Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces

Multiple Choice Questions

(U04C03L01Q001)
Which of the following are expansion cards?
(1) sound card
(2) graphic card
(3) system card
A (1) and (2) only
B (1) and (3) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)
Answer
A

(U04C03L01Q002)
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(1) 1 kilobyte = 1024 bytes
(2) 1 megabyte = 10242 bytes
(3) 1 terabyte = 10243 bytes
A (1) only
B (1) and (2) only
C (1) and (3) only
D (2) and (3) only
Answer
B

(U04C03L01Q003)
Which of the following statements about ROM are correct?
(1) ROM is read only.
(2) ROM is volatile.
(3) ROM stores programs permanently for starting up a computer.
A (1) and (2) only
B (1) and (3) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)
Answer

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 1 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
(Module B)
Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 2 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
(Module B)
Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

(U04C03L01Q004)
Which of the following statements about RAM is/are correct?
(1) RAM is volatile.
(2) RAM contains system programs.
(3) RAM temporarily holds data.
A (3) only
B (1) and (2) only
C (1) and (3) only
D (2) and (3) only
Answer
C

(U04C03L01Q005)
Which of the following tells the computer how the disk drives and other peripheral
devices are accessed when the computer starts up?
A BIOS
B RAM
C ROM
D cache
Answer
A

(U04C03L01Q006)
Inside the system unit, chips are housed on a circuit board called the
A cache.
B bios.
C main board.
D memory slots.
Answer
C

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 3 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
(Module B)
Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

(U04C03L01Q007)
Which of the following statements about virtual memory is INCORRECT?
A It allows computers without sufficient amounts of real memory to run large
programs.
B Virtual memory is as fast as RAM.
C It allows computers without sufficient amounts of real memory to manipulate
large data files.
D Data in virtual memory becomes inaccessible if the power fails.
Answer
B

(U04C03L01Q008)
Which of the following is NOT a bus?
A data line
B address line
C access line
D control line
Answer
C

(U04C03L01Q009)
Which of the following statements about internal bus is correct?
A It connects the CPU and the main memory.
B It moves signals around different components of the CPU.
C It transmits signals between the main memory and other peripheral devices.
D It links expansion slots directly to the CPU.
Answer
B

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 4 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
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Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

(U04C03L01Q010)
Which of the following statements about local bus are correct?
(1) It connects to keyboard, mouse and printer through special ports.
(2) It links expansion slots directly to the CPU.
(3) It carries data in larger groups and at faster speed.
A (1) and (2) only
B (1) and (3) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)
Answer
C

(U04C03L01Q011)
Which of the following is used to store BIOS?
A. RAM
B. SRAM
C. DRAM
D. ROM
Answer
D

(U04C03L01Q012)
Which of the following statements about the BIOS is INCORRECT?
A. The BIOS stores operating system.
B. The BIOS manages data flow between the operating system and attached
devices.
C. The BIOS checks whether all attached devices are in place and operational.
D. The BIOS is a program that is made accessible to the CPU.
Answer
A

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 5 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
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Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

(U04C03L01Q013)
Which of the following statements about the cache is INCORRECT?
A. The cache is faster than the main memory.
B. The cache is placed between the CPU and the main memory.
C. The instructions and data stored in the cache cannot be changed.
D. The cache keeps the most frequently accessed instructions and data.
Answer
C

(U04C03L01Q014)
Which of the following statements about the virtual memory is INCORRECT?
A. The virtual memory bridges the size gap between the main memory and
secondary storage.
B. The virtual memory optimises the use of RAM.
C. The access time of virtual memory is the same as that of the main memory.
D. The virtual memory exists in the form of swap files.
Answer
C

(U04C03L01Q015)
Usually, the CPU executes program from
A. the hard disk.
B. the main memory.
C. the virtual memory.
D. the ROM.
Answer
B

(U04C03L01Q016)
Which of the following has the shortest access time?
A. cache
B. main memory
C. virtual memory
D. CD-ROM
Answer
A

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 6 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
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Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

(U04C03L01Q017)
Which of the following is NOT a type of expansion bus?
A. PCI bus
B. AGP bus
C. address bus
D. USB bus
Answer
C

(U04C03L01Q018)
Which of the following buses is the fastest?
A. PCI bus
B. AGP bus
C. USB 1.0 bus
D. IEEE 1394 bus
Answer
D

(U04C03L01Q019)
Which of the following ports is the least likely to be present in desktop computers?
A. serial port
B. parallel port
C. USB port
D. IrDA port
Answer
D

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 7 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
(Module B)
Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

