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课件网) Pre-reading What can you see in each picture The story of the computer A computer is any machine that can be programmed with a set of instructions. 1837 In Britain, the first machine with a program was designed by Charles Babbage and his student Ada Lovelace. Charles wanted a machine to add up big numbers, but Ada realized that a computer program could do a lot more. She was the first computer programmer. 1936 British scientist Alan Turing read Ada’s ideas and created the Turing machine, the basic design of a computer system. The Turing machine could do all kinds of calculations, and it could also run different programs. This is the basis for all modern computers. 1940s Scientists built early computers in England and Germany. They were the size of a room! 1981 A US company designed the first PC (personal computer) for the general public. Experts didn’t believe that anybody wanted a computer at home. But in two years they sold thousands of them. 1971 Ted Hoff was the main inventor of the microprocessor, or “microchip”. This was a major breakthrough in the history of computers. Thanks to the microchip, computers and other electronic devices got faster and smaller very quickly. 1990s–present Smartphones—phones with computer software—arrived! Today’s smartphones can connect to the internet and run all kinds of different apps—in other words, they are small computers. The arrival of smartphones has started a new era in digital technology. Expressions such as “Wi-Fi”, “download” and “app” have become part of our daily lives. The future Computer technology continues to develop. Some computers will be tiny—perhaps we will even have computers in our clothes. Scientists believe that quantum computers will be the next big breakthrough. They will be many times faster than today’s computers, and much more powerful. While-reading Listen to the recording. Underline the key people and events in the text. e.g., the first machine with a program, Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace. While-reading Create a timeline of the history of computers. Include inventors, inventions and dates. Use flag stickers to show the inventors’ nationalities (e.g. Ada Lovelace → British flag) While-reading Read the text again and answer the questions. What did Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace do in 1837 2. Who was Alan Turing and what did he do 3. Who was Ted Hoff What happened after his invention 4. What will be the next big breakthrough in computer technology They designed the first machine with a program. Alan Turing was a British scientist. He created the Turing machine, the basic design of a computer system. Ted Hoff was the main inventor of the microprocessor, or “microchip”. After his invention, computers and other electronic devices got faster and smaller. Scientists believe quantum computers will be the next big breakthrough in computer technology. While-reading Find the words and the phrase in the t ... ...
