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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. What was the name of the rule that General Kutyna informs Richard about?

2. Who in Richard's group was extremely good at writing?

3. Where did commission member Al Keel come from?

4. What accounted for the large gaps of time in the log that was kept by the man who took the temperature readings the morning of the launch?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Who does Richard describe in Meet The Press as working "like demons" and why were they working "like demons"?

3. What was Richard's reaction when someone on the staff brought him something to sign saying that his expenses were over the $75 a day?

4. What did the JPL engineers tell Richard that some of the people that worked on the engines always did on each flight?

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

6. When Richard left the meeting with engineers discussing the shuttle engines, what was the definite impression that he had about their situation?

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

8. How did General Kutyna describe the "check six" rule to Richard?

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

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do you think feminist group in Feynman Sexist Pig was so offended by the stories that Richard had told concerning the police officer and about the astronomer and his girlfriend? Do you think the feminist group had a right to be upset by the stories that Richard had told in his lectures? Do you think Richard handled the feminist group in the right way? Why or why not? Why do you think the protesters changed their minds so easily when they saw Richard in San Francisco at the American Association of Physics Teachers meeting? Do you think Richard was a sexist pig like the protesters claimed? Use specific information from the book to support your ideas and answers.

Essay Topic 2

What do you think of the way that Richard Feynman wrote this book? Did you enjoy learning about his life as a child and teenager? What story did you enjoy most about his life in Part 1 of the book? What story did enjoy most in Part 2 of the book? Describe your favorite parts in detail using specific information from the book to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Richard Feynman decided to separate his book into two parts? Did this help you as a reader differentiate between his growing up years and more personal life and his research "life" on the investigation commission for the Challenger accident? Compare and contrast the person Richard was at the beginning of the book to the person he was at the end of Part 2.

(see the answer keys)

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