CISC 3140 Exam 1 Questions & Answers
2024/2025
What kind of machine was the Therac-25 (what was the machine used for)? - ANSWERSTherac-25 was a
radiation therapy machine used to treat cancer patients
What kind of machine was the Therac-25 (what did it actually do)? - ANSWERSRadiation therapy
machine. (linear accelerator)
(T/F) clean is a make keyword (like .PHONY) - ANSWERSFalse, it is just an arbitrary name.
Why is the Therac report of great importance to programmers? - ANSWERSit demonstrated that bad
software kills people
The Therac programmers engaged in several practices that either failed to prevent errors from being
included in production code or failed to repair programming errors when incorrect program behavior
was detected. State TWO of those determent practices were. - ANSWERSThey failed to do proper testing
and documentation.
They dismissed end user reports of malfunctioning.
What was one error in the Therac software that resulted in a death? - ANSWERSA 1 byte flag caused an
overflow which resulted in the overdose of radiation that ultimately turn into a fatality.
What is the first task to be completed when beginning a major software project? - ANSWERSTalk to the
end user
What is the only programming methodology that has been almost universally successful for large
projects? - ANSWERSSuccessive Refinement
What is virtual memory? - ANSWERSit is when logical and physical memory are independent.
2024/2025
What kind of machine was the Therac-25 (what was the machine used for)? - ANSWERSTherac-25 was a
radiation therapy machine used to treat cancer patients
What kind of machine was the Therac-25 (what did it actually do)? - ANSWERSRadiation therapy
machine. (linear accelerator)
(T/F) clean is a make keyword (like .PHONY) - ANSWERSFalse, it is just an arbitrary name.
Why is the Therac report of great importance to programmers? - ANSWERSit demonstrated that bad
software kills people
The Therac programmers engaged in several practices that either failed to prevent errors from being
included in production code or failed to repair programming errors when incorrect program behavior
was detected. State TWO of those determent practices were. - ANSWERSThey failed to do proper testing
and documentation.
They dismissed end user reports of malfunctioning.
What was one error in the Therac software that resulted in a death? - ANSWERSA 1 byte flag caused an
overflow which resulted in the overdose of radiation that ultimately turn into a fatality.
What is the first task to be completed when beginning a major software project? - ANSWERSTalk to the
end user
What is the only programming methodology that has been almost universally successful for large
projects? - ANSWERSSuccessive Refinement
What is virtual memory? - ANSWERSit is when logical and physical memory are independent.
