INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - THEORY (1997)

1.

(a) Name a type of device which produces a human readable copy.

(b) Name a type of device which produces a machine readable copy.
(c) Name a type of device that accepts data in human readable form.

2. The wide variety of input devices and media is a major factor which adds to the flexibility
and versatility of computer systems. The use of a (i) device which
allows users to move around images on the monitor by the shifting of a lever on the device
has made computer games very popular. In supermarkets, there are (ii) devices which allow
a cashier to key in data on sales and this data is automatically transmitted to a computer for
processing. There are also (iii) devices that are capable of reading pencil marks on an
examination script thereby allowing the test to be scored automatically. The use of (iv)
devices to read in images allows pictures and logos to be incorporated in a document.
State the technical names for EACH of the devices numbered (i) - (iv) in the passage
above. Please use the numbering indicated in the passage to identify your answers.
3.

(a) Convert the decimal number 83 to its binary equivalent.

. (b) Convert the binary number 11001101 to its decimal equivalent.
(c) Add the two binary number 1101 and 100101.
(d) Explain the difference between discrete and continuous data.

4.

(a) State THREE ways in which a teacher would use a computer in his or her job.
(b) State TWO ways in which a journalist would use a computer in his or her job.
(c) A large company has decided to computerise the functions of its Human
Resource (Personnel) department. The Computer Department has been given the
responsibility for completing this task.
Name FOUR categories of personnel from the Computer Department that the Computer
Department Manager must assign to the task, stating clearly ONE function of EACH
category.

(a) Describe briefly an application in which a robot (or robotic arm) is used in industry,
stating clearly ONE function that the robot performs.
(b) State TWO advantages of using the robot (or robotic arm) over using a manual
method in the application described in part (a) above.
(c) State ONE advantage to the customer of telemarketing.
(d) State ONE disadvantage to a customer of telemarketing.
(e) State ONE advantage and ONE disadvantage of teleconferencing.
(a) State ONE reason why copying a program is considered to be morally wrong.
(b) Within a large company, data on each employee is stored in a central location. One file
store the data on all employees. The data stored on a employee includes his or her
name, address, next of kin, salary range, etc. This data is shared by several
departments and an employee's record can be viewed and modified by many
employees from several departments.
State TWO problems which would arise from the sharing of the data in the
company.
(c) What is data encryption'?
(d) State TWO methods, other than data encryption, used to secure data.
(e) Explain the difference between the role of an applications programmer and that of a
systems programmer in an organisation.
7.

(a)
What is meant by the term 'protocol'? Explain the
difference between the following terms:
(I)

Up-load and down-load

(ii)

Half-duplex and duplex

(iii) Local area network and wide area network

(iv) Electronic mail and bulletin board

8.

What is printed by the following algorithm?

COUNT=1
X=2
WHILE COUNT < 26 DO
X=X+2
PRINT COUNT. X
COUNT = COUNT + 5
ENDWHILE
9.

(a) Explain the difference between a high level programming language

and a machine level language.
(b) Explain the difference between an interpreter and a compiler.
(c) Write a pseudocode algorithm to read two numbers and print the
lower value.

10. The following data represents some sample data of the number of children
in several families:
1 3 5 0 4 6 7 3 5 2 4 0 2 999
999 is the dummy value which terminates the data. Write a
pseudocode algorithm to read in any data in the above format, and
print
(a) the number of families with no children; and
(b) the largest number of children existing in any family.