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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is going to be the ASCAN to go to Toronto to study the RMS (robotic arm)?

2. Where are Joan and other mission specialists sent to learn how to bail out over the ocean?

3. How much older was Steve than Vanessa?

4. What type of dog do Steve and Helene have?

5. What color is Vanessa's bungalow in 1980?

Short Essay Questions

1. What regret does Vanessa have when she realizes Steve is dead?

2. How is the weightlessness of space simulated, and how does Joan react?

3. What does Joan love about astronomy and the universe?

4. What does Vanessa find when she enters the cabin?

5. What program is about to be launched when Joan is selected as a candidate to become an astronaut in 1979?

6. Why does Vanessa close her eyes as she prepares to enter the cabin?

7. Why do Vanessa and Griff leave the hatch on the airlock open after releasing the payload?

8. What does Vanessa ask Joan to help her with, and why does asking for help embarrass her?

9. What is Joan's job on December 29, 1984?

10. Why does Vanessa think she cannot have a dog?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Joan has always felt like a misfit. She has felt as though she does not belong. Why has Joan felt like a misfit, and how does joining NASA help Joan make peace with who she is and what she can do?

Essay Topic 2

A non-linear narrative moves back and forth in time. How does Reid use a non-linear narrative to focus on what is important in Atmosphere? How does the non-linear narrative help readers better understand characters, especially Joan and Vanessa?

Essay Topic 3

The crisis on the shuttle requires certain qualities to deal with the emergency. What qualities does Vanessa have to draw on to deal with the crisis?

(see the answer keys)

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