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Unit 3

Text Study: Operating System.

Additional Text:  UNIX Operating System.

Grammar: The Future Continuous Tense.

Text  Study

I. Pre-reading Exercises

1. Repeat the words in chorus:

Keyboard, purchase, successfully, occur, initialized, simultaneously, request, designed, circumstances, through, frequently.

2. While reading the text you will come across a number of new words. Try to guess what Ukrainian words they remind of you:

Physically, package, series, chronological, termination, cables, initialization, resources, normally, functioning, concurrently, multiprogramming, potion.

3. Pay attention to some grammatical points:

1) You can think of these as the parts you are able to touch physically. 2) The operating system is the component that on one side manages and controls the hardware and on the other manages the applications. 3) Various pieces of hardware need to be initialized.  4) It is the operating system’s job to manage execution of the application. 5) Some operating systems are adopted as ’’industry standards’’ and these are the ones which should be evaluated because they normally have a good software base. 6) The cost of software is likely to be lower in such circumstances as the development costs are spread over a greater number of users, both actual and potential.

II. Reading

Read the text and be ready to answer the following questions:

  • What is an operating system?
  • How does it work?
  • What operating systems are there?

  Operating System

An operating system is an important part of a computer system.   A computer system is built from three general components: the hardware, the operating system, and the applications.  The hardware includes pieces such as a central processing unit (CPU), a keyboard, a hard drive and a printer.  You can think of   these as the parts you are able to touch physically. Applications are why you use computers; they use the rest of the system to perform the desired task (for example, play a game, edit a memo, send electronic mail). The operating system is the component that on one side manages and controls the hardware and on the other manages the applications.

When you purchase a computer system, you must have at least hardware and an operating system. The hardware you purchase is able to use (or run) one or more different operating systems.  You can purchase a computer package, which includes the hardware, the operating system, and possibly one or more applications.  The operating system is necessary in order to manage the hardware and applications.

When you turn on your computer, the operating system performs a series of tasks, presented here in chronological order.

One of the first things you do, after successfully plugging together cables and components, is turn on your computer. The operating system takes care of all the starting functions that must occur to get your computer to a usable state.  Various pieces of hardware need to be initialized. After the start-up procedure is complete, the operating system awaits further instructions. If you shut down the computer, the operating system also has a procedure that makes sure all the hardware is shut down correctly.  Before turning your computer of again, you might want to do something useful, which means that one or more applications are executed.

After the operating system completes hardware initialization, you can execute an application. The executing application is called a process. It is the operating system’s job to manage execution of the application. When you execute a program, the operating system creates a new process. Many processes can exist simultaneously. This process is referred to as multitasking. When you exit your program (or it finishes executing) the process terminates, and the operating system manages the termination by reclaiming any resources that were being used. Most applications perform some tasks between the time the process is created and the time it terminates. To perform these tasks, the program makes requests to the operating system, and the operating system responds to the requests and allocates necessary resources to the program.  When an executing process needs to use some hardware, the operating system provides access for the process.

To perform its task, a process may need to access hardware resources. The process may need to read or write a file, send data to a network card (to communicate with another computer), or send data to a printer. The operating system provides such services for the process.  This is referred to as resource allocation. A piece of hardware is a resource, and the operating system allocates available resources to the different processes that are running.

All computers do not use the same operating systems. It is therefore important to assess the operating system used on a particular model before initial commitment because some software is only designed to run under the control of specific operating systems. Some operating systems are adopted as   ’’industry standards’’ and these are the ones which should be evaluated because they normally have a good software base. The reason for this is that software houses are willing to expand resources on the development of application packages for machines functioning under the control of an operating system which is widely used. The cost of software is likely to be lower in such circumstances as the development costs are spread over a greater number of users, both actual and potential.

Mainframe computers usually process several application programs concurrently, switching from one to the other, for the purpose of increasing processing productivity. This is known as multiprogramming, which requires a powerful operating system. An operating system is stored on disk and has to be booted into the internal memory (RAM) where it must reside through processing so that commands are instantly available. The operating system commands may exceed the internal memory capacity of the computer in which case only that potion of the operating system which is frequently used is retained internally, other modules being read in from disk as required.

Vocabulary Notes

to edit  редагувати

memo – повідомлення, пам’ятка

to manage-  керувати, управляти, організовувати процес (координувати)

