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UNIT 5: SPACE TRAVEL

  • UNIT 5: SPACE TRAVEL

    UNIT 5: SPACE TRAVEL
    Key Unit Competence:
    Language use in the context of space and travel
    Introductory activity:
    Observing and interpreting pictures
    Carefully study the pictures below and then discuss the cultural aspects that each

    of them reflects.

     Answer the following questions
    1. Using past simple tense, mention the first three countries to travel into
    space. Respect the chronological order.
    2. Why is it that the closer a planet is to the sun, the faster it orbits around
    the sun?
    3. Using modal verbs, discuss possible advancements in the domain of
    space travel in the next 100 years. For example:

    Humans may live on Mars in the next 100 years. 

    5.1. Describing the History of Space Travel
    5.1.1. Reading and Writing : Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space
    The United States and the Soviet Union vigorously competed to push the boundaries
    of mankind’s exploration of space. The Russians scored a victory when they launched
    a small craft carrying cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin to new heights. His 108-minute flight

    gave him a permanent place in the history books as the first man in space.

    The American plan to send a man into space by 1961 created a deadline that the
    Russian team worked hard to beat. The development of the Vostok spacecraft
    became paramount. Prior to Gagarin’s historic flight, the Soviets sent a prototype of
    his spaceship, along with a life-size dummy called Ivan Ivanovich and a dog called
    Zvezdochka. With these successes, the vessel was considered ready to take a living,
    breathing human into space.

    On April 12, 1961, at 9:07 a.m. Moscow time, the Vostok 1 spacecraft blasted off from
    the Soviets’ launch site. Because no one was certain how weightlessness would affect
    a pilot, the spherical capsule had little in the way of on-board controls; the work was
    done either automatically or from the ground. If an emergency arose, Gagarin was
    supposed to receive an override code that would allow him to take manual control,
    but Sergei Korolov, chief designer of the Soviet space program, disregarded protocol
    and gave it to the pilot prior to the flight.

    Over the course of 108 minutes, Vostok 1 travelled around the Earth once, reaching
    a maximum height of 203 miles (327 kilometres). Over Africa, the engines fired to
    bring Gagarin back to Earth. The craft carried ten day worth of provisions in case the
    engines failed and Gagarin was required to wait for the orbit to naturally decay, but
    they were unnecessary.

    Vostok 1 had no engines to slow its re-entry or a way to land safely. About four
    miles up (seven kilometres), Gagarin ejected and parachuted to Earth. In order for
    the mission to be counted as an official spaceflight, the Fédération Aéronautique
    Internationale (FAI), the governing body for aerospace records, had determined that
    the pilot must land with the spacecraft. Soviet leaders indicated that Gagarin had
    touched down with the Vostok 1, and did not reveal that he had ejected until 1971.
    Regardless, Gagarin still set the record as the first man to leave Earth’s orbit and
    travel into space.

    Upon his return to Earth, Gagarin was an international hero. He was cheered in Red
    Square by a crowd of hundreds of thousands. A national treasure, he travelled around
    the world to celebrate the historical Soviet achievement.

    On March 27, 1968, Gagarin was killed while test-piloting a MiG-15. He was survived
    by his wife, Valentina Ivanovna Goryacheva, and two daughters.

    When Apollo 11 touched down on the moon in July 1969, the crew left behind
    a commemorative medallion bearing Gagarin’s name, as well as medallions for
    another cosmonaut and three Apollo astronauts who lost their lives in accidents.
    Alan Shepard  was the first American in space and the second person in space,
    launching on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule called Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961,
    just three weeks after Gagarin’s flight. Shepard is said to have been frustrated that 
    the United States did not win the race. The Soviet victory could have been prevented,
    Shepard reportedly felt, had NASA not delayed his mission multiple times for tests.

    The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut who flew
    the Vostok 6 mission on June 16, 1963.The first American woman in space was Sally
    Ride, who was a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on flight

    STS-7 on June 18, 1983.

    By Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com Contributor | July 24, 2012 02:00pm ET
    As retrieved from https://www.space.com/g00/16159-first-man-in-space.html?i10c.

    encReferrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLnJ3Lw%3D%3D&i10c.ua=1 on 16th March 2018

    Read the above text and answer the following questions. Your answers should be
    presented in complete sentences.
    1. Explain how Americans inspired the Russians to venture and advance more
    in terms of Space Travel.
    2. In two paragraphs, discuss whether Gagarin deserves to be considered as
    the first human being to travel in space.
    3. Was it wise on the part of NASA to delay Alan Shepard’s mission multiple
    times for tests? Justify your answer.

    4. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B.


    5.1.2. Language structure: Past Simple Tense
     The Simple Past Tense is used to talk about a state  or an action completed in a
    time before before the moment of speaking. The Simple Past is the basic form of past
    tense in English. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past
    and action duration is not important. The Past Simple is usually used in storytelling

    and in reporting events.

