141 TExES Computer Science 8 - 12 Exam Practice Questions
1. Basic concepts in information technology include:
A. Genetics
B. ASCb
C. Chemical reactions
D. All of the above
2. The process of designing software includes:
A. Analyzing requirements
B. Determining specifications
C. Writing a program
D. All of the above
3. Which of the following considerations is not important to software design?
A. Ease of adding new features
B. Easy to use
C. Accepts upgrades
D. Security
4. Computer programming includes:
A. Troubleshooting
B. Inventing
C. Using hardware
D. All of the above
5. Programming languages are chosen based on:
A. Ease of use
B. Expressive power
C. Preference of programmer
D. All of the above
6. Characteristics of the programming language BAL include:
A. Basic and low-level
B. Standard
C. Simple
D. All of the above
7. Programming language COBOL may be described as:
A. New
B. Complex
C. Object-oriented
D. Keywords
8. Characteristics of the programming language C include:
A. Procedural language
B. Easy access to memory
C. Minimal support
D. All of the above
9. Java programming language is:
A. Derived from C and C++
B. Complex
C. Not portable
D. All of the above
10. Visual Basic programming language is:
A. Batch-programming based
B. Complex and hard to use
C. Originally designed by Apple
D. All of the above
ANSWER KEY EXAM 141
1. Answer: b
There are six basic concepts important to understanding information technology (IT):
- Binary: Brief representations of long strings of numbers used in computations
- ASCb (American Standard Code for Information Interchange): Letters and punctuation signs combined with strings of binary numbers
- Hierarchy: An order to understanding and using information technology; sometimes referred to as "nesting quality"
- World Wide Web: The www is a communication tool that links information via bursts of binary data
- Stored Program: A CPU (central processing unit) stores multiple sets of instructions and determines the next step in a process.
- Routing: Sequences of binary numbers move through a connected network
2. Answer: D
Software design is the process of plotting a solution to solve a problem. Developers analyze requirements, determine specifications and write a program to address the needs. The process may be automated (no discussion with users) or semi-automated which involves end user input. A design may be a simple flow chart defining a sequence of events or a complicated series of interrelated instructions. The result may be platform-specific, meaning it can only be used on a particular framework or platform-independent, meaning it will work on most frameworks.
3. Answer: B
When designing software, there are several things to consider depending upon the desired goals:
- Extension: Ease with which new features can be added without changing the architecture
- Robust: Ability to tolerate unpredictable input
- Reliable: Does what it is supposed to do
- Secure: Ability to withstand unwanted intrusions
- Maintain: Easily accepts updates when needed
- Compatible: Operates with other software
- Modular: Made of independent components
- Reuse: All components contain essential functions, so they can be used in similar designs
4. Answer: A
Good computer programming is an art, a science, a craft and part engineering all rolled into one discipline. Programming or coding is the writing, testing, troubleshooting and maintaining of source code (files used to convert human-readable data to a computer-executable format). It is a precise set of instructions that allows a computer to perform a specific task. The code may be a modification of an existing code or completely new code needed to provide a solution to a different issue. There are application programs written to create documents and databases and system programs to control the functions of the computer itself.
5. Answer: B
Programming language is an artificial communication tool used to write the specific instructions a computer needs to execute its functions and an application required to perform its tasks. These specialized languages are defined by precise syntax and semantic rules that describe their structure and meaning. They are used to organize and manipulate information and turn algorithms into executable instructions. Computers do exactly what they are told to do, so programs must supply explicit directions. A programmer selects a particular language based on its:
- Function: Is it being used to control applications, systems or other devices such as printers, robots, etc.?
- Target: Is it being used by people to control machines or by one device to control another?
- Constructs: Is it being used to control the actions of machines or to manipulate data?
- Expressive Power: What kinds of instructions are needed?
6. Answer: A
BAL or Basic Assembly Language is also known as Assembly Language Common (ALC) or simply assembler. It is used on IBM mainframe computers and is the closest a programmer will come to the hardware. It is a very basic, low-level language that uses source code to create a specific set of instructions in words instead of numbers for a particular type of machine. Because of its simplicity, BAL will be longer than other languages. Its instructions are also harder to read. However, it is very fast and even though it is not used much anymore, IBM upgrades assembler periodically when speed or very detailed control, rather than brevity, is essential to the program.
7. Answer: C
COBOL is an acronym for Common Business-Oriented Language and is one of the oldest programming languages still in use. It was developed to address business, finance and administrative functions, hence its name. It is an object-oriented programming language, i.e., it uses things and their interactions in developing applications and programs. COBOL has over four hundred (400) reserved words or keywords. Keywords have a particular grammatical meaning and cannot be used as identifiers. According to the Gartner Group, an information technology company that predicts industry trends and rates IT-related companies, in 1997 eighty percent (80%) of the world's governments, militaries and businesses ran COBOL programs. Because it is business oriented and dates are important elements in its function, the year two thousand, Y2K, caused great concern and a flurry of activity. Programmers worked diligently to update the code and implement new programs in an effort to avoid potential problems.
8. Answer: D
The general-purpose programming language C was developed in 1972 at the Bell Telephone Laboratories to use with the UNIX operating system. This client-server system is used in servers and individual workstations and was instrumental in the development of networks as well as the Internet. C is used on microcontrollers and supercomputer platforms and has influenced many programming languages. It is used in both implementation programs and applications. C is an imperative, procedural language that gives a series of commands that require action. It is a relatively straightforward compiler, provides easy access to memory, responds effectively to machine instructions and requires minimal support while operating. Because of its characteristics, a program or application written in C can be modified with relatively little change to its source code, so it can be used on many different platforms (the hardware and software required to operate an application).
9. Answer: A
Java was developed by Sun Microsystems and is used on Microsoft Windows, Linux and Solaris operating systems. The majority of its syntax (the set of rules that define the particular sequence of the source code) of this programming language is derived from C and C++. Java has a simpler object model (the communication method or interface used between two entities), its code can run on any Java virtual machine (software that runs programs like a computer) and its portability makes it one of the most widely used programming languages.
10. Answer: D only
Visual Basic (VB) is an event driven (determined by user actions or messages from other programs) programming language that was developed by Microsoft to be easy to learn and easy to use. VB makes it relatively simple to create graphical user interface (GUI) applications, but it can also be used to design more complex applications. VB has default code that can be applied directly or modified as needed, which means new functions can be added and applications updated without having to write very many additional lines of source code. Microsoft mainly uses visual basic to design new applications for Windows and to create new communication methods for use with Internet-based data systems.
Last Updated: 02/21/2013