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DSST Introduction To Computing

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. Memory

2. Punctuation
___________ programming rules are called syntax.
The goal is to overload the target server or network by suddenly bombarding it with thousands or even millions of _________ - making it unable to respond to requests from legitimate users.
_______ are notes included in the program code by the programmer.
A _____ is a single keystroke or command used to automatically issue a longer - predefined series of keystrokes or commands.

3. Tables
White hat hackers are computer professionals who break into computer systems with the owner's __________ to identify security flaws.
The most common type of database used on PCs is the relational database in which data is organized into related ______.
Analytical graphics are graphical forms that make _______ data easier to analyze.
A gigabyte is a unit of measurement roughly equaling one _______ bytes.

4. Digital
A spreadsheet ________ is a built-in formula which performs common calculations.
The most common type of database used on PCs is the relational database in which data is organized into related ______.
UNIVAC was the first commercially successful _______ computer.
In a peer to peer network - workstations share responsibility for processing - storage - printing - and communications tasks without a ______.

5. Column
Transistors were smaller - cheaper - and more _________ than vacuum tubes.
Lettered ______ headings appear across the top frame of the spreadsheet.
A database index can be used to _________ data in alphabetical or numerical order.
Defragmentation can improve _____ ______ performance by helping the computer operate more efficiently.

6. Recalculation
_____________ is the process of recomputing values in a spreadsheet.
A ___ ________ is software that enables a user to find and access the various parts of the Internet.
The section of code that repeats is called a _____ or an iteration.
A template is a ____________ document often provided with word processing software.

7. Resetting
CSMA/CD manages collisions on the network by deleting colliding signals and __________ the network.
Freeware is software that is copyrighted but is available for ____.
The Windows registry is a database that maintains a record of installed ________ and peripheral devices - preferences - and settings.
In PowerPoint - the _____ _____ view presents the slides in the order in which the audience will view them.

8. Software
Backbone connections are supplied by internet backbone __________ such as GTE - Sprint - UUNET and AT&T.
POS (______ __ _______) terminals are computer-based devices or systems that allow the merchant to process credit cards - track customer purchase habits - and manage inventory.
When data is ________ in one cell - data in other cells is automatically recalculated.
The Windows registry is a database that maintains a record of installed ________ and peripheral devices - preferences - and settings.

9. Stress
Databases use structured files to _________ data.
A bus network has two endpoints and all computers are connected to a single wire or _____.
RSI (Repetitive _______ Injury) affects tendons - muscles and nerves in the hands - wrists - arms and shoulders.
A ________ - mouse - microphone - scanner - and camera are all examples of computer input devices.

10. Internet
MIDI is a protocol used to communicate between electronic _______ instruments and the devices that control and manage them.
Cyberspace is the world of communications in general; it includes wired and wireless communications - as well as the _________.
Databases use structured files to _________ data.
A database index can be used to _________ data in alphabetical or numerical order.

11. Drivers
Examples of keywords include READ - ______ - IF - and THEN
A MAC address is a series of numbers assigned by the manufacturer to a _________ ________ card at the factory.
System software include device ________ - operating systems - and compilers.
Applications no longer had to include code to control low level hardware operations but instead called on operating system routines through simple standardized _________.

12. Cache
Column headings are used to select an entire _______ with a mouse click.
Computer _____ temporarily stores instructions and data that the processor is likely to use frequently.
Early computers stored ____ for calculations and programs on punched cards.
An ______ _______ is an interactive computer program that helps users solve problems.

13. Hardware
Passwords are often encrypted using a hash function - which is a function that takes a string of characters of any length and converts it into a string of a ________ length.
A firewall can be _________ or software-based or a combination of the two.
CSMA/CD manages collisions on the network by deleting colliding signals and __________ the network.
ENIAC was the first ____________ electronic computer in the United States.

14. Copies

15. Hard
Cache is ____ when the computer power is turned off.
______________ are the most expensive and fastest computers available.
This is where the term __________ (a group edited encyclopedia) comes from.
One reason a tape drive takes longer to access data than a ____ drive is that tape drives use sequential access.

16. Companies
Zipped files are _________ as part of the installation process.
Most computer manufacturers use components (hard drives - processors - memory - etc.) supplied by other __________; this is called outsourcing.
__________ appear as colored or underlined words on a webpag
FTP can be used on any _______ network such as a LAN or the Internet and is compatible with any operating system.

17. Fil
Multimedia authoring software combines video - text - animation - graphics and sound to create __________ multimedia applications.
_______ are computer depictions of humans often found in computer games and training software.
A named collection of data that exists on a storage medium such as a hard disk - floppy disk - or CD is called a ____.
A hash function uses an algorithm to transform a given string of letters into a string that represents the original string (known as a _____).