    Examples of sentences with verbs in the Past Simple.
    1. The United States and the Soviet Union vigorously competed to push the
    boundaries of mankind’s exploration of space.
    2. The Russians scored a victory when they launched a small craft carrying
    cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin to new heights.
    3. The American’s plan to send a man into space by 1961 created a deadline
    that the Russian team worked hard to beat.
    4. The development of the Vostok spacecraft was very important for
    Russians.
    5. The past simple is used whenever we mention the time something
    happened, so it is associated with certain expressions of past time such
    as:
    • Frequency:  often, sometimes, always, seldom, and many others.
    eg: The NASA tested Alan Shepard’s spaceship often before allowing
    him to go on mission.
    • A definite point in time: last week, when, yesterday, six weeks ago, etc.
    eg: When Apollo 11 touched down on the moon in July 1969, the crew
    left behind a commemorative medallion bearing Gagarin’s name.
    • An indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago,
    etc.
    a. Americans landed on the Moon many years ago.
    b. The word “ago” is a useful way of expressing the distance into the
    past. It is placed after the period of time: a week ago, three years

    ago, and a minute ago.

    How to form the Past Simple
    Many verbs in English form the Past Simple by adding –ed or d to the root (basic)
    form of the verb called infinitive. Verbs that form their Past Simple in this way are
    referred to as regular verbs.

    • infinitive + ed

    Look at the examples below:


    • Some verbs form their Past Simple in a different way, they add neither “ - ed” nor
    “d” . Such verbs are called irregular verbs.


    Look at the examples in the table below.

    5.1.3. Application Activities
    1. Conduct a research and state at least 50 irregular verbs in their root and
    Past Simple forms. Follow the examples given in the table above.
    2. Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with the appropriate Past Simple
    form of the verbs given in brackets
    a. The 108-minute flight ……… Gagarin a permanent place in the
    history books as the first man in space. (give)
    b. Soviet leaders ……………. that Gagarin had touched down with the
    Vostok 1, and did not reveal that he had ejected until 1971. (indicate)
    c. Men first …………… on the moon in 1969. (land)
    d. China ……..the third nation to succeed in space flight in 2003. (be)

    e. John Glenn ………. the first US orbital flight in 1962. (make)

    f. Astronomers ………..the physical exploration of space  and
    succeeded. (conduct)
    g. An expert review panel ………a Bush Administration program for
    a return to the Moon by 2020 inadequate and unrealistic. (judge)
    h. The first scientific exploration from space …. the cosmic radiation
    experiment launched by the U.S. on a V-2 rocket on 10 May 1946.
    (be)
    i. The satellite that was sent on 4 October 1957 … about 83 kg {183 lb}.
    (weigh)
    j. They …………..Sputnik 1and it burned up upon re-entry on 3

    January 1958. (launch).

    5.2. Describing the Solar System
    5.2.1. Reading and Writing:
    The Solar System
    Our solar system consists of an average star we call the  Sun and the planets:
    Mercury,  Venus,  Earth,  Mars,  Jupiter,  Saturn,  Uranus,  Neptune, and Pluto. It also
    includes the satellites of the planets; numerous comets, asteroids, meteoroids and
    the interplanetary space. The Sun is the richest source of electromagnetic energy
    (mostly in the form of heat and light) in the solar system. The Sun’s nearest known
    stellar neighbour is a red dwarf star called Proxima Centauri, at a distance of 4.3 light
    years away. The whole solar system, together with the local stars visible on a clear
    night, orbit the centre of our home galaxy, a spiral disk of 200 billion stars we call
    the Milky Way. The Milky Way has two small galaxies orbiting it nearby, which are
    visible from the southern hemisphere. They are called the Large Magellanic Cloud
    and the Small Magellanic Cloud. The nearest large galaxy is the Andromeda Galaxy.
    It is a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way but 4 times its mass and is 2 million light years
    away. Our galaxy, one of billions of galaxies known, is travelling through intergalactic
    space.

    Most of the satellites of the planets and the asteroids revolve around the Sun in the
    same direction, in nearly circular orbits. When looking down from above the Sun’s
    North Pole, the planets orbit in a counter-clockwise direction. The planets orbit the
    Sun in or near the same plane, called the ecliptic. 

    Pluto is a special case in that its orbit is the most highly inclined (18 degrees) and
    the most highly elliptical of all the planets. Because of this, for part of its orbit, Pluto
    is closer to the Sun than is Neptune. The axis of rotation for most of the planets is
    nearly perpendicular to the ecliptic. The exceptions are Uranus and Pluto, which are
    tipped on their sides.

