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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 1.1 Introduction to


computers
Activity 1, p.5
1. Write down the names of the four types of computers mentioned in this module.
1. Desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones
2. Which one of these types of computers is not ‘a single piece of equipment’ (i.e. it is made up of
separate parts connected to one other)?
2. Desktops
3. Distinguish between hardware and software.
3. We refer to the physical parts of a computer that we can touch and see as hardware. Examples
include the mouse, the screen, the keyboard, a printer and the different components inside the
computer. To actually get the computer to do something, we need to give it very specific
instructions. These instructions are what we know as programs or software.
4. What makes a computer a multi-purpose tool, i.e. able to perform different tasks, such as
playing a video or letting you type out a document?
4. Computers can execute programs. Software, or a program, is simply a set of instructions that
‘tells’ a computer what to do. If we need the computer to do something different for us, we just
need another program.
5. Categorise each of the following items as either hardware or software:
a) Screen
a) hardware
b) Computer game
b) software
c) Microphone
c) hardware
d) WhatsApp
d) software
6. List the main steps in the information processing cycle or ‘the way that a computer works’.
6. Input, Processing, Output, Storage

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

7. Indicate in each of the following cases whether the phrase or definition refers to input, output
or storage:
a) Typing a WhatsApp message or an SMS.
a) input
b) A ‘please call me’ from a friend displayed on the smartphone’s screen.
b) output
c) Music that you listen to on your headphones.
c) output
d) Photos on your phone.
d) storage
e) Touching your phone’s screen to start an app.
e) input
f) Printing a document.
f) output
g) The movie on a DVD.
g) storage
8. Distinguish between data and information.
8. Data refers to unprocessed items. This can include text, numbers, images, audio and video.
Information is the result of the processing of data and should be useful and meaningful.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Activity 4, p. 9

Column A: Description Column B: Term


1 A mouse action that causes a pop-up menu to appear
2 A tip or information that pops up when you rest the pointer on an A Start button
icon or object B Desktop
3 Using a mouse to move up or down in a document C Drag and drop
4 A mouse operation to move objects D Esc key
5 The most important program, that controls all activities in a E Click
computer F Icons
6 The first basic screen that appears when Windows is loaded G Restore Down
7 The process of starting a computer and loading the operating H Right-click
system I Maximise
8 The small pictures on the desktop which represent programs or J Booting
‘places’ on the computer
K Minimise
9 The bar at the top of a program/window that displays the name of
L Operating system
the file and the program you are working in
M Ribbon
10 A combination of menus and toolbars into a new component used
in Microsoft Office N Scroll

11 The horizontal bar at the bottom of the desktop, which holds O Delete key
minimised programs P Shortcuts
12 Pictures or icons which have a small curved arrow in the bottom Q Taskbar
left corner R Title bar
13 The key used to cancel an option or get back to where you were S Tooltip
14 A rectangular area on the screen used to display the feedback or T Window
output of a program U GUI
15 An action which reduces a window to a button on the taskbar
16 An action which makes the size of a window as large as possible

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
H S N C L B J F R M Q P D T K I

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Written module activity. p. 13


1. Give two differences between a laptop and a desktop computer, apart from their different sizes.
1. Laptop computers can work on battery power for a limited period of time. Laptops comprise of
one single unit whereas desktop computers have several components (such as a separate
keyboard and monitor) that are connected to each other.
2. The hardware part of a computer – considered on its own – is not much more than a big
doorstopper or paperweight. Explain then how a computer can be the incredibly useful multi-
purpose tool that it actually is.
2. Multipurpose means that computers are designed to do different things. This is achieved by
loading and running different programs or software, each with their own functionality.
3. Where else can the computer ‘send’ the results of processing other than to ‘output’?
3. To storage or communicate it.
4. Explain the difference between data and information by referring to a practical example (other
than the one used in this module).
4. Data refers to unprocessed items. This can include text, numbers, images, audio and video.
Information is the result of the processing of data and should be useful and meaningful.
Example: R, T, T , 1, 2, 3, N and W are a collection of digits and letters (data). However, if we
process them as a car registration number (RTT123NW) then we have something meaningful –
in other words, it is useful information, e.g. that the car is registered in the North West
province.
5. Why does a computer need an operating system?
5. An operating system is the most important program on a computer and it is the program that
controls all the activities in the computer.
6. Every time a friend tries to select something in Windows, a menu pops up instead. Explain to
her what she is doing wrong, and what she should be doing instead.
6. She is right-clicking on the object which causes a pop-up menu to appear.
She should be left-clicking on the object to select it.
7. The functions of some icons are easy to work out by looking at their pictures. Give a quick way
to find out what an icon does if the picture itself does not give you a clue.
7. Rest the mouse pointer on the icon to see if a tooltip, which gives more information about the
function of the icon, appears.
8. Where else can you look for a program on a computer if there is no shortcut for it on the
desktop?
8. The Start Menu.
9. Where can one find a window that is currently minimised?
9. Restore it from the taskbar.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 1.2 Software


Written module activity, p. 21
1. Briefly explain the difference between application software and system software. Give a
suitable example of each type of software.
1. Application software is a group of programs that perform specific tasks for us as users. Examples
of application software include gaming software, word processing programs and Typing Tutor
software.
System software is software that is intended to control, support or operate the computer.
Examples of system software include operating systems, anti-virus software and compression
software such as WinZip, which reduces the size of files.
2. Explain why a computer still needs an operating system even if it is mainly used for playing
computer games.
2. An operating system controls all activities that take place in a computer. Every computer needs
an operating system in order to be able to function, and this is the first set of programs that
load when we boot a computer. It allows us to run other programs such as computer games etc.
3. Which one of the following programs does not belong with the others?
Linux, Android, Internet Explorer (Edge) and Windows 10.
Briefly explain your answer.
3. Internet Explorer (Edge) is a web browser – program – all the others are operating systems.
4. Give three functions of an operating system.
4. Managing all the hardware and software on the computer, maintaining security and providing
users with an interface which allows them to interact with the computer.
5. Why is it necessary to have usernames and passwords if one is working on a network?
5. Security – so each person has their own private access to their own work.
6. Explain what is meant by a ‘live’ tile in Windows, and give one example of this.
6. Apps can also be represented by icons known as tiles. Some of these are termed ‘live’ tiles
because they can display updated information in the tile itself. An example is a weather app,
which displays updated temperature information in the tile itself. Internet access is obviously
required for this.
7. What is a dialog box and what is it used for?
7. A dialog box is basically a small window that is used for communication or ‘dialog’ between a
computer and a user. It usually provides the user with options for completing a small task.
Dialog boxes can also be used to convey warnings or error messages.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

8. Identify each of the following controls in the dialog box below by writing down the control and
the letter where it is found on the screenshot:
Text box, Spinner, Radio button, Command button, Combo/List box, Check box

A Text box
B Spinner
C Radio button
D Combo/List box
E Check box
F Command button

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

9. The following dialog box popped up on your screen when you tried to access the internet.

Outline a way in which you can save this message to a file instead of having to write it all down
or use a camera.
9. Perform a screen capture using the Print Screen key or a Snipping Tool. Then paste the errors
into a Word document and save it.
10. Give the type of software (not a brand or specific name) needed for each of the following
situations:
a) Your mom would like software to run a small office from home.
a) Office Suite
b) Your teacher needs to record the CAT tests marks for the class, determine the average
mark for the test and draw a graph of the symbol distribution.
b) Spreadsheet
c) The school wants to draw up a very professional looking brochure to offer all new parents
to the school.
c) Desktop publishing (DTP) software
d) You wish to look at various web pages on the internet.
d) Web browser
e) A website for the school needs to be created.
e) Web authoring software
f) The principal wants to send an electronic message inviting all the parents to a parents’
evening.
f) Communication (email) software

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

11. Fill in either the type of software, or give an example of the software, for each of the entries in
the following table:

Type of software Example of software


(a) Edge / Mozilla Firefox
(b) Adobe Dreamweaver
Spreadsheet (c)
Presentation software (d)
Graphics and design (e)
(f) Microsoft Access / MySQL
(g) Microsoft Office 2016
Financial applications (h)
(i) Microsoft Publisher / Adobe
InDesign

a Web browser
b Web authoring software
c Microsoft Excel / OpenOffice Calc
d Microsoft PowerPoint / OpenOffice Impress
CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia
e
FreeHand, Microsoft Paint
f Database
g Office Suite
Pastel Accounting, Microsoft Money Plus Sunset, Quicken,
h
QuickBooks
i Desktop publishing (DTP) software

