World's first computer programmer

山東 孫啟祿

主題語(yǔ)境：人物 篇幅：294詞 關(guān)鍵詞：first,programmer

1To say she was ahead of her time would be an understatement.Ada Lovelace earned her place in history as the first computer programmer—a full century before today's computers emerged.

2She couldn't have done it without British mathematician,inventor and engineer Charles Babbage.Their cooperation started in the early 1830s,when Lovelace was just 17.Babbage had drawn up plans for a machine he called the Difference Engine—essentially,a giant mechanical calculator.In the middle of his work on it,the teenage Lovelace met Babbage at a party.

3There,he showed an incomplete prototype (原型) of his machine.According to a family friend who was there:“While other visitors gazed at the working of this beautiful instrument,Miss Byron,young as she was,understood its working,and saw the great beauty of the invention.”

4It was mathematical obsession (癡迷) at first sight.The two struck up a working relationship and eventual close friendship that would last until Lovelace's death in 1852,when she was only 36.Babbage abandoned his Difference Engine to brainstorm a new Analytical Engine—in theory,capable of more complex number crunching—but it was Lovelace who saw that engine's true potential.

5The Analytical Engine was more than a calculator—its complex mechanisms and the fact that the user fed it commands via a punchcard meant the engine could perform nearly any mathematical task ordered.Lovelace even wrote instructions for solving a complex math problem,should the machine ever see the light of day.

6Many historians would later consider those instructions the first computer program,and Lovelace the first programmer.It's her work in“poetical science”,as she called it,that defines her as one of the greatest scientists.

Reading Check

1.What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A.Lovelace attended the party held by Babbage.

B.Lovelace met Babbage by chance at a party.

C.Babbage invited Lovelace to attend his party.

D.Babbage had just built the Difference Engine.

2.Which of the following words can best describe Lovelace?

A.Careful.

B.Generous.

C.Honest.

D.Hard-working.

3.What does the underlined phrase“struck up”in paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A.Kept.

B.Broke.

C.Started.

D.Extended.

4.Why is Lovelace considered the first programmer?

A.She wrote the instructions for the Analytical Engine.

B.She saw the Analytical Engine's true potential.

C.She understood the difference in the Analytical engine.

D.She could perform nearly any mathematical tasks.

?語(yǔ)篇解碼

本文是一篇記敘文。埃達(dá)·洛夫萊斯為巴貝奇的分析機(jī)設(shè)計(jì)了解決復(fù)雜數(shù)學(xué)問(wèn)題的指令，被稱為世界上第一位程序員。

?語(yǔ)言學(xué)習(xí)

Ⅰ.語(yǔ)料薈萃

Ⅱ.語(yǔ)句分析

1.While other visitors gazed at the working of this beautiful instrument,Miss Byron,young as she was,understood its working,and saw the great beauty of the invention.當(dāng)其他客人注視著這臺(tái)美麗的儀器工作時(shí)，拜倫小姐雖然年輕，但她理解它的工作原理，并看到了這項(xiàng)發(fā)明的巨大魅力。

【點(diǎn)石成金】本句是一個(gè)主從復(fù)合句。Miss Byron understood...of the invention 是主句；While other...beautiful instrument 是時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句；young as she was 是as 引導(dǎo)的讓步狀語(yǔ)從句。

2.It's her work in“poetical science”,as she called it,that defines her as one of the greatest scientists.正是她的工作，也就是她所稱的“詩(shī)意科學(xué)”將她定義為最偉大的科學(xué)家之一。

【點(diǎn)石成金】本句是一個(gè)主從復(fù)合句，句子的主干是it is...that...引導(dǎo)的強(qiáng)調(diào)句。as she called it 是as 引導(dǎo)的非限制性定語(yǔ)從句。

?語(yǔ)言運(yùn)用

Ⅰ.例句仿寫(xiě)

1.我在公共汽車(chē)站等車(chē)時(shí)，路對(duì)面駛過(guò)了三輛公共汽車(chē)。(while)

____________________,three buses went by in the opposite direction.

2.盡管他很年輕，但是他會(huì)說(shuō)好幾門(mén)外語(yǔ)。(as)

____________________,he can speak several foreign languages.

Ⅱ.寫(xiě)作實(shí)踐

假定你是李華，請(qǐng)根據(jù)下列表格中的內(nèi)容提示，為校報(bào)的《英語(yǔ)園地》寫(xiě)一篇英語(yǔ)短文，介紹世界上第一位計(jì)算機(jī)程序員。

注意：

1.詞數(shù)80左右；

2.可以適當(dāng)增加細(xì)節(jié)，以使行文連貫。

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