UNIT 5 – Homework                                          Student name:

Technology in Action, Chapter 7, Buzz Words(*)

Word Bank

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the words from the Word Bank above.

Cathi needed to network three computers for herself and her roommates (Sharon and Emily). After consulting her sister, a network engineer, she decided that a(n) (1) _____________ network was the appropriate type to install in their apartment. Because none of them were gamers or transferred large files, they didn’t need high (2) _____________. Still, they decided to use the fastest type of P2P network, a(n) (3) _____________ network, because it was easy to install and reliable. To connect the computers, they needed to buy (4) _____________ cable and run it around the apartment. Because Sharon already had high-speed Internet access through the cable TV company, she needed to purchase a(n) (5) _____________ for the network to ensure all the users could share the connection. Fortunately, all their computers already had (6) _____________ installed, making it relatively easy to connect the computers to the network.

Cathi’s roommate Emily was skeptical of being hooked up to the Internet because she had previously been the victim of (7) _____________, which destroyed her credit rating. A wily (8) _____________ had obtained her credit card information by posing as an employee of her bank. Cathi assured Emily that the (9) _____________ could be configured as a(n) (10) _____________ to repel malicious (11) _____________. Turning off the unused (12) _____________ would repel most attacks on their home network. With this protection, it was unlikely that a hacker would turn their PCs into (13) _____________ to launch DDoS attacks with the aim of crippling major Web sites. But after the scare with the Melissa (14) _____________, Cathi was careful to warn the others not to open files from untrustworthy sources. In addition, she made sure they all installed (15) _____________ on their machines to protect them from viruses.

UNIT 6 – Homework                                          Student name:

Part #1: Technology in Action, Chapter 8, Buzz Words(*)

Word Bank

mobile switching center	SMS	PocketPC	WML	synchronize
digital ink	MMS	processor speed	stylus	cradle
microbrowser	MP3 player	Bluetooth	tablet PC	laptop
cell phone	PDA	GPS	Graffiti	memory effect
analog-to-digital converter chip	mobile device(s)	flash memory card	pager	Palm OS

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the words from the Word Bank above.

Kathleen’s new job as a sales rep is going to mean a lot of travel. She’ll need to start thinking about using (1) _____________ to stay productive when she’s out of the office. Because she needs voice communication and not just text exchange, she has selected a (2) _____________ rather than a (3) _____________. With her cell phone, she will be able to exchange quick text messages with her coworkers using (4) _____________. When she accesses the Internet from her cell phone, she will use (5) _____________ software to check the latest stock prices.

Since Kathleen travels a lot and loves music, she has been considering investing in a digital (6) _____________. However, she has decided to purchase a more expensive, more powerful (7) _____________ that includes MP3 capabilities. That way, she can also use the device as more than just an MP3 player. Seeing that she needs more storage room, she also invests in a removable (8) _____________ on which she’ll store her MP3 files. Because she’s a hiker, she wants to use her PDA as a navigation device, so she has purchased a (9) _____________ accessory to go with it.

To make sure she is getting the best device with the most powerful processor, Kathleen has been comparing benchmarks that measure (10) _____________. She knows this is an important part of getting the most powerful device. In addition, she wants to make sure she can (11) _____________ her PDA with her desktop computer, so that the files on both always match. Thus, she bought a PDA that includes the wireless (12) _____________ technology, as well as an external (13) _____________ that connects her PDA to her computer through a USB port.

Because she still needs to run powerful software packages when she’s out of the office, she bought a (14) _____________ as well. It was a better choice than a full-sized (15) _____________ because she carries it with her all day, taking notes while standing on the production floor.

UNIT 6 – Homework                                          Student name:

Part #2: Technology in Action, Chapter 9, Buzz Words(*)

Word Bank

binary	ALU	AGP	PCI	registers
bytes	instruction set	DDR SDRAM	expansion bus	ASCII
control unit	decoded	DRAM	data transfer rates	buses
hexadecimal	fetch	Level 1 cache	dual processors	supercomputer
number system	cache	RDRAM	pipelining	Level 2 cache
Centrino	PowerPC G5

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the words from the Word Bank above.

Computers are based on a system of switches, which can be either on or off. The (1) _____________ number system, which only has two digits, models this well. A (2) _____________ is a set of rules for the representation of numbers. Bits are organized into groups of eight, or (3) _____________, so they are easier to work with. The (4) _____________ code organizes bytes in unique combinations of 0s and 1s to represent characters, letters, and numerals.

The CPU organizes switches to execute the basic commands of the system. No matter what command is being executed, the CPU steps through the same four processing stages. First it needs to (5) _____________ the instruction from RAM. Next the instruction is (6) _____________, and the (7) _____________ sets up all of the CPU hardware to perform that particular command. The actual execution takes place in the (8) _____________. The result is then stored by storing it in the (9) _____________ on the CPU. Another form of memory the CPU uses is (10) _____________ memory. (11) _____________ is the form of this type of memory located closest to the CPU. (12) _____________ is located a bit farther from the CPU.

