CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS Multiple Choice 1. b 2. a
3. c 4. c
5. d 6. a
7. b 8. c
Matching 1. e
2. d
3. a
4. b
5. f
Short Answer 1. Computer literacy, also known as digital literacy, involves having a current knowledge and understanding of computers and their uses. The requirements that determine computer literacy change as technology changes. A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory, that can accept data, process the data according to specified rules, produce results, and store the results for future use. 2. Two behavioral health risks are computer addiction and technology overload. Computer addiction occurs when someone becomes obsessed with using a computer. Individuals suffering from technology overload feel distressed when deprived of computers and mobile devices. Computer manufacturing processes and computer waste are depleting natural resources and polluting the environment. 3. Five common storage devices are a USB flash drive, a hard disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, a DVD-ROM drive, and a memory card. A hard disk drive stores data magnetically. A USB flash drive is a portable storage device that is small and lightweight enough to be transported on a keychain or in a pocket. A hard disk drive provides much greater storage capacity than a USB flash drive. A CD-ROM drive and a DVD-ROM drive store data on a flat, round, portable metal disc with plastic coating. Some portable devices, such as digital cameras, use memory cards as the storage media. You can use a card reader/writer to transfer stored items, such as digital photos, from the memory card to a computer or printer. 4. A Web application is a Web site that allows users to access and interact with software from any computer or device that is connected to the Internet. Examples of software available as Web applications include those that allow you to send and receive e-mail messages, prepare your taxes, organize digital photos, create documents, and play games. Web sites such as social networking Web sites, blogs, and Web applications are categorized as Web 2.0 sites. The term Web 2.0 refers to Web sites that provide a means for users to share personal information (such as social networking Web sites), allow users to modify the Web site contents (such as some blogs), and/or have software built into the site for users to access (such as Web applications). 5. Hardware is the electric, electronic, and mechanical components that make up a computer. Software, also called a program, is a series of related instructions, organized for a common
purpose, that tells the computer what task(s) to perform and how to perform them. Two types of system software are the operating system and utility programs. An operating system is a set of programs that coordinates all the activities among computer hardware devices. It provides a means for users to communicate with the computer and other software. A utility program allows a user to perform maintenance-type tasks usually related to managing a computer, its devices, or its programs. For example, you can use a utility program to transfer digital photos to an optical disc. 6. Doctors use the Web and medial software to assist with researching and diagnosing health conditions. Many Web sites provide up-to-date medical, fitness, nutrition, or exercise information. These Web sites also maintain lists of doctors and dentists to help you find the one that suits your needs. They have chat rooms, so you can talk to others diagnosed with similar conditions. Some Web sites even allow you to order prescriptions online. Through telemedicine, health-care professionals in separate locations conduct live conferences on the computer. For example, a doctor at one location can have a conference with a doctor at another location to discuss a bone X-ray. With telesurgery, also called remote surgery, a surgeon performs an operation on a patient who is not located in the same physical room as the surgeon. Telesurgery enables surgeons to direct robots to perform an operation via computers connected to a high-speed network.