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 1.3 Hardware


Written module activity, p. 35
1. Name the parts or phases of the information processing cycle. Give one example of a
hardware device commonly used in each of these parts.
1. Input: mouse, keyboard
Processing: central processing unit
Output: screen, speakers, printer
Storage: hard drive, flash drive, CD, DVD
2. Explain what the F1 and Print Screen keys on a keyboard are commonly used for.
2. Pressing the F1 key activates the help function of the program. These days the help is often
online, meaning that you have to be connected to the internet, but you also get offline help.
Print screen (usually labelled as something like PrtSc or Prnt Scrn etc.) allows you to take a
screenshot of the display (to save or print it). It is better to use a software Snipping Tool utility
which provides you with more options, such as which area of the screen you want to select.
3. Beginner users are often told to ‘right-click when in doubt’. Explain what this statement means
by referring to the general function of the right-click button on a mouse.
3. Right-clicking usually results in a pop-up menu appearing with a list of options that are
appropriate to the object you right-clicked on.
4. Using keyboard shortcuts can be far more efficient than using a mouse.
Explain this statement by referring to the use of the <Ctrl><A> shortcut.
4. Instead of having to use the mouse to complete an action, a keyboard shortcut often allows
one to do things a lot quicker. The <Ctrl><A> shortcut, for example, quickly and automatically
selects the entire contents of a document. Doing this with a mouse can take a lot longer,
especially if it is a long document.
5. Some people prefer using a wireless keyboard and mouse. Both should be ergonomically
designed to help prevent RSI.
a) Give the main advantage and main disadvantage of using a wireless keyboard and mouse,
over using wired devices. Exclude theft as a possible answer.
a) Any one advantage: Less clutter on the desk as there are no cables, no cables to get
tangled with anything, you have a wider range of movement.
Any one disadvantage: They require batteries (to produce the wireless signal), they are
slightly more expensive than wired devices, sometimes there can be interference with
the wireless signal (causing the device to stop working temporarily).
b) Briefly describe what the term ergonomics refers to.
b) The study and design of the workplace and the equipment used in the workplace for the
comfort and safety of people in their work environments.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

c) Briefly describe what the term RSI refers to. Do not simply expand the abbreviation.
c) Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is the name given to injuries resulting from fast, repetitive
work.
6. What is the cheapest way to add more USB ports to your computer?
6. If you need extra USB ports, you can get a USB hub, which provides extra USB ports. The hub
itself plugs into an existing USB port.
7. Bluetooth is a technology that allows devices such as mice, printers and smartphones to
communicate wirelessly. What is the main limitation of Bluetooth?
7. Its main limitation is the limited range over which it can operate.
8. Explain what the following specifications of a monitor refer to, their significance for the user
and how they are measured:
a) 19"
a) the size of the screen in inches, measured diagonally in inches
b) 1600 x 900
b) the maximum resolution of the monitor, measured in pixels
c) 5 ms
c) the response time of the monitor, measured in milliseconds
9. Give one reason why someone might choose a laser printer over an inkjet printer.
9. Laser printers are cheaper to run than inkjet printers, are more suited to printing large
volumes, and generally print faster than inkjet printers.
10. USB ports support plug-and-play.
What does this mean? Explain your answer by referring to the concept of plug-and-play.
10. If, for example, you plug a new printer in at the USB port, the printer is usually configured
automatically. This means that you can print immediately.
11. What is meant by the term default printer?
11. This refers to the printer you normally use, unless you choose otherwise.
12. A friend accidentally sent 100 copies of her research task to a printer. Is there any way she can
try to cancel this printing (besides switching the printer off)?
Refer to the concept of a printer queue in your answer.
12. Cancel the printing by cancelling the task in the printer queue.
13. Explain why the storage capacity of a computer is always much larger than its memory.
13. Storage is where all files and programs (software) are kept permanently. This requires a fairly
large storage capacity. However, if we want to run a program or work on a file, a copy of it
needs to be loaded into memory so that we can work with it. Only the files and programs we
need to work with are loaded into memory, so it does not have to be as large as storage, as it
is only there (in memory) on a temporary basis.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

14. Memory is sometimes described as volatile. Explain what this means.


14. Volatile means that it does not keep the contents when the power is switched off.
15. Arrange the following units of storage in ascending order (from smallest to biggest):
TB, KB, GB and MB
15. KB, MB, GB, TB
16. Briefly describe three health tips for using a computer.
16. Any three health tips:
 Use ergonomically designed hardware to reduce the risk of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury)
 Maintain good posture by sitting correctly and not slouching or hunched over
 Adjust the height of your monitor, seat and/or table in order to sit correctly
 Make sure the lighting and ventilation / air circulation is adequate
 Make sure your mouse and keyboard are close together and within easy reach
 Every once in a while, turn your eyes away from your monitor
 Take regular breaks
17. Give three different ways in which you can contribute to green computing in your school.
17. Any three different ways in which you can contribute to green computing in your school:
 Use equipment that is designed to consume less power
 Switch off computers and devices you are not using
 Try to avoid paper wastage by proofreading on the screen and by printing ‘2 pages on 1’,
etc.
 Rather than throw old or broken hardware away, see if someone else can make use of it, or
try to repair or upgrade it.
 Return ink and toner cartridges to the manufacturer
 Investigate the possibility of refilling and reusing ink and toner cartridges

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 1.4 File management


Written module activity, p. 48
1. Explain the difference between a file and a folder.
1. A file is a collection of data or information which has been stored under a single name, whereas
a folder is a storage place or holder in which files or other folders are stored.
2. What is a subfolder?
2. A folder may also contain other folders, which we then call subfolders.
3. Give three tips how to go about planning a suitable folder structure.
3. Three tips on planning a suitable folder structure:
• Plan what you would like your basic folder structure to look like. It often helps to sketch your
structure on paper. Word provides a number of hierarchy charts with its SmartArt to do this.
• Think first of the main folders you would need to save your files under; then add subfolders
as required.
• Keep on refining each level. If you find you start having too many files in one folder, it might
be an indication that you should sub-divide the folder by adding subfolders.
4. Explain why it is not a good idea to use the default names given for files and folders, such as
Doc1 or New Folder.
4. Files and folders should be given meaningful names so that are easily identifiable without
having to open them first.
5. Give the keyboard shortcut to open Explorer.
5. <><E>
6. What is a file extension?
6. A file extension is a 3–5 letter code that identifies the file type. This is automatically added by
the program when you save the file.
7. Explain what would happen if you tried to open a file created with a program that is not
installed on your computer.
7. Windows will give you the option to search the internet to find suitable software to open the
file.
8. Why does Windows sometimes provide you with an Open with command when you right-click a
file in Explorer?
8. There may be more than one program installed that you can use to open the file.
9. Name three other properties or pieces of information that can be displayed about a file in
Explorer, other than the name of the file.
9. Size, Date Modified and Type of file.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

10. Your father wants to delete some of the largest files from his flash drive.
What would be the quickest way for him to identify which files to delete?
10. Sort the list of files in order of size, and then decide which ones to delete.
11. What is the difference between the Copy and Cut options for files in Explorer?
11. Copy and cut both make a copy of the file and place it on the clipboard so that you can paste it
somewhere else. With copy, the file is kept in the original location, but with cut the file is
removed from its original location.
12. Explain why one might create a shortcut to a file.
12. To be able to gain quick access to the item referenced by the shortcut (instead of having to
navigate through a path to get to the item).
13. Give two possible reasons why one might want to save a file in a different format.
13. Two reasons:
• To share data by using a common format that both programs can read and interpret.
• To allow users who are using a different operating system to access the data / allow users
who are using older versions of a program to access the data.
14. What program (or type of program) would most likely be opened when each of the following
files is double-clicked in Explorer? Briefly explain where necessary.
a) Agenda.pdf
a) pdf: Adobe Reader to read a PDF file
b) Agenda.txt
b) txt: A text editor such as Notepad or a word processor such as Word
c) Agenda.docx
c) docx: Microsoft Word to open a Word document
d) Agenda.exe
d) exe: It is a program or executable file, and double-clicking on it will cause it to run
e) Agenda.jpeg
e) jpeg: Graphics program such as Paint to open a picture (jpeg) file
f) Agenda.mp3
f) mp3: Media player to play a MP3 music/sound file

