Name __ANSWER KEY - See answers at bottom of this file
Introduction to Computers
Midterm Exam I
Jim Allert
Winter 1998
Select the SINGLE BEST ANSWER for each question.
1. The data processing equipment used to assist with the 1890
U.S. census, was developed by
a. Charles Babbage
b. J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly
c. IBM under the leadership of Thomas Watson, Sr.
d. Herman Hollerith
e. Konrad Zusa
2. Which of the following IS NOT associated with GUIs?
a. Windows
b. Icons
c. Menus
d. Pointers
e. Command lines
3. Which of the following is an example of applications
software?
a. Microsoft Windows95
b. Microsoft Excel
c. unix
d. a mouse pad
e. Pentium microprocessor
4. One of the first all-electronic computers, the ENIAC, was
developed by
a. Babbage and Lovelace
b. Hollerith and Jaquard
c. Steven Jobs and Steve Wozniak
d. Howard Aiken and IBM
e. Eckert and Mauchly
5. First generation computers used
a. integrated circuits
b. vacuum tubes
c. transistors
d. microprocessors
e. none of the above
6. Which of these pairs of terms refer to the same thing?
a. applications, programs
b. digital computers, analog computers
c. minicomputers, microcomputers
d. data, information
e. memory, storage
v. 1
7. Which of the following is NOT an output device?
a. monitor
b. keyboard
c. plotter
d. ink-jet printer
e. stereo speakers
8. Second generation computers used
a. integrated circuits
b. vacuum tubes
c. transistors
d. microprocessors
e. none of the above
9. Third generation computers used
a. integrated circuits
b. vacuum tubes
c. transistors
d. microprocessors
e. none of the above
10. Fourth generation computers use
a. integrated circuits
b. vacuum tubes
c. transistors
d. microprocessors
e. none of the above
11. Which of the following is NOT an input device?
a. printer
b. scanner
c. mouse
d. light pen
e. keyboard
12. Which of the following is exclusively a sequential access
storage
media?
a. floppy disk
b. hard disk
c. magnetic tape
d. CD-ROM
e. WORM
13. High-level languages developed in the
a. first generation of computers
b. second generation of computers
c. third generation of computers
d. fourth generation of computers
e. fifth generation of computers
v. 1
14. VLSI circuitry best characterizes the
a. first generation of computers
b. second generation of computers
c. third generation of computers
d. fourth generation of computers
e. fifth generation of computers
15. The collection of programs that helps the computer manage
its
resources:
a. bootstrap loader
b. applications
c. operating systems
d. diagnostic routines
e. backup
16. In a microcomputer, the CPU is contained on a single chip
called:
a. RAM
b. ROM
c. bus
d. microprocessor
e. memory
17. Graphic User Interfaces became popular in the
a. first generation of computers
b. second generation of computers
c. third generation of computers
d. fourth generation of computers
e. fifth generation of computers
18. The IBM-PC and Apple Macintosh date from the
a. first generation of computers
b. second generation of computers
c. third generation of computers
d. fourth generation of computers
e. fifth generation of computers
19. The measure of capacity that represents 1 million bytes:
a. kilobyte
b. megabyte
c. millibyte
d. gigabyte
e. terabyte
v. 1
20. Which of the following IS NOT a secondary storage device?
a. floppy disk
b. hard disk
c. optical disk
d. CD-ROM
e. RAM memory
21. Which of these are not magnetic media?
a. CD's
b. hard disks
c. floppy disks
d. cassette tapes
e. video tapes
22. This stores data in 'pits' and 'lands'.
a. RAM memory
b. ROM memory
c. the hard disk
d. CD-ROM disk
e. floppy disk
23. The contents of this disappear when power is turned off.
a. RAM memory
b. ROM memory
c. the hard disk
d. CD-ROM disk
e. floppy disk
24. Which of the following is not a microprocessor?
a. Pentium
b. 586
c. UNIVAC
d. Power PC
e. 486 DX4
25. Which of the following is not associated with punched
cards?
a. IBM
b. Babbage
c. Jaquard
d. Blaise Pascal
e. Herman Hollerith
26. Which of the following can often be a Gigabyte in size?
a. standard CD-ROM storage capacity
b. hard disk storage capacity
c. RAM memory capacity
d. modem transfer rates (per second)
e. ROM memory capacity
v. 1
27. A Gigabyte is how many bytes?
a. one thousand
b. one million
c. one billion
d. one trillion
e. one gazillion
28. The CEO of MicroSoft Corporation is
a. Hewlett Packard
b. Bill Gates
c. Steven Jobs
d. Mitch Kapor
e. J. Presper Eckert
29. A rewritable CD is a(an)
a. input device
b. output device
c. mass storage device
d. component of the CPU
e. communications device
30. Word size (8, 16, 32, 64) refers to the number of
a. bytes that can be processed at one time.
b. bits that can be processed at one time.
c. characters that can be processed at one time.
d. words that can be processed at one time.
e. instructions that can be processed at one time.