Conventional Questions

(U04C03L02Q001)
(a) What is the use of memory slots? (1 mark)
(b) Briefly describe the following items.
(i) an expansion slot. (1 mark)
(ii) an expansion board. (1 mark)
(c) (i) State the function of internal bus. (1 mark)
(ii) Briefly describe the function of data lines, address lines and control lines.
(3 marks)
(iii) How does the number of address lines affect the speed of a computer?
(2 marks)
(d) James has bought a microcomputer with usual set up to be used in his office.
(i) Name TWO expansion cards that should be included. (2 marks)
(ii) He wants to connect his computer to the network of his company. What
kind of expansion card does he need? (1 mark)
Answers
(a) RAM chips are usually mounted on small circuit board that plugs into the main
board through the memory slots. (1)
(b) (i) An expansion slot is a long, narrow socket on the main board into which
you can plug an expansion card for adding system functions or upgrading.
(1)
(ii) An expansion board is a small circuit board that provides a computer with
the ability to control a peripheral device, to communicate with a network,
etc. (1)
(c) (i) It moves signals around different components of the CPU. (1)
(ii) Data lines carry data signals. (1)
Address lines carry signals to specify the memory address of the data to be
processed. (1)
Control lines carry control signals that enable the control unit to control
other parts of the computer. (1)
(iii) The more the address lines within the bus, the more the memory locations
that can be addressed. (1) Thus, the speed is higher. (1)
(d) (i) graphics card / sound card / modem card / LAN card
(Any 2 × 1) (any reasonable answers)
(ii) He needs a network interface card. (1)

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 8 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
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Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

(U04C03L02Q002)
(a) (i) What is RAM? (1 mark)
(ii) Name THREE types of ROM. (3 marks)
(iii) State THREE differences between RAM and ROM. (3 marks)
(b) (i) Briefly describe what the cache is. (2 marks)
(ii) How does cache affect the speed of a computer? (2 marks)
(iii) Briefly describe what the virtual memory is. (2 marks)
Answers
(a) (i) Random access memory (RAM) is a device in the computer system unit that
temporarily holds data before and after it is processed. (1)
(ii) Standard ROM / Programmable ROM / Erasable Programmable ROMs
(EPROM) / Electrically Erasable Programmable ROMs (EEPROM or
E2PROM) (Any 3 × 1)
(iii) RAM is volatile while ROM is non-volatile. (1)
RAM holds users’ programs and data temporarily while ROM holds system
programs permanently. (1)
The contents of RAM can be changed but ROM is read only memory. (1)
(b) (i) The cache keeps the most frequently accessed instructions and data to
improve processing time. (1)
It is placed between the CPU and the main memory. (1)
(ii) Cache temporarily stores instructions and data that the processor is likely to
use frequently, reduces the need to reach out to RAM, and thus speeds up
processing. (2)
(iii) If the current active programs and data do not fit into the physical main
memory, secondary storage devices hold the overflow. (1)
The operating system automatically moves programs between the main
memory and secondary storage. This technique is called virtual memory. (1)

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 9 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
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Chapter 3 Memory Systems and I/O Interfaces Question Bank

(U04C03L02Q003)
(a) (i) Briefly describe Direct Memory Access (DMA). (2 marks)
(ii) State the advantage of DMA. (2 marks)
(b) (i) What is interrupt? (2 marks)
(ii) Define the TWO types of interrupt. (4 marks)
(c) Briefly describe IRQ. (2 marks)
Answers
(a) (i) DMA is an ability offered by some computer bus architectures. (1)
It allows data to be sent directly from an attached device (such as a disk
drive) to the main memory on the main board. (1)
(ii) The CPU is freed from involvement in the data transfer because the DMA
controller proceeds with data acquisition in the background, thus speeding
up overall computer operation. (2)
(b) (i) An interrupt is a signal sent from a device attached to a computer or from a
program within the computer that causes the OS to stop and figure out what
to do next. (1)
After the interrupt signal is sensed, the computer either resumes running the
program it is running or begins running another program. (1)
(ii) Hardware interrupts (1) and software interrupts. (1)
A hardware interrupt occurs, for example, when an I/O operation is
completed (such as reading some data into the computer from a drive). (1)
A software interrupt occurs when an application program terminates or
requests certain services from the OS. (1)
(c) A hardware interrupt request (IRQ) is a communication line between a device
and the CPU. (1)
It is a control line in the bus that transfers signals from the device controller to
the CPU so that the CPU will attend to the data transferred from the device. (1)

Computer & Information Technology for HKCEE 10 © Pearson Education Asia Limited 2004
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