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

15. While trying to rename a file, a user was presented with the following error message:

a) Explain what a file extension is by referring to a suitable example.


a) A file extension is a set of characters that appears at the end of the file name, following a
period (full stop). For example a Word file has the extension .docx
b) Explain what is meant by the error message, by referring to the significance of file
extensions in an operating system.
b) The file extension tells Windows what type of file it is, and Windows will try to open it with
the program associated with that file extension.
16. Your mother wants to select 150 consecutive files in a folder, using Explorer. Explain how to
accomplish this easily and quickly.
16. To select a lot of consecutive or adjacent files, select the first one, hold down <Shift> and select
the last one in the range.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 1.5 ICT in perspective


Written module activity, p. 55
1. ‘All-in-one’ desktops are increasing in popularity. Give two possible reasons for their popularity.
1. With all ‘all-in-one’ computers, the ‘box’ (system unit) and the screen come as a single unit
which saves space. Many of them also provide a touch screen interface.
2. Give two general advantages of portable computers.
2. They have the advantage of allowing you to work anywhere, at any time and to always have
your data with you. They also allow you to run on battery power for a few hours.
3. Give two types of portable computers.
3. Laptops, tablets, notebooks and netbooks.
4. Arrange in ascending order of size: notebook, desktop, laptop.
4. notebook, laptop, desktop
5. How does a tablet differ from other portable computers?
5. A tablet is a portable computer with a touch / pen sensitive monitor. This allows the user to
interact directly with the screen.
6. How does a dedicated device differ from a ‘normal’ computer?
6. Dedicated devices are built and designed so that they only do one task. For most of them you
cannot load different software onto the device or get it to do other tasks at all.
7. Give two examples of dedicated devices.
7. MP3 players, GPS devices, ABS braking systems, ATM machines, microwave ovens and washing
machines
8. Why has information become such a valuable commodity in the modern Information Age?
8. The ability to quickly collect and process information is very valuable, as improving your access
to information increases the amount of profit you can make in your business. The ability to
process and interpret data to form accurate information can mean the difference between
success and failure.
9. Give four everyday examples of where we would interact with ICTs (other than by using a PC).
9. Four examples:
• POS (Point of Sale) systems
• Traffic light systems at intersections
• Using an ATM
• Taking a Lotto ticket, etc.
10. Name the parts of an ICT system.
10. Hardware, software, data, processes and people.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

11. What is a POS system? Expand the acronym and explain what it means.
11. A Point of Sale system is used in a shop. It is an ICT system designed to tally up the total cost of
goods bought quickly and accurately. Barcode scanners are used to scan each product. The
system then uses the price information attached to each barcode to create the total bill, and a
cash slip is printed at the till (pay) point. Each till (pay) point also sends information from the
products scanned to a central server, which manages a database which aids with managing and
ordering stock, etc.
12. What benefits are there to using barcodes and scanners in a POS system?
12. Benefits of using barcodes and scanners in a point-of-sale system:
• more accurate
• faster
• efficient stock control
13. Give three economic reasons why people make use of computers.
13. Three economic reasons why people make use of computers include:
• They are more reliable and accurate than people.
• They are fast – so we can do more tasks in the same amount of time by using a computer.
• They can work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and cost less than people in the long run.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 1.6 Extended software


Written module activity, p. 62
1. Briefly explain the difference between stand-alone software and integrated software.
1. Stand-alone programs function on their own and sometimes cannot share data with other
programs. Integrated software combines commonly used productivity software programs such
as a word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation software and communication
software into one package.
2. Give two benefits that integrated software such as an office suite provides, besides any cost
considerations.
2. The programs have similar user interfaces – if you know one, it is easier to learn another
member of the suite.
They are designed for easy data exchange between the programs.
3. Your dad says he heard that he does not even own the software he just paid for! How can that
possibly be true, he asks.
Briefly explain to him why this is in fact the case.
3. Most users don’t realise that they don’t actually own the software they purchase.
They are in fact not buying the software but rather buying a licence to use the software under
certain conditions.
4. While installing software, you are given the option to read the EULA.
Explain what a EULA is (don’t only expand the abbreviation).
4. EULAs or End-User Licence Agreements are legally binding contracts between you as the user
and the software company. They describe what you may and may not do with the software.
5. Explain the difference between a single user licence and a site licence.
5. A single user licence means that you may only install the software on one computer. You may
not install it on other computers – not even for home use. You can also usually make one
backup copy of the media (CD or DVD) that contained the software.
A site licence agreement allows a company or organisation an unrestricted number of
installations of the software within the company or organisation. A school may, for example,
obtain a site licence for a program so that they can install it on all their computers (and any
others they purchase in the future). This is also sometimes referred to as volume licensing.
6. Your mother said you can take her firm’s copy of Office 2016 and install it on the computer at
the tennis club, as the tennis club will not be using it to make money.
Is it legal to do this? Briefly motivate your answer.
6. No, it’s illegal. The licence agreement is not determined by the use of the software. She must
adhere to the conditions of the EULA.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

7. Your friend Sam made a backup copy of a new program he just purchased. Is he guilty of
software piracy?
Motivate your answer by explaining what software piracy is.
7. No, he is not guilty. Software piracy refers to the illegal installation, copying and distributing of
proprietary software. You can generally only make one copy for backup purposes – you may not
make copies to give to your friends.
8. A local school has been donated hardware to start up a computer literacy programme. They
have limited funds, so they are investigating the use of freeware, shareware and open source
software.
a) What is the difference between freeware and shareware?
a) Freeware is fully functioning software that can be used, and copied without any
restrictions. Shareware is software that you can use for a trial period. You can download
and try shareware for free. The software developer maintains all the rights to the software.
Shareware usually stops working when the trial period has expired, and the trial-version
also sometimes does not include all of the features of the full version. After this period, or
should you wish to get the ‘full’ version, you will need to pay for it.
b) What is the main benefit of open source software, besides any cost implications?
b) Open source software may and can be altered.
c) The teacher at the school was puzzled as he saw an open source product being sold at a
computer store when he thought it was free.
Explain why this misconception may have occurred.
c) The support and documentation can be charged for (it is the source code that is free).
d) Give an example of an open source operating system.
d) Linux
e) Give an example of an open source office suite.
e) OpenOffice / LibreOffice
f) There are obvious benefits to using open source software.
Give four potential disadvantages of using open source software.
f) No guarantee of quality or that it works correctly.
There are often many different versions of the same product.
One can generally only get open source software from the Internet.
Open source software is not as widely used.
Documentation or support for open source software may not be easy to access.
9. Utility programs also form part of system software. What is the general purpose of utility
programs?
9. Utilities are used to assist the user to perform maintenance tasks related to managing a
computer.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

10. Your mother was told that she will need a driver to install a new printer at her work.
a) Briefly explain what a driver is.
a) A driver is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware or devices.
b) She managed to install the printer without obtaining a driver.
Explain to her why it seems as if the printer did not require a driver to be installed.
b) The driver was automatically installed by the operating system when the printer was
added.
c) Where could she have found a driver if she had been prompted for one during the
installation of the printer?
c) Look for a driver on the installation CD/DVD or try to source it from the internet.
11. Your school has placed a limit of 2 MB on the size of any file you attach to an email message.
a) What type of software could you use to reduce the size of a file you may wish to send?
a) Compression software
b) Give one example of the type of software that you gave in your previous answer.
b) WinZip / WinRAR
c) What would the person receiving the smaller version of the file have to do before they
could open and edit the file?
c) Decompress / extract / ‘unzip’ it
12. The files on any computer system need to be backed up regularly, to prevent data loss.
a) Give three different ways in which the files on a computer can be ‘lost’.
a) Files can be accidentally deleted or overwritten with the wrong version of the file.
Files can sometimes become corrupt (their contents become ‘scrambled’) by not shutting
down properly, power failures or computer viruses.
Hardware such as a disk drive can fail.
b) Why is it better to use a specialised backup utility program to back up the data on your
hard drive, rather than performing a manual backup?
b) To make sure that all your files are backed up correctly. Also, many of these backup utilities
automatically compress the files to save space on the disk they are being copied to.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 1.7 Extended hardware


