©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
COMSC 260 Exam Questions With Correct
Answers.
A program that combines object files into an executable program is called a linker. -
Answer✔True
Suppose there is a virtual machine containing levels V1 and V2, where V2 is above V1 in the
machine hierarchy. The programs written in language V1 can be executed by a program running
at level V2. - Answer✔False
A dynamic link library (DLL) is always written in the Java programming language. -
Answer✔False
A compiler decodes and executes one program statement at a time. - Answer✔False
A virtual machine may be constructed from software. - Answer✔True
The Instruction Set Architecture is considered a virtual machine in the example hierarchy shown
in this chapter. - Answer✔True
This program combines object files into an executable program - Answer✔linker
Suppose there is a virtual machine containing levels V1 and V2, where V2 is above V1 in the
machine hierarchy. The programs written in language V2 can be executed by a program running
at level V1 - Answer✔True
Numbering systems are characterised by their base number - Answer✔True
Bits - Answer✔numbered sequentially starting at zero on the right side and increasing toward the
left
most significant bit (MSB) - Answer✔the bit on the left
least significant bit (LSB) - Answer✔the bit on the right
the highest bit is a 1 - Answer✔the number is stored in two's complement notation.
1 = Negative
0 = Positive
1|Page
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If highest digit of a hexadecimal is > 7 - Answer✔the value is negative
Sign Extension - Answer✔Infinite 0s can be added to the left of a positive number
Infinite 1s can be added to the left of a negative number
Parity Bit - Answer✔Data errors can occur during data transmission or storage/retrieval
The 8th bit in the ASCII code is used for error checking.
Even Parity - Answer✔Where the 8th bit is set such that the total number of 1s in the 8-bit code
word is even
Odd Parity - Answer✔The 8th bit is set such that the total number of 1s in the 8-bit code word is
odd
CPU - Answer✔central processor unit
calculations and logical operations take place.
contains registers, high-frequency clock, a control unit, and an arithmetic logical unit
Register - Answer✔high-speed storage locations directly inside CPU
CU - Answer✔control unit coordinates the sequencing of steps involved in executing machine
instructions
ALU - Answer✔arithmetic logic unit performs arithmetic operations such as addition and
subtraction and logical operations
Data travels along a bus one byte at a time - Answer✔False
bus - Answer✔a group of parallel wires that transfer data from one part of the computer to
another.
computer has four bus types:
data, I/O, control, address
Data bus - Answer✔transfer instructions and data between the CPU and memory
I/O bus - Answer✔transfer data between the CPU and the system input/output devices
control bus - Answer✔use binary signals to synchronize actions of all devices attached to the
system bus
address bus - Answer✔hold the address of instructions and data when the currently executing
instruction transfers data between the CPU and memory
Another name for machine cycle is clock cycle - Answer✔True
2|Page
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(the basic unit of time for machine instructions is a machine cycle)
three primary mode that x86 processors have - Answer✔protected mode, real-address mode,
system management mode
sub-mode: virtual-8086(protected mode)
In Protected mode, programs are given separate memory areas named segments - Answer✔True
protected mode: native state of the processor, in which all instructions and feathres are available
In Protected mode, the total memory used by all running programs can be larger than the
computer's physical memory - Answer✔True
The Intel IA-32e mode only permits 32-bit programs to run - Answer✔False
EAX - Answer✔extended accumulator register
used by multiplication and division instructions
EBX - Answer✔Base Register
It can be used along with the EBP to hold a base address
ECX - Answer✔Counter register
CPU automatically uses ECX as a loop counter
ESP - Answer✔Stack Pointer register
Used by PUSH and POP instructions, points to top of stack
ESI and EDI - Answer✔Source Index and Destination Index register
EBP - Answer✔Extended frame pointer
used by high-level languages to reference function parameters and local variables on the stack
EIP - Answer✔Extended instruction pointer
contains the address of the next instruction to be executed
EFLAGS - Answer✔Extended Flags Register
Contains status and control flags
Each flag is a single binary bit
Control and System flags - Answer✔Control the CPU operation
Carry Flag - Answer✔set when the result of an [unsigned] arithmetic operation is too large to fit
into the destination
3|Page
COMSC 260 Exam Questions With Correct
Answers.
