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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. Instead of the NASA building being on 8th Street as had been written, what street was it actually located on?

2. General Kutyna invited Richard to meet with him so they could discuss the relationship between NASA and what?

3. How many days did the chairman of the committee tell everyone it would take to complete the investigation?

4. What color of cover did the report the commission actually have?

5. Mr. Ullian calculated how much of a chance of failure?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. If a section of the shuttle needed to be reshaped a little bit and the hanging method had already been used, what method would then be used?

3. 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?

4. Richard received a call from General Kutyna one day telling him that he had some urgent news for him. What was the urgent news that General Kutyna was referring to?

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

6. What was the commission originally going to do when they first arrived in Florida, and why was it changed?

7. When the astronauts know where they're supposed to land, they have to push one of three buttons. What are these buttons for?

8. What was the main thing Richard said he learned during the first official meeting of the commission?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the book Richard describes meeting his first wife, Arlene for the first time. Compare and contrast Richard and Arlene. Explain their relationship and what beliefs they had that would make their relationship work. What personal traits did each person have that made them desirable or compatible with each other? Use specific information from the book to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the events of the O-ring ice water demonstration that Richard performs at one of the meetings of the commission. What objects did Richard need to complete this demonstration and why did he need those particular objects?

Essay Topic 3

In the afterthoughts of the book, Richard states that he invented a theory of what led to the lack of communication in NASA. Expound on the thoughts that Richard has about his theory that he came up with and on what his friends thing about his theory. Describe your thoughts on Richard's theory. Use specific information from the book to include in your description and thoughts.

(see the answer keys)

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