JFK Space Race

President Kennedy argues that the age is characterized by…

• ignorance and knowledge

• science and literature

• fear and loathing

• growth and tolerance

How does President Kennedy describe the history of human innovation?

• All of the discoveries that humans have made in recent years have drastically improved life.

• The only important human innovations have taken place in the last 50 years.

• The pace of discovery in recent history has been extremely quick compared to the whole of recorded history

• Throughout human history, the United States has been in direct competition with the U.S.S.R.

President Kennedy characterizes the American people as…

• a group that has always embraced innovation and who will embrace space exploration.

• A highly fearful group of people who should do everything to prevent the U.S.S.R from reaching space.

• a group of people that has often been reluctant to face the unknown.

• a group that is very prone to taking large risks without fully evaluating the potential negative impacts.

Why is it so important for the United States to make early strides in space?

• Because the U.S. is running out of resources and is hoping to find more in space.

• Because the U.S. is looking to expand and conquer space before anyone else can

• Because the U.S. will decide if space and its science will become a force for good or bad

• Because the U.S. will decide how space will be used in warfare.

The decision to go to the moon…

• is only the first step in the space program's goals within the decade.

• came from a challenge issue by the USSR; otherwise, American would not go.

• is a practical one, as the moon is the closest orbiting body and easiest to travel to.

• reflects the American drive to overcome difficult challenges.

How does President Kennedy describe America's recent work in the field of space exploration?

• He explains how far the U.S. has come in space science and exploration.

• He argues that America has made insufficient progress in recent years.

• He argues that the Soviet Union has more experienced scientists and thus have made greater progress.

• He worries that the Soviets are so far ahead of America and it will be nearly impossible for America to catch up.

The cost of President Kennedy's space program…

• is to great and cannot be bared by the American people.

• has increased threefold because of its importance in the President's eyes and the jobs it creates.

• has actually decreased in American taxes because of the jobs it creates.

• is not very expensive when one considers the guaranteed benefits it will bring America in the near future.

President Kennedy promises…

• that they will go to the moon within the year.

• that there is more to be found in space than on Mt. Everest.

• That Rice University will take part in the space program.

• That America will reach space within the decade.

PART A: Which statement best summarizes a central idea of the speech?

• America was in a "Space Race" with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, which prompted all of the United States' effort to reach the moon.

• The U.S. should and will be the first to reach the moon, thus securing its place at the forefront of the era of space exploration.

• President Kennedy single-handedly backed the space program, against the wishes of many.

• At the time, human history was at its peak of scientific discovery and technological progress, with little left to learn.

PART B: Which TWO of the following quotes best support the answer to Part A?

• "...the vast stretches of the unknown and the unanswered and the unfinished still far outstrip our collective comprehension." (paragraph 5)

• "...some would have us stay where we are a little longer to rest, to wait." (paragraph 9)

• "Yet the vows of this Nation can only be fulfilled if we in this Nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first" (paragraph 13)

• "Whether it [space] will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war." (paragraph 16)

• "...they [satellites launch by the United States] were far more sophisticated and supplied far more knowledge to the people of the world than those of the Soviet Union." (paragraph 19)