A program that combines object files into an executable program is called a linker. -
Answer✔True
Suppose there is a virtual machine containing levels V1 and V2, where V2 is above V1 in the
machine hierarchy. The programs written in language V1 can be executed by a program running
at level V2. - Answer✔False
A dynamic link library (DLL) is always written in the Java programming language. -
Answer✔False
A compiler decodes and executes one program statement at a time. - Answer✔False
A virtual machine may be constructed from software. - Answer✔True
The Instruction Set Architecture is considered a virtual machine in the example hierarchy shown
in this chapter. - Answer✔True
This program combines object files into an executable program - Answer✔linker
Suppose there is a virtual machine containing levels V1 and V2, where V2 is above V1 in the
machine hierarchy. The programs written in language V2 can be executed by a program running
at level V1 - Answer✔True
Numbering systems are characterised by their base number - Answer✔True
Bits - Answer✔numbered sequentially starting at zero on the right side and increasing toward the
left
most significant bit (MSB) - Answer✔the bit on the left
least significant bit (LSB) - Answer✔the bit on the right
the highest bit is a 1 - Answer✔the number is stored in two's complement notation.
1 = Negative
0 = Positive
1|Page
, ©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
If highest digit of a hexadecimal is > 7 - Answer✔the value is negative
Sign Extension - Answer✔Infinite 0s can be added to the left of a positive number
Infinite 1s can be added to the left of a negative number
Parity Bit - Answer✔Data errors can occur during data transmission or storage/retrieval
The 8th bit in the ASCII code is used for error checking.
Even Parity - Answer✔Where the 8th bit is set such that the total number of 1s in the 8-bit code
word is even
Odd Parity - Answer✔The 8th bit is set such that the total number of 1s in the 8-bit code word is
odd
CPU - Answer✔central processor unit
calculations and logical operations take place.
contains registers, high-frequency clock, a control unit, and an arithmetic logical unit
Register - Answer✔high-speed storage locations directly inside CPU
CU - Answer✔control unit coordinates the sequencing of steps involved in executing machine
instructions
ALU - Answer✔arithmetic logic unit performs arithmetic operations such as addition and
subtraction and logical operations
Data travels along a bus one byte at a time - Answer✔False
bus - Answer✔a group of parallel wires that transfer data from one part of the computer to
another.
computer has four bus types:
data, I/O, control, address
Data bus - Answer✔transfer instructions and data between the CPU and memory
I/O bus - Answer✔transfer data between the CPU and the system input/output devices
control bus - Answer✔use binary signals to synchronize actions of all devices attached to the
system bus
address bus - Answer✔hold the address of instructions and data when the currently executing
instruction transfers data between the CPU and memory
Another name for machine cycle is clock cycle - Answer✔True
2|Page
, ©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
(the basic unit of time for machine instructions is a machine cycle)
three primary mode that x86 processors have - Answer✔protected mode, real-address mode,
system management mode
sub-mode: virtual-8086(protected mode)
In Protected mode, programs are given separate memory areas named segments - Answer✔True
protected mode: native state of the processor, in which all instructions and feathres are available
In Protected mode, the total memory used by all running programs can be larger than the
computer's physical memory - Answer✔True
The Intel IA-32e mode only permits 32-bit programs to run - Answer✔False
EAX - Answer✔extended accumulator register
used by multiplication and division instructions
EBX - Answer✔Base Register
It can be used along with the EBP to hold a base address
ECX - Answer✔Counter register
CPU automatically uses ECX as a loop counter
ESP - Answer✔Stack Pointer register
Used by PUSH and POP instructions, points to top of stack
ESI and EDI - Answer✔Source Index and Destination Index register
EBP - Answer✔Extended frame pointer
used by high-level languages to reference function parameters and local variables on the stack
EIP - Answer✔Extended instruction pointer
contains the address of the next instruction to be executed
EFLAGS - Answer✔Extended Flags Register
Contains status and control flags
Each flag is a single binary bit
Control and System flags - Answer✔Control the CPU operation
Carry Flag - Answer✔set when the result of an [unsigned] arithmetic operation is too large to fit
into the destination
3|Page
