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. A collection of files stored on a computer.






2. The computer's temporary storage space or short-term memory. It is located in a set of chips on the system's motherboard - and its capacity is measured in megabytes or gigabytes.






3. An expansion card that is installed inside a system unit to translate binary data (the 1s and 0s the computer uses) into the images viewed on the monitor.






4. A desktop system unit that houses the computer's processor -memory - and monitor in a single unit.






5. 'Software - often used for training purposes - which allows the user to experience or control an event as if it is reality.'






6. The time it takes a storage device to locate its stored data.






7. A keyboard that is distinguished by the first six letters on the top-left row of alphabetic keys on the keyboard.






8. A program that manages the data between a computer's operating system and all the input and output devices attached to the computer; also responsible for loading the operating system (OS) from its permanent location on the hard drive to random access






9. 'Programs that enable a user to perform various tasks generally required in home - school - and business. Examples include word processing - spreadsheet - presentation - personal information management (PIM) - and database programs.'






10. A small circuit board that holds a series of random access memory (RAM) chips.






11. A measure of the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black colors that a monitor can produce. If the contrast ratio is too low - colors tend to fade when the brightness is adjusted to a high or low setting.






12. An application that is still under development.






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






14. A simplified licensing scheme that enables copyright holders to grant certain rights to a work while retaining other rights.






15. 'A utility that regroups related pieces of files on the hard drive - enabling faster retrieval of the data.'






16. Software that enables users to 'test' the software by running it for a limited time free of charge.






17. The application of computer systems and techniques to gather potential legal evidence; a law enforcement specialty used to fight high-tech crime.






18. 'A network - consisting of client and server computers - in which the clients make requests of the server and the server returns the response.'






19. A small - tough-sensitive screen at the base of a notebook keyboard. To use the touchpad - you simply move your finger across the pad to direct the cursor.






20. An application program such as Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3 that enables a user to do calculations and numerical analyses easily.






21. 'Small blocks of memory - located directly on and next to the central processing unit (CPU) chip - that act as holding places for recently or frequently used instructions or data that the CPU accesses the most. When these instructions or data are sto






22. 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.






23. A business program used for storing sales and client contact information in one central database.






24. Measured in degrees - this tells how far you can move to the side of (or above or below) the monitor before the image quality degrades to unacceptable levels.






25. The most popular transmission media option for Ethernet networks. UTP cable is composed of four pairs of wires that are twisted around each other to reduce electrical interference.






26. Part of the operating system that enables individuals to interact with the computer.






27. The width-to-height proportion of a monitor.






28. 'The steady and constant pace at which a computer goes through machine cycles - measured in hertz (Hz).'






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






30. A specially designed computer that can perform comples calculations extremely rapidly; used in situations in which complex models requiring intensive mathmatical calcualtions are needed (such as weather forecasting or atomic energy research).






31. The process of connecting to a wireless network without the permission of the owner of the network.






32. '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.'






33. 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.






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






35. 'Program code made publicly available for free; it can be copied - distributed - or changed without the stringent copyright protections of proprietary software products.'






36. Software that turns an artificial environment into a realistic experience.






37. A display that uses organic compounds to produce light when exposed to an electric current. Unlike LCD's - OLEDs do not require a backlight to function and therefore draw less power and have a much thinner display - sometimes as thin as 3mm.






38. A Windows utility that removes unnecessary files from the hard drive.






39. A unit of computer storage equal to approximately 1 million bytes.






40. A small - compact portable computer.






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






42. A network that uses public communication pathways (usually the Internet) to provide branch offices or employees who are not at the office with secure access to the company network. VPNs maintain privacy by using secure data communication protocols.






43. The science of using nanostructures to build devices on an extremely small scale.






44. 'Temporary storage - such as in random access memory (RAM). When the power is off - the data in volatile storage is cleared out.'






45. The study of molecules and nanostructures whose size ranges from 1 to 100 nanometers.






46. A hard drive that is installed inside the system unit.






47. 'An electronic filing system best used for larger and more complicated groups of data that require more than one table and the ability to group - sort - and retrieve data and generate reports.'






48. Any object that a user carries to identify him- or herself and that grants the user access to a computer system or computer facility.






49. '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.'






50. 'A program with a specific purpose that must guarantee certain response times for particular computing tasks - or else the machine's application is useless. Real-time operating systems are found in many types of robotic equipment.'