Inglês

Fundação CECIERJ - Vice Presidência de Educação Superior a Distância

Curso de Tecnologia em Sistemas de Computação

AD1 Disciplina: Inglês Instrumental

Semestre 1/2015

Nome – Pedro Ramon Jordão Rezende Santos

Assinatura –

Observações:

Prova sem consulta (consulte o glossário ao final do texto).

Preencha o seu nome e assine nas folhas de questões e nas folhas de respostas.

A fim de salvar as nossas árvores e, assim, economizar papel, todas as respostas devem ser dadas na própria prova.

Leia o texto e realize as atividades propostas.

How Alan Turing Invented the Computer Age

By Ian Watson 




In 1936, while studying for his Ph.D. at Princeton University, the English mathematician Alan Turing published a paper, “On Computable Numbers, with an application to the Entscheidungsproblem,” which became the foundation of computer science. In it Turing presented a theoretical machine that could solve any problem described by simple instructions encoded on a paper tape. One machine solving any problem, performing any task for which a program could be written —sounds familiar? He had invented the computer!

At World War II, the British needed mathematicians to break the German Navy’s Enigma code. Turing worked in the British top-secret Government Code and Cipher School at Bletchley Park. He designed an electromechanical machine called the Bombe, and by the end of the war the British were able to read all daily German Naval Enigma traffic. It has been reported that Eisenhower said the contribution of Turing and others at Bletchley shortened the war by as much as two years, saving millions of lives.

In 1950, Turing published a paper called “Computing machinery and intelligence.” He had an idea that computers would become so powerful that they would think. He envisaged a time when artificial intelligence (AI) would be a reality.

As the 1950s progressed, business was quick to see the benefits of computers and business computing became a new industry. By the 1970s, a generation was born who grew up with “electronic brains” but they wanted their own personal computers. The problem was they had to build them. In 1975 some hobbyists formed the Homebrew Computer Club*; they were excited by the potential the new silicon chips had to let them build their own computers.

Turing was prosecuted for being gay as it was then a crime in Britain. He was sentenced to chemical castration. It’s believed that this caused depression, and in 1954 Turing committed suicide by eating an apple poisoned with cyanide. Outside of academia Turing remained virtually unknown because his World War II work was top-secret. Slowly word spread about Turing’s genius, his invention of the computer and artificial intelligence. In 2009, and after a petition campaign, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a public apology on behalf of the British government saying they were sorry.

June 23, 2012 was the centenary of Alan Turing’s birth. Finally Turing is getting the recognition he deserves, not just for his vital work in the war, but also for inventing the computer - the Universal Machine - that has transformed the modern world and will profoundly influence our future.

(adapted from Scientific American)

* Steve Jobs e Bill Gates eram alguns dos membros do Homebrew Computer Club.

Glossary

to break: decifrar; shortened: encurtou; envisaged; previu; grew up: cresceu; to build: construir; prosecuted: condenado; poisoned: envenenada; remained: permaneceu; word spread: ‘a notícia se espalhou’; issued: emitiram; apology: pedido de desculpas; on behalf of: em nome de; deserves: merece.

COMPREHENSION

1. As datas a baixo são todas relacionadas à vida de Alan Turing.

Relacione a coluna da direita de acordo com a informação na coluna da esquerda. (1.0 pt)

1936 ( D ) desculpa pública do governo britânico

1950 ( A ) doutorado na Princeton University

1954 ( E ) centenário de nascimento

2009 ( B ) publicação de artigo sobre AI

2012 ( C ) morte por suicídio

2. Qual foi a grande contribuição de Turing na 2a Guerra Mundial?

Marque a opção correta. (1.0 pt)

A. ( ) publicar o artigo “On Computable Numbers, with an application to the Entscheidungsproble”

B. ( ) acreditar no potencial dos silicon chips.

C.