The first computer programmer
We think of computers as a modern invention – but, 150 years ago, a woman
called Ada Lovelace wrote instructions for the first computer program. She was a
brilliant mathematician and was the first person who really understood what
computers might be able to do. Ada was born in 1815 and was brought up by
her mother. Her father was a famous poet, Lord Byron, who went to live abroad.
He died when Ada was 8 years old.
Ada’s mother was determined that her daughter would be well educated, so she
employed some of the best tutors of the day. This was unusual, as very few
women at that time were given the chance to study and learn. Ada was
extremely intelligent. She could soon speak several languages and showed great
understanding of maths, science and [Link] the age of 12, Ada was
fascinated by machines. She pored over descriptions and drawings of inventions
that were being developed during the Industrial Revolution. She even designed
boats and flying machines, calculating in detail exactly how they
would work. When she was 17, Ada met Charles Babbage,
who was a professor of mathematics. They became great friends. Babbage had
been working on a huge clockwork calculating machine, which he called the
Difference Engine. Ada was fascinated by this machine and asked lots of
questions about it. Babbage was so impressed by Ada’s intelligence
and mathematical ability that he called her ‘the enchantress of numbers’.
Babbage’s next project was an even more complex calculating machine, which
he called the Analytical Engine. It was never actually built, but plans show that it
had all the essential parts of a modern computer. Babbage gave general talks
about his machine, which inspired many people to write about it. However, it
was Ada’s notes that explained the details of how it might work, going through
steps that we now know as computer programming. In her notes, Ada also
predicted that a similar machine could, one day, not only calculate numbers but
also process information using symbols. She believed this could produce data
that would help to develop all sorts of new creative projects, in the arts as well
as the [Link] the 1940s, during the Second World War, mathematicians
used Ada’s notes on the Analytical Engine to help develop code-breaking
machines, to read enemy plans. These code-breaking machines
were an important step on the way to developing computers as we know them
[Link] Lovelace died in 1852, when she was just but her influence lives on.
Every year, there is an International Ada Lovelace Day in October, which
celebrates the achievements of women in science,technology, engineering and
maths. In 1980, a new computer language called ‘Ada’ was named after her.
Glossary
Industrial Revolution: period of change during the 18th and 19th centuries that
saw a big increase in things being made by machine rather than by hand
Look again at the first two sentences of the extract.
Which answer best describes the reason it is surprising that someone wrote
the first computer program over 150 years ago?
A- Not many people had computers 150 years ago.
B- Computers were very expensive 150 years ago.
C -Most people believe that computers are a modern invention.
D- Most people believe that computers were invented more than 150 years ago.
Look again at this section of the text:
Ada was born in 1815 and was brought up by her mother. Her father was a
famous poet, Lord Byron, who went to live abroad. He died when Ada was
8 years old.
2- In your own words, give three pieces of information you learn from this
section about Ada and her family.
Look again at this section of the text:
Ada’s mother was determined that her daughter would be well educated, so
she employed some of the best tutors of the day. This was unusual, as very
few women at that time were given the chance to study and learn. Ada was
extremely intelligent. She could soon speak several languages and showed
great understanding of maths, science and engineering.
a)- How did Ada’s mother make sure her daughter had a good education?
b)- Explain why this was unusual
Look again at this section of the text:
By the age of 12, Ada was fascinated by machines. She pored over descriptions
and drawings of inventions that were being developed during the Industrial
Revolution. She even designed boats and flying machines, calculating in detail
exactly how they would work.
Which answer has a similar meaning to the words ‘pored over’?
A. Put her fingers on
B. Spilled her drink on
C. Cried over
D. Looked closely at
Look again at this section of the text:
When she was 17, Ada met Charles Babbage, who was a professor of
mathematics. They became great friends. Babbage had been working on a
huge clockwork calculating machine, which he called the Difference Engine.
Ada was fascinated by this machine and asked lots of questions about it.
Babbage was so impressed by her intelligence and mathematical ability that
he called her ‘the enchantress of numbers’.
Explain in your own words why Babbage called Ada ‘the enchantress of
numbers’.
Look again at this section of the text:
Babbage gave general talks about his machine, which inspired many people to
write about it. However, it was Ada’s notes that explained the details of how it
might work, going through steps that we now know as computer programming.
In her notes, Ada also predicted that a similar machine could, one day, not
only calculate numbers but also process information using symbols. She
believed this could produce data that would help to develop all sorts of new
creative projects, in the arts as well as the sciences.
a) Give evidence from the text that Ada’s notes prove she understood Babbage’s
machine well.
b) Give evidence from the text that Ada believed machines in the future would
do more than Babbage’s machine could do.
Which answer best describes the writer’s purpose in writing this text?
1. To inform the reader about Ada Lovelace
2. To explain to the reader how to write a computer program
3. To entertain the reader with a story
4. To persuade the reader to write a computer program