Year 2000 Crisis (Y2K) Reading Comprehension

Read the online article, "You’ve got to be Kidding!", by Peter de Jager. It can be found at http://www.year2000.com/archive/Nfkidding.html as part of the Year 2000 Information Center Web site. Answer the following questions after reading the article. Be sure to use complete sentences where indicated in order to fully develop your answer. Answer on lined paper.

  1. The first paragraph mentions a number of specific problems, such as no traffic lights, that may occur on Jan. 1, 2000. Brainstorm and list 5 more similar problems that may occur due to the Year 2000 Problem (Y2K).
  2. How exactly do the old computer programs store your birthdate? Give an example of a historically realistic but possibly fictitious event that could have occurred on your birthdate in the 1800’s. For example, if your birthdate was 04/01/63, then you could say that a Civil War battle may have been fought on that day in the 19th Century.
  3. How old would you be on Jan. 1, 2000 according to the erroneous logic that’s explained in the third paragraph on p. 2.
  4. What is the estimated worldwide cost to fix the Year 2000 Computer Date Crisis?
  5. What two aspects of computing in the 1960’s and the early 1970’s made computers expensive, according to the author? Is each of these aspects still expensive in some realms of today’s computer world? Fully explain your answer in complete sentences.
  6. How many characters could a Hollerith card store?
  7. Write down your full name (including spaces), address, birthdate, and social security number and subtract that result from the answer to problem #6 above. What is the final value?
  8. What is a Legacy System?
  9. What part of 11/12/1998 would have been overlooked by early computer programs?
  10. What wrong assumption is someone who makes the statement, "Put the 2 digits back in," making?
  11. How many lines of code are not unusual for companies to have? How many lines of code are contained in your last programming assignment?
  12. Explain why the variable name DATEbirth probably would be a better choice than EmployeeBirthday, according to the author on p. 5.
  13. What does the word "esoteric" (on p. 5) mean? Look it up in the dictionary, if necessary.
  14. What is the real deadline for companies to fix the Y2K problem? Fully explain why the deadline is not Dec. 31, 1999 in complete sentences.
  15. What portion of the European businesses tried to solve the Y2K problem as of early 1997? What potential problems could the United States face if Europe overlooks the Y2K (while American businesses take it seriously.)?
  16. Ask to see your parents bank cards, credit cards, driver’s license, etc. How many of them contain 4 digit years and how many do not? Explain the Y2K problem to your parent and have him or her speculate how it will affect his/her employer. Also, ask your parent to list the two most critical Y2K-related problems in his/her opinion. Ask your parent to write his/her initials below indicating that you have discussed this issue.