18. Cannot
A ___ ________ is software that enables a user to find and access the various parts of the Internet.
The information on a ROM chip _____ be altered by the user.
Second generation computers used ___________ instead of vacuum tubes.
This data is _____ when the computer is turned off.

19. Illegally
The ___ allows a user to operate the computer by using a mouse or keystrokes to select icons and commands from menus.
An electronic ______ ________ on the Internet where users conduct written discussions about a specific topic is called a newsgroup.
Software obtained _________ is said to be pirated.
In PowerPoint - the _____ _____ view presents the slides in the order in which the audience will view them.

20. Employees

21. Musical
VoIP stands for ______ over Internet Protocol.
Screening job applicants and limiting employee ______ to only information needed to do a specific job are examples of people controls.
MIDI is a protocol used to communicate between electronic _______ instruments and the devices that control and manage them.
_______________ are politically motivated hackers who attack computer systems intending to cause large scale physical or financial harm.

22. Hard disk
With virtual memory - free _____ ____ space is used to extend the capacity of RAM.
Tests run by laboratories to compare the overall speed of microprocessors are called __________.
The contents of ________ memory - which includes RAM - are lost when the power is turned off.
System software include device ________ - operating systems - and compilers.

23. Slide show
In PowerPoint - the _____ _____ view presents the slides in the order in which the audience will view them.
The hub prevents packet collisions - but if the hub goes down the _____ stops.
________ and assembly languages are low level languages.
Overclocking is popular with computer gamers but can be dangerous as components may _________ and be damaged or catch fire.

24. Order
The ________ ________ is the computer software that manages the basic operation of the computer.
An organization that provides internet access is called an ___.
Random access storage allows access to any location in any _____.
______ data can be represented as a wave.

25. Component
In programming - a _________ is a prewritten module designed for a specific task.
___________ and security are MS Windows' two major weaknesses.
The public key encryption software used to encrypt documents such as _____ is called PGP.
Dreamweaver - Macromedia Flash and MS FrontPage are all examples of ___ _____ design software.

26. Microcomputers
Examples of cache include L1 - L2 - and L3. In all cases - cache is storage located closer to the processor than RAM and therefore can be accessed much more ________.
Personal computers are also called ______________.
When troubleshooting a computer program - ________ software is used to help identify and solve problems.
A floppy disk - hard disk - and USB drive are all examples of _________ storage.

27. Project management
In a relational database - a ___ field is used to sort data.
______ ____________ software allows scheduling of events - management of costs and allocation of resources associated with a project.
To prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data - you encrypt data when you send it and this data is decrypted by its authorized recipient using an encryption ____.
Private networks that are connected to remote sites via the internet are called ____.

28. Binary
A unit of measure equaling one ______ digit is a bit.
This can also be called a command-_____ interface.
The number of bits limits how big of a number can be expressed. To calculate this limit - simply do 2n - where n is the number of ____.
TCP/IP is an example of a network ________________ protocol.

29. Copied
Hubs have multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port it is _______ to all other ports on the hub.
Random access is much faster than ___________ access storage (tape).
A ___ is a commonly used component that connects devices on the LAN.
____ is a popular graphics file format used in applications such as web pages where flexibility in file size is important.

30. Directly
A _____ _____ is an example of a sequential access device; it retrieves data by starting at the beginning of the tape and reading each record until the required data is found.
Random access storage devices are able to go _____ to the requested data
Web page design software allows users to create sophisticated web pages with ___________ features.
Groupware is software that allows several people to collaborate on projects over a _______.

31. Business
The ___ allows a user to operate the computer by using a mouse or keystrokes to select icons and commands from menus.
Analytical graphics are also called _________ graphics and make sales figures and economic trends easier to understand.
When you click the link - it takes you to a site that looks just like Paypal; you enter your login information on this fake site and now the _________ have your username and password.
The first microprocessor was developed in _____.

32. Protocol
Public key encryption is used to transmit credit card data in secure e-commerce transactions and it is also used for secure ______.
In a relational database - the _______ key holds a unique value for each record.
_________ data is defined as converting data from one format to a format compatible with the program you are currently using.
A ________ is a set of rules governing the exchange of data between hardware and software on a communications network.

33. Glass
A file extension is an optional file identifier that is separated from the main file name by a ______.
The prefix '____' means a million.
Fiber optic cable consists of dozens or hundreds of thin strands of ______ or plastic; it is more secure and can carry much more data than normal copper telephone wire.
The BIOS (Basic ______________ System) also enables the computer to interpret keyboard commands and display characters on the monitor.

34. Fraud
This act established financial reporting regulations to prevent corporate ______.
Groupware is software that allows several people to collaborate on projects over a _______.
With serial processing - instructions are executed ______________ in the order received.
When a file is saved to disk - it isn't always saved in adjacent sectors; in other words - the data making up the file is spread out over the hard drive. This is called fragmentation. Fragmentation _____ ______ file retrieval.