RAM comes in several different types. (13) _____________ must be refreshed each cycle to keep the data it stores valid. The pathways connecting the CPU to memory are known as (14) _____________. The speeds at which they can move data, or the data transfer rates, vary. (15) _____________ is a bus designed primarily to move three-dimensional graphics data quickly.

HW 4

UNIT 4 – Homework                                          Student name:

Technology in Action, Chapter 6, Buzz Words(*)

Buzz Words/Word Bank

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the words from the Word Bank above.

Joe already has a computer but just found out about a great deal on a new one. He decides to perform a (1) _____________ on his computer to see whether he should keep it or buy the new one. First, he right-clicks on the My Computer icon to check his System Properties. By doing so, he can check what (2) _____________ is in his computer. He sees he has a Pentium 4 processor running at 2.8GHz. Next, he decides to check his computer’s internal memory, or its (3) _____________. He then turns to the Task Manager to evaluate his computer’s CPU and RAM usage and confirms his suspicions that he needs to add more RAM to his system should he decide to keep his system.

He continues to evaluate his current system by checking out what components he has and what he’ll need. He notes the storage capacity of the (4) _____________. Recently, Joe has been using a (5) _____________ to store some frequently used files because his hard drive is nearing capacity. But the (6) _____________, or the amount of time it takes for the disk to find the right data, is so slow that the larger hard drive of a new computer is appealing.

Joe notes he is unable to download large music and video files from the Internet and save them onto a CD like his friends do. His current system does not have a (7) _____________ with which to burn CDs, but the new system would. The new system would also include a great set of speakers with a (8) _____________ to improve the quality of sound. He also sees that it would include a better (9) _____________ that would allow him to connect more of his audio equipment to his computer.

Joe’s 15-inch (10) _____________, doesn’t fit well on his desktop, and having an (11) _____________ monitor would be helpful to conserve space. He is also concerned that if he wants to attach more devices to his computer than his keyboard, mouse, or printer in the future, he will need additional (12) _____________ ports, because his current system only has a few of these faster ports. He notes, however, that it may be just as easy and cost effective to install an (13) _____________ in his system to give it more ports or to buy a(n) (14) _____________ he could attach to his system unit to add more ports.

Finally, Joe considers the cost of buying the new computer versus (15) _____________ his current system. Joe realizes it’s more economical right now to keep his current system.

HW 3

UNIT 3 – Homework                                          Student name:

Part #1: Technology in Action, Chapter 4, Buzz Words(*)

Word Bank

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the words from the Word Bank above.

Roxanne is happy. Her aunt is upgrading to a newer computer and is giving Roxanne her old one. Roxanne has just enrolled in college and knows she’s going to need at least a(n) (1) _____________ to help her write papers and a(n) (2) _____________ to help her keep track of expenses while at school. Because both of these software applications are part of a larger group of applications called (3) _____________, she knows she can buy them as a group. She’s been told that it’s cheaper to buy them as a(n) (4) _____________ than to buy them individually. Since she knows she’ll need the full versions, she cannot buy a(n) (5) _____________.

Since she’s not a great typist, Roxanne is interested in (6) _____________ that will convert her dictated words into typed text. As a graduation present, Roxanne received a new digital camera. She needs to install the (7) _____________ that came with her camera to edit and manage her digital pictures. Although she’s used the software a couple of times on her parents’ computer, she is still glad for the (8) _____________ feature to assist her with specific feature questions and the (9) _____________ that provide step-by-step guides to help her do things.

Roxanne especially likes the decorative (10) _____________ she can use to insert pictures and make them seem professional. She also knows of some (11) _____________ games she can download without cost from the Internet and other (12) _____________ programs that she could try and eventually pay for. There are actually so many (13) _____________ programs that she’d like to install, she doesn’t know what to pick first. It’s tempting for her to borrow software from her friends, but she knows that it’s considered (14_____________. She also knows that before installing any programs she must check the (15) _____________ to see if the software is compatible with her system as well as whether the system has enough resources to support the software.

UNIT 3 – Homework                                          Student name:

Part #2: Technology in Action, Chapter 5, Buzz Words(*)

Buzz Words/Word Bank

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the words from the Word Bank above.

Veena was looking into buying a new computer and was trying to decide what (1) _____________ to buy, a PC or a Mac. She had used PCs all of her life, so she was more familiar with the (2) _____________ operating system. Still, she liked the way the (3) _____________ looked, and was considering switching. Her brother didn’t like either operating system, so he used (4) _____________, a free operating system.

After a little research, Veena decided to buy a PC. With it, she got the most recent version of Windows, (5) _____________. She vowed that with this computer, she’d practice better (6) _____________, because she often had a hard time finding files on her old computer. To view all of the folders on her computer, she opened (7) _____________. She made sure that she gave descriptive names to her (8) _____________ and placed them in organized (9) _____________.

