Major steps in the growth of computer technology

The first transistor developed was the junction transistor. Nearly all transistors today are classed as junction transistors (плоскостной транзистор).

Throughout the years there were developed new types of junction transistors that performed better and were easier to construct. When first introduced, the junction transistor was not called that; it was the „cat`s whisker” (контактный волосок) used in the first radio receivers in the 1920_s. Shockley and his crew resurrected (возродить) it, a mere imposing name sounded much more scientific. The junction transistor of 1948 was further modernized in 1951, with the development of the „grown“ (выращенный) transistor. The technology for manufacturing transistors steadily improved until, in 1959, the first integrated circuit was produced – the first circuit – on – a - chip.

The integrated circuit constituted another major step in the growth of computer technology. Until 1959, the fundamental logical components of digital computers were the individual electrical switches, first in the form of relays, then transistors.

In the vacuum tubes and relay stages, additional discrete components such as resistors, inductors and capacitors were required in order to make the whole system work. These components were about the same size as packaged transistors (транзистор в корпусе). Integrated circuit technology permitted the elimination of some of these components and „integration“ of most of the others on the same chip of semiconductor that contains the transistor. Thus the basic logic element – the switch, or „flip-flop”, which required two separate transistors and some resistors and capacitors in the early 1950_s, could be packaged into a single small unit in 1960. That unit was half the size of a pea.

The chip was a crucial (важный) development in the accelerating pace of computer technology. With integrated circuit technology it became possible to jam (зд. размещать) more and more elements into a single chip. Entire assemblies of parts could be manufactured in the same time that it previously took to make a single part. Clearly, the cost of providing a particular computing function decreased proportionally. As the number of components on a integrated circuit grew from a few to hundreds, then thousands, the term for the chip changed to microcircuit.

Обстоятельство

Обстоятельство в английском предложении располагается на четвертом месте (после дополнения) или на нулевой позиции (перед подлежащим), а если оно выражено коротким наречием, то может стоять справа или слева от сказуемого

We study English at the University.

Yesterday he got up a little earlier.

He always comes in time.

Обстоятельство может быть выражено:

1) наречием,

2) именем существительным (как правило, с предлогом),

3) герундием с предлогом,

4) инфинитивом,

5) причастием или причастным оборотом,

6) придаточным обстоятельственным предложением.

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