31. MHz stands for
a. a million bytes
b. a million instructions per second
c. a million screen pixels
d. a millionth of a second
e. a millionth of a byte
32. The ALU is a(an)
a. input device
b. output device
c. mass storage device
d. component of the CPU
e. communications device
33. The two major makers of microprocessors are
a. MicroSoft and Apple
b. Intel and IBM
c. Intel and Apple
d. Motorola and Intel
e. IBM and Apple
v. 1
34. Commonly used operating systems include all EXCEPT
a. Macintosh OS
b. America Online
c. UNIX
d. Windows NT
e. Windows 95
35. The two main classifications of application software are
a. word processing and spreadsheets
b. digital and analog
c. general and special purpose
d. programming languages and operating systems
e. systems and applications
36. The amount of data a 4x CD can transfer in a second.
a. 600K
b. 1.4M
c. 8-16M
d. 650M
e. 1G (gigabyte)
37. The storage capacity of a standard HD floppy.
a. 600K
b. 1.4M
c. 8-16M
d. 650M
e. 1G (gigabyte)
38. The two main classifications of systems software are
a. word processing and spreadsheets
b. digital and analog
c. general and special purpose
d. programming languages and operating systems
e. systems and applications
39. The two main classifications of software are
a. systems and applications
b. word processing and spreadsheets
c. desktop and mainframe
d. MicroSoft and IBM
e. digital and analog
40. The fundamental hardware components of a computer are
a. CPU, Input and output devices, memory and data
b. CPU, Input and output devices, storage and data
c. CPU, Input and output devices, memory and storage
d. CPU, people, procedures, memory and data
e. printer, monitor, disk drive, keyboard (or mouse)
v. 1
41. The size of RAM on most home microcomputers.
a. 600K
b. 1.4M
c. 8-16M
d. 650M
e. 1G (gigabyte)
42. The amount of data stored on a CDROM disk.
a. 600K
b. 1.4M
c. 8-16M
d. 650M
e. 1G (gigabyte)
43. Which of the following IS NOT a function of the computer?
a. stores and retrieves data
b. interprets output
c. tests relationships logically
d. performs arithmetic operations
e. reads data from input devices
44. A __________ is software that manipulates rows and columns
of numbers.
a. database
b. word processor
c. graphic design program
d. spreadsheet
e. web browser
45. One of the most complex input techniques, in which a user
speaks into
a microphone is called...
a. voice output
b. speech recognition
c. voice coding
d. telecommunications
e. internet
46. Computer programs that allow users perform specific tasks.
a. system software
b. programming software
c. application software
d. hardware
e. operating systems
v. 1
47. The _____________ generation of computers was characterized
by vacuum
tubes.
a. first
b. second
c. third
d. fourth
e. fifth
48. Large Scale Integration (LSI) was the advancement that
allowed
several thousand transistors to be placed on a single chip
known as a(n)
a. minicomputer
b. integrated circuit
c. microcomputer
d. vacuum tube
e. supercomputer
49. Which of the following IS FALSE?
a. Computers process data into information
b. Computers are more accurate than people
c. Computers are faster than people
d. Computers can interpret information
e. Computers may be digital or analog
50. Which of the following is the fastest and most powerful
category of
computer?
a. personal computer
b. microcomputer
c. mainframe
d. supercomputer
e. minicomputer
51. IC's signified the beginning of the __________ generation
of computers.
a. first
b. second
c. third
d. fourth
e. fifth
52. A microprocessor contains both of these.
a. ALU and main memory
b. control unit and RAM
c. RAM and ROM
d. ALU and control unit
e. ALU and RAM
v. 1
53. When application software is loaded into a computer, it
resides in...
a. RAM
b. the operating system
c. the hard drive
d. ROM
e. the instruction set
54. Printers produce characters on a page using two basic types
of
printing mechanisms.