Veena also decided that with her new computer, she’d pay more attention to the (10) _____________, those little special-function programs that help with maintenance and repairs. Those special-function programs, in addition to the OS, make up the (11) _____________. She looked into some of the more frequently used utilities. She thought it would be a good idea to (12) _____________ her hard drive regularly so that all the files lined up in contiguous (13) _____________ and so that it was more efficient. She also looked into (14) _____________ utilities that would help her reduce the size of her files when she sent them to others over the Internet. Finally, she decided to use the Windows (15) _____________ utility to schedule tasks automatically so that she wouldn’t forget.

HW 2

UNIT 2 – Homework                                          Student name:

Technology in Action, Chapter 3, Buzz Words(*)

Word Bank

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the words from the Word Bank above.

The day finally arrived when Juan no longer was a victim of slow Internet access through a traditional (1) _____________ connection. He could now hook up to the Internet through his new high-speed (2) _____________. He had been investigating broadband access for a while and thought that connecting through his existing phone lines with (3) _____________ would be convenient. Unfortunately, it was not available in his area. Where Juan lived, a clear southern exposure did not exist, so he did not even entertain idea of a (4) _____________ connection. Although Juan relished the speedy access, he was faced with changing from (5) _____________, his online service provider, to a different (6) _____________ through his cable company. Although he needed to change his e-mail address, Juan was glad he didn’t have to give up instant messaging, because his (7) _____________ of online contacts had grown to be quite extensive. Juan knew he could access instant messaging through the (8) _____________ Netscape Navigator.

Juan clicked on his list of favorite Web sites and found the movie review site he had saved as a (9) _____________ yesterday. He prefers to use this feature rather than entering in the (10) _____________ of the sites he often visits. Juan navigated through the site, clicking on (11) _____________ that take him immediately to the pages he is most interested in. Finding the movie he wants to see, Juan ordered tickets online. The credit card information he input during an earlier visit to the site automatically appears. This time, Juan is glad that Web sites use (12) _____________ to capture personal information.

Then, using the (13) _____________ at the top of the Web site, he traces his steps back to his starting point. Juan next types in the address for Google, his preferred (14) _____________, and types in the (15) _____________ to begin his search for a good restaurant in the area.

UNIT 1 – Homework                                          Student name:

Part #1: Technology in Action, Chapter 1, Buzz Words (*)

Word Bank

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the words from the Word Bank above.

Due to the integration of computers into business and society, many fields of study are available now that were unheard of a few years ago. (1) _____________, the study of very small computing devices built at the molecular level, will provide major advances in the miniaturization of computing. (2) _____________ is already taking criminologists beyond what they could accomplish with conventional investigation techniques. As (3) _____________ becomes widespread, individuals will benefit from having computing devices implanted right in their bodies.

At the lowest level, computers manipulate data in units called (4) _____________. Since these units are too small to define data on their own (say, standing for the letter Q), they are grouped together to form (5) _____________. (6) _____________ represents raw facts or ideas. (7) _____________ represents facts or ideas that have been organized or processed in some fashion to make them more meaningful. When storing data, large quantities of space are needed. The capacity of most hard drives today is measured in (8) _____________, which represent over 1 billion bytes of information.

For data to be acted on by a computer, various components of the computer must interact with the data. Mice and keyboards are examples of (9) _____________ devices that are used to enter data into the computer. The CPU is an example of a (10) _____________ device that helps turn data into information. (11) _____________ devices, such as monitors and printers, allow computers to provide information in a usable format. To save information and data for later use, (12) _____________ devices such as hard drives and CD drives are used.

UNIT 1 – Homework                                          Student name:

Part #2: Technology in Action, Chapter 2, Buzz Words(*)

Word Bank

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the words from the Word Bank above.

Austin had been getting a sore back and stiff arms when he sat at his desk, so he redesigned the (1) _____________ of his computer setup. He placed the (2) _____________ so that it was 25 inches from his eyes and bought an adjustable chair. He also decided to improve his equipment in other ways. His (3) _____________ was old, so he replaced it with a(n) (4) _____________ mouse that didn’t need a mousepad. To plug in the mouse, he used a(n) (5) _____________ port on the back of his (6) _____________. He considered buying an alternative keyboard to replace the (7) _____________ keyboard he got with his computer, but he didn’t know much about alternative keyboards like the (8) _____________ keyboard so he decided to wait.

Because he prints a lot of flyers for his band, Austin decided to buy a printer that can print text-based pages quickly. Although he decided to keep his (9) _____________ printer to print out photos, he decided to purchase a new (10) _____________ to print out his heavy document load much faster. While looking at new printers, Austin also noticed (11) _____________ monitors that would take up far less space on his desk than the (12) _____________ monitor he had. Unfortunately, he couldn’t afford to invest in a new monitor, so he decided to keep his old one. However, he decided he could afford new (13) _____________, since the ones that came with his computer weren’t that good. He bought a professional (14) _____________ a while back so he could record music at home. Finally, knowing his system could probably use a bit more memory, Austin checked out prices for additional (15) _____________.