Chapter 5: Software Key
1. In contrast to software, which is a tangible device that physically performs particular tasks, hardware does not
physically perform these tasks itself.
2. Most early computers were specifically used for performing arithmetic computations.
3. Surreal creatures in movies, such as The Lord of the Rings, are created by software.
4. Hardware provides a series of instructions to the software to perform a task.
5. Software enables the hardware to serve many functions, or in other terms, be programmed without having to
be physically reconfigured like early computers.
6. It is widely accepted that the main difference between low-level and high-level programming languages is
their level of abstraction.
7. Low-level programming language instructions are more abstract than high-level programming languages.
8. The words used to compose instructions in most high-level languages are closer to sentences used regularly
in the English language, and are easier for people to understand than low-level language instructions.
9. One example of a low-level programming language is Java.
10. A single line of Java code might correspond to multiple lines of assembly language instructions.
11. Low-level language instructions do not deal with the details of microprocessor architecture.
12. Programmers who write programs in assembly language do not have to be familiar with the details of the
microprocessor.
13. High-level language instructions do not deal with the details of microprocessor architecture.
14. It is easier to program using a high-level programming language, such as Java, rather than using assembly
language.
15. The instructions that correspond to the BIOS tell the CPU to locate the operating system and load it onto the
RAM for the user.
16. The contents of RAM are retained when the computer is switched off.
17. The BIOS chip does not store instructions permanently, the contents are lost when the computer is switched
off.
18. When programmers write in any language (including assembly language and any high level language), their
programs are eventually converted to machine language so they can be interpreted and executed by the
microprocessor.
19. Each line of assembly language instruction corresponds to a single line of machine language instruction.
20. A disassembler can convert machine language instructions to a more human-readable form.
21. Object code basically consists of a string of 1s and 0s, which is eventually what the CPU decodes and
executes.
22. A program written in one type of high-level programming language can never be translated into another
type of programming language.
23. Java programs can be executed on only one kind of operating system.
24. VBScript (Visual Basic Scripting Edition) is an example of a markup language.
25. Application software is software used for a specific application by the user, such as for electronic
commerce, gaming, word processing, Web surfing, and image editing.
26. The operating system manages the hard disk by creating partitions on it to store files and folders.
27. Firefox is an example of an open source operating system.
28. Apache HTTP server is an open source Web server application.
29. Beta version of software is complete software released to the customer, who can then report any bugs to the
developer to further refine the software.
30. The source code of open source software is available on a limited basis to the public.
31. One software development model is the waterfall model.
32. Agile software development allows flexibility to customers as they may be allowed to change their
requirements even late in the software development cycle.
33. With software, computers can be used for almost any purpose, including image and sound editing, word
processing, entertainment, scientific research, data management, ____________________ and
34. Simply loading a piece of ____________________ from a CD or flash drive or downloading it from the
Internet is often sufficient to program the computer to perform many tasks.
35. 1GL stands for ______________________________.
36. 2GL stands for ______________________________.
37. 3GL stands for ______________________________.
38. 4GL stands for ______________________________.
39. 5GL stands for ______________________________.
40. Programming languages can be classified in many ways but generally fall into two basic categories:
___________________________________ and high-level programming languages.
41. A program written in assembly language is converted to machine language by another program called an
____________________.
42. Each machine language instruction has a corresponding human-readable version called its
____________________, assembly language programmers use them to write programs.
43. A program written in a high-level language such as C++ may be converted to a low-level machine language
using a program called a ____________________.
44. Object code is a program in a form that is directly executable by a ____________________.
45. The first popular high-level programming language was FORTRAN, short for ____________________.
46. Java programs are first compiled into a form called Java ____________________, which is very close to
machine language instructions.
47. Java provides the ability to have interactive Web pages through small programs called Java
____________________ that are associated with the Web pages.
48. HTML stands for ______________________________.
49. XML stands for ______________________________.
50. By encapsulating text, image files, audio files etc., within special codes called ____________________, the
contents of the web page may be displayed via a Web browser in a specific format.
51. An ____________________ system serves many purposes, including providing a user-friendly interface to
the computer, managing directories, folders, and files, and manages memory.
52. GUI stands for _________________________.
53. The records stored in databases are organized in a ____________________, a specification for how records
are arranged in a database and how the records are linked in relationship to other records.
54. DBMS stands for Database ____________________.
55. Once the bulk of the software programs are produced, the software is tested to remove any errors, also
called ____________________, and to ensure it is working correctly.
56. Software testing may be implemented in two stages: alpha testing and ____________________ testing.
57. Mozilla Firefox is an open source Web browser freely downloadable from the ____________________.
58. The ____________________ is a software development model whose basic stages include definition,
programming, testing, release, training, maintenance and support.
59. Linux is an example of ____________________ source code software.
60. Early computers were specifically used for which of the following tasks?
61. Software provides a series of ____ for the hardware to perform a task.
62. Early computers required which of the following?
63. One example of a low-level programming language is which of the following?
64. Which of the following deals with the details of microprocessor architecture?
65. Which of the following is an example of a low-level programming language?
66. Assembly language is which of the following?
67. What is the name of the software that interfaces peripherals such as printers and mice to a computer’s other
hardware components.
68. The instructions stored on the computer’s __________ supply the vital steps that the computer must follow
as it is switched on.
69. A programming language whose instructions are solely in the form of 1s and 0s is called:
70. When a user launches a piece of software, such as from the hard disk, the instructions and data that
correspond to the software and reside in RAM are in the form of:
71. Assembly language is considered a human-readable form of which of the following?
72. Machine language instructions can be converted to assembly language instructions using a program called
which of the following?
73. A decompilercan perform the reverse operation of which of the following?
74. Programs written in some types of programming languages are interpreted rather than compiled, using a
program called:
75. Machine language was used to program the early digital computers of the ____.
76. Which of the following are examples of high-level programming languages?
77. Java was developed by which of the following companies?
78. The classification of first-generation language (1GL) almost always refers to which of the following?
79. The classification of second-generation language (2GL) refers to which of the following?
80. An example of a scripting language includes:
81. A language used to develop scripts is called a:
82. HyperText Markup language (HTML) and Extensible Markup language (XML) are both classified as
83. Which of the following are considered examples of system software?
84. An operating system does which of the following?
85. Linux is an example of:
86. Which of the following is an example of open source software?
87. Which of the following is an example of a software development model?
88. Describe the difference between software and hardware.
89. In the early days of computing, what did it mean to “program” a computer?
90. Explain the difference between high-level and low-level programming languages.
91. What is a scripting language?
92. What is open source software?