Astronomy current events question: paintball-covered asteroid

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Jennifer Chu, "Paintballs May Deflect an Incoming Asteroid," October 25, 2012
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/deflecting-an-asteroid-with-paintballs-1026.html

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate student recently proposed that an asteroid on a collision course with Earth could be deflected years ahead of time by __________ the asteroid.
(A) detonating nuclear explosions on.
(B) shining a powerful laser on.
(C) painting a reflective coating on.
(D) anchoring a solar sail to.
(E) attaching a rocket booster to.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 49 students
(D) : 5 students
(E) : 0 students