35. Transmit
The internet backbone consists of high speed - high capacity transmission lines that use the newest communications technology to ________ data across the internet.
______ data can be represented as a wave.
_________ authentication devices verify a person's identity using the person's physical characteristics.
File compression is a method of removing __________ elements of a file causing the file to require less storage space and less time to transmit.

36. Research
Such information includes information related to company finances - _________ - products and procedures.
The ______ is a marker on the monitor which indicates where the next character will appear.
An example of importing data would be taking a column of numbers from a spreadsheet and importing it into a ______ __________.
A program that ______ itself repeatedly on to the computer's hard disk or into the computer's memory is called a worm.

37. Central
In a star network - all computers are connected to a _______ computer.
One survey indicated that 75 to 80% of computer crimes are committed by current or _______ employees.
In PowerPoint - the _____ _____ view presents the slides in the order in which the audience will view them.
When you click the link - it takes you to a site that looks just like Paypal; you enter your login information on this fake site and now the _________ have your username and password.

38. Flight
The kernel is also known as the ___________.
A field contains the smallest unit of meaningful data and can therefore be called the basic ________ block for a structured file or database.
Virtual reality is used in arcade games and in training simulators (example: _______ simulators).
An _________ slot is a slot on the motherboard where the user can plug in an expansion card.

39. Slows down

40. Remarks
A database index contains a list of keys and each key provides a pointer to the ______ that contains the rest of the fields related to that key.
A communications network that covers a large geographic area such as a country is called a ___.
The primary key could be a unique series of numbers or characters; it doesn't have to be meaningful--just _______.
_______ are notes included in the program code by the programmer.

41. Spreadsheet
Examples of graphics file _______ include BMP - GIF - JPEG - TIFF - and PNG.
The cursor is often a blinking rectangle and its location is called the __________ point.
A ___________ allows users to enter data in rows and columns to create financial schedules and tables arranged as a grid on a display.
Like hubs - switches have multiple ______.

42. Systems analysts
Logic bombs are _______ that are set to go off at a certain time.
Examples include _____________ identification and retina scanners.
A system of interconnected telephones - computers - or other communication devices that can communicate and share data is called a _______.
________ ________ plan and implement new or improved computer services.

43. Bus
___ - ring - and star are the three basic network topologies.
Syntax refers to the _______ in which computer programming commands must be entered.
A programming language is a set of keywords and grammar rules used to create ____________ for a computer.
The central computer is called a ____.

44. Scheduling
Fetch - ______ - execute and store are the four basic operations of the machine cycle.
Meeting ___________ software is an example of groupware.
In 1976 - Steve Jobs and Steve _______ founded Apple Computer Corporation.
Alpha testing involves desk checking and _________.

45. Bits
A computer resource is any component required to perform ____.
The number of bits limits how big of a number can be expressed. To calculate this limit - simply do 2n - where n is the number of ____.
______ generation computers were microprocessor based.
Hubs have multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port it is _______ to all other ports on the hub.

46. Publisher
__________ is widely supported by web browsers and adds interactive functions to HTML pages.
Random access is much faster than ___________ access storage (tape).
Examples of DTP software include MS __________ and PageMaker.
A service pack is a collection of Microsoft files for ________ improvements - bug fixes - and software updates.

47. E-waste
Disposal of _______ is a major environmental problem caused by information technology.
The desktop is a feature of the ____ (graphic user interface) and is found in OS software like MAC OS and MS Windows.
_______________ is used to restore the file to its original condition by replacing the repeated patterns that were removed during file compression.
Utility programs are designed to help monitor and configure ________ for the computer - the operating system - or applications.

48. PowerPoint
In word processing - the __________ for a document refers to the way text - graphics - headings - and page numbers appear on a page.
Harvard Graphics and MS __________ are examples of presentation graphics software.
Spoofing makes it appear that a message came from someone other than the sender. This is a tactic often used by _________.
A cryptographic key is a number - word - or phrase that must be used to ________ a message.

49. Text
MIDI stands for Musicial ___________ Digital Interface.
A ____ network has no endpoints and all computers are connected in a continuous loop.
Multimedia technology presents information in a format which includes ____ - graphics - video and sound.
The first microprocessor was developed in _____.

50. Keyboard
Current versions of Windows support ____ ______ up to 255 characters long.
A ________ - mouse - microphone - scanner - and camera are all examples of computer input devices.
A compiler converts ______ code (the original code written by the programmer) into object code (an executable file).
In MS PowerPoint - the slide sorter view displays __________ of each slide - allowing you to change the order of your presentation.