plural form?

• Have you ever experienced destroying activity of any virus?

• Make a list of damages caused by viruses.

• What anti-virus programme do you have in your computer? Do you find it safe enough?EXERCISE

EXERCISE 4

Words can combine to make new compound words. Look at the examples. Then make as many compounds as you can combining a word from A with a word from B. Check the meaning.

Example: a computer program; an E-mail address

A		B
computer			program
E-mail			address
companion	file		bomb	spreadsheets
time	Logic		sector	databases
boot	data		loss	reformatting
system	new-age		crash	application
Excel	Access		browser	memory
web	hard disk		virus	software
Macro

EXERCISE EXERCISE 5

Look through the text about viruses again. Write questions to the answers.

____________________________________ ?

a. To replicate itself and execute itself.

____________________________________ ?

b. Like a real biological virus.

____________________________________ ?

c. In January, 2004.

____________________________________ ?

d. Trojan horses and worms.

____________________________________ ?

e. It doesn’t affect files.

____________________________________ ?

f. A combination of boot sector viruses and file viruses.

____________________________________ ?

g. It lies inert until specific conditions are met.

____________________________________ ?

h. ‘Friday the 13th’ virus.

____________________________________ ?

i. They are known to be platform-independent.

_ ___________________________________ ?

j. To destroy and delete files.

____________________________________ ?

k. It is the method in which they reproduce and spread.

EXERCISEEXERCISE 6

Open brackets. Use the correct form of an adverb (Present Participle or Past Participle).

1. A computer virus is a computer program (written/writing) to alter the way a computer operates.

2. Multipartite viruses come in through (infected/infecting) media and reside in memory.

3. With the (increased/increasing) capabilities of macro languages in applications, macro viruses are major threats.

4. The user often finds the banners (annoying/annoyed).

5. Trojans can also open back doors so that computer hackers can gain access to passwords and other personal information (storing/stored) on a computer.

6. The first PC virus was a boot sector virus (calling/called) (c)Brain, created in 1986 by two brothers, Basit and Amjad Farooq Alvi from Pakistan.

7. Traditional computer viruses emerged in the 1980s, (driven/driving) by the spread of personal computers.

8. If a user tries to start an (infecting/infected) program, the virus code may be executed first.

9. Some viruses try to avoid detection by killing the tasks (associated/associating) with antivirus software before it can detect them.

10. As computers and operating systems grow larger and more complex, old hiding techniques need to be (updated/updating) or (replaced/replacing).

EXERCISEEXERCISE 7

All these sentences are false. Make them negative to obtain the right answer.

1. Boot sector viruses were prevalent in the 1980s. (Not nowadays)

2. A companion virus has host files per se.

3. However, the slow infector approach does not seem very successful.

4. Windows XP uses the MS-DOS command prompt.

5. Trojan horses are viruses in the strict sense because they can replicate automatically.

6. Computer viruses come into existence spontaneously, they are likely to be created by bugs in regular programs.

7. Resident viruses search for hosts when they are started.

8. This approach fools anti-virus software, however.

9. Anti-virus software changes the underlying capability of host software to transmit viruses.

EXERCISE EXERCISE8

Find in the text sentences containing a word or a group of words from the following. Read them out and translate.

In the same sense, all kinds of malware, in a single day, along with, used to spread like wildfire, in their heyday, infamous, eventually, on a specific day or at specific hour, to a great extent

EXERCISE EXERCISE 9

Work in pairs. Share opinions about.

1) computer viruses and their way of spreading;

2) boot sector viruses;

3) multipartite viruses;

4) alogic bomb;

5) macro viruses;

6) Trojan horses;

7) computer worms.