Hi, there ! Here is Ann Sokolova again. I am afraid this will be my last meeting with you because I need to pack my suitcase. I am leaving for Sochi tonight. I have passed all the exams successfully and I'm free till the 1st of September.
As I have already told you, I was always good in mathematics and physics. My parents bought me a computer when I was in the 10th form. Since then I knew that I would become a specialist in computer technologies — a computer engineer.
Computer industry is developing so fast, that it comprises almost all spheres of professional life. No business now is possible without computers. This is especially true about automated manufacturing of productsand robotics. Computer control of automated production opens new horizons for the cheap and quality production of goods. Information is now generated, transmitted, received, and stored electronically through computer networks on a scale unprecedented in history, and there is everyindication that the explosive rate of growth in this field will continue.
Computer engineering is a general field. It deals with both electric and electronic industries.
Electronic engineering deals with the research, design, integration, and applicationof circuitsand devices used in the transmission and processingof information.
Engineers in the field of electric and electronic engineering are concerned with all aspects of electrical communications, from fundamental questions such as «What is information?» to the highly practical, such as the design of telephone systems. In designing communication systems, engineers rely on various branches of advanced mathematics, such as Fourier analysis, linear systems theory, linear algebra, differential equations, and probability theory.
Engineers work on control systems which are used extensively in automated manufacturing and in robotics.
Major developments in the field of communications and control have been the replacement of analogue systems with digital systems; fibre opticsare used now instead of copper cables. Digitalsystems offer far greater immunity to electrical noise. Fibre optics are likewise immune to interference; they also have great carrying capacity, and are extremely light and inexpensive to manufacture.
Computer engineering is now the most rapidly growing field. The electronics of computers is the design and manufacture of memory systems, of central processing units, and of peripheral devices. The most prospective industry now is the Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) and new computer architectures. The field of computer science is closely related to computer engineering; however, the task of making computers more «intelligent» (artificial intelligence), through creation of sophisticatedprograms or development of higher level machine languages or other means, is generally regarded as the dream of computer science.
One current trend in computer engineering is microminiaturization. Engineers continue to work to fit greater and greater numbers of circuit elements onto smaller and smaller chips.
Another trend is towards increasing the speed of computer operations through the use of parallel processors and superconducting materials.
