Unit 21: From the Earth to the Stars

Word List

n. An accident is unexpected, and may cause some trouble.

He damaged the car in an accident.
n. An astronaut is a person who goes into outer space.

The astronaut was walking on the moon.
adj. A person who is awake is not asleep.

Sometimes, I lay awake in bed because I am not tired.
n. Courage is the feeling of not being afraid.

The man had the courage to touch the lion.
v. To float is to move on top of water without sinking.

The boy's toy boat floated in the pool.
v. To grant something is to allow someone to have it.

The teacher granted us a break after studying hard all day.
n. Gravity is the force that makes things fall to Earth.

There is no gravity in space.
n. A jewel is a beautiful stone that is worth a lot of money.

A diamond is one of the most expensive jewels in the world.
n. A miner is a person who works in a mine.

The miner was looking for gold.
n. A mineral is a type of substance found in the Earth.

Rocks are made up of different kinds of minerals.
v. To participate is to be active and do something.

The students participated in the school play.
n. Permission means the act of allowing some action.

I have permission to drive my mom's car.
v. To pour a liquid means to make it come out of a container.

I poured some milk into my sister's cup.
adj. A raw material is natural and has not been processed.

The company dumped raw sewage into the river.
n. A satellite is a machine sent into space to get information.

The satellite was traveling around the Earth.
n. The scale of something is its size, especially when it is very large.

I was surprised by the scale of the buildings in the downtown area.
v. To skip something is to not do it.

He skipped work to get more sleep.
v. To stretch is to make your arms or legs reach out.

She stretched her body before exercising.
n. A telescope is a tool people use to look at the stars.

With a telescope, you can see the moon and stars easily.
adv. An underground action happens below the surface of the Earth.

Subway trains travel underground.

Exercise

A ‣ Circle the right definition for the given word.

permission
- a. to not be scared
- b. the act of allowing an action
- c. to not be asleep
- d. something sent into space
scale
- a. size
- b. below the Earth
- c. a chemical
- d. an expensive stone
courage
- a. to be alert
- b. the act of allowing an action
- c. to actively do
- d. not afraid
satellite
- a. to not do something
- b. something sent into space
- c. to actively do
- d. the act of allowing an action
pour
- a. a chemical in the Earth
- b. a tool for looking
- c. to move liquid
- d. to be afraid
raw
- a. a tool for looking
- b. natural
- c. a man in space
- d. something in a place
telescope
- a. a tube for water
- b. a spirit
- c. a tool for looking
- d. a man in space
awake
- a. to not do something
- b. not asleep
- c. not afraid
- d. the act of allowing an action
gravity
- a. a chart of numbers
- b. a spirit
- c. to move on top of water
- d. a powerful force
accident
- a. a man in space
- b. a worker in a mine
- c. an unplanned happening
- d. the fact of being present

B ‣ Write the word that best fits each sentence.

participate / satellite
Russia was the first country to send a _____ into space.
The teacher asked all of us to _____ in writing the story.
grants / permission
My mother gave me _____ to attend the party.
The man at the door _____ people permission to enter the building.
jewels / minerals
We are studying _____ that we use in everyday life.
The woman keeps her _____ in a safe place.

C ‣ Write the word from the word bank that best fits each sentence.

WORD BANK

jewel
participate
permission
underground
awake

One day, I saw an ad in the newspaper. It was for a treasure hunt in some ¹_____ caves. I really wanted to ²_____, but I had to get my parents' ³_____ . They said I could do it. The night before the hunt, I was ⁴_____ all night long. I kept wondering what we'd be looking for. Maybe it would be a big ⁵_____ or gold. When I got to the hunt, there were a lot of other kids there. We were given maps. Each map led to a different place. My treasure turned out to be a book called Treasure Island. I was a little disappointed. But I had fun looking for it!

From the Earth to the Stars

Jeremy was from a family of miners. Like them, he worked underground during the day. His job was to find raw minerals and jewels. Each night after work, he lay awake in an open field. With his telescope, he looked at the stars. He was amazed by the scale of space. He wished someday he might travel there.

One day, there was an accident in the mine. Water poured into the mine. Everything was dark. Jeremy stretched out and grabbed a piece of wood. It kept him from sinking. For a long time, he floated in silence. Then, he heard voices. The other miners were coming to rescue him.

This accident made Jeremy think about his job and his life. The next day, he skipped work and made a very important decision. He had the courage to follow his decision. He decided to become an astronaut. For the next two years, Jeremy studied and trained hard. He completed his training, and one day, he was given permission to participate in a journey to space. His wish had been granted.

His spaceship left the ground. It went higher until there was no more gravity. Part of his job was to send out a satellite that would then float away from the spaceship. Now, instead of just looking at the stars, Jeremy could look at the Earth as well.

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

What is this story about?
- a. Why satellites are useful
- b. How a man escaped gravity
- c. Why a telescope is a useful thing
- d. How a miner became an astronaut
Why did Jeremy stop going underground?
- a. It kept him awake all night long.
- b. He could not find any jewels or minerals.
- c. He realized he should do what he really wanted to do.
- d. He stopped having the courage to skip work.
What was the biggest danger in that mine accident?
- a. being killed by an expolsion
- b. drowning
- c. being hit by rock
- d. burning gas
Immediately after leaving the mine,
- a. Jeremy began studying and training
- b. Jeremy used a telescope to watch the stars
- c. Jeremy went into space
- d. Jeremy released satellites
What did Jeremy participate in after finishing astronaut school?
_____

Answer Key

Name

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