concepts
Written module activity, p. 78
Pointing devices, sensors, gaming devices, digital cameras, scanners and reading devices
1. Give three examples of pointing devices.
1. Mouse, touchpad, pointing stick, pen (or stylus), trackball
2. What are pointing devices used for in general when working with a computer?
2. The GUI interface relies on you interacting with the objects on screen, using a pointing device.
Pointing devices move a pointer or cursor on the screen so that you can see what you are
pointing at.
3. What type of pointing device is often used by artists, and why is it ideal for artists?
3. Pen or stylus, because it allows you to draw far more naturally and accurately than you ever
could with a mouse. The pen is pressure-sensitive, so pressing harder draws a thicker line than
pressing softly.
4. Describe three actions you can perform on a touch screen, that you cannot perform with a
traditional pointing device such as a mouse.
4. Gestures can do things that a mouse cannot do, such as pinching, expanding, swiping,
touch-and-drag.
5. What does it mean when we say that a touch screen is ‘multi-touch’?
5. Touch screens are termed multi-touch as they allow for two or more fingers to be detected and
used on the screen at one time, e.g. for pinching actions.
6. Give the main advantage of having sensors provide input, from the user’s point of view.
6. They constantly provide input without the user having to do anything in order for it to happen,
and they can measure such things accurately.
7. Name three sensors you might find in a smartphone and briefly describe their function or use.
7. Accelerometer
This sensor detects movement. The accelerometer allows the device to change the orientation
of the screen and can act as a game controller.
Light sensor
This sensor allows the device to adjust the brightness of the screen according to its
surroundings.
Electronic compass
This sensor works like a compass and shows you the direction in which the device is pointing.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

8. Some ‘force feedback’ gaming devices can also provide output.


Explain this statement by referring to a suitable example.
8. Some ‘force feedback’ gaming devices can also provide output – for example, if a joystick (or
gaming controller or steering wheel) is made to move (vibrate, or provide resistance) in
response to onscreen actions.
9. Explain the difference between a flatbed scanner and a sheet-fed scanner, in terms of the items
that can be scanned by each.
9. A flatbed scanner is usually slightly larger than A4 size and is used to scan photos, magazines
and printed documents.
A smaller, portable version called a sheet-fed scanner allows a sheet of paper to be scanned
rather than books or other thick objects.
10. Give the benefits of using barcodes and barcode scanners, rather than keyboards, for entering
the prices of items in a shop.
10. It is more accurate and quicker to ‘swipe’ the items through a barcode scanner, than to use a
keyboard for this.
11. Some devices are classified as biometric devices.
Explain what this means. Refer to two typical examples of this type of technology in your
answer.
11. This is technology that measures something biologically unique to you, such as your fingerprint
or the pattern of the iris of your eye.
12. Explain what RFID tags are, by giving a suitable example of how these tags are used.
12. RFID uses small radio devices (smaller than a grain of rice) to store and transmit data. Can be
used on groceries and shopping items.
Video and audio input, audio output, data projectors, multi-function printers
13. Describe the two broad ways of getting video onto your computer.
13. Two broad ways:
 By recording it directly from a webcam (webcams are built into many laptops and are
relatively cheap to buy for desktop computers)
 By transferring it from a smartphone, a digital camera or from a dedicated video camera,
◦ by connecting the device to the computer with a cable (plugged into a USB or
Thunderbolt port), or
◦ by removing the storage card from the device and placing it in a card reader device
connected to the computer
14. Give one use of voice recognition software.
14. With voice recognition software (such as Dragon Dictate), the user can use a microphone to give
commands or dictate text to the computer.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

15. List three uses of audio output.


15. Any three:
 To give the user feedback when interacting with the computer
 To make it easier for disabled people (people with poor eyesight) to use a computer by
reading interface items to them
 To make games more realistic
 To turn computers into real entertainment devices
16. Which two devices are used by a computer to produce sound?
16. All modern computers have sound circuitry that allows them to record and play back sound
through speakers or headphones/earphones.
17. What are data projectors used for?
17. To display the image on the computer's monitor onto a large surface, such as a wall. It is often
used when speaking to a large audience, or when doing a presentation.
18. List three functions of a multi-function printer, other than printing itself.
18. Scanner, fax/email facility, photocopier
Storage devices and media, processing
19. What is the main advantage of Blu-ray discs over DVD discs?
19. Their capacity – Blu-ray can store up to 50 GB compared to a DVD (4.7 GB and 8.5 GB).
20. What alternative is there to buying software and music on optical media?
20. You can download it from the internet.
21. In what unit is the speed of the CPU measured?
21. Gigahertz (GHz)
22. What is the RAM in a computer used for?
22. It is where the CPU keeps all the data / instructions it is working on.
Practical applications
23. Is a touch screen an input device or an output device? Briefly motivate your answer.
23. Input and output device
Input: you use the touch screen to interact with objects on the desktop;
Output: the computer communicates with the user according to the input given.
24. Explain why gamers prefer game controllers to joysticks.
24. Game controllers are regarded as better than the old style joystick because they include mini
joysticks, triggers and other control buttons. This type of controller is also used with both
hands.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

25. An advertisement for a 12 MP digital camera appeared in a local newspaper.


a) Explain the significance of the ‘12 MP’ specification, by referring to the concept of
resolution.
a) The 12 MP is the maximum resolution of the photographs the camera can take. The higher
the resolution, the larger the size of the picture file and the better the quality.
b) Give two reasons why it may be better to reduce the resolution when taking pictures with
this camera.
b) If the resolution is lower, it uses less space and more photos can be taken. It can be
transferred faster to your computer. If you just need photos with a low resolution, then
you do not need to make each smaller.
c) Describe three ways of transferring photographs taken with the digital camera to the PC.
c) By connecting the camera directly to the PC using an USB cable and installing special
programs.
By using a card reader to read the memory card of the camera and then connecting the
card reader to the PC to transfer the pictures.
Some laptops and PCs have a card reader built in, into which the memory card can be
directly inserted.
26. Give three benefits of using a bar-coded system in a library.
26. Any three benefits:
Scanning a barcode gives access to additional information on the book, such as notices to say if
somebody reserved it, etc.
Books can easily be added to the database of the library, by only scanning the bar code, instead
of typing a lot of information.
More accurate than filling in cards.
Faster than the old-fashioned way of filling in cards.
27. Explain why biometric scanning provides a better form of security than the use of passwords,
PIN codes, etc.
27. This is technology that measures something biologically unique to you, such as your fingerprint
or the pattern of the iris of your eye, so no one else can access your computer. It's not like a
password that can be used by somebody else.
28. Your teacher has a hardcopy of an old examination paper that she wants to modify and use.
Explain the process she would have to follow, that would enable her to obtain an electronic
copy of the examination paper, which she could then edit for her purpose (without retyping it).
28. What you need to be able to scan and edit text is a specialised type of software called Optical
Character Recognition (OCR) software. This takes a scanned image (of the text) and creates a
text document containing the characters that were ‘recognised’.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

29. Your friends want to put together a video for a friend’s birthday, by capturing all their birthday
wishes on video.
Give three devices that they could use to record this video.
29. Webcam, smartphone, digital camera, digital video camera
30. A friend offered to ‘rip’ a CD for you. Briefly explain what this means, and why this could in fact
be a criminal offence!
30. The friend will use software to copy digital content from CDs and DVDs, and this could be an
infringement of copyright.
31. Explain how audio output can make computers more usable for people with poor eyesight.
31. It makes it easier for disabled people (people with poor eyesight) to use a computer by reading
interface items to them.
32. Briefly explain what a multi-function printer is, and give what you would consider to be the
biggest advantage, and the biggest disadvantage, of these devices.
32. These devices provide a number of functions rolled into one: printer, scanner, fax/email facility
and photocopier.
Advantages: Save space; cost much less than buying separate pieces of equipment; only need
one USB connection port on the computer
Disadvantage: If it malfunctions, all these functions are lost.
33. Your friend needs to back up his picture collection, which is around 13 GB in size. Would you
recommend that he use a DVD or a flash drive? Motivate your answer.
33. Modern flash drives would have enough capacity to store 13 GB of data. You would need two
DVDs.
The disadvantage of using a flash drive is that they are not ideally suited to act as a backup
device. They are easily misplaced or stolen and are better suited to transferring files from one
location to another.
The advantage of using a DVD disc is that the photos could not be easily erased accidentally.
The best option would in fact probably be to use an external hard drive.
34. Why should you use a card reader rather than a cable to transfer pictures from a digital camera
to a computer?
34. The card reader allows you to put the card into the reader. Then, when you connect the card
reader to a USB port, the computer treats it like a flash drive and you can simply copy the
photos as you would copy any other file.
Using a cable to connect your camera directly to a computer wastes the camera’s battery
power, and this also often means that you have to install special software.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

