Computer Awareness Questions

The correct answer is Seek time.

Key Points

• Seek time is the time taken for a hard disk controller to locate a specific piece of stored data.
• Other delays include transfer time (data rate) and rotational delay (latency).
• When anything is read or written to a disc drive, the read/write head of the disc needs to move to the right position.
• The actual physical positioning of the read/write head of the disc is called seeking.

Additional Information

• Latency is a measure of delay.
• In a network, latency measures the time it takes for some data to get to its destination across the network. 
• In computing, turnaround time is the total time taken between the submission of a program/process/thread/task (Linux) for execution and the return of the complete output to the customer/user.  

The correct answer is Virtual memory.

Key Points

• Most modern operating systems employ a method of extending RAM capacity, known as "virtual memory".
• A portion of the computer's hard drive is set aside for a paging file or a scratch partition, and the combination of physical RAM and the paging file form the system's total memory. 
• When the system runs low on physical memory, it can "swap" portions of RAM to the paging file to make room for new data, as well as to read previously swapped information back into RAM.
• Excessive use of this mechanism results in thrashing and generally hampers overall system performance, mainly because hard drives are far slower than RAM.

Additional Information

• RAM - Random-access memory is a form of computer memory that can be read and changed in any order, typically used to store working data and machine code. 
• ROM - Read-only memory is a type of non-volatile memory used in computers and other electronic devices.
• Types of ROM:
  • MROM (Masked ROM) 
  • PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory) 
  • EPROM (Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory) 
  • EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory)

The correct answer is Home Page.

Key Points

• ​HOME PAGE:
  • ​The primary webpage that we usually view as the first page at a website is known as its Home Page.
  • The page generally contains links and a search box to facilitate navigation to other pages.
  • The home page is made in a user-friendly and attractive style in order to invite users to create an account.

​Additional Information

• WEB PAGE:
  • A particular page contained in a website that deals with a specific collection of content.
  • If we take a website as a book, then a webpage corresponds to a paper page of the book.
• WEBSITE:
  • A collection of web pages that contain information on a particular topic, identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server, is termed as a website.
  • Types of Websites - personal website, e-commerce website, social website, malware website, government site, phishing website, etc.
• WEB BROWSER:
  • ​It is a software application that enables us to connect to a website's server and display its web pages, i.e. it is required for accessing the World Wide Web.

The correct answer is Port.

Key Points

• PORT:
  • A 'Port' in computer terminology, is the communication endpoint using which an external device can be connected to the computer.
  • The motherboard contains slots called 'ports' into which a cable of an external device is plugged.
  • The identification of a port for a particular transport protocol and address is done through a 16-bit unsigned number called the 'port number'.
  • Some important types of Port - Serial Port, Parallel Port, PS/2 Port, Universal Serial Bus (or USB) Port, VGA Port, Modem Port, Power Connector, Firewire Port, Ethernet Port, Game Port, and Digital Video Interface (DVI) port.

Additional Information

• RING:
  • In 'Ring' topology of computer networking, all terminals are linked to each other in form of a ring and the data circulate from one terminal to another until it reaches the destination point.
  • This type of networking does not require a network server to control the connectivity between workstations.
• ​BUS:
  • ​In this type of computer networking, the terminals are connected to a single central cable also called 'backbone'.
  • Here, in the case of 'bus' topology, only one terminal can transmit a signal at a time and the signal travels in both directions to all the terminals till it finds the destination point.
  • Since only a single cable is used in this type of networking, it is less expensive than others.
• ​ZIP:
  • ​'Zip' file in computer terminology refers to a collection of different files compiled into a single compressed file of smaller size.
  • This zipping of files saves disk space as the zipped archive takes up less space in comparison to its uncompressed version.

The correct answer is Understanding.

Key Points

• UNDERSTANDING:
  • It is a thing that is not performed by machines but requires the human touch.
  • Machines like computers, etc. work according to the commands given to them and can not analyze the action on their own.
  • Thus, understanding is the work not done by a computer.

Additional Information

• COMPUTING:
  • Computing in its absolute terms means using computers for processing data or performing calculations.
  • It can be defined as the process of using computer technology to complete a given goal-oriented task using algorithms.
• PROCESSING:
  • It is the process by which the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the computer converts the data received into information.
  • In other terms, it may be defined as the action or series of actions undertaken by the CPU to convert data into information.
  • It is for this reason the CPU is regarded as the 'brain' of the computer.
  • The general steps involved in the processing are - fetch, decode, execute, and write back.
• ​OUTPUTTING:
  • ​Output is the result given by a computer after processing the data and the process of delivering the output is termed as 'outputting'.
  • Output is most commonly displayed on the computer screen.
  • The devices capable of showing the output are - Monitor, Printer, Plotters, Speakers, Speech synthesizers, etc.

The correct answer is Paint Brush.

