The history and future of computers.ppt

Computer English Chapter 1 The History and Future of Computers New Words Expressions: glean vt., vi. 搜集(情报或事实) MD abbr. Maryland(马里兰) Tflops abbr. teraflops 每秒兆兆(1012)次 architecture n.体系机构 terabit n.兆兆位 factor n. 阶乘 bandwidth n.带宽 Terabyte n. 兆兆(1012)字节； Petabyte n. 千兆兆(1015)字节 microprocessor n.[计]微处理器 contemplate v.凝视, 沉思 order n. 阶,次 turbulence n. 扰动；湍流 GB=GigaBit,千兆位; = GigaByte,吉字节 flops n. 每秒浮点运算次数(floating-point operation per second) 1.3 Near-future Supercomputer Directions Some idea of what might be happening in the near future in supercomputer design can be gleaned from a press release issued by the US Department of Energy (DoE). It came out of the SUPERCOMPUTING 2002 Conference held last November in Baltimore, MD. The press release announced that the DoE had awarded IBM a $290 (USD) million contract to build the two fastest supercomputers in the world with a combined peak speed of 460 TFlops. To get an idea of the speed computing throughput 460 teraflops represents, the press release states that, “These two systems will have more than one-and-a-half times the combined processing power of all 500 machines on the recently announced TOP 500 List of Supercomputers.” 从美国能源部发行的通告中，可以收集一些有关在不久的将来超级计算机设计中可能发生的事情的概念。它来自在马里兰州巴尔的摩市召开的2002年超级计算会议。该通告称能源部已给IBM拨款2.9亿美元建造世界上最快的两部超级计算机，其最高综合速度为每秒460兆兆次。为了理解每秒460兆兆次速度的含义，通告解释说,“这两个系统将会具有最近发布的500强超级计算机的总处理能力的1.5倍还多。” 1.3 Near-future Supercomputer Directions The first system, “ASCI Purple,” [apparently the DoE likes colorful names] will be the world’s first supercomputer capable of 100 Tflops. ASCI Purple will have a massive cluster of POWER-based IBM eServer systems and IBM storage systems. This supercomputer represents a fifth-generation system under the Advanced Simulation and Computing Initiative (ASCI) Program. It will serve as the primary supercomputer for DoE. 第一个系统“ASCI Purple”,[显然能源部；生动的名字]将会是世界的第一部能够运算每秒100兆兆次的超级计算机。ASCI Purple将具有基于POWER系列的IBM eServer 系统和 IBM 存储系统的宏大组群。这台超级计算机代表模拟和计