1. What is the object that is first cataloged as 31/439?
(a) One of Saturn's rings.
(b) The mysterious object that became known as Rama.
(c) A chunk of space junk that is tracked by the super computers until it crashes into Mars.
(d) One of Jupiter's moons.

2. What is a light curve?
(a) The extent to which an asteroid wanes over a period of hours.
(b) The extent to which an asteroid waxes over a period of hours.
(c) The degree to which an asteroid's orbit bends.
(d) A slow variation in the brilliance of all asteroids.

3. Why is a cloud of vapor sent toward Rama?
(a) To see if it will interact with Rama and produce "fireworks."
(b) To see if it will be sucked into the interior of Rama.
(c) As a method to measure the temperature on the surface of Rama.
(d) To see if Rama has enough gravity to hold an atmosphere.

4. What loss is so great that it was beyond all computation?
(a) The loss of resources and skills acquired during the twentieth century.
(b) The loss of six hundred thousand people.
(c) The loss of beautiful dawns and sunsets all over the world.
(d) The loss to art, to history, to science--and to the whole human race, for the rest of time.

5. According to Chapter 1, what happens after the initial shock wore off in 2077?
(a) A great war broke out that caused losses of more than a trillion dollars.
(b) Skills long forgotten were revived and taught in colleges and universities.
(c) The wealth of the world was squandered as many countries attempted to destroy weapons launched at their citizens.
(d) The people of Earth became united and determined.