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ZIMBABWE SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

General Certificate of Education Advanced Level

COMPUTING 9195/1
PAPER 1

NOVEMBER 2009 SESSION 3 hours

Additional materials:
Answer paper

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Write your name, Centre number and candidate number in the spaces provided on the answer
paper/answer booklet.

Answer all questions.

Write your answers on the separate answer paper provided.

If you use more than one sheet of paper, fasten the sheets together.

INfORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

.,
The number of marks is giv~n in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question .
.
You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.

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This question paper consists of 6 printed pages and 2 blank pages.

Copyright: Zimbabwe School Examinations Council, N2009.

©ZIMSEC N2009
 2

1 (a) Explain the difference between analogue and digital signals. [2]

(b) Explain three advantages of digital signals. [3]

2 A teacher would like to store data about students in his computing class. Each
student has a first name, a middle name and a surname. In addition, the teacher
would like to store, for each student, the marks for the five assignments they
have written during the course of the term.

(a) Identify a suitable data structure for storing the five assignments for one
particular student. Justify. [2]

(b) Identify a suitable data structure for storing all the data about the students.
Justify. . [3]

3 (a) Outline the purpose of the

(i) interpreter,

(ii) compiler. [2]

(b) Operating systems are difficult and complex to design because of the
many conflicting demands made by programs on it. Describe any three
such demands. [3]

4 (a) Explain the term Wide Area Network. [1J

(b) (ir Explain the term protocol in the context of transmission of data
over a Wide Area Network. [1]

(ii) . Explain why protocol is needed for a Wide Area Network. [3]

5 (a) Explain why computers require secondary storage. [1 ]

(b) Identify and justify a situation more suitable for

(i) disk drives,

(ii) tape drives. [4J

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6 (a) Suppose you are given the following problem statement:

Write a program to find and display the subtotals of three groups of

numbers.
r

The details in the problem statement above are not clear. Give any three
details that need to be specified so as to make the problem statement
precise. [3]

(b) Distinguish multiprogramming and multiprocessing. [2]

(c) Explain the concept of time-slicing. [2]

7 A computer language has variable names which must conform to the syntax
shown below.

,.-•.. Letter Digit ...~

~~ .41lo

(a) State which of the following are legal variable names:

(i) 5thyears

(ii) class6a

(iii) st729
[2]

(b) For each incorrect variable name in (a) explain why it is incorrect. [4]

9 J 9511 N2009
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8 The following is a description of a sorting algorithm for an array;

(i) Let i be the last location in the array.

(ii) Find k, the largest element between location 1'and location (i- 1).

(iii) If k is larger than the element at, b, swap the two, otherwise leave as they are.

(iv) i := i- 1.

(v) if i ~ 0, go to step (ii), otherwise exit

For the initial array given fill in the elements of the array for each value of i at
the end of step (iii).

~\l~ \...~~
\.0'"
Initial Array .8 2 1 4 6 "
j 7

i= 7

i= 6

i= 5

i= 4

i= 3
I

i= 2
,,/

i= 1 y, .•.

, _ 1

[7]

\V Explain the following:

(a) blocking factor [2]

(b) multi-level indexes [2]
(c) translation log, [2]
(d) top-down design [2]

9195/1 N2009
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10 The table below is an array representation of a binary tree.

index info left right

0 l~t 4 2

2
~
3L<,

25 '
6

NIL
NIL

NIL
4-
/
3 12, 5 NIL
.~
/ -3

4 10 NIL J
/
5 2. NIL NIL
s
6 29. NIL NIL

(a) Draw the binary tree represented by the array. [4]

(b) Give the output result for an inorder traversal of the binary tree. [4]

11 Explain the following:

(a) real-time transaction processing system [2]

(b) multi -access systems [2]

(c) scheduling [2]

(d) loop [2]

Explain the following terms:

(i) circuit switching

(ii) message switching

[4]
(b) Why is message switching more suitable for computer communications? [1]

(c) State four disadvantages of tele-working. [4]

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13 (a) Explain the following terms with relation to data communications:

(i) handshaking . [2]

(ii) optical fibre [2]

(iii) parity bits [2]

(b) (i) Describe the representation of data in digital and in analogue

form. [2]

(ii) Explain why it is more preferable to represent data in digital form

rather than in analogue form. [2]

14 The following is a segment of a program in assembly language.

assembly language instruction mearung

TOT DTA +0 Storage for the total initially

set at 0

BGN IRQ Start of loop: request peripheral

device to load the input register

INP Carry number from input register

to accumulator.

BZE OUT Branch out of the loop if the number

IS zero

ADD TOT Add the total to the number in the

accumulator

STO TOT Store the new value to the total

BRN BGN Branch to the instruction labelled

BGN to continue loop .

OUT LOA TOT Load the total to the accumulator

OUP Copy the total from the accumulator

to the output register

ORQ Request peripheral device to output

total.

(a) Identify the use of any two registers other than the input and output
registers in the program segment above. [4]

(b) Using a trace table to follow the contents of the registers used in the
program at the execution of each line, dry run the program with the
following numbers as input: 14,23, O. [8]
919511 N2009