Quiz 8 Flashcards
A computer used as a component of a larger system is called A) an embedded system. B) a network. C) an operating system. D) a personal computer. E) a mainframe computer.
A) an embedded system.
The discipline focused on the production of software, as well as the development of tools, methodologies, and theories supporting software production, is most accurately called A) computer engineering. B) software engineering. C) computer science. D) artificial intelligence. E) software simulation.
B) software engineering.
To avoid a repeat of the problems plaguing the 2000 U.S. Presidential election, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act of 2002, providing states with money to replace _____________________ systems.
punch card voting
In 1999 computer errors led to the loss of two NASA probes to ______________.
Mars
Between 1985 and 1987 the __________________ linear accelerator administered massive overdoses to six patients, causing the deaths of three of them.
Therac-25
Computer simulations can
A) prove our planet is overpopulated.
B) All of these
C) save automobile manufacturers time and money as they develop new cars.
D) accurately predict the weather a month in advance.
E) None of these
C) save automobile manufacturers time and money as they develop new cars.
Mizuho Securities lost $225 million when
A) hackers broke into its trading system and raided the accounts of 10,000 of its most important customers.
B) a bug in its currency trading system caused it to sell yen and purchase dollars when it should have purchased yen and sold dollars.
C) a bug in its billing system caused it to send out improper invoices to 10,000 of its most important customers.
D) it tried unsuccessfully to automate the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
E) one of its employees mistyped a sell order, and a bug in the Tokyo Stock Exchange trading program made it impossible to cancel the order.
E) one of its employees mistyped a sell order, and a bug in the Tokyo Stock Exchange trading program made it impossible to cancel the order.
The process of determining if a computer program correctly implements a mathematical model is called ________________.
verification
The Ariane 5 was a satellite launch vehicle designed by the ______________ space agency.
French
Which mistake was not made by AECL, the manufacturer of the Therac-25?
A) It did not tell other hospitals about possible overdose incidents.
B) It did not include software or hardware devices to detect and report overdoses.
C) AECL made all of these mistakes, and more.
D) It continued to sell the Therac-25 after the FDA declared it to be defective.
E) It reused code without proper testing.
D) It continued to sell the Therac-25 after the FDA declared it to be defective.
By making the PDP 11 minicomputer an integral part of the Therac-25, AECL was able to
A) All of these
B) increase the stock price of its subsidiary Digital Equipment Corporation.
C) shrink the size of the machine considerably.
D) reduce costs by replacing hardware safety features with software safety features.
E) eliminate the need for lead shielding.
D) reduce costs by replacing hardware safety features with software safety features.
Software engineers use a four-step process to develop a software product. These steps are called _________________________________________________________.
specification, development, validation, evolution
Which of these statements about the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is true?
A) The NCIC databases contain about 40 million records.
B) All of these statements are true.
C) Local law enforcement agencies enter most of the information that is in the NCIC databases.
D) Improper use of the NCIC has led to about 1 million false arrests.
E) The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of the NCIC.
A) The NCIC databases contain about 40 million records.
B) All of these statements are true.
The Mars Climate Orbiter crashed on the surface of Mars because
A) one program output thrust in terms of foot-pounds, and another program expected thrust to be expressed in terms of newtons.
B) the probe lost contact with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when it entered the Martian atmosphere.
C) before programmers went on strike at subcontractor Lockheed Martin, one of them sabotaged the flight control software.
D) a bug in the computer program caused the vehicle to consume too much fuel on the way to Mars, leaving an inadequate supply for landing.
E) the extreme cold of deep space caused the computer to crash.
A) one program output thrust in terms of foot-pounds, and another program expected thrust to be expressed in terms of newtons.
Computers that process data from sensors as events occur are called A) event-driven simulations. B) pseudo-sensory systems. C) time-activated systems. D) real-time systems. E) distributed computers.
D) real-time systems.
