Search Topics - Quiz Explanation
The answers you selected are indicated below, along with text that explains the correct answers.
1.
Which one of the following statements best describes a disadvantage of searching Newsgroups as a source of information?
Please select the best answer.
A.
Newsgroup search queries use different operators than search queries in directories or search engines.
B.
Most Newsgroups are unmoderated; no single person checks the contents of postings.
C.
You cannot search all Newsgroups at the same time with one search.
D.
Newsgroups are quicker to post new information than most Web sites.
The correct answer is B.
Because most Newsgroups are unmoderated, postings can, and sometimes do, contain rumors, unverified "facts", and deceptive information. A is incorrect because a Newsgroup search through deja.com or other search service uses the same search query operators as other types of searches. C is incorrect because you can search all Newsgroups at the same time with one search; that was a part of one of the exercises in this module. D is incorrect because speed of posting new information is an advantage of searching Newsgroups for information.
2.
Which one of the following statements is not a criteria for judging "the best" search engine?
Please select the best answer.
A.
The size of the search engine's database
B.
The number of pages visited by the search engine's spiders or robots
C.
The number of searches performed each day
D.
The total number of results returned for a simple keyword search
The correct answer is D.
The number of results returned is not indicative of the quality of the search; it is the relevance of the results that matters. A, B, and C are all criteria that are used to claim that one search engine is "the best", or, at least, better than one of its competitors.
3.
Which one of the following qualities is a condition for adding a Web site to a list of key sites?
Please select the best answer.
A.
It has a high popularity ranking.
B.
It has a high degree of interactivity.
C.
It contains information you use on an ongoing basis.
D.
It contains links to other directories and search engines.
The correct answer is C.
Key sites contain information you need on an ongoing basis, contain reliable information, and contain current information regularly updated. A and B are incorrect because a popular site, or a highly interactive site, may not contain information that you need or use regularly. D is incorrect because simply linking to other search services may not make the site any more valuable to you; a site that links to specialty search services or one that puts the search services you frequently use all in one place could be considered for a key site.
4.
Which one of the following features of searching services has not been improved upon since the days of the earliest Web directories and search engines?
Please select the best answer.
A.
The number and types of searching options.
B.
The size of directories' and search engines' databases.
C.
The types of Boolean operators available to use in search queries.
D.
The ability of searching software to intuitively evaluate a search query.
The correct answer is C.
The Boolean operators used now and in the earliest searching services were introduced in the 1800s; they have not changed or been added to. A is incorrect because search engines and directories now offer ways of ranking results and limiting searches that are very recent, like language options and domain restrictions. B is incorrect because search engine and directory databases are larger now than at any other time. D is incorrect because natural language searching and concept searching are recent developments.
5.
What is one difficulty that you may encounter in using international searching services and options?
Please select the best answer.
A.
You will not be able to enter search queries in the native language of the site.
B.
Certain sites may require the use of special software to interpret the results.
C.
You must pick a search service with a branch in the country whose Web documents you wish to retrieve from the search results.
D.
English is the official language of the World Wide Web, and all documents you retrieve from the list of search results are only English translations of the originals.
The correct answer is B.
Non-Roman language sites may require the use of interpretive software to correctly represent the codes for letters and other characters. A is incorrect because you are able to compose your search query in the same language as the site or as the option you select. C is incorrect because any document in a search service's database can be retrieved from the any location on the World Wide Web (or else the document would not have been able to be added to the search service's database). D is incorrect because you can, and do, view search results, and retrieve the documents represented by those results, in their native language