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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. Richard states in Check Six, that his name was in the newspaper every day as a result of what?
(a) Being straight.
(b) Being related to a writer for the newspaper.
(c) Him being nice to the reporters.
(d) Having a likeable face.

2. Where was the press conference going to be held that Richard had his secretary set up for Tuesday?
(a) New York.
(b) Washington.
(c) Caltech.
(d) Houston.

3. How long were the puffs of smoke that were pictured coming out of the shuttle while it was still on the launch pad?
(a) Four feet long.
(b) Six feet long.
(c) One foot long.
(d) Five feet long.

4. What temperature did the Thiokol engineers tell NASA the shuttle shouldn't fly below?
(a) 29 degrees.
(b) 53 degrees.
(c) 92 degrees.
(d) 35 degrees.

5. What color of cover did the report the commission actually have?
(a) Red.
(b) Black.
(c) Blue.
(d) Green.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who headed the design, development, and production panel of the commission?

2. Who was the former director of NASA who was removed from his job pending an investigation?

3. How many pins hold together the sections of the rocket?

4. What day of the week did the commission deliver their report to the president of the United States?

5. Where was the ceremony held where the commission delivered its report to the president?

Short Essay Questions

1. Which two groups did Richard spend his time helping, and which group was the one that he helped the most during the investigation?

2. What did Mr. Rogers say to members of the commission about being careful with "these people, whose careers depend on us"?

3. Why did Richard decide it would be a good idea to fly to Washington on Tuesday even though he wasn't needed for the first meeting with the commission until Wednesday?

4. When Richard had his press conference at Caltech, what did he find himself telling reporters over and over?

5. Why are the brakes on the shuttle controlled by the computers instead of the astronauts?

6. What was Richard's reaction when the reporters told him that he could just say, "not for attribution"?

7. What does Richard say about seeing a congressman give his opinion on something?

8. The shuttle's computers don't have enough memory to hold all the programs for the whole flight, so what has to happen?

9. What was Richard's impression about what was going to happen with the commission getting together at one point?

10. What did one of the reporters from the MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour say to Richard that provided an "out" for the situation he put himself in by mistakenly providing the reporters with a copy of his report?

(see the answer keys)

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