35. A friend wrote down some specifications of a computer he saw in an advert:

 Windows 10
 Intel CPU 2.1 Hz
 RAM 4MB
 HDD 1 TB
 Free joystick
a) Two of the specifications are obviously incorrect. Identify these incorrect specifications and
suggest a suitable correction for each one.
a) Intel CPU 2.1 Hz (should be Intel CPU 2.1 GHz)
RAM 4MB (should be RAM 4GB)
b) Explain why a computer always needs more storage than RAM.
b) Storage is where all files and programs (software) are kept permanently. This requires a
fairly large storage capacity. However, if we want to run a program or work on a file, a copy
needs to be loaded into memory so that we can work with it. Only the files and programs
we need to work with are loaded into memory, so it does not have to be as large as storage
as it is only there (in memory) on a temporary basis.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 1.8 The impact of ICT


Written module activity, p. 86
1. A school has a number of ways of communicating electronically with parents, such as:
 their website
 email
 SMS
 Facebook.
For each of these methods of communication, suggest and motivate an appropriate content
type, or message, that may be delivered to parents (e.g. the school’s website may be a good
place to communicate sports results – why?)
1. The medium is determined mainly by the nature and content of the message – i.e. its size (text?
graphics?); the level of confidentiality required; the urgency; whether feedback is required; etc.
Answers should be framed with these considerations in mind. For example, use
 SMS / email to remind parents of the school fête
 email to send a duplicate copy of a learner’s school report; to maintain an ongoing
teacher / parent discussion on a learner’s academic progress
 Facebook is often used to quickly publish information and acts as a form of informal
‘website’ or ‘blog’ for the school. It is ideal for parents who are looking for up-to-date
information, e.g. how the soccer term is doing on a tour. It would be largely used to
communicate with the entire parent body and also to get quick feedback and give responses
to questions of a general nature, e.g. has sport been cancelled for the afternoon? It is also a
great marketing tool for the school.
The school’s website is a good place to communicate sports results, for several reasons:
 Little urgency for transmission.
 It is an ideal place to publish information of a more static nature, e.g. the school’s subject
choice or fees for the year.
 Extensive graphics are required.
 Confidentiality is not an issue.
 Content is open to the general public – good for promoting the image of the school.
 The medium is non-invasive (you do not have to receive an email / SMS), and in this instance
is more easily classified as entertainment than as business.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

2. Give two potential disadvantages or drawbacks of having such a wide range of electronic
entertainment means at our fingertips.
2. Any two:
 Reduced socialisation
 Sedentary lifestyle
 No real experience (or building of muscle!) – everything virtual
 Potential for unsuitable ‘friendships’ to develop
3. Give three ways in which ICTs can help people in their businesses, apart from the handling of
general office administration.
3. Three ways:
 Advertising through electronic means (website, Facebook, etc.)
 Communication with investors / like-minded people
 More efficient creation of their products
4. One of the criticisms against ICT is that it reduces the number of people required to run a
business. This is particularly relevant in a country like ours where the unemployment rate is so
high.
Counter this criticism by referring to two positive roles that ICT can play in this context.
4. Unemployed people could be encouraged to set up small computer-based businesses for
themselves, since minimal capital expenditure is required.
ICT can be a great help to manage a business more effectively. If a business is successful and
expands, it can provide work for more people.
5. Give two ways in which ICTs can be used to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
5. Any two:
 Better quality notes
 Easier for teachers to share (with each other and with learners)
 Lesson projections on whiteboards, and demonstration software generally (e.g. NetOp)
 Interactive software
 Tutoring programs (e.g. Maths) require less intensive teacher involvement with learners
 Easier research and resources (e.g. a number of learners could be accessing the same
resource at the same time)
 Electronic homework assignments, submitted via email

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

6. Teachers often complain of their high administrative workload.


Give two ways in which ICTs can be used to reduce their workload.
6. Any two:
 Programs to administer and mark tests automatically
 Programs to make reporting more efficient
 Templates for completion of routine submissions (absenteeism, etc.)
 Creation of test and exam banks, for revision / reuse
 Make calculating marks easier by using a spreadsheet
7. Explain broadly how identity theft is used to commit crime, and give one specific technique that
scammers use to steal money / data.
7. Scammers use various forms of identity theft by gathering enough personal information about a
person (e.g. their name and ID Number) so that can impersonate the person and commit a
crime while posing as the person whose details they obtained.
This can be done by manipulation to con the person into giving their details or by illegally
accessing confidential information that is stored somewhere. Some of the methods used
include phishing, fake ‘protection’ software, bogus ‘lottery winnings’, pyramid schemes and
other ‘investment opportunity’ scams, etc.
8. Many large companies ban the use of portable storage devices and the use of smartphones in
certain areas of the business. What are the reasons for this?
8. Portable storage devices and smartphones make it easy to steal sensitive data or information.
The company could be compromised / suffer negative publicity damage by aggrieved
employees, and become involved in expensive lawsuits.
9. Hackers and crackers are both types of computer criminals who break into computer systems.
Explain the broad difference between a hacker and a cracker.
9. Hackers and crackers are both types of criminals who break into computer systems. Hackers
tend do so more for prestige and recognition (and are sometimes hired by companies
legitimately, to trace bugs and reveal weaknesses in security systems). Crackers, on the other
hand, have criminal intent (e.g. removal of copy protection on programs).

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 2.1 Introducing networks


Written module activity, p. 93
1. Give the two main reasons for setting up a network.
1. To share resources such as hardware, software and information; and for fast, efficient
communication.
2. Give three reasons why downloading a file from the internet to your smartphone can be
regarded as an example of network activity. (Refer to the section ‘What is a network?’ to help
you with this question.)
2. Downloading a file from the internet to a smartphone implies that there is a connection. When
two or more devices such as computers and mobile devices (such as the smartphone) are
connected to each other we have a network. The network can be implemented either via cable
or wirelessly (as is the case with a smartphone). Effectively one is sharing a file (data and
information) which is a key function of any network.
3. Instant messaging (by using e.g. WhatsApp) is one example of how a network can be used for
communication. Give two other digital communication methods.
3. Email (electronic mail), SMS and social networks such as Facebook and Instagram
4. The following are advantages of having a network:
A. Fast, efficient communication
B. Sharing of hardware
C. Sharing of files
D. Centralisation of data
E. Flexible access
F. Leisure
G. Increased control and security
Classify each of the following scenarios according to the above advantages, by writing down the
correct capital letter(s) next to (a) to (h). Note that, although in each scenario there is one
‘main’ advantage, there may be more that are applicable. List all the applicable advantages for
each scenario.
a) The CAT teacher has added an updated video file to the Resources folder on the server
computer. All learners can access and download this file to their own computers in the
computer lab.
a) E and C
b) Miriam was working on her PAT when the monitor suddenly failed. The teacher told
Miriam to log on at a different computer and continue working from there.
b) E and C

