The Martian

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. How long did the journey from Earth’s orbit to Mars take?

2. How long will Watney’s food supply last without rationing?

3. What kind of music does Watney find on the commander’s personal USB?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is Watney so disappointed that the MAV is gone?

2. What are the four ways Watney expects to die?

3. Why are there 12 potatoes suitable for planting on the Hab?

4. What might make Watney vulnerable to Martian vampires?

Paired Resource

“Fit This into the Hole for This Using Nothing but That...”

• This 4-minute video clip from the film Apollo 13 shows the ground crew tasked with solving the problem of too much CO₂ on the spacecraft.
• Think about the theme of The True Nature of Explorers and Exploration. How important is it for explorers to have a can-do attitude when solving seemingly unsolvable problems? How do examples of extreme creativity under stressful circumstances influence your thinking about attaining goals that may seem impossible?

Chapters 6-10

Reading Check

1. What is the significance of the pop tents showing up on the satellite images?

2. For what purpose does NASA use RTGs?

3. Who is in charge of keeping track of Watney with the Martian satellites?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Venkat want satellite imagery of the Ares 3 site?

2. Why does Watney save his bodily waste while he’s traveling?

3. How might the Deep Space Network or SETI be of help to Watney?

Paired Resource

“Mars One’s Journey (2011 – 2021)”

• This web page describes the history of a real-world project to establish a permanent colony on Mars.
• More than 10,000 individuals applied to be crew members on the Mars One project. Of that group, 100 candidates were chosen to be the first permanent settlers on Mars. What considerations do you think might have been involved in the selection process? Why do you think people with character traits, skills, and other attributes to qualify for such a mission would want to migrate to Mars for the rest of their lives?

Chapters 11-14

Reading Check

1. How does Watney react when he realizes that Pathfinder has received a signal from Earth?

2. What is the commander looking forward to when she and Watney reunite on Earth?

3. What does cleaning the solar cells after a sandstorm remind Watney of?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What do members of the press do when they learn that NASA has established communication with Watney?

2. What does the University of Chicago, Watney’s alma mater, tell him in an email?

Paired Resource

“Baby Jessica: 30 Years After Being Rescued from the Well”

• This 9-minute video published by People TV is about the media sensation surrounding the rescue of Baby Jessica, who had fallen into a well.
• What are the positive and negative consequences of media attention to a single human-interest story that draws global interest? How does this tie into the novel’s themes of The Individual and the Human Community and Bureaucracy, Morality, and the Modern Media?

Chapters 15-18

Reading Check

1. What design shortcut does Bruce propose to build a food-delivery spacecraft in 28 days?

2. When Teddy decides against the Rich Purnell maneuver, what do Mitch and Annie accuse him of?

3. What theme song does Watney choose?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does it mean when Mitch says, “GC, Flight. Lock the doors”?

2. Why does the China National Space Administration want to help the US rescue Watney?

3. What does Watney discover about the soil he once used to farm potatoes?

4. What is the consequence of Watney leaning his drill against the workbench?

Paired Resource

“Shackleton Expedition”

• This web page about the Shackleton Expedition, a true story of survival and rescue in Antarctica, includes historical newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources that convey the public’s interest in the fate of the explorers.
• What do the contemporaneous news reports of the progress of the Shackleton Expedition suggest about the human fascination with the daring of explorers? What explains the strong yearning of ordinary humans to experience heroic adventures vicariously? What do these news reports suggest about The True Nature of Explorers and Exploration and The Individual and the Human Community?

Chapters 19-22

Reading Check

1. In legal terms, what is Mars’ status?

2. What is “Martian coffee”?

3. How much time does Watney spend in Acidalia Planitia?

4. What encouraging Morse Code message from Watney does Mindy Park pick up with the satellite?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is Martinez implying when he jokingly says, “I thought you liked Mexican!”

2. What problem does the NASA team discover but can’t warn Watney about as he sets out for Schiaparelli?

Chapters 23-26

Reading Check

1. What does the Hermes crew do to increase thrust to reach Watney?

2. Who catches Watney and brings him on board the Hermes?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Watney want to go off course to look for the Opportunity rover?

2. How does the author describe Watney’s arrival at the MAV?

Recommended Next Reads 

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

• Novel published in 1864 about the adventures of three men who travel far below the surface of the Earth, where they encounter marvels and dangers. Much reliance is placed on using highly questionable scientific knowledge to plan their journey and explain their experiences. They end up hopeless, out of food and water, but nature finds a way to deliver them back to the surface.
• Journey to the Center of the Earth on SuperSummary

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

• Satirical novel about the galactic adventures of the last surviving Earthman who managed to escape the planet before it was destroyed
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on SuperSummary