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Date : 07/05/2020

Professeur : Maliki Sanoussi DIALLO

Classes : L1 GEII S2

Objectif : Lire un texte et comprendre l’essentiel du contenu, enrichir le vocabulaire de

l’étudiant, renforcer ses capacités en grammaire et l’initier à la traduction.

Travail à faire : (work to be done) : lire attentivement le texte et comprendre l’essentiel

du contenu, chercher le sens des mots que vous ignorez s’ils ne sont pas expliqués par le
professeur, répondre aux questions de compréhension basées sur le texte, faire les exercices de
vocabulaire et de grammaire et faire les deux traductions.

Titre : TEXT : Computer invention

Nowadays a great number of textile industries are computerised. Their agents know well what
a computer is. A computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a list of
instructions. Computers take numerous physical forms. The first devices that resemble modern
computers date to the mid-20th century (circa 1940 – 1945), although the computer concept and
various machines similar to computers existed earlier.

Early electronic computers were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several
hundred personal computers. Modern computers are based on comparatively tiny integrated
circuits and are millions to millions of time more capable while occupying a fraction of the
space.

Today simple computers may be made small enough to fit into a wristwatch and be powered
from a watch battery. Personal computers in various forms are icons of the information age and
are what most people think of as a computer; however, the most common form of computer in
use today is the embedded computer. Embedded computers are small, simple devices that are
used to control other devices, for example they may be found in machines ranging from fighter
aircrafts to industrial robots, digital cameras, children toys, and in the textile industry.

The ability to store and execute lists of instructions called programs makes computers extremely
versatile and distinguishes them from calculators. Any computer with a certain minimum
capacity is, in principle, capable of performing the same tasks that any other computer can
perform. Therefore, computers with capacity and complexity ranging from that of a personal
digital assistant to a supercomputer are all able to perform the same computational tasks given
enough time and storage capacity.

VOCABULARY: sens et explication en français de quelques mots clés du texte

Computer: ordinateur
Data: les données
Instructions: les instruction, les ordes, les commandes.
A device: un appareil un dispositif, un élément
A size: une dimension, une pointure, un numéro (pour vêtements et chaussures).
A power: une puissance, un pouvoir, une énergie.
To power/ powered : (verbe) alimenter, fournir en énergie
Tiny: minuscule, très petit, en miniature.
A space: un espace, un lieu, une place.
To watch : regarder, fixer avec attention, comtempler (télé, écran, film)
TA watch: une montre.
A wrist: un poignet.
Wristwatch: une montre bracelet.
An icon: une icone, une star, un exemple à suivre, une référence.
To embed / embedded: incorporer, inclure.
To fight/a fighter: lutter, combattre / un combatant; un luteur
Aircraft: avion
Versatile: flexible, souple, versatile
Ranging/ rank: le rang, se classer, ranger
Storage: le stockage.

QUESTIONS

I COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

A. Information questions: Answer to the following questions from the text in full sentences of
your own.

1. When did the today’s computers appear?

2. How big were the first computers?
3. How small can a computer be today?
4. What can be found in aircrafts and robots for instance?

B. Multiple choice questions: Choose and copy the correct answer to complete the introductory
sentence.
1. The first modern computers have been invented ….
a. Before the 20th century.
b. at the beginning of the 20th century.
c. at the middle of the 20th century.
d. at the end of the 20th century.

1. The first electronic computers were………

a. very small.
a. Very short.
b. Neither very big nor very small.
c. Very big.

II VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR:

A- VOCABULARY: Find in the text the synonyms of the following words or expressions: a
data processing machine, energy, very small, a place, orders.
B. GRAMMAR: complete the table of irregular verbs below with the missing infinitive,
preterit, past participle or meaning forms.

N° Infinitive Preterit Past participle Meaning

1 To teach taught
2 To speak spoke
3 ate manger
4 felt (se) sentir
5 To fall fallen
6 Was/were been
7 done faire
8 Can Been able
9 Buy bought
10 Sell vendre

III TRANSLATION:

A - Translate into French: The first paragraph of the text, from “A computer is ………
to ……. existed earlier”.

B - Translate into English the Following sentences.

1. Un ordinateur est un appareil électronique lié au monde extérieur par des périphériques
d’entrée et de sortie comme unité centrale, écran, clavier, souris et imprimante.
2. J’aime beaucoup l’informatique et je ferai de mon mieux pour devenir un grand
informaticien.
3. Je veux informatiser tous mes documents à travers mon ordinateur portable ou le PC de
mon bureau.
4. Je fais tous mes travaux de traitement de données avec des logiciels, des disques durs et des
clés USB.

I hope you will enjoy this lesson before the others follow. Thank you for reading me.
Have a nice day.