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

c) Parents receive SMSs about the information session that will be held for all parents of CAT
learners.
c) A
d) Maxwell no longer visits the library to take out books. He just downloads and reads them
on his e-book reader.
d) F, C and E
e) There is only one printer in the school’s computer room. Fortunately it is networked, so all
the learners can print to it from their own computers.
e) B
f) The learners and teachers in a school use the same network. However, the network
administrator prevents the learners from accessing the teachers’ folders.
f) G
g) A group of friends are working together on a CAT project from their home computers. The
project files are stored online in OneDrive.
g) C and E
h) Networking chain stores allow them to share data on a single, centralised database. This
allows the company as a whole to better manage and control its stock.
h) D, C and G
5. Setting up and maintaining a network costs money. Give two expenses associated with
networks, besides the cost of the hardware.
5. Additional software may be needed (such as a server edition of the operating system for the
servers and). It is often necessary to hire a network administrator to manage the network
properly.
6. How can a network make it easier to make backups, and help to avoid having unnecessary
duplicate files?
6. The backup can be done from one central place, making it simpler. The data is centralised and
everyone works from that one central place ensuring that data is not unnecessarily duplicated.
7. Server computers are generally more expensive than the ‘ordinary’ computers that most
network users work on. Explain why this is so, by referring to the general role of a server in a
network.
7. A server is a powerful computer that provides shared resources in a network. For example, a file
server typically needs several large hard drives to store all the users’ files in one central
location. By networking their computers they can allow other users to access and use files or
folders on a central computer as if the file or folder was actually on their own computer.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

8. Most disadvantages and problems associated with networks can be prevented, or at least
minimised. Write a short paragraph in which you outline a few ways in which this can be done.
8. Due to the increased use of networks, users have become generally more aware of potential
risks and have, to some extent, learned how to protect their privacy and information when
going online and how to communicate safely. Many companies outsource network
management functions which can be cheaper than having to hire a full-time network
administrator. Policies can be drawn up and implemented (and users educated) to protect their
data (in terms of privacy and harmful computer software) both on the local network as well as
when they are using the internet. A duplicate server can be kept as a ‘mirror’ of the main file
server in case it becomes faulty. Regular backups should be performed.

9. Someone logged in to your friend’s network account and copied some of her PAT work. Explain
why the network administrator, whose job it is to look after network security, cannot be held
responsible for this.
9. The network administrator will allocate each user a unique username. Adequate password
protection (including not sharing the password with other users) needs to be maintained by the
user. The administrator ensures that only the user with a specific username and password has
the necessary rights to access his/her own data; so it is not the responsibility of the network
administrator, as the user has allowed another user to copy the work.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 2.2 Network basics


Written module activity, p. 99
1. Describe how a PAN is organised and what the typical components of such a network are.
1. A PAN or Personal Area Network is a network organised around an individual or a couple of
individuals with a range of a few metres. Personal Area Networks typically include a portable
computing device such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone, together with at least one other
device or peripheral.
2. Give three examples of what a PAN can be used for.
2. Examples of what a PAN can be used for:
 Transferring files, e.g. from a smartphone or tablet to a laptop or vice versa
 Listening to music with Bluetooth headphones
 Creating a personal hotspot to enable paired devices to share the internet connection
 Printing, e.g. by using Bluetooth or WiFi
 Connecting wearable technology devices or ‘wearables’.

3. Give three disadvantages or limitations of a PAN.


3. Limited range of only a few metres; data transmission may be slow; peripheral devices can
usually only be paired with one computing device at a time.
4. What is a HAN?
4. A Home Area Network (HAN) is a small network within a home environment that connects the
family’s devices such as computers, printers, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and gaming
devices.
5. Give the different functions of a router and a switch in a HAN.
5. A router is a device that allows one or more computers or devices to connect to networks such
as the internet. A switch is a device used to connect computers in a network such as a HAN with
cables so that communication can occur between the computers – but it is not used for internet
access.
6. What is the benefit of having a wireless router in a HAN?
6. A wireless router in a HAN allows computers and devices to connect to the router wirelessly, to
allow them to connect to one another and to share the internet connection.
7. Give three broad benefits of using a HAN.
7. Three broad benefits of using a HAN:
 Users can access and share their data from any computing device in the home
 Users can save money by sharing devices such as a printer
 An internet connection can be shared by all the computing devices in the home

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

8. Give two reasons why a wireless HAN needs to be set up securely using some form of restricted
access.
8. If this is not done, anyone near to (in range of) the network could access your files and even use
your internet connection.
9. How is a computer connected in a cabled network?
9. One end of the network cable plugs into the network port of the computer, while the other end
plugs into a port on the switch or router.
10. What is UTP in terms of a network?
10. UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) is a type of cable used to connect devices in a network.
11. Explain why software is needed in a network and also why it is not generally necessary to
purchase additional software for this purpose.
11. Software is used to control security and communication in the network. This is already built into
the operating system software of the computing device.
12. What is the internet?
12. The internet is a large worldwide computer network, consisting of computers and networks that
are linked using some form of communication media.
13. What types of wired communication media are used to connect the various parts of the
internet?
13. Telephone lines, fibre cables and undersea cables.
14. Explain what an ISP is and the role it plays in terms of internet connectivity.
14. An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is a company that has a permanent, fast connection to the
internet. These companies sell internet access and services to individuals and organisations for
a monthly fee.
15. How does ADSL allow the user to make normal phone calls while using the same line for
internet access?
15. The ADSL connection is split into two channels, one for making normal phone calls and one for
connecting to the internet.
16. What is the main advantage of fibre over ADSL?
16. With fibre, data is transmitted along thin glass fibre tubes, making it much faster than the
electrical transmission over copper cables used in ADSL.
17. What is the main advantage of connecting to the internet using a cellular connection, compared
to using ADSL?
17. Mobile access.
18. What is 4G more commonly known as?
18. LTE
19. What is a 3G or 4G dongle used for?

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

19. To connect a computer to a cellular network provider for (mobile) internet access.

Module 2.3 The World Wide Web


Written module activity, p. 110
Introduction: Web pages, websites and web addresses
1. Many people think that the World Wide Web (or WWW) and the internet are the same thing.
What is the relationship between the WWW and the internet?
1. The WWW is one of many services on the internet. It is the section of the internet that is
accessed using a web browser and is focused on providing websites.
2. What is the relationship between a website and a web page?
2. A website is a collection of related web pages which are grouped together.
3. You will be introduced to HTML in CAT in grade 11.
Briefly explain what HTML is.
3. It is a language used to create web pages.
4. What do HTML, JavaScript, PHP and Python have in common, in terms of their general function?
4. They are (languages) used to create and edit web pages.
5. What general name is given to the first or ‘landing’ page of a website?
5. Home page
6. A friend wondered if the blue underlined text on a web page indicated a spelling error.
What is the general name of this type of object and what is it used for?
6. A hyperlink, which acts as a connection to another website, web page or other resource on the
web.
7. The school was told they need a web server for the site they want to create.
Explain why they would need a web server by referring to its function.
7. A web server is a computer that is connected to the internet and that hosts websites.
8. A friend became worried when he saw that his web browser was connecting to 104.236.115.1
(a) What name is given to this series of numbers?
(a) IP address
(b) Explain what a URL is.
(b) A URL is an address used to identify resources such as websites, web pages, documents
and files stored on web servers on the web.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Types of websites
9. Windows Live and Yahoo! are examples of web portals. What is a web portal?
9. A web portal is a website that acts as a starting point for searching on the web and provides
links to different subjects, which can simplify browsing.
10. Wikipedia is the most well-known example of a wiki. What is a wiki?
10. A wiki is a website for the collaborative (joint) creating and editing of web pages.
11. Many advocacy websites exist on the web. Explain what an advocacy website is.
11. It is a website that describes an idea, opinion or cause and usually presents the views of a
particular group or organisation, e.g. SPCA.
12. How do web-based applications differ from local applications?
12. Web-based applications are applications accessed only over the internet and are not stored on
a local computer.
13. Many people use Rotten Tomatoes, which is an example of a content aggregator.
What is a content aggregator?
13. A content aggregator is a website or application that gathers different web content (such as
news and weather) from many different online sources.
Browsing and searching
14. Would you use a web browser or a search engine if you wanted to get the latest cricket score of
the Proteas? Motivate your answer.
14. A web browser (if you know the URL of a site that gives the scores) or a search engine (if you
first need to locate a site for the information).
15. Give two things you can deduce from the following URL: www.inu.ac.sa
15. It is the website of an academic institution based in Saudi Arabia.
16. Which one of the following is not an example of a web browser?
Google Docs, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge
16. Google Docs.
17. Why does it sometimes happen that the Back button of the web browser is greyed out?
17. The Back button takes you to the page you were viewing previously. If you have viewed more
than one page, it will take you back one page at a time until you get to your starting point
where the button will become ‘greyed out’ and unavailable.
18. Why do browsers on different computers not always open the same web page as others when
the browser is started?
18. It depends on the Home page setting - the page the user has set up as the default or home
page, in other words the first page that appears when the browser is loaded.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