So, as you see, there are a lot of employment opportunities in my field. I don't worry about finding a job. The most important thing for me now is to study well and to graduate from the Academy.
Vocabulary:
to comprise — âêëþ÷àòü â ñåáÿ
automated manufacturing of products — àâòîìàòèçèðîâàííîå ïðîèçâîäñòâî òîâàðîâ
robotics — ðîáîòîòåõíèêà
horizons — ãîðèçîíòû
cheap — äåøåâûé
to generate — ãåíåðèðîâàòü, ïðîèçâîäèòü
to transmit — ïåðåäàâàòü
to store — õðàíèòü
scale — ìàñøòàá
unprecedented in history — íå èìåþùèé ïðåöåäåíòîâ â èñòîðèè
indication— óêàçàíèå, ñâèäåòåëüñòâî
explosive — âçðûâíîé
to deal with — èìåòü äåëî ñ, çàíèìàòüñÿ ÷åì-ëèáî
integration— èíòåãðàöèÿ
application — ïðèëîæåíèå, èñïîëüçîâàíèå
circuits — ýëåêòðè÷åñêèå ñõåìû, öåïè
device— óñòðîéñòâî
transmission— ïåðåäà÷à
processing— îáðàáîòêà
to rely — ïîëàãàòüñÿ
Fourier analysis — àíàëèç Ôóðüå
linear systems theory — òåîðèÿ ëèíåéíûõ ñèñòåì
linear algebra — ëèíåéíàÿ àëãåáðà
differential equations — äèôôåðåíöèàëüíûå óðàâíåíèÿ
probability theory — òåîðèÿ âåðîÿòíîñòè
extensively — øèðîêî
replacement— çàìåùåíèå
fibre optics — îïòîâîëîêîííûå òåõíîëîãèè
copper — ìåäü
digital — öèôðîâîé
immunity— çàùèùåííîñòü, íåâîñïðèèì÷èâîñòü
carrying capacity — ïðîïóñêíàÿ ñïîñîáíîñòü
light— ëåãêèé
rapidly growing — áûñòðîðàñòóùèé
artificial intelligence — èñêóññòâåííûé ðàçó
sophisticated — ñëîæíûé
superconducting — ñâåðõïðîâîäèìîñòü
ADD TO YOUR ACTIVE VOCABULARY:
à) mechanical engineer — èíæåíåð-ìåõàíèê
electric engineer — èíæåíåð-ýëåêòðèê
electronic engineer — èíæåíåð ýëåêòðîíèê
computer engineer — èíæåíåð-êîìïüþòåðùèê
military engineer — âîåííûé èíæåíåð
b) prestigious job (work) — ïðåñòèæíàÿ ðàáîòà
well-paid job — âûñîêîîïëà÷èâàåìàÿ ðàáîòà
employee — íàåìíûé ðàáî÷èé
employer — íàéìîäàòåëü
businessman— ïðåäïðèíèìàòåëü, áèçíåñìåí
state-employed — ãîñóäàðñòâåííûé ñëóæàùèé
white-collar worker — «áåëûé âîðîòíè÷îê», ðàáîòíèê óìñòâåííîãî òðóäà
blue-collar worker — «ñèíèé âîðîòíè÷îê», ðàáîòíèê ôèçè÷åñêîãî òðóäà
skilled worker — êâàëèôèöèðîâàííûé ðàáî÷èé
unskilled worker — íåêâàëèôèöèðîâàííûé ðàáî÷èé
experienced worker — îïûòíûé ðàáîòíèê
c) to be hired for a job— áûòü íàíÿòûì íà âûïîëíåíèå ðàáîòû
to look for a new job (work, position) — èñêàòü íîâóþ ðàáîòó
to apply for a new job — ïðåòåíäîâàòü íà êàêóþ-ëèáo äîëæíîñòü
application for a position of — çàÿâëåíèå íà êàêóþ-ëèáî äîëæíîñòü
resume— ðåçþìå
C.V. (curriculum vitae)— àâòîáèîãðàôèÿ
to be fired — áûòü óâîëåííûì
to retire — óõîäèòü íà ïåíñèþ
to be unemployed — áûòü áåçðàáîòíûì
Exercise 1. Translate into English:
1. Ðîäèòåëè êóïèëè ìíå êîìïüþòåð, êîãäà ÿ ó÷èëàñü (ñÿ) â äåñÿòîì êëàññå.
2. Íèêàêîé ñîâðåìåííûé áèçíåñ íå âîçìîæåí áåç êîìïüþòåðíîé òåõíèêè.
3.Êîìïüþòåðíàÿ èíäóñòðèÿ — íàèáîëåå áûñòðîðàçâèâàþùåñÿ ïðîèçâîäñòâî.
4. Êîìïüþòåðíîå óïðàâëåíèå àâòîìàòèçèðîâàííûìè ïðîèçâîäñòâåííûìè ëèíèÿìè îòêðûâàåò íîâûå ãîðèçîíòû äåøåâîãî è êà÷åñòâåííîãî ïðîèçâîäñòâà òîâàðîâ.
5. Êðóïíûì äîñòèæåíèåì â ñôåðå êîììóíèêàöèè ÿâëÿåòñÿ çàìåíà àíàëîãîâûõ ñèñòåì íà öèôîðâûå.
6.  íàñòîÿùåå âðåìÿ îïòî-âîëîêîííûå öèôðîâûå òåõíîëîãèè îáåñïå÷èâàþò áîëåå êà÷åñòâåííóþ è äîñòóïíóþ ñâÿçü, ÷åì àíàëîãîâûå ñèñòåìû.
Exercise 2. How do you see your future profession? Please answer the following questions: