Arizona State University (ASU) CSE240 Introduction to Programming Languages Midterm Practice Exam

The three main categories of programming languages can indeed be classified into low-level, high-level, and middle-level languages.

Low-level languages, such as assembly language, are very close to machine code, allowing for precise control over hardware and memory management. These languages are platform-specific and are often difficult for humans to read.

High-level languages, like Python and Java, are designed to be easy for humans to read and write. They abstract away many of the complexities of the machine architecture, providing features such as garbage collection and a rich set of libraries, which facilitate development.

Middle-level languages, such as C, bridge the gap between low-level and high-level languages, providing both high-level abstractions and the ability to manipulate hardware directly. They strike a balance, giving developers some of the control required for system-level programming while still being manageable.

In this context, classifying programming languages into low-level, high-level, and middle-level is a widely recognized framework, making this answer the most accurate choice among the options provided.