Movie Question Quiz (100 PTS)

1) What experiment is Homer doing? a. He is trying out new drill bits for coal mine productivity. b. He is trying to build an airplane to fly into the air successfully. c. He is trying to build a rocket that can fly into the air successfully.

2) What problem was Homer having with his first rockets? a. The rockets kept on exploding. b. Determine if methane gas in the coal mine caused explosions in rockets. c. The internal combustion related to the automobile engine.

3) What two people inspired Homer the most? a. His Mother and his sister b. Mr. Jackson and the school principal. c. Miss Riley and Dr. Wernher Von Braun.

4) Who is Dr. Wernher Von Braun? a. He was the head mining supervisor. b. He was a famous rocket scientist. c. He was the first scientist to send a rocket into space in 1934.

5) What is Homer’s mother’s advice about the rocket idea he has? a. Don’t experiment with them near the coal mines. b. Just don’t blow yourself up. c. They were too dangerous, so don’t experiment with them.

6) Where were the rockets (all must be accounted for) launched from? a. The fence at his home, inside the mines, one mile from the town. b. The fence at his home, eight miles from the town, and within the company grounds (the one which ended up in the mine). c. The fence by the school, in back of the church, by the mining shack.

7) Where does the story take place? a. Pines Bluff, Virginia b. Coalwood, West Virginia c. Coalrock, North Virginia 8) What were some hardships that Homer had to overcome to continue building his rockets? a. His father’s lack of belief, his lack of knowledge within mathematics, and resources, money and materials. b. Miss Riley’s lack of belief, his lack of knowledge within science, and geography. c. His sister’s lack of belief, his lack of knowledge within the reading skills, and resources, money and materials.

9) Where does Homer go for rocket information? a. He sends Dr. Wernher Von Braun a letter asking for rocket building information. b. He asks his dad for books on rocket technology. c. He asks the brain of the class, Quentin Wilson.

10) Why is the “Nozzle” important? a. Directs the flow of the hot gases. b. Directs the flow of fuel to the engine. c. Directs the flow of coal into the rock crusher, assuring total breakdown.

11) Where did Homer go to show the results of all his hard work? a. To Houston, Texas to show the rocket scientists his rockets. b. To the Nation Science Fair in Indianapolis, Indiana. c. To the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.

12) What do the boys get arrested for? a. Interfering with coal mining work. b. Starting a fire near town. c. Not having a permit to experiment with rockets.

13) What did Homer do when his dad got hurt in the mine? a. He continued in school to better himself to help his family. b. He left school and began to work in the mines. c. He got a job as a bus driver to make ends meet for his family.

14) What happened at the fair that almost caused Homer not to be able to compete? a. He almost missed the bus to Indianapolis, Kentucky. b. Someone stole his de Laval nozzle that portrayed how his rocket shot up into the air. c. Miss Riley told him that he could not take the rockets to the fair since they were the mining company’s property.

15) Who did Homer meet at the fair? a. Dr. Wernher Von Braun b. Mr. Neil Armstrong c. The director of NASA.

16) What award did the fair’s winners get? a. A four year scholarship. b. $50,000 dollars c. A trip to Washington, DC

17) What does Homer’s brother get from a college? a. A one year scholarship. b. A four year baseball scholarship. c. A football scholarship

18) In October of 1957 the Russians launched the first satellite into orbit, Sputnik. How did this affect Homer? a. It really had no affect on him since he lived in a coal mining town. b. Homer became inspired to build rockets. c. He became concerned that if the Russians could send a satellite into orbit, then they had the capability of launching a nuclear bomb into orbit.

19) In the mining town Homer grew up in, what was expected of boys in the family to do when they grew up? a. To go to college and earn a degree. b. To get married and move away from the town. c. To work in the coal mines.

20) What occupation did Homer work in when he became an adult? a. He became the town’s leading coal miner and won many awards for his work. b. He went on to become a NASA engineer, training for missions. c. He was selected by NASA to fly in the Space Shuttle as a mission specialist and went on to fly in the International Space Station.

21) What book did Miss Riley give to Homer on his birthday? a. A book on chemical reactions for advanced Biology. b. A book regarding the properties of coal after it is mined c. A book regarding rockets and propulsion.

22) What problem was Homer trying to figure out? a. The problem of distance, trajectory and accuracy. More so, he is trying to also solve the issue of his combustion chamber that makes his rocket explode. b. How a rocket can be used as a torpedo underwater. c. The mathematic formula his father needed, in coal mining tunnel structure.

23) What is the problem with this rocket according to Mr Bolin?

a. Mr. Bolden watches the boys launch their rocket. He tells them that the washer they welded to the rocket for a nozzle is melting. They need a better kind of steel that can take the heat of the rocket launch. b. Mr. Bolden tells Homer that his father is correct in his wanting Homer to become a coal miner as this was expected in the mining town. c. Mr Bolden advises the boys that they should come clean and tell the sheriff that they started the fire.

24) What is the most significant thing Homer Hickam does in October Sky?

a. He convinces his sister that college is where she needs to go despite whatever other people say. Education is so very important. b. Homer's pursuit of his dreams is probably the most significant element in his narrative. The fact that he never sacrifices his dream despite his father's inertia and the state of being in Coalwood are challenging enough elements. c. Homer’s decision to take care of Miss Riley because she becomes very sick.

25) How did Homer feel when his father showed up to his last rocket launch (in the movie) when his father actually pushed the button to launch the rocket?

a. He felt an overwhelming sadness since his father had missed watching other rocket launches. b. He felt that his father really should have been working in the coal mines supporting the family and contributing to the town. c. He felt an overwhelming sense of pride and happiness that his father was willing to share in Homer’s love of rockets.