Dear Sergei

Number Systems

Прочитайте и переведите текст.

Дайте степени сравнения следующих прилагательных. Составьте с ними предложения.

Easy

Early

Ancient

Difficult

6. Подберите в русском языке слова, соответствующие следующим интернациональным словам:

system, user, figure, numeral, scale, number, special, especially, division, present, numeration, fractions, multiplication.

Number systems were among the first words used when people began to talk but it has taken thousands of years for people to learn how to use numbers or the written figures which we call “numerals.”

In early days people often counted on a scale of three or four instead of ten and sometimes other number scales were used. Later they found it more convenient to count by tens using the fingers of both hands. We still use this scale in counting: that is, we count to ten; then to ten tens, then to ten times ten tens, and so on.

When people first began to use numbers they knew only one way to work with them: that was to count. Later they found out how to add, subtract and multiply. They invented special devices to make computations easier, especially in dealing with large numbers.

Division was not often needed in ancient times in comparison with multiplication, and it is far more rarely employed than addition and subtraction at the present time.

Besides the decimal number system which we commonly use there are other systems of numeration such as the binary, octal, etc. In the number systems we use digits. The Latin word ''digiti'' means “fingers.”

In ancient times it was very difficult to use fractions because they did not know any easy way of writing them. Decimal fractions were introduced in the 16-th. century and are now much more commonly used than common fractions.

8. Найдите в тексте эквиваленты следующих слов и выражений:

только один способ, древние времена, десятичные дроби, простые дроби, место, потребовались тысячи лет, система исчисления, по сравнению, гораздо реже, особенно при работе (с), намного чаще.

9. Составьте все возможные типы вопросов к следующим предложениям:

1. People invented special devices to make computations easier, especially in dealing with large numbers.

2. Decimal fractions were introduced in the 16-th century.

3. It has taken thousands of years for people to learn how to use numbers.

10. Прочитайте письмо и напишите ответ:

How are you? I have received your letter of 10-th June for which I thank you very much. I am sorry I haven’t written to you sooner, but I have had many things to do. You know it was a very hard year for me. I spent my time getting ready for my exams and I was doing well in many subjects.

After passing the exams I was enrolled into the University. The whole course of study is five years. My major subject is mathematics. It is my favorite and my hobby. I am good at it and do maths whenever I have a chance. I take many courses in this subject. I like to take part in mathematical competitions organized at our department and at the University. I think that mathematics is “the queen of sciences” and plays an important part in our life. We are lucky to have a brilliant lecturer in mathematics this term. He has a talent to take a difficult subject and make it simple. You leave the lecture hall with a feeling that mathematics is the most interesting subject under the sun. Next term I’ll do research in the field of computer engineering.

Good-bye for the present,

your friend Mike.

Дата добавления: 2014-11-25