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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When the book begins, where is the Naval Air Station that Pete Conrad is stationed at?
(a) Texas.
(b) Florida.
(c) Nevada.
(d) California.

2. What does every fighter jock also think of himself as?
(a) An ace driver.
(b) A ladies' man.
(c) A being just beneath God.
(d) An indestructible force.

3. What does Gus Grissom find to be the strangest experience for him in the beginning of the press conference?
(a) The absolute silence of the conference room as the pilots walk through the curtain for the first time is the strangest thing.
(b) The flashing light bulbs from all of the cameras causes him to have a seizure.
(c) The photographers are so eager for pictures of the astronauts and they haven't even been introduced yet.
(d) As soon as they appear, reporters start firing questions at them.

4. Where is Cape Canaveral located?
(a) Cocoa Beach, Florida.
(b) Miami Beach, Florida.
(c) Destin, Florida.
(d) Jacksonville, Florida.

5. Why do the astronauts spend so much time in the procedures trainer?
(a) They are being photographed as part of the Life story.
(b) They simulate various flight scenarios and what to do in the case of emergency.
(c) They are just passing time until they can be cleared for take off.
(d) They are required to stay in the trainer until they successfully complete all of the tasks.

Short Answer Questions

1. What feature makes Pete Conrad different from a lot of other pilots?

2. Why do the volunteers report to Lovelace?

3. As a result of his record-setting flight, where does Bob White show up?

4. Who does NASA hire to be the astronauts' press representative?

5. From the original volunteers for the program, how many are finally accepted as astronauts?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe what the chapter's title of "On the Balcony" refers to.

2. Name three tests conducted at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on the pilots.

3. Why does the Army fire Slick Goodlin and give the X-1 piloting assignment to Yeager?

4. What are John Glenn and Alan Shepard in serious disagreement about?

5. Why do many pilots choose to try to pilot a wounded aircraft to the ground rather than eject?

6. Why does Gus Grissom find the selection of Scott Carpenter as an astronaut odd?

7. Why is the book titled "The Right Stuff"?

8. According to the author, why does every pilot sound the same and talk with a lilting, vaguely Southern-sounding drawl?

9. Contrast flight training with astronaut training.

10. Why does Gus Grissom feel that the reporter's question regarding whether or not the pilots feel they would come back from space is a stupid question?

(see the answer keys)

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