Программа по формированию навыков безопасного поведения на дорогах и улицах «Добрая дорога детства» 2
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Warming upEx.1. Discussion. What are possible problems with computers? Brainstorm different computer problems in small groups and make up a list of all possible computer problems. Discuss them in the class. MainstreamEx.2. Learning facts. 1. Read the texts BugIn computer technology, a bug is a coding error in a computer program. (Here we consider a program to also include the microcode that is manufactured into a microprocessor.) The process of finding bugs before program users do is called debugging. Debugging starts after the code is first written and continues in successive stages as code is combined with other units of programming to form a software product, such as an operating system or an application. After a product is released or during public beta testing, bugs are still apt to be discovered. When this occurs, users have to either find a way to avoid using the "buggy" code or get a patch from the originators of the code. Although bugs typically just cause annoying computer glitches, their impact can be much more serious. A Wired News article about the 10 worst software bugs in history, reported that bugs had caused major explosions, crippled space probes, and caused death. In 1982, for example a system controlling the trans-Siberian gas pipeline (allegedly implanted by the CIA) caused the largest non-nuclear explosion in history. Between 1985 and 1987, a bug in a radiation therapy device called a race condition resulted in the delivery of lethal doses of radiation, killing five people and injuring others. More recently, in 2005, Toyota recalled 160,000 cars (the Prius) because a bug caused warning lights to come on and engines to stall for no reason. A bug is not the only kind of problem a program can have. A program can run bug-free and still be difficult to use or fail in some major objective. This kind of flaw is more difficult to test for (and often simply isn't). It is generally agreed that a well-designed program developed using a well-controlled process will result in fewer bugs per thousands of lines of code. The term's origin has been wrongly attributed to the pioneer programmer, Grace Hopper. In 1944, Hopper, a young Naval Reserve officer, went to work on the Mark I computer at Harvard, becoming one of the first people to write programs for it. As Admiral Hopper, she later described an incident in which a technician is said to have pulled an actual bug (a moth, in fact) from between two electrical relays in the Mark II computer. In his book, The New Hacker's Dictionary, Eric Raymond reports that the moth was displayed for many years by the Navy and is now the property of the Smithsonian. Raymond also notes that Admiral Hopper was already aware of the term when she told the moth story. The term was used prior to modern computers to mean an industrial or electrical defect. Less frequently, the term is applied to a computer hardware problem. GlitchIn several usages in information technology, a glitch (pronounced GLIHTCH) is a sudden break in function or continuity, sometimes of a transient nature, with a varying degree of seriousness. According to Eric Raymond, author of The New Hacker's Dictionary, glitch is from the German 'glitschen,' meaning 'to slip,' via Yiddish 'glitshen,' meaning 'to slide or skid.' In different contexts, the term has different meanings. 1) In electrical service, a glitch, sometimes called a power glitch, is a momentary power failure. 2) In network service, a glitch can be any temporary loss of service in the network. 3) In a computer program, a glitch can be a bug that isn't encountered very often, resulting in a problem that sometimes goes away because next time the combination of events is different. Glitches like this are often encountered with Web browsers. (Browser glitches are often fixed by closing the browser program and then reopening it, or by restarting the operating system.) A glitch can also be an intentionally planned trap or other program device that results in exposing a user's password or in some other security breach. 4) In computer audio, a glitch is a quick temporary noise in a file that sounds like a "snap." 2. Answer the following questions paying special attention to the terms like bugs, flaws and glitches.