19. What is a ‘hit’ in the context of the functioning of a search engine?


19. A search engine is a program that is used to search for documents located on the web by using
keywords or phrases entered by the user. The database is then scanned and all the websites in
the database containing that word or phrase are returned. We call these ‘hits’.
20. What are Bookmarks and Favourites used for when browsing the web?
20. Bookmarks and Favourites are used to save the web pages you’d like to access again by creating
links to these sites.
21. Give four general guidelines that can be used for successful searching for information on the
web.
21. Decide exactly what you want to find
Identify keywords
Use synonyms if necessary
Use advanced search options such as searching according to date, country, file type etc.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 2.4 Electronic


communication
Activity 1, p. 116
1. Your friend wants to create an email account and asks for your advice.
a) Explain the difference between a web-based and an ISP-based email account.
a) Web-based email is a service that allows you to access an email account through a web
browser from any location that has internet access.
When using ISP-based email, you will access your email by using software such as Microsoft
Outlook on the computer where your account settings have been entered.
b) Name one advantage and one disadvantage of a web-based account over an ISP-based
account.
b) Advantage of web-based: You are able to read your email anywhere that has internet
access (although many ISP-based mail services provide similar options).
Disadvantage of web-based: You have to be online to read your email.
c) Give the name of the company that provides Gmail.
c) Google
2. Does it matter which one of the Cc or Bcc fields is used to enter the email addresses of
additional recipients? Explain your answer by referring to a suitable set of circumstances where
you might use each of these options.
2. Cc is an abbreviation for ‘carbon copy’. If you add a recipient’s name to this box in a message, a
copy of the message is sent to that recipient, and the recipient's name is visible to other
recipients of the message. Use CC when you want to send a copy of a message to someone else.
Bcc is an abbreviation for ‘blind carbon copy’. If you add a recipient’s name to this box in a
message, a copy of the message is sent to that recipient, and the recipient's name is not visible
to other recipients of the message. You would use BCC if you do not want the other people to
see that you have sent the message to the recipient in the BCC field. Say, for example, you have
a complaint about someone at a company. You would email the complaint to the person in
question, and put the person’s boss’ email address in the BCC field.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

3. Does it matter if you use the Reply or the Reply All option when replying to an email? Explain
your answer by referring to a suitable set of circumstances where you might use each of these
options.
3. When you use Reply, you are replying only to the person who sent the message to you.
When you use Reply to all, you are replying to all the people who received the first message.
You would only use Reply to all when the message applies to all the people to whom the first
message was sent. For example, if a person sends you a message and you know it is a hoax or
chain mail, then you can use reply to all to inform everyone about the hoax or chain mail.
4. Why do some email messages have the text RE: and others the text FW: at the beginning of the
Subject field?
4. RE: means you are replying to a message.
FW: means you are forwarding a received message to one or more recipients.
5. Why should you be careful about opening attachments from people you do not know?
5. They could contain malicious software such as viruses or be spam or phishing emails.
6. Many email systems place a limit on the size of an attachment.
a) Briefly explain why they put this limit on the size of an attachment.
a) All email service providers place a limit on the maximum email size that an email account
can send or receive. If they did not do this, lots of huge attachments could prevent the
system from working and/or making it very slow to respond. In addition, it prevents
senders and receivers from using lots of bandwidth and data (for sending and receiving
email messages with huge attachments).
b) How can one reduce the size of an attachment?
b) One can compress the attachment using compression software and reduce the resolution
of photographs being sent.
c) How else could one send someone a large video file, if it cannot be sent via email?
c) You could post it on a social networking site or make use of cloud storage services such as
Dropbox and send a link to the files(s) to the recipients(s).

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Activity 2, p. 118
1. The following are different e-communication tools:
A) Email B) Mailing list C) Social Networking D) IM E) Weblog F) Fax to email
Link each of the following scenarios to one of the tools above:
a) A friend has gone overseas and would like to share his experiences and photographs with
his friends and family back home.
a) C
b) A small business, which normally communicates via email, needs to send and receive faxes
but does not want to spend money purchasing a fax machine.
b) F
c) You have been following a travel journalist’s daily travels around the world.
c) E
d) You have a few friends with whom you wish to keep in contact by exchanging real-time
messages.
d) D
e) You are interested in radio-controlled aeroplanes and would like to communicate via email
with like-minded people.
e) B
f) You are having a birthday party and have typed an invitation. You don’t want to print the
invitation, but would like to send it to some of your friends.
f) A
2. Consider the statement “Email is just so old-fashioned – IM is the way to go!”
a) What is IM?
a) IM is live, text-based communication usually between two people using computers or
other devices such as smartphones.
b) What are the two main advantages of IM over email systems?
b) IM is live and much faster than email.
3. Your mother is used to using faxes. She knows that the receiving fax machine must be switched
on when she sends a fax. She has heard that this is not the case for fax to email – the receiver’s
computer does not even have to be on. Explain to her why this is this case.
3. The fax is kept at the ISP until the recipient logs on and downloads the email containing the fax.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Activity 3, p. 120
1. Consider the email message below and answer the questions that follow:

 To… thandi.khumalo@hullbibliophiles.org.uk

 Cc… bookworm@gmail.com

 Bcc…

Subject:

Attach:
Our Library (60 MB)

Hi
SORRY I HAVE NOT CONTACTED YOU FOR A WHILE BUT I HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY AT
WORK. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON A PROJECT CALLED ‘COMPUTERS PART OF
YOUR LIFE’. IT IS A COMMINITY BASED COMPUTER LITERACY PROJECT AND IS VERY
EXCITING.
You won’t recognise the libeary since you were here last, so I attached a photo of it
after the renovtions.
Love
Ilse
BTW My boss got a huge bonus and is apparently going to use it for plastic surgery
on her nose :-0

a) Define the term netiquette.


a) Netiquette (Internet + Etiquette) is the name given to the use of good manners and
showing respect for other users when using the internet.
b) Give three netiquette rules that have been ignored in the email message above.
b) Use of capital letters which is generally interpreted as shouting.
It contains spelling mistakes.
It contains personal information and gossip.
The attachment is too large.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

2. Many schools and companies have banned the use of social networking sites.
a) Why do you think schools and companies have done this?
Give more than one reason to motivate your answer.
a) To avoid cyber-slacking (‘keeping people out of their work’), abuse of resources such as
bandwidth, and the transgression of company rules by discussing other staff or product
development.
b) Can you think of any reasons why schools and companies should not take this action?
b) It could be seen as an infringement of a person’s privacy and rights.

Written module activity, p. 122


1. What are some of the general benefits of communicating electronically?
1. It is immediate.
It is more convenient.
2. The school wants to send an invitation to all the grade 9 parents to attend an information
session on learners’ subject choices for grade 10. They have a choice of sending it out via a
printed notice or electronically.
a) Give one advantage and one disadvantage of sending the message to parents via a printed
notice.
a) Advantage of hardcopy:
Not everyone might have an email address, so it will make sense to send a hard copy.
Disadvantage of hardcopy:
The learners might not give it to their parents.
It is a waste of paper / it does not contribute to green computing.
b) If the school wishes to send it out electronically, would it be better to post the message on
their website or on their Facebook page? Briefly motivate your answer.
b) Better on the website because the website will probably be accessible to more people than
the ones on Facebook.
3. What can you deduce (work out) about the .org.uk part of the following email address?
webmaster@hanley.org.uk
3. The website belongs to an organisation and it is in the United Kingdom.
4. Give two general ways in which one can send an email message to more than one person at a
time.
4. You can add multiple addresses in the ‘To’, ‘Cc’' or ‘Bcc’ sections of the message or you can
make use of a mailing list or group. Sending to the group name means each member of the
group is sent a copy of the email message.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

5. The grade 10 CAT class wants to share their thoughts and ask some questions about the PAT
(Practical Assessment Task).
Motivate whether they should use a blog or a mailing list for this, by discussing the difference
between these two facilities.
5. Mailing list: ideas are shared via email (to people on the mailing list).
Blog: comments are posted on a website.
A mailing list would be better than a blog. Only those on the list will receive the messages via
email.
6. Downloaded emails from ISP-based email systems are saved on your computer.
Explain where web-based email is stored and give one advantage and one disadvantage of this
approach.
6. The messages on a web-based email system are stored on the provider’s email server.
Advantage: You are able to access your emails from anywhere that has internet access.
Disadvantage: You have to be online to edit and reply to the email.
7. Your mother said she thinks she sent a certain email message but is not completely sure.
How can she quickly check whether she sent the email message?
7. She can check to see if the message is in the Sent folder.
8. Why would it not be wise to open an attachment called Game.exe?
8. It could contain a virus or be a Trojan.
9. Many employers consult the Facebook pages of prospective employees.
Explain why they do this, and give your motivated opinion on whether you think it is acceptable
for them to do this.
9. What you post on Facebook gives a good indication of the type of person you are and what your
values are. An employer has the right to check this, as they could be taking a risk employing
you.
Remember you should never post anything unless you would not mind anyone and everyone
reading it, and this includes your parents and future employers.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Module 2. 5 Safe internet use


Activity 1, p. 128
Choose a term / concept from Column B that matches the description in Column A. Write only the
letter next to the question number.

