While a stored-program computer is executing a compiled program, the CPU will ________ specific memory locations as dictated by each instruction's address and operand fields.

Introduction / Context:
A fundamental idea in computer architecture is the stored-program concept: instructions and data reside in memory, and the central processing unit (CPU) fetches, decodes, and executes those instructions. Each instruction specifies operands by referencing memory locations or registers. The essential CPU action with respect to memory is to address the correct location, not to arbitrarily format or scan memory.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Von Neumann or Harvard machine with a program counter and address bus.
• Instructions contain opcodes and operand specifiers (addresses/immediates).
• Standard fetch–decode–execute cycle with read/write transactions.

Concept / Approach:
Memory interaction begins by placing a destination or source address on the address bus. Control lines indicate read or write, and the data bus carries the transferred value. Without correctly addressing memory, neither instruction fetches nor data loads/stores can occur. Thus “addressing memory locations” is the precise, architecture-neutral verb for what the CPU does per instruction.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Any bus timing diagram shows an address phase followed by a data phase. Microarchitecture textbooks consistently describe addressing as the first step of memory access cycles.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“format” refers to initializing or low-level media prep; “scan” implies searching sequentially; “store data into” happens only for writes and still requires addressing; “verify” is a testing action, not routine execution.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing “addressing” (pointing to a location) with the subsequent read/write data transfer; both occur, but addressing is the universal first requirement.

Final Answer:
address