Text 6 . The Ubiquity of Systems

Man lives and works within social systems. His scientific research is exposing the structure of nature's systems. A "system" means a grouping of parts that operate together for a common purpose. An automobile is a system of components that work together to provide transportation. An autopilot and an airplane form a system for flying at a specified altitude. A warehouse and loading platform is a system for delivering goods into trucks.

A system may include people as well as physical parts. The stock clerk and office workers are part of the warehouse system. Management is a system of people for allocating resources and regulating the activity of a business. A family is a system for living and raising children.

In a primitive society, the existing systems were those arising in nature and their characteristics were accepted as divinely given and as being beyond man's comprehension or control. Man simply adjusted himself to the natural systems around him.

As industrial societies emerged, systems began to dominate life as they manifested themselves in economic cycles, political turmoil, recurring financial panics, fluctuating employment, and unstable prices. Econom­ics has identified many basic relationships within our industrial system.

Medicine has treated biological systems. Political science has explored governmental and inter­national systems. But most such analysis has been verbal and quali­tative. Mere description has not been sufficient to expose the true nature of systems. Mathematics, which has been used to structure knowledge in science, has not been adequate for handling the essential realities of our important social systems.

System Principles as the Structure of Knowledge

A structure (or theory) is essential if we are to effectively interrelate and interpret our observations in any field of knowledge. Without an integrating structure, information remains a hodge-podge of fragments. Without an organizing structure, knowledge is a mere collection of observations, practices and conflicting incidents. Without a structure to interrelate facts and observations, it is difficult to learn from experience, it is difficult to use the past to educate for the future.

The laws of physics form a structure to interrelate our many obser­vations about nature. This structure of physical knowledge is the foundation for today's technology.

Managers and educators have long searched for a structure to unify the diverse manifestations of psychological, industrial, and economic processes. Management education has been criticized as being merely descriptive without a unifying structure.

In the concepts of systems we should find a common foundation that underlies and unites the "two cultures" of the sciences and humanities.

 

Exercise 45. Answer the questions on text 6.

1. What does a “system” mean? 2. Can you give an example of a system? 3. How were systems accepted in a primitive society? 4.When did systems begin to dominate life? Why? 5. What hasn’t been sufficient to expose the true nature of systems? 6. Why are system principles essential? 7. What should we find in the concepts of systems? 8. What does a system structure provide us with?

 

Exercise 46. Find English equivalents.

Наукове дослідження; функціонувати разом; спільна мета; забезпечувати перевезення; складське приміщення; зазначена висота; доставка товарів; виховання дітей; розміщення ресурсів; поза розумінням.

 

Exercise 47. Give Ukrainian equivalents.

Industrial societies emerged; political turmoil; fluctuating employment; recurring financial panic; unstable prices; verbal analysis; sufficient description; essential realities; adequate for handling; a hodge-podge of fragments; special emphasis, merely descriptive.

 

Exercise 48. Comment on the following grammar forms: an organizing structure; conflicting incidents; a specified altitude; a loading platform; for regulating the activity; divinely given.

 

Exercise 49. Translate into English, using the word “structure” as a noun or verb.

1.  Закони фізики формують структуру для пояснення наших спостережень щодо природи. 2. Математика структурує наукові знання. 3. Вивчити структуру означає зрозуміти, як взаємодіють різні елементи. 4. Кожний елемент повинен бути розміщений в структурованій моделі. 5. Програмне забезпечення допомагає користувачам організувати роботу та систематизувати дані.

 

Exercise 50. Make sure you can translate sentences with “to be + infinitive” construction.

Model: A structure is essential if we are to interrelate our observations. – Структура є дуже важливою, якщо необхідно встановити взаємозв'язок у наших спостереженнях.

1. No one is to leave this building without the permission of the police. 2. The expedition is to start in a week’s time. 3. They said goodbye not knowing that they were never to meet again.

 

Exercise 51. Make up your own sentences using “to be + infinitive” construction.

 

Exercise 52. Compose a dialogue on “Ubiquity of Systems”.

 

Exercise 53 . Learn the following words and word combinations.

input	– вхідні дані, внесок, введення інформації
output	– результат
performance	– діяльність, продуктивність, ефективність
generation rate	– темп генерації, швидкість утворення
fail	– не виконати, не впоратись
intrinsic	– властивий; спадковий
speed governor	– регулятор швидкості
throttle setting	– встановлення важеля перемикання швидкостей
strive for an objective	– прямувати до мети
subordinate purpose	– другорядна мета
imply	– мати на увазі
scope	– спектр; межі; розмах
pertinent	– відповідний

Exercise 54. Read, translate and give the gist of text 7.

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