ENG 206 Final, Spring 2002

ENGLISH 206 FINAL EXAM Spring 2001-2002 Time Allowed: 2 ‘4 hours The Next Free Market Why make the National Aeronautics & Space Administration struggle with budget overruns? There’s a better way. Get the government out of the space business. Hand it over to the private sector. Rather than flying rockets, NASA itself could purchase launch services as a customer. Begin with the space shuttle, which was designed more than three decades ago to reduce the costs of traveling to orbit but has caused costs—how else can one say it?—to skyrocket. One way NASA has tried to hold down those costs is by contracting to United Space Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed Martin venture, to handle postflight refurbishing for a set $400 million fee. But better yet is to sell off the fleet to private hands that would have a strong incentive to find moneymaking uses for underutilized shuttles. Private owners might not drop the shuttle’s $40 million external fuel tanks in the ocean to be destroyed once the fuel burns off. Instead, Space Islands Group, a privately held company in West Covina, Calif., has proposed placing these 150-feet-high tanks into orbit. Entrepreneurs could retrofit the tanks as orbiting laboratories, hotels or honeymoon suites. When proposed in the mid-1980s, the space station was supposed to cost $8 billion and hold a crew of 12. The final cost will be at least $50 billion and the redesigned station can only accommodate three full-time astronauts, too few to do much serious science. NASA and its international partners should sell off or give away the moneylosing station. If that’s not possible, the partners at minimum should let the private sector provide transportation to and from the Station, undertake the commercial and scientific activities (with markets determining who gets space and at what price) and handle future station expansion. For $500 million or less, including development costs, NASA might purchase modules made of heavy-duty inflatable structures that are being developed by Bigelow Aerospace of Las Vegas. But Bigelow itself might soon make government stations unnecessary. In about three years it plans to orbit a private station with the same amount of space as the NASA station for about $1 billion, for scientific, commercial or recreational uses. Like the first personal computers, that station should give people incentive to figure out new uses and cheaper ways of doing launches. LIBRARY ERICAN UNTVERSIT'S OF RITE | , 6. And how about a private mission to Mars? A decade ago NASA put the cost of landing men on Mars at $450 billion. But at that time private rocket scientist Robert Zubrin came up with a clever alternative. He would reduce one of the biggest costs—carrying to Mars the heavy rocket fuel needed for the trip home— by sending an unmanned lander to the planet first to manufacture methane and oxygen (i.e., rocket fuel) from the carbon dioxide-rich Martian atmosphere. NASA itself placed the cost of such a mission at only $20 billion to $30 billion. Bill Gates could handle that. Or perhaps a consortium of universities, institutions and businesses could fund the trip. 7. Right now the Russians are better entrepreneurs than NASA. They worked with the American company Space Adventures to sign up American Dennis Tito and South African Mark Shuttlesworth for trips to the Russian side of the station. And if ‘N Sync singer Lance Bass succeeds in his bid to be next, generations not born when Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the Moon will ask when costs will drop low enough for them to vacation in space. 8. NASA’s fans maintain that private companies will not invest in most space ventures because costs are too high and the returns too speculative. But this is a chicken-and-egg issue. Costs are high in part because government regulatory barriers and NASA’s monopolistic practices have hindered private providers, and they won’t go down until the primary providers of space services are private. 9. The Bush Administration is moving in the right direction. It is expected soon to propose transferring more space services and assets to private hands, Allowing entrepreneurs in will not just hold down costs. It will make space a hub of enterprise. [Source: Hudgins, E. (2002, April 29). The next free market. Forbes, 48.] Setnemeemen ne noe means sean AMERY aN UNWERSIT Liiewey i Fee ae nee mmr English 206 Final Exam Spring 2001-2002 Instructor: I. Circle the correct choice/s. 1. Which of the following characterize/s technicians with mid-level expertise? (3 pts.) Expect abbreviations and technical jargon Understand some technical terms and concepts in the field May need explanations of some technical terms and information Gather information to make major company decisions Are interested more in practical information than in theory Need definitions and explanations of most technical terms and information H. Answer the following questions in the provided space. 2. Put the following stages of the writing process in the correct order. (3 pts.) Create and gather information Edit and proofread the document Analyze the writing situation Structure the information Revise the document Draft the document 3. During their first meeting as a group, team members need to establish basic ‘housekeeping’ tasks that will facilitate their collective work. Identify 3 such tasks. (3 pts.) a. b. Cc. 4. Which organizational pattern would you use to complete the following tasks? (6 pts.) a. Installing a software b. Drawing the link between drugs and juvenile crime ERICAN UNIVERSIT LIBRARY ee BEIRUT i oe eae! c. Considering possible solutions in order to make a recommendation d. Enumerating the parts and functions of a telescope 5. A. List one advantage of each of the following oral presentation styles: (4.5 pts.) a. Impromptu b. Extemporaneous c. Scripted B. Which of the following three oral presentation styles is primarily used in the following situations: (4 pts.) a. Regular TV news broadcast b. Live reporting of breaking news on TV c. A toast at an informal dinner party d. Your English 206 research presentation 6. What is gender-free language? Explain the concept, and illustrate it with an example (4 pts.) 7. Provide an example on each of the following: (2 pts.) a. A document-level locating device b.A page-level locating device 8. To effectively integrate visual aids into the text, you should do the following: (4.5 pts.) a. b. pure Apamereesnneener bipervuny f C. 9. Rewrite the following instructions using reader-oriented language and layout: (6 pts.) Registration for Classes Initiation of registration should start by completion of the registration form, which is done by printing clearly or typing. You should determine the appropriate fee for each class on the form. (Utilize the fees list on page 16.) Writing your driver’s license number and date of birth on the front of the check is imperative. Finally, your completed registration form and check should be mailed or taken to Redbud Recreation Center before the deadline. (The user can find the mailing address near the end of the manual.) ERICAN UNTVERSIT’ LIBKARY OF ECIRUT 10. The format and message of the following draft letter need revision. Edit and rewrite this letter on page 5 to make it clear, correct, consistent, courteous, concise, etc. Note that there are no errors within the inside address or outside address, but there may be errors in the heading part of the letter. (30 pts.) Sheri Rayburn 500 Northside Drive G-1 Clinton, KS 66813 Mrs. Jane Collins Box 8249-P C/O The Denver Post 1560 Broadway Denver, CO 80202 Dear Ms. Collins T have been working as a secretary for several years and the company I am currently in is one of the best. In addition, my co-workers are very supportive and so far I have enjoyed working as a secretary. However, your advertisement in the May 30 issue of the Denver Post has sparked my interest in becoming an executive officer. My situation may be summarized as follows: (Refer to my resume) My recent college courses in business plus my years of experience as a secretary qualify me to become an executive officer (I think!). My business communication skills, my tact in working with others, and my computer keyboarding skills make me the best secretary in any company. So I think it is high time to move to a somewhat more challenging position. | mean by this the advertised position in your company, which I hope to be able to meet the requirements of. So far I have enjoyed working as a secretary but I believe if I stay any longer in the same job, I will not enjoy it as much. So I need to meet with you to discuss my plans for the future and my salary. Last but not least, thank you for giving me this opportunity and I am confident I am going to enjoy working with you. Sincerely, Sheri Rayburn --—----~———--— james i bee et . 4 Lease vay i 3 Enclosure: Job application form wpe 11. Study the feasibility of handing the US space business to the private sector. You need to take into account considerations such as financial feasibility, management feasibility, etc. a. Write your report in the memo format and address it to Mr. John Smith, Advisor on National Aeronautics. b. Write your report on page 7. (30 pts.)