时间:2018-12-11 作者:英语课 分类:英语解说豆知识2009年


英语课

 It’s easy to think of computer as just machinery 1: buttons, screens and parts that work together. But the magic of computers comes from something makes them unique to you. 


 
This is Computer Software In Plain English.
 
The problem with computers is that most of us don’t speak their language. We need a translator, something that can understand our needs and put the computer to work for us. The translator is called software and it makes computers useful. Look at it this way. Like a typewriter, a computer without software is just a lifeless machine. By adding software, the computer becomes more alive, easy to use and built for you. 
 
Most computers have two basic kinds, the operating system and software programs. If you’ve ever used a computer, you’ve used an operating system. From saving 2 files to using a mouse or fixing problems, the operating system covers the basics. Operating systems come with all new computers and do a lot of same things. You’ve seen them called Windows, Mac and Linux.
 
But the operating system is only part of what we need. To make them personalized and more useful, we can add software programs. For example, if you need to edit 3 a photo, you can add a software program that is built for that purpose. If you need to design a house, you can add a software program that lets you see the house from all sides. 
 
By adding and removing software programs, you can make the computer fit with exactly what you want to do. And adding most software programs is easy. You can get them from a computer store or download them from the Internet. No computer nerds required. 
 
Once a program is on your computer, opening it is as easy as clicking an icon 4
 
But what is a software program? What’s really happening when you open one? Think about it this way: computers are really good at following instructions. And a software program is essentially 5 a set of instructions that tells the computer exactly what to do. When you open a program, the computer goes to work, completing the constructions until the program is ready for you to use. The ability to add and remove software programs means that everyone’s computer can be different and unique to them. 
 
So, to review. We’ve talked about operating systems that take care of the basics, and software programs that make computers personalized. It’s this combination 6 that makes computers so useful. But it’s not limited to computers on your desk. Consider your cell phone. Just like a computer without software, it’s a lifeless machine that doesn’t speak our language. Thankfully, cell phones have software that bring them to live. The same thing is true for many cameras, music players and even our cars. Every day we rely on software to bring machines to life and make them personalized and useful. 
 
The next time you use a computer or cell phone, think about software’s role in translating your needs into instructions that put the machine to work for you.

1 machinery
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构
  • Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗?
  • Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。
2 saving
n.节省,节约;[pl.]储蓄金,存款
  • Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
  • Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。
3 edit
vt.编辑,校订,主编,编辑,剪辑(影片等)
  • You'll have to edit that tape,it's too long.那盘录音带太长,你得把它剪辑一下。
  • It is not yet decided who will edit it.由谁校订未决。
4 icon
n.偶像,崇拜的对象,画像
  • They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
  • Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。
5 essentially
adv.本质上,实质上,基本上
  • Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
  • She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。
6 combination
n.组合,合并,联合;
  • He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
  • The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。
学英语单词
Abronia umbellata
aero-magnetic survey
aetideus acutus
arm's length relationship
automatic load sharing
beta globulin
bilateral acoustic neurofibromatosis
bilateral equilibration
birefringent waveguide
blast out
bronchi segmentalis medialis
carella
Catuane
ceramic colorant
channel risk
component domain
continental drift hypothesis
customs procedure
distribution rollers
domestic oil
elaboratus
elutriator
endometrial implants
Eskazinyl
evergreen thorn
face pitch line
falsify accounts
felisa
first contact miscible flooding drive
fore-declare
full diameter
gatherer-stitcher
Goethean
goldware
good intention
gross section of bunched netting
gujral
happy camper
helminths
hydraulics of alluvial streams
inward traffic
it's engaged
kwangtungs
Laayoune
leading zero
loop line
macgowan
manufacture of iron and steel by melting
mechanical clutch
milkwagons
mus manchu
nanometer resolution
Nelson method
NetBIOS Extended User Interface
nonprinting
norethynodrel
on a charge of
owner's declaration
pain in tongue
parallax equation
parasitic oscillations
pattern drawing mechanism
phenylethylamine
plant design output
plastic limit torque
Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet
polter
polysiphonous type
predisposed to
pressure switch memberane
public-library
quinol imide
radiodust
ratio flow
re-covered
romantik
ruellia prostrata
shamraev
ship-discharging operation
simple syrup
spare depth ratio
spirostichies
splenoma
state-selecting device
subcooled surface boiling
sugger
supravascular layer
syndecan
tetrafunctional
the straw that breaks the camel's back
timing and control unit
top gating system
tricastin
unfingered
unliked
vege
Verkhniy Vilyuykan
vindo
volunteer vacation
what are you on
whettings
working section substation