Test your basic knowledge |

Technology In Action - 2

Subjects : it-skills, literacy
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. 'An application program - such as Intuit's TurboTax or H&R Block's TaxCut - for preparing state and federal taxes. Each program offers a complete set of tax forms and instructions as well as expert advice on how to complete each form.'






2. 'The set of programs on a computer that helps a user carry out tasks such as word processing - sending e-mail - balancing a budget - creating presentations - editing photos - taking an online course - and playing games.'






3. Twisted pair cable that contains a layer of foil shielding to reduce interference.






4. 'A collection of related pieces of information stored together for easy reference; in database terminology - a file or table is a group of related records.'






5. 'Programs that include image - video - and audio editing software - animation software - and other specialty software required to produce computer games - animations - and movies.'






6. The ability of an operating system to perform more than one process at a time.






7. A special shelf inside a computer case that is designed to hold storage devices.






8. Video interface technology that newer LCD monitors - as well as other mutlimedia devices such as televisions - DVD players - and projectors - use to connect to a PC.






9. 'A single-user - single-task operating system created by Microsoft. MS-DOS was the first widely installed operating system in personal computers.'






10. Documentation for a software product that is built directly into the software.






11. An expansion card that attaches to the motherboard inside the system unit and that enables the computer to produce sounds by providing a connection for the speakers and microphone.






12. A concentric circle that serves as a storage area on a hard drive platter.






13. A circuit board with specific functions that augment the computer's basic functions and provide connections to other devices; examples include sound card and video card.






14. An application program for creating dynamic slide shows such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple Keynote.






15. A type of wireless technology that uses radio waves to transmit data over short distances. Often used to connect peripherals such as printers and keyboards to computers or headsets to cell phones.






16. 'A type of network design in which users are not responsible for creating their own data backups or providing security for their computers; instead - those tasks are handled by a centralized server - software - and a system administrator.'






17. A device that uses some unique characteristic of human biology to identify authorized users.






18. A specially designed computer chip that resides inside another device - such as a car. These self-contained computer devices have their own programming and typically neither recieve input from users nor interact with other systems.






19. Software that facilitates the communication between a device and the operating system.






20. 'Unlike the command- and menu-driven interfaces used in earlier software - GUIs display graphics and use the point-and-click technology of the mouse and cursor - making them much more user-friendly.'






21. A large - expensive computer that supports hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously and executes many different programs at the same time.






22. A device (such as a printer or external hard drive) that can be attached directly to a network instead of needing to attach to a computer on the network.






23. 'The first job the basic input/output system (BIOS) performs - ensuring that essential peripheral devices are attached and operational. This process consists of a test on the video card and video memory - a BIOS identification process (during which t






24. An internal hard drive that is enclosed in a protective case to make it portable - the drive is connected to the computer with a data transfer cable and is often used to back up data.






25. A specialized computing device designed to store and manage network data.






26. A server used to fulfill one specific function (such as handling e-mail).






27. Any part of the computer you can physically touch.






28. The access method that ring networks use to avoid data collisions.






29. A printer that has tiny hammer-like keys that strike the paper through an inked ribbon - thus making a mark on the paper. The most common impact printer is the dot-matrix printer.






30. A software program or hardware device designed to prevent unauthorized access to computers or networks.






31. A nonimpact printer known for quick and quiet production and high quality printouts.






32. A device such as a monitor - printer - or keyboard that connects to the system unit through ports.






33. A feature in the Windows operating system that lets individuals view and change the properties of all hardware devices attached to the computer.






34. The percentage of time a central processing unit (CPU) is working.






35. 'An attack delivered by specialized hacking software that tries many combinations of letters - numbers - and pieces of a user ID in an attempt to discover a user password.'






36. A device that amplifies your wireless signal to get it out to parts of your home that are experiencing poor connectivity.






37. 'Allows you to read flash memory cards such as CompactFlash - Memory Sticks - and Secure Digital.'






38. A port that can connect a wide variety of peripherial devices to the computer - including keyboards - printers - mice - smartphones - PDAs - flash drives - and digital cameras.






39. 'The top level of the filing structure in a computer system. In Windows computers - the root directory of the hard drive is represented as C:.'






40. An output device for sound.






41. A UTP cable type that provides more than 1 GB of throughput.






42. A program for editing digital video.






43. A mouse that uses an internal sensor or a laser to conrtol the mouse's movement. The sensor sends signals to the computer - telling it where to move the pointer on the screen.






44. The metal or plastic case that holds all the physical parts of the computer together - including the computer's processor (its brains) - its memory - and the many circuit boards that help the computer function.






45. A computer deployed to provide remote storage space or to act as a repository for files that users can access.






46. Pernament storage - as in read-only memory (ROM).






47. The maximum speed at which data can be transmitted between two nodes on a network; usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps).






48. A common output device that creates tangible or hard copies of text and graphics.






49. The instructions programmers write in a higher-level language.






50. A condition of excessive paging in which the operating system becomes sluggish.