Key Points

• BASIC:
  • This programming language was first designed by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz in 1964.
  • The full form of BASIC is - Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.
  • It is generally used for scientific and engineering operations.
  • The introduction of newer machines with far greater capabilities made this language nearly obsolete and its upgraded version called Visual BASIC was released by Microsoft in 1991.
• ​C++:
  • ​The programming language was created by Bjarne Stroustrup in the mid-1980s as an extension to the C language.
  • It is an object-oriented language having two main components - direct mapping of hardware and zero-overhead abstractions.
  • The other languages like Java etc were influenced by C++.
• ​JAVA:
  • ​The programming language was designed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and was first released in the year 1995.
  • Java language is not platform-dependent and can be used to develop android applications.
  • The most recent version of Java, i.e. Java SE 16 got released in March 2021.
• PAINT BRUSH:
  • Paint is software that enables users to create basic graphic art on their systems.
  • The software has been developed by Microsoft and is found in all the versions of Microsoft Windows.
  • Recently in April 2021, Microsoft has made Microsoft Paint updateable from the Microsoft Store.

The correct answer is Vijay Bhatkar.

• VIJAY BHATKAR:
  • Vijay Pandurang Bhatkar, an  Indian computer scientist, is popularly known as the father of Indian Super Computer.
  • The Padma Bhushan and Maharashtra Bhushan awardee, Vijay Bhatakr, led the development of Param supercomputers in India.
  • He is currently holding the positions of Chancellor of Nalanda University and Chairman of Vijnana Bharti (a non-profit organization of Indian scientists).
  • Major Contributions:
    • First Supercomputer - PARAM 8000 in the year 1991
    • PARAM 10000 - in the year 1998
    • Developed the National Param Supercomputing Facility (NPSF)
    • Played a significant role in establishing institutes like C-DAC, ER&DC, IIITM-K, MKCL, etc.

• RAGHUNATH MASHELKAR:
  • He is an Indian Chemical Engineer and erstwhile Director of the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research).
  • He has also headed institutions like the Indian National Science Academy, the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), and the Global Research Alliance.
  • He is the recipient of civilian awards like Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.
• JAYANT NARLIKAR:
  • The Indian astrophysicist, Jayant Narlikar, is known for developing the Hoyle-Narlikar theory with Sir Fred Hoyle.
  • He has won many prestigious awards in his career like - Padma Vibhushan, Rashtra Bhushan award by FIE Foundation, Maharashtra Bhushan, Bhatnagar award, M.P Birla Award, etc. and is currently serving as the emeritus professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics.
• NANDAN NILEKANI:
  • The Indian entrepreneur, Nandan Nilekani, is the co-founder of India's one of the biggest IT company Infosys.
  • He replaced R Seshasayee and Ravi Venkatesan to become the non-executive Chairman of the company in 2017.
  • He is the former Chairman of UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India).
  • He joined Indian National Congress in March 2014 but is not an active figure in politics.

The correct answer is All of the above.

Key Points

• Social engineering is the term used for a broad range of malicious activities accomplished through human interactions.
• It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information. 
• A sniffing attack or a sniffer attack, in the context of network security, corresponds to theft or interception of data by capturing the network traffic using a sniffer.
• Spoofing is the act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source. 

Additional Information

Some Common Hacking Techniques are:

• Phishing
• Bait and Switch Attack
• Key Logger
• Denial of Service (DoS\DDoS) Attacks
• ClickJacking Attacks
• Cookie Theft 

The correct answer is Baidu.

Key Points

• BAIDU:
  • Baidu search engine is the Chinese search engine developed by Baidu Inc in the year 2000.
  • According to the Alexa Internet rankings, Baidu is currently the fourth largest website.
  • Services provided by the search engine - Baidu Baike (online encyclopedia), Baidu Wangpan (cloud storage services), Baidu Tieba (keyword-based discussion forum).
  • It has been blocked by the government in India in 2020.

Additional Information

• PACKETS:
  • Donald Davies gave this term in the year 1965.
  • The word 'packet' in computer terminology refers to a segment of data sent from one computer or device to another over a network.
  • A packet contains some important information like - source, destination, data, size, etc.
• COOKIES:
  • The web-browser programmer, Lou Montulli gave the term 'cookie'.
  • The text files containing data like username and password, that identify a computer over a network are known as 'cookies'.
  • HTTP cookies are a specific type of cookies stored on the user's computer and used to identify specific users by the web browser while browsing a website, thus improving the web browsing experience.
  • Cookies remember information and record the browsing activity of the user.

The correct answer is DE116.

Key Points

• The hexadecimal number system consists of the symbols 0 - 9, A - F.
• Hexadecimal uses decimal numbers and six extra symbols.
• There are no numerical symbols that represent values greater than nine, so letters taken from the English alphabet are used, specifically A, B, C, D, E, and F, where Hexadecimal A = decimal 10, and hexadecimal F = decimal 15.
• A binary number is just a string of zeros and ones: 11011011.
• Three bits, each being on or off, can represent the eight numbers from 0 to 7, this is known as the octal number system.

• Steps to Convert Binary to Hex:
  • ​Start from the least significant bit (LSB) at the right of the binary number and divide it up into groups of 4 digits. (4 digital bits is called a "nibble").
  • Convert each group of 4 binary digits to its equivalent hex value (see table above).
  • Concatenate the results together, giving the total hex number.
•  The binary code is given in question 1101 1110 0001 ⇒ DE1₁₆