Section outline

  • A girl sitting cross-legged, using a laptop on her lap.

    If you were born in the last few decades, it’s probably impossible for you to imagine life without the computer. The computer is just one of many electronic devices that make modern life possible.
    ::如果你出生于过去几十年,你可能无法想象没有计算机的生活。 计算机只是使现代生活成为可能的许多电子设备之一。

    What Are Electronic Devices?
    ::什么是电子装置?

    Many of the devices people commonly use today are electronic devices. Electronic devices use electric current to encode, analyze, or transmit information. In addition to computers, they include mobile phones, TV remotes, DVD and CD players, and digital cameras, to name just a few.
    ::电子设备使用电流编码、分析或传输信息。 除了计算机之外,电子设备还包括移动电话、电视遥控器、DVD和CD播放器以及数码相机。

    Q: Can you think of other electronic devices that you use?
    ::问:你能想到你使用的其他电子设备吗?

    A: Other examples include game systems and MP3 players.
    ::A:其他例子包括游戏系统和MP3玩家。

    Focus on the Computer
    ::关注计算机

    Let’s take a close look at the computer as an example of an electronic device. A computer contains integrated , or microchips, that consist of millions of tiny electronic components. Information is encoded in digital . Rapid pulses of voltage switch electric current on and off, producing long strings of 1’s (current on) and 0’s (current off). The 1’s and 0’s are the “letters” of the code, and a huge number of them are needed. One digit (either 0 or 1) is called a bit, which stands for “binary digit.” Each group of eight digits is called a byte, and a billion bytes is called a gigabyte. Because a computer’s circuits are so tiny and close together, the computer can be very fast and capable of many complex tasks while remaining small.
    ::让我们仔细看看计算机作为电子设备的例子。 计算机包含由数百万微小电子部件组成的集成或微小芯片。 信息以数字编码。 电压开关电流的快速脉冲开关,产生1号电流和0号电流的长字符串。 1号和0号电流是代码的“字母 ” , 需要大量的字母。 一位数字(0或1号)被称为“二进制数字 ” 。 每组8位数字都被称为一个字节,10亿字节被称为千字节。 由于计算机的电路非常小,距离很近,因此计算机可以非常快速地完成许多复杂的任务,同时仍然很小。

    The parts of a computer that transmit, process, or store digital signals are pictured and described in the Figure . They include the CPU, hard drive, ROM, and RAM. The motherboard ties all these parts of the computer together.  
    ::传输、处理或存储数字信号的计算机部件在图中有图解和描述。它们包括CPU、硬盘、ROM和内存。主机将计算机的所有这些部件连接在一起。

    Computer components: motherboard, CPU, hard drive, memory, power supply, and video card.

    • The CPU, or central processing unit, carries out program instructions. 
      ::CPU或中央处理单位执行程序指示。
    • The hard drive is a magnetic disc that provides long-term storage for programs and data.
      ::硬盘是一种磁盘,为程序和数据提供长期储存。
    • ROM (read-only memory) is a microchip that provides permanent storage. It stores important information such as start-up instructions. This memory remains even after the computer is turned off.
      ::ROM(只读存储器)是一个提供永久存储的微芯片。它存储了重要的信息,如启动指令。即使在计算机关闭后,该存储器仍然保留着。
    • RAM (random-access memory) is a microchip that temporarily stores programs and data that are currently being used. Anything stored in RAM is lost when the computer is turned off.
      ::RAM(随机存取内存)是一种微芯片,暂时储存目前正在使用的程序和数据,在计算机关闭时,存储在内存中的任何内容都会丢失。
    • The motherboard is connected to the CPU, hard drive, ROM, and RAM. It allows all these parts of the computer to receive power and communicate with one another.
      ::母版连接到 CPU 、 硬盘、 ROM 和 内存 。 它允许计算机的所有这些部件获得电力并相互沟通 。

    Q: Which part(s) of a computer are you using when you type a school report?
    ::问题:键入学校报告时使用计算机的哪个部分?

    A: You are using the RAM to store the word processing program and your document as you type it. You are using the CPU to carry out instructions in the word processing program, and you are probably using the hard drive to save your document.
    ::A: 您正在使用 RAM 存储单词处理程序和文档 。 您正在使用 CPU 执行文字处理程序中的指示, 您可能正在使用 硬盘 保存文档 。

    Summary
    ::摘要

    • Electronic devices—such as computers, mobile phones, remotes, and cameras—use electric current to encode, analyze, or transmit information.
      ::电子设备——例如计算机、移动电话、遥控器和照相机——使用电流编码、分析或传送信息。
    • A computer contains millions of tiny electronic components. Parts of a computer that transmit, process, or store information include the CPU, hard drive, ROM, and RAM. The motherboard ties all these parts together.
      ::计算机包含数以百万计的微小电子部件, 传输、 处理或存储信息的计算机部件包括 CPU、 硬盘、 ROM 和 RAM。 母板将所有这些部件连接在一起 。

    Review
    ::回顾

    1. What is an electronic device?
      ::什么是电子设备?
    2. Give three examples of electronic devices.
      ::举三个电子设备的例子。
    3. Which part of a computer allows the CPU and RAM to communicate?
      ::计算机的哪个部分允许 CPU 和 RAM 进行通信 ?