to occur [q'kW]відбуватися, траплятися

to completeзавершувати, закінчувати

simultaneously ["sIm(q)l'teInslI]одночасно

multitaskingвиконання значної кількості завдань одночасно

to terminate  - завершувати

terminationзавершення

to reclaim – відновлення

a request [rI'kwqst] запит

to allocate – розміщувати

allocation - розміщення

to access ['xkses] отримати (мати)доступ

to assess ['xses] оцінювати

initial commitmentпервинне встановлення

to adopt  приймати, переймати, засвоювати

to evaluateоцінювати, обчислювати, визначати якість

to willзаставляти, примушувати

to expandрозширювати, розповсюджувати

concurrently [kqn'kAr(q)ntlI]одночасно

to bootпочаткове завантаження системи, самозавантаження

instantlyнегайно

to reside [rI'zaId]постійно зберігатися

to exceed [Ik'sJd]– переповнювати,  перегружати

to retainутримувати в пам’яті, акумулювати

Comprehension

1. Tell what sentences are true and what are false.

1) A computer system is built from three general components: the hardware, the software, and the applications. 2) When you purchase a computer system, you must have at least hardware. 3) When you turn on your computer, the operating system performs a series of tasks, presented here in chronological order. 4) Various pieces of hardware need to be deleted. 5) When an executing process needs to use some hardware, the operating system provides access for the process. 6) All computers use the same operating systems. 7) The cost of software is likely to be higher in such circumstances as the development costs are spread over a greater number of users, both actual and potential. 8) An operating system is stored on disk and has to be booted into the internal memory (RAM) where it must reside through processing so that commands are instantly available.

2.Choose the right answer:

1) A computer system is built from such components:

a) monitor and keyboard;

b) the hardware, the operating system, and the applications;

c) printer and scanner.

2) One of the first things you do, after successfully plugging together cables and components, is … .

a) turn on your computer;

b) turn off your computer;

c) house your computer.

3) After the start-up procedure is … , the operating system awaits further instructions.

a) began;

b) running;

c) complete.

4) After the operating system completes … initialization, you can execute an application.

a) software;

b) hardware;

c) firmware.

5) Many processes can exist simultaneously. This process is referred to as … .

a) multitasking;

b) outputting;

c) processing.

6) The operating system allocates available … to the different processes that are running.

a) records;

b) resources;

c) facilities.

7)  requires a powerful operating system.

a) PC;

b) desktop computer;

c) multiprogramming

3. Complete the sentences.

1) The hardware includes pieces such as … . 2) The operating system is the component that on one side … and … and on the other … . 3) The hardware you purchase is able to use (or run) one or … . 4) The operating system is necessary in order … . 5)  The executing application is called … . 6) It is therefore important to assess the operating system used on a particular model before … because some software is only designed to run under the control of … . 7) Mainframe computers usually process … .

4. Answer the questions to the text:

1) What is a computer system built from? 2) What pieces does the hardware include? 3) What use the rest of the system to perform the desired task? 4) What manages and controls the hardware on one side and manages the applications on the other? 5) What does a computer package include? 6) Why is the operating system necessary? 7) What need to be initialized? 8) When can you execute an application? 8) What is called a process? 9) What is referred to multitasking? 10) When does the OS manage the termination? 11) What makes requests to the operating system and why? Does the operating system respond to the requests?  And what is the next step which the OS perform? 12) What is referred to resources allocation? 13) Why is it important to assess the OS used on a particular model before initial commitment? 14) Why should operating systems be evaluated? 15) What is multiprogramming? 16) Where is the OS stored?

5. Find as quickly as possible and read out the sentences containing the following important information:

  • purchasing a computer system and package;
  • executing application;

*6. Try to tell the gist of the text.


Word Study

1. Give Ukrainian equivalents of the following.

To manage and control the hardware, to manage the applications, to manage the termination, to purchase a computer system, presented in chronological order, successfully plugging together cables and components, to get a computer to a usable state, to complete hardware initialization, by reclaiming resources, to make requests to the operating system, to respond to the requests,  to provide access for the process, to access hardware resources, resource allocation, to allocate available resources, to assess the operating system, initial commitment, software houses, to expand resources on the development of application packages, both actual and potential, to process several application programs concurrently, to reside through processing, to be instantly available, to exceed the internal memory capacity.

2. Give English equivalents of the following.

Управляти та контролювати апаратне обладнання; бути доступним негайно; управляти програмами; постійно зберігатися в процесі обробки; керувати завершенням; фірми, що розробляють та постачають програмне забезпечення; купувати комп’ютерну систему; оцінювати операційну систему; представлені у хронологічному порядку; розміщувати доступні (необхідні) ресурси; привести комп’ютер у робочий стан; забезпечити доступ до процесу; як і реальні так і потенційні; завершити початкову установку апаратного обладнання; робити запити до операційної системи; успішне під’єднання кабелів та комплектуючих; відновленням ресурсів; реагувати (відповідати) на запит; мати доступ до ресурсів апаратного обладнання; обробляти декілька прикладних програм одночасно; розміщення ресурсів; розповсюджувати ресурси для подальшої розробки пакетів прикладних програм; первинна установка; переповнювати об’єм внутрішньої пам’яті.

3.  Match the words in A with their synonyms in B:

A                                 B

to occur                       to store

to edit                          concurrently

to terminate                 to exist in

to assess                      to enlarge

to expand                     to evaluate

to reside                       to complete

to retain                        to take place

simultaneously             to correct

4. Fill in the gaps with the words from Vocabulary Notes in the appropriate form.

To terminate/   to expand/ to manage/ to occur/ multitasking/ simultaneously

1) The memory capacity can be … to 256 Mbytes or even several Gbytes in a workstation. 2) The speed at which computer transactions … is often talked about in terms of billionths of a second. 3) Today’s computer can give the appearance of doing many things … . This is the concept of … .4) From the time you turn on your computer until you turn it off, the operating system is … the operations. 5) As applications execute, request, and receive resources, or …, the operating system takes care of these action.