a. electrical and mechanical
b. impact and nonimpact
c. dot matrix and ink jet
d. greyscale and color
e. hard copy and soft copy
55. CD-ROM is a type of
a. optical laser disk
b. main memory chip
c. magnetic disk
d. operating system
e. graphics user interface
56. Which input device is most appropriate for a GUI?
a. keyboard
b. mouse
c. touch screen
d. voice
e. MICR scanner
57. Which input device is associated with the term QWERTY?
a. keyboard
b. mouse
c. touch screen
d. voice
e. MICR scanner
58. Which input device is most appropriate for an
information kiosk?
a. keyboard
b. mouse
c. touch screen
d. voice
e. MICR scanner
v. 1
59. Which input device handles magnetic ink
characters (i.e. check processing)?
a. keyboard
b. mouse
c. touchpad
d. voice
e. MICR scanner
60. Which input device requires an artificial intelligence
component?
a. keyboard
b. mouse
c. touchpad
d. voice
e. MICR scanner
61. The storage capacity of a DVD
a. is the same as a standard CD
b. is less than a standard CD
c. is 650M
d. is over 17G
e. is measured in MHz
62. Which of the following is a page printer
(as opposed to a character or line printer)?
a. laser printer
b. ink-jet printer
c. dot matrix printer
d. plotter
e. pen and ink
63. Large volume printing jobs that do not require
high quality printing most often use
a. ink-jet printers
b. dot matrix printers
c. line printers
d. laser printers
e. plotters
64. Which printer puts an electrostatic charge on
the page and prints by attracting ink to the
areas where this charge was removed?
a. ink-jet printer
b. laser printer
c. dot matrix printer
d. plotter
e. line printer
v. 1
65. Inexpensive color printers are usually
a. ink-jet printer
b. laser printer
c. dot matrix printer
d. plotter
e. line printer
66. A monochrome monitor requires how many
BITS of data to represent a pixel?
a. one
b. two
c. three
d. eight
e. twenty four
67. A 24-bit color monitor requires how many
BYTES to represent a pixel?
a. one
b. two
c. three
d. eight
e. twenty four:
68. A Zip disk storing 100M of data
a. stores about as much as a HD floppy disk
b. is about the same size as a HD floopy disk
c. stores about as much as a CD
d. is about the same size as a CD
e. stores about as much as a DVD
69. Which of these indicates the correct order
in terms of data access speed?
a. RAM, hard disk, floppy disk, CD, magnetic tape
b. hard disk, floppy disk, CD, magnetic tape, RAM
c. CD, magnetic tape, RAM, hard disk, floppy disk
d. magnetic tape, RAM, hard disk, floppy disk, CD
e. RAM, hard disk, CD, floppy disk, magnetic tape
70. Dot pitch refers to
a. the size and shape of pixels
b. the color of pixels
c. the distance between pixels
d. the number of pixels on a screen
e. none of the above
v. 1
71. Acceptable dot pitch size should be in the range
a. > 100KB
b. 4.2-6.4G
c. < .28mm
d. 800x600
e. >200 MHz
72. The refresh rate of a monitor refres to
a. how many pixels are on the screen
b. how quickly the screen is repainted
c. how long it takes for the screen saver to come on
d. how fast programs load into memory
e. how many mouse clicks it takes to open a document
73. Refresh rate is measured in
a. KB
b. MB
c. MHz
d. Hz
e. mm
74. Screen resolution refers to
a. how many pixels are on the screen
b. how quickly the screen is repainted
c. how long it takes for the screen saver to come on
d. how fast programs load into memory
e. how many mouse clicks it takes to open a document
75. Standard VGA resolution is
a. 640x480
b. 800x600
c. 1024x780
d. 266 MHz Pentium
e. 33.6Kbps
version number 1
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1. D
2. E
3. B
4. E
5. B
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. A
10. D
11. A
12. C
13. B
14. D
15. C
16. D
17. D
18. D
19. B
20. E
21. A
22. D
23. A
24. C
25. D
26. B
27. C
28. B
29. C
30. B
31. B
32. D
33. D
34. B
35. C
36. A
37. B
38. D
39. A
40. C
41. C
42. D
43. B
44. D
45. B
46. C
47. A
48. B
49. D
50. D
51. C
52. D
53. A
54. B
55. A
56. B
57. A
58. C
59. E
60. D
61. D
62. A
63. C
64. B
65. A
66. A
67. C
68. B
69. E
70. C
71. C
72. B
73. D
74. A
75. A