The First Computer Programmer

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 518.

I. Read and translate the text.

Group_________________________

Name__________________________

You can't use any letter more times than it occurs in RELATIONSHIP.

Your words can be any part of speech as long as they are not proper names.

Exercise 71. How many words can you make out of the word RELATIONSHIP?

20 to 30 words – Not bad.

31 to 45 words – Good.

46 to 60 words – Very good.

61 to 75 words – Excellent!

more than 75 words – Wow! You are a linguistic genius!

Ada Lovelace was the daughter of the poet Lord Byron. She was taught by Mary Somerville, a well-known researcher and scientific author, who introduced her to Charles Babbage in June 1833. Babbage was an English mathematician, who first had the idea for a programmable computer.

In 1842 and 1843, Ada translated the work of an Italian mathematician, Luigi Menabrea, on Babbage's Analytical Engine. Though mechanical, this machine was an important step in the history of computers; it was the design of a mechanical general-purpose computer. Babbage worked on it for many years until his death in 1871. However, because of financial, political, and legal issues, the engine was never built. The design of the machine was very modern; it anticipated the first completed general-purpose computers by about 100 years.

When Ada translated the article, she added a set of notes which specified in complete detail a method for calculating certain numbers with the Analytical Engine, which have since been recognized by historians as the world's first computer program. She also saw possibilities in it that Babbage hadn't: she realized that the machine could compose pieces of music. The computer programming language 'Ada', used in some aviation and military programs, is named after her.

II. Decide whether the statements given below are true (T) or False (F).

1. Ada Lovelace's teacher introduced her to Charles Babbage.

2. Babbage programmed the first computer.

3. Ada translated the article in 1842.

4. The Analytical Engine was electronic.

5. Luigi Menabrea designed the first computer.

6. Babbage finished the machine before he died.

7. Babbage's design was ahead of its time.

8. Ada's work was instantly recognised as being the first computer program.

9. Babbage saw that his machine could write music.

10. Ada wrote military and aviation computer programs.