3. Translate: to also include bugs are still apt to be discovered bugs crippled space probes allegedly more recently run bug-free flaw transient nature encounter 4. Give English equivalents: ошибка в коде программы, синтаксическая ошибка создатели программных кодов последствия переменный Ex. 3. Grammar and vocabulary. 1. Read the first paragraph of the text and fill in the gaps with the terms given in the box. device engineering exist imply isolate locating In computers, debugging is the process of (1) … and fixing or bypassing bugs (errors) in computer program code or the (2) …of a hardware device. To debug a program or hardware (3) …is to start with a problem, (4) …the source of the problem, and then fix it. A user of a program that does not know how to fix the problem may learn enough about the problem to be able to avoid it until it is permanently fixed. When someone says they've debugged a program or "worked the bugs out" of a program, they (5) …that they fixed it so that the bugs no longer (6) …. 2. Insert articles in the second part of the text. … debugging is … necessary process in almost any new software or hardware development process, whether … commercial product or … enterprise or personal application program. For … complex products, … debugging is done as … result of … unit test for … smallest unit of … system, again at … component test when … parts are brought together, again at … system test when … product is used with … other existing products, and again during … customer beta test, when … users try … product out in … real world situation. Because … most computer programs and many programmed hardware devices contain …thousands of … lines of code, almost any new product is likely to contain a few bugs. Invariably, … bugs in … functions that get … most use are found and fixed first. … early version of … program that has lots of bugs is referred to as "buggy." … debugging tools (called debuggers) help identify … coding errors at … various development stages. Some programming language packages include … facility for checking … code for … errors as it is being written. Ex. 4. Discussion. What can cause all the above-mentioned problems? Make up a list of all possible causes of the problems in small groups and discuss them in class. Ex. 5. Summarizing. There are different troubles with computers. Some may be caused by force majeure, others by accident, third by ill will. Put the computer disasters into these categories and explain your answer. Ex. 6. Reading. Read the article and translate it into Russian. Write a short summary on it to discuss in the class and try to express your own opinion on the problems mentioned.
Microsoft issued another flock of security alerts Wednesday, including notice of a "critical" flaw that affects many of its Office applications. The most serious flaw, in the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) software, could allow an attacker to gain control of a vulnerable PC. VBA is used to develop desktop applications that tie into other Microsoft products. As detailed in Microsoft's security bulletin, a malicious user could create a document with a VBA application that's designed to overflow the buffer--the chunk of memory that's allocated to a program--and then run other code. The flaw affects recent versions of Office applications that support VBA scripting, including the 2002, 2000 and 97 versions of Access, Excel, PowerPoint and Word. It can also be used with Project 2002 and 2000, Visio 2002 and 2000 and Works Suite 2002, 2001 and 2000. Several applications sold under Microsoft's Business Solutions brand also are at risk, including version 7.5 of the Great Plains accounting software. In most cases, a person would have to receive and open a maliciously crafted document to trigger an attack. If Microsoft's Outlook e-mail client is set up to use Word as the default program for editing HTML Web code, however, the vulnerability could be exploited by responding to or forwarding a message with a malicious attachment. Microsoft representatives urged customers to apply the proper patches--as detailed in the security bulletin and at the Office Update site--and to use sound e-mail handling procedures. "If you receive an attachment from someone you don't know, something you're not expecting, you should be very cautious," said Simon Marks, Microsoft product manager for Office. Several other alerts also involve Office applications. A vulnerability in recent versions of Word could allow hackers to automatically run macros, which are mini-programs typically used to automate routine tasks. The flaw--classified as "important"--requires opening a maliciously crafted document, according to the security bulletin. Customers using Word 2002, 2000, 98 or 97 or Works Suite 2003, 2002 or 2001 are urged to apply the patch, as described in the bulletin. Another flaw exploits a potential buffer overflow arising from the way Office applications convert documents created in formats associated with Corel's WordPerfect software. The security hole--described as "important"--appears in recent versions of Office, FrontPage, Publisher and Works Suite, according to the alert. It could allow a malicious user to arbitrarily run code on a comprised PC. Patches are available via the bulletin. Another Office-related buffer overflow vulnerability--ranked "moderate"--could also allow arbitrary code execution after a PC user opens a maliciously crafted document by using the "Snapshot Viewer" tool that's included in Microsoft's Access database application. The flaw affects Access 2002, 2000 and 97 and is fixed by a patch. The final flaw--ranked as a "low" threat--involves the NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) networking component included in recent versions of the Windows operating system. Under certain conditions, a response to a network query could include random data from the PC's memory, possibly revealing sensitive data. The flaw uses PC resources normally blocked by the Internet Connection Firewall security software included in recent versions of Windows, according to the bulletin. Microsoft has come under increasing scrutiny for its frequent security alerts, as the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant tries to build confidence in its software through its Trustworthy Computing initiative. Ex. 7. Listening. At the level of enterprises most computer problems are dealt with by the IT service desk. However, the latter is in a great position to help outline the company policy and reveal hidden problems. Listen to a part of the talk concerning this issue and answer the following questions.
UNIT 2. COMPUTER EXPLOITS |
