Disaster in the Sky Quiz (Dec22)

1. Consider the line: “Seven crew members were strapped into their seats, bracing for the ear-splitting, teeth-rattling roar of the rockets that would hurtle them into space.” This line _______.

• A. explains how rockets work

• B. helps you understand how loud and intense the launch would be for the crew

• C. explains that there was a problem with the rockets

• D. illustrates the bad weather on the day of the launch

2. Why was there an urgency to launch? Choose TWO. A. The shuttle program was behind schedule. B. The engineers had observed something troubling. C. The public was drawn into the excitement, and many people would be watching. D. Not everyone thought the launch should go forward.

• A. The shuttle program was behind schedule.

• B. The engineers had observed something troubling.

• C. The public was drawn into the excitement, and many people would be watching.

• D. Not everyone thought the launch should go forward.

3. Lewis writes, “The next morning, McDonald watched Challenger blast off with a sense of dread.” She means that McDonald felt _______.

• A. fearful and anxious

• B. calm and prepared

• C. unsure and confused

• D. shocked and angry

4. What is the purpose of the section “Great Achievement”? Choose TWO.

• A. to explain why the Challenger launch failed

• B. to show the success that NASA had experienced up until the Challenger launch

• C. to compare and contrast the achievements of Russia with those of the U.S.

• D. to provide a brief history of space exploration

5. Which statement best describes how the author structures the section “The Launch”?

• A. She uses a problem and solution structure to explain the problems the engineers discovered and how they thought those problems should be solved.

• B. She uses a sequence of events structure to describe events leading up to the launch.

• C. She uses description to illustrate how excited everyone was for the launch.

• D. She uses a cause and effect structure to explain how cold weather affects rockets.

6. According to the article, why did Thiokol change its recommendation and agree to the launch?

• A. Thiokol believed the rockets were safe.

• B. NASA convinced Thiokol that Thiokol’s findings were incorrect.

• C. Thiokol wanted to protect future business with NASA.

• D. Thiokol didn’t believe there was a risk.