Page 45 - Reading Success B9

Computers of one sort or another have been around for nearly 5,000 years.
The Babylonians invented the first in about 3,000 B.C. This was the abacus, a

sand covered slab used for mathematical calculations. The Second World War
gave the incentive to computing because of the need to handle massive amounts
of military data. Soon after the first commercial computer was put to work on the
U.S. census in 1951, several companies began to manufacture the first generation
of computers. The computer industry has grown to become one of the largest in

the United States.

A modern computer can perform vast numbers of complex calculations and
logical functions accurately and at a stunningly high speed. It can also store
enormous quantities of instructions and data. Three basic units allow this
capability. The central processing unit, or CPU, contains the components that

process the data. A memory unit holds the storage capacity and registers provide
the mechanisms for transmitting data between the CPU and the memory unit. A
computer does its work by following a step-by-step set of instructions known as
software.

Miniaturization of parts made it possible to build desktop models with greater
capabilities than the early room-size versions. Progress in computer technology

has been rapid and pervasive. Computer technology is now so widespread that it
touches almost every area of modern life. In addition to their application in
business and industry, computers are also used to compose music and to create

the fantastic special effects of science fiction movies. Without computers space
exploration would not have been possible. These amazing machines can perform
thousands of instructions per second. Silicon chips smaller than a postage stamp
have been developed that can store more than millions of bits of information. The
next stage in information technology is artificial intelligence (AI): machines that

communicate in a common language, solve problems, and help make decisions.
In a few short years we have come to accept robots working in factories, exploring
outer space, retrieving bombs, or even stealing scenes in science fiction movies.

Main Idea

What is the main idea of this story?

a. how computers have developed and changed over the years
b. the faults of relying too heavily on computers

c. how computers work
d. the earliest computers

48_Reading Success B 9