CHAPTER 2: COMPUTER SYSTEM STRUCTURES

Which of the following correctly matches the components of a computer system with their primary functions?

• Processor: Moves data between the computer and its external environment

• I/O Modules: Provides for communication among processors, main memory, and I/O modules

• Main Memory: Stores data and programs - volatile

• All of the above

Which of the following registers are used during instruction execution?

• Program Counter (PC)

• Instruction Register (IR)

• Graphics Register (GR)

• Pipeline Register (PR)

What is the primary function of the Program Counter (PC) in a computer system?

• Holds the current instruction being executed

• Stores the result of an arithmetic operation

• Points to the base address of the stack

• Contains the address of the next instruction to be fetched

Which of the following is true about Random Access Memory (RAM)?

• RAM is a non-volatile memory

• RAM is used for permanent storage of data

• RAM temporarily stores data and is volatile

• RAM is slower than hard disk drives (HDD)

Which of the following correctly represents the memory hierarchy from fastest to slowest?

• Cache Memory → Registers → RAM → Hard Disk

• Registers → Cache Memory → RAM → Hard Disk

• RAM → Registers → Cache Memory → Hard Disk

• Hard Disk → RAM → Cache Memory → Registers

Which of the following is NOT a component of the system bus in a computer system?

• Data Bus

• Expansion Bus

• Address Bus

• Control Bus

What is the primary function of a bootstrap program in a computer system?

• To execute user applications directly

• To manage input and output devices

• To perform arithmetic and logical operations

• To load the operating system into memory

Where is the bootstrap program typically stored in a computer system?

• Read-Only Memory (ROM)

• Random Access Memory (RAM)

• Cache Memory

• Hard Disk

Which of the following statements about interrupts is correct?

• Interrupts are signals indicating an event that requires immediate attention and can be either hardware or software-based

• Interrupts are only generated by hardware and do not require software intervention

• Interrupts always have a lower priority than the current execution and do not interrupt processes

• Interrupts only occur during the execution of software applications, not hardware events

What is the role of an Interrupt Request (IRQ) in the context of hardware interrupts?

• It represents the software command to handle input/output operations

• It is used to indicate a memory allocation issue during program execution

• It controls the execution flow of the operating system during boot-up

• It is a signal sent by hardware to the operating system to request immediate attention