Column A Column B
1 Any software that is written with negative intentions. A Trojan

2 A type of program that is loaded secretly on a computer to disrupt the B Hoax


functioning of the computer. It also tries to reproduce and spread.
3 Software designed to distribute itself over a network and reproduce so C Pharming
many times that your computer’s available memory or free hard disk space
is used up.
4 A destructive program disguised as a useful application. You are tricked D Phishing
into opening it as it seems to be legitimate software.
5 A message or article intended to deceive or defraud others. E Malware

6 The electronic equivalent of ‘junk mail’. F Worm

7 Attempts by criminals to con users into giving out personal, confidential G Spam
details such as PIN numbers and passwords by pretending to be from a
legitimate organisation (often a bank), usually via email.
8 A scamming practice where a user is automatically redirected to another H Virus
(fake) website even if he/she types in the correct URL for the official
website.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

E H F A B G D C

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

Written module activity, p. 132


1. You received the following email, supposedly sent by an official at General Bank. Examine the
email carefully and answer the questions below:

a) What type of scam is this?


a) Phishing
b) Should a person click on the link? Motivate your answer.
b) No, if they do they will be directed to a fake website and their personal details could be
compromised.
2. Computer viruses are a growing problem and cause many problems on computers daily.
a) What is a computer virus?
a) A computer virus is software that is written to disrupt the normal functioning of a
computer and is loaded onto a computer without the knowledge or consent of the owner.
b) Discuss two ways in which a computer can become infected with a virus.
b) Infected attachments sent with email messages.
Infected downloaded files from the internet.
Infected files stored on portable media such as a flash drive.
c) Why does one need to update anti-virus software?
c) As new viruses come out daily, virus definitions need to be updated often.
d) Give the name of one popular anti-virus software package.
d) McAfee, AVG, Kaspersky, Norton AntiVirus, Bitdefender

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

e) How does a computer worm differ from a virus?


e) A worm is able to reproduce itself without anyone having to run an infected program. A
virus replicates itself when the user runs an infected program.
f) How does a Trojan differ from a virus?
f) Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not reproduce themselves by infecting other files.
They rely on you running the program.
3. Another internet-related problem is spam.
a) Briefly explain what spam is.
a) Spam is the electronic equivalent of ‘junk mail’ – email advertisements sent to you that you
did not request.
b) Give two ways in which you can try to prevent spam.
b) Check if your ISP can help. Many service providers filter out as much of the spam as
possible.
Be careful of who you give your personal details and email address to.
Investigate the capabilities of your email program. Most programs have the ability to set up
rules to filter out spam.
Most anti-virus programs have anti-spam software included. Specialised anti-spam
software also exists.
Never respond to spam (this merely confirms a valid email address).
c) Give two reasons why spam is a problem for users.
c) It takes time to delete the unwanted emails.
It takes up unnecessary disk space.
4. Your younger sister has joined Facebook.
a) What are some of the dangers she might be exposed to by using a social networking site?
a) She may be exposed to cyberbullying, pornographic material and possibly be ‘friended’ by
someone much older than they claim to be. She might be conned or encouraged to share
too much of her personal life with strangers.
b) Give her some common-sense guidelines to help her protect herself while using a site such
as Facebook.
b) Never be tempted to give out any personal details such as your name, address or
telephone numbers to people you meet online.
Do not make arrangements to meet someone you meet online.
If someone makes you feel uncomfortable by asking personal questions or using bad
language, then discontinue the conversation immediately and inform an adult.
Think before you post photos or text anywhere on the Internet. You should only post
photos and text that you wouldn’t mind other people, including your parents, seeing.
Be aware that no page you create on a social networking site is private.
Don’t post embarrassing photos or comments on people’s social networking pages.
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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

5. Give two indications that you might have a computer virus on your computer.
5. Files suddenly start disappearing.
The computer slows down dramatically.
Programs stop working properly.
Free space on the computer suddenly gets greatly reduced.
Error messages that you have not seen before start appearing.
The computer no longer boots up.
Your anti-virus software reports the threat or presence of a virus.
6. Give three measures you can take to avoid computer viruses, besides installing anti-virus
software and keeping the software up to date.
6. Scan files stored on portable media such as flash drives before using them.
Scan email attachments before opening them.
Set your anti-virus software to scan incoming and outgoing email.
Do not open email or run programs from people you do not know.
Avoid pirated software because malware is often packaged with pirated software.
Disable the autorun feature for flash drives.
7. A friend said that the only way to avoid viruses is not to use the internet or connect to any
other computer.
Briefly comment on the accuracy of this advice.
7. This is not true, as viruses can also be spread by infected files on flash drives or CDs / DVDs.
8. Your anti-virus program reports that it has quarantined a virus. What does this mean?
8. This simply means the virus is placed in an area of the disk where it cannot infect the computer.
9. Your mother says that she makes a point of updating her anti-virus software twice a year.
Explain to her why this approach is not sufficient.
9. This approach is not sufficient, as new viruses come out every day and your anti-virus package
needs to be updated regularly in order to prevent your computer becoming infected.
10. Would having a secure password for your bank account prevent you from becoming victim of
phishing? Briefly motivate your answer.
10. No, having a secure password would not help prevent you from becoming victim of phishing. In
phishing attacks users are conned into voluntarily typing in their password, while thinking they
are on a secure site. To avoid phishing entirely, you would need to follow several guidelines:
 Never react to emails requesting you to confirm personal details.
 Always type the URL of banking websites, never click on a link in an email to visit these
websites.
 Ensure that any website where you provide confidential details, is secure.

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Study Opportunities Computers, part of your life – Grade 10, 2nd Edition

11. How does pharming differ from phishing?


11. In phishing, the user is lured to a fake website by clicking on a link in an email. With pharming,
the criminal changes the settings of a server so that a user is automatically redirected to the
fake website hosted somewhere else, even if the user types in the correct internet address.
12. Your mother always uses the following password when she is asked to set up a password:
mArY
Give two criticisms of this password or ways to improve the password in terms of making it
more secure.
12. It is not a complex password, as it does not have a combination of capital letters, special
characters and numbers. It is too short and it also uses her name.
Improve the password by: increasing the length, combining a mixture of upper and lower case
letters, special characters and numbers, and don’t use her name.
13. Give two tips for the prevention of pharming.
13. Ensure that you have up-to-date anti-spyware software installed.
Many sites requiring secure information are now created so that browsers will warn you if you
are redirected to another site. Always pay attention to these warnings.
Ensure that the site you are accessing is secure.
14. An e-banking site posted a warning about email spoofing. Briefly explain what this is and what
the aim of email spoofing is.
14. Email spoofing is the changing of an email header so that the origin of the email appears to be
from a different source. It is used in spam and phishing emails to disguise the origin of the email
message.
15. A pop-up appeared on your dad’s computer saying that he should download an anti-virus
program from the internet, as viruses had been detected on the computer.
Why should he not respond to this warning, if viruses are so dangerous?
15. Be aware of pop-up windows that ask you to download anti-virus software as these will direct
you to another site to install malware.

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