5. Translate sentences into English using words and word combinations from the Vocabulary Notes

1) Зараз всі операційні системи використовують деякі форми мультипрограмування. 2) Персональний комп’ютер може зберігати різні програми одночасно. 3) Операційна система керує всіма доступними ресурсами на комп’ютері. 4) Вам слід оцінити операційну системи перед тим, як встановити її . 5) Щоб привести ваш комп’ютер у робочий стан, спершу потрібно під’єднати кабелі та комплектуючі. 6) Операційна система встановлюється  у внутрішню пам’ять.

Grammar in Use

The Future Continuous Tense

1. Open the brackets using the Future Continuous Tense.

1) The computer (to store) instructions the whole time tomorrow. 2) When I come the programmer (to write) a program at 12 o’clock tomorrow. 3) The use of laser printer (to become) widespread among telephone and electric utilities. 4) The attached keyboards (to use) these printing methods. 5) The information (to send) from the computer to the printer the whole morning tomorrow. 6) Automated designs and research (to introduce) expertise systems. 7) Colour video display (to become) more common.

2. Put the sentences of exercise 1 into negative form.

3. Put the questions to the sentences of exercise 1.

4. Change the following into the Future Continuous Tense.

1) There is no doubt that computers solve problems very quickly. 2) Instructions direct the operation of a computer. 3) Computers bring with them both economic and social changes. 4) It is well known that computers prepare laboratory tests. 5) They receive a subscription magazine once a month. 6) A computer solves a series of problems. 7) Electric pulses move at the speed of light.

Additional Text

(for individual work)

Read the text in order to give the description of UNIX OS.

UNIX Operating System

Unix started to be developed around 1969, with the first published description appearing in 1973. It was developed at an ATT research lab and was made freely available to universities, encouraging its widespread adoption. Unlike earlier operating systems which had been written in assembly language, the code for Unix was largely in C. The use of a high level language made the code much easier for programmers to understand and maintain. Further, the Unix OS was designed! The programmers who developed Unix started with a clear idea of how their OS was to work and what services it was to provide. Unix was more limited in its aims than many other OSs of the time. It was intended solely to provide a good environment for timeshare style program development. Other OSs were attempting to do timesharing, and database transactions, and run large jobs, but such different uses of a computer tend to conflict resulting in poor performance in all areas. The design for Unix modelled the OS in terms of several layers (when describing the design, someone made an analogy with a nut or an onion and introduced terms like" kernel", "shell" etc - these names have stuck):

the innermost layer (the "kernel") has the code for the i/o handling routines ("device drivers") etc;

another layer contains the code for process management, file management, and memory management;

further layers contain code for looking after wide area and local networks and

so forth;

• the next layer out comprised large numbers of useful utility programs – programs for copying files, comparing files to find differences etc

the outermost layer (the "shell") was the job control language interpreter, but this JCL interpreter was much more flexible than any that had been proposed

previously.

Unix was originally written for a particular kind of computer (the "PDP11/20") manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). But, the relatively clean design of the system, and the use of a high level language, made it possible for the system to be adapted to other computers (only the "device drivers" and other really low level code had to be redone). Unix was moved to related but more powerful computer architectures (DEC's VAX series of computers) and to totally different computer architectures. During the 1980s, Unix was adapted to run on computers as diverse as the modern Cray supercomputers down to personal computers with Intel-80386 CPU chips. The US Department of Defence's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) sponsored development of Unix at the University of Berkeley. The Berkeley developers added features to support virtual memory and networking (both wide area and local networking). Late in the 1980s, many computer companies, ATT, Berkeley University, IEEE, etc got together and established standards for all Unix systems.

Unix thus has the advantage of being a system that is non-proprietary, is widely available, and is effective in its original role of supporting program development. Most students continuing with computing studies will eventually get to work with some Unix systems. Modern Unix systems have been expanded so as to handle tasks other than the "programmers' workbench" of the original design. These extensions (to handle large databases, some transaction processing and so forth) were demanded by customers. In some respects, these extensions detract from Unix which no longer has a quite the simplicity and elegance of its early forms.

UNIX. This as, designed by Bell Laboratories for minicomputers and workstations, has been widely adopted by many corporate instal­lations. From the very first, it was designed to be a multi-tasking sys­tem written in C language.

LINUX (Linus Torvalds). Protected under the GNU general pu­blic license Linux is the open source, cooperatively-developed POSIX­ based, multi-tasking operating system. Linux is used as a high-value, fully-functional UNIX workstation for applications ranging from In­ternet Servers to reliable workgroup computing. Linux is available for Intel platforms.