Last updated: 2/19/03
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Mid Term Topics

The Mid Term exam will be on the topics listed below. Meaning of the words used:

• List - when asked, write the requested list of names. Nothing beyond the specific names is asked for.
• Describe - when asked, write a brief (one or two sentence) description of the item. Can also apply to a list, in which case describe each item in the list.
• Give(an) example(s) - different than describe. Give an example means to name a specific example of the category. For example, "Word" is an example of an application.
• Recognize - given a picture or other example of the item, be able to state what it is. This also applies to multiple-choice questions.

1. Counting, adding and multiplying binary numbers, powers of two in binary and decimal notation, binary to decimal and decimal to binary conversions, values stored in n bits
   1. Explain why computers use the binary system, and humans use the decimal system
2. Given a switch circuit with a battery and bulb, analyze the circuit for different switch positions, to find whether the bulb is off or on, and state this in binary terms.
3. Fill out truth tables, given a binary operation (addition or multiplication), a switch network or a logic gate network. For logic gates, only AND, OR and XOR are included.
4. List, describe and recognize and give examples of:
   1. Five different types of computers, including embedded computers
   2. Two basic parts of computers
   3. Five types of computer hardware
   4. Two types of computer storage, and their characteristics
   5. Two types of computer information
   6. Types of data that can be stored in computers
   7. Types of computer software
5. Mouse actions: list and describe the six mouse actions, and describe the active part of the mouse icon
6. Recognize and name examples of a file path or URL. Given an example of either, identify its parts (path: drive, folders, file name, file extension. URL: method, server, folders, file name, extension). 
   1. Describe and apply the difference between Save and Save As...
7. List, describe and recognize examples of the three types of computer user interfaces
8. List and recognize the parts of a Window and, for the active parts, describe which mouse action is used and what you can do with it
   
   For example, for the "Open" button on the File / Open menu item, you activate it by clicking on it. That is the answer to this question. What it does when clicked is to open the selected file. That is not the answer to this question.
   
   The following active elements are included:
   1. Title bar
   2. Menu bar and Menus
   3. Tool bar
   4. Border
   5. Resize Box
   6. Close Box
   7. Maximize Box
   8. Restore Box
   9. Minimize Box
   10. Control Box
   11. Scroll bars
   12. Text lines and boxes (type in them)
   13. Buttons
   14. Lists
   15. Drop-down lists
   16. Check boxes (square, choose all that apply)
   17. Radio buttons (round, choose only one)
   18. Status Bar
9. Describe and recognize the Windows Task Bar, recognize which applications are running and describe how to switch between them
10. Describe selection in Windows, give examples of how different types of objects are selected, and what happens with selected objects.
    1. Typing replaces selection
11. Estimate text, sound (given formula) and graphic (given formula) file sizes, and find how many text files of a given size can fit on a given storage medium
12. Diagram the structure of a computer. List examples of what goes in each part. Given a list of components, say which part of the diagram they go in.
13. Describe the following terms, as they are used with respect to computers:
    • Data, information and knowledge
    • Client
      • Web Browser
    • Server
    • IP address or just plain IP
    • Domain name
    • URL
      • Bookmark
    • Logic Gate
14. Translate back and forth from letters to ASCII codes, given the ASCII code table.
15. List and describe the general capacities of word processors and spreadsheets
    1. Word processors
       1. Create, open, print, save and save as for files
       2. Edit text, including entry, moving, deleting
       3. Describe Cut and Paste, and Drag N' Drop as alternate methods of moving text and other screen objects such as files, from one place to another.
       4. Formatting, including font, paragraph, margins
          1. Describe the following aspects of fonts: face, size, serif Vs san-serif, monospacing Vs proportional
       5. Proofing, including spell check and grammar check
    2. Spreadsheets
       1. Create, open, print, save and save as for files
       2. Edit cells, including text, numbers and formulae
       3. Format cells, including font and number formatting (plain, currency, date, percentage)

Basic computer skills. For the Midterm and later exams, you should be able to carry out the following tasks without the step-by-step instructions such as you get in Microsoft Office Professional 2000, or in many of the Agendas and Labs here.

1. Start a program on the lab computers, starting with the power off. Example: Start Word. (NOTE: Microsoft is the manufacturer, Word is the product. "Microsoft Word" and "Word" mean the same thing.) Examples of programs that this can apply to:
   1. Windows Explorer
   2. WordPad
   3. Internet Explorer
   4. Word
   5. Excel
2. Be able to use Windows Explorer to verify that a file is at the proper path, and be able to change the path if it is wrong.
3. With a program started, open a document on any drive, or open a web site
   1. In Word, open a file, given the path
4. In a web browser, follow a link by clicking on it. Links are colored blue or purple (if they have been followed already), and underlined. the active part of the link is the words themselves.
5. Print an open Word or Excel file or web page.
6. In Word and Excel, Save or Save As. Use Save As the first time you save a new file, or if you want to change the path of an existing file. If you open an existing file and Save, you will replace the original version with the current version. Otherwise, Save saves to the path you set in the last Save As.
7. The main Word menus that you should be able to use are
   1. File. Used for getting the file into Word and outputting it from Word. Includes opening, saving and printing.
   2. Edit. Used for changing the content of text; moving it around, deleting it, copying it.
   3. Format. Used for changing the appearance of text. Font format affects individual letters, paragraph formatting affects entire paragraphs but not individual letters, etc.
   4. Insert. Inserts things besides text into a document, such as pictures and charts.
8. In Excel, be able to enter text, numbers or simple formulae into cells