    As far as the composition of solar system is concerned, the Sun contains 99.85% of all
    the matter in the Solar System. The planets, which condensed out of the same disk
    of material that formed the Sun, contain only 0.135% of the mass of the solar system.
    Jupiter contains more than twice the matter of all the other planets combined.

    Satellites of the planets, comets, asteroids, meteoroids, and the interplanetary space
    constitute the remaining 0.015%. The following are the details on mass distribution
    within our Solar System: the Sun occupies 99.85%, Planets 0.135%, Comets 0.01%,
    Satellites 0.00005%, minor planets 0.0000002%, meteoroids 0.0000001% and
    interplanetary space occupies 0.0000001%.

    As for Interplanetary Space, nearly all the solar system by volume appears to be
    an empty void. Far from being nothingness, this vacuum of “space” comprises the
    interplanetary medium. It includes various forms of energy and at least two material
    components: interplanetary dust and interplanetary gas. Interplanetary dust
    consists of microscopic solid particles. Interplanetary gas is a tenuous flow of gas
    and charged particles, mostly protons and electrons -- plasma -- which stream from
    the Sun, called the solar wind. The solar wind can be measured by spacecraft, and
    it has a large effect on comet tails. It also has a measurable effect on the motion
    of spacecraft. The speed of the solar wind is about 400 kilometers (250 miles) per
    second in the vicinity of Earth’s orbit.

    Adapted from http://solarviews.com/eng/solarsys.htm on 19th March 2018
    Read the above text and answer the following questions. Your answers should be
    presented in complete sentences.
    1. Referring to the passage above, explain the term “Solar System”.
    2. In one paragraph explain the composition of Solar System.
    3. What makes the Interplanetary space?
    4. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B.


    5.2.2. Narrative Composition Techniques
    • Writing a narrative composition requires special techniques. Rather than
    summing summing things up for the readers, narrative writing should present
    the writer’s experiences or observations for them to express their own views.
    • The narrative essay is closely related to public speaking because it allows the
    readers to draw own conclusions.
    • The aim is guiding the reader to the desired direction.

    Special attention must be given to the following basics of a narrative essay:
    a. Ensure clarity
    Complex  words and syntax are a hindrance to clarity and should be  avoided. In
    whatever piece of writing, words should be plainly and clearly used in sentences
    and paragraphs.
    Example
    I’d never been to a horse race. I was excited to go, but also a little nervous, since
    I wasn’t sure about the people at the track. Instead of: (Although I have never
    been to the races before, I was very excited to behold them, yet also somewhat
    nervous, because of the type of people who go there).
    b. Avoid the second-person narrative
    An important part of the narrative essay is the fact that the writer experienced the
    events described.
    Example
    As you go in the door, you will turn and see a TV. You look around and see posters
    on the wall.
    As you go further in, you notice everyone is watching.
    It’s better to say:
    As I go through the door, I turn and see a TV. I look around and see posters on the
    wall.
    As I go further in, I notice everyone is watching.
    • To use active instead of passive words to express messages vividly
    • To interest the reader, choosing a variety of words is necessary and more
    helpful 
    c. Use the same slang, idiom, and turns of phrase you would use in
    speech. Avoid passive constructions.
    Example
    They showed me a book stuffed with gruesome pictures of people who’d been
    in car wrecks.
    instead of:
    “I am presented an array of unpleasant photos in which many casualties  are
    shown after automobile accidents”.

    d. Limit references

    If a work was helpful, cite it in a ‘Works Consulted’ list after the essay. Explain yourself
    as you go along, rather than trying to refer your reader back to a previous statement.
    Example
    The fans jump up and down. When I first saw this, I wondered what they were
    doing and my mind conjured a quote from Shakespeare that Neil Gaiman
    used in his “Sandman”: “Lord, what fools these mortals be.” However, I watched
    a bit longer and  realized the company spokes models were throwing free
    merchandise. The fans wanted to get the most from their day at the convention.
    e. Avoid sentences of this nature:
    When I first saw the comic book fans jumping up and down, I thought as they would,
    “Lord, what fools these mortals be” (Gaiman 1989.) I later learned why they do this.
    5.2.3. Application Activities
    I. Based on the information in the passage above, write a narrative
    composition of around 250 words explaining how the other planets relate
    with the Sun.
    II. Re-read the above passage, and in 60 words, write a summary stating what
    Solar System is made of. (Refer to the notes in Unit 3 on the techniques of
    summary writing.) 
    5.2.4. Language structure: Present Perfect Continuous Tense with since
    and for
    Some Rules on how to use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense with since and for.
    • The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express actions or state that
    started in the past and are still continuing at the present time.
    • The Present Perfect Continuous is formed using the construction  has/have
    been + the present participle (basic form + ing). 


    • The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is also referred to as Present Perfect
    progressive tense and is usually used with since or for.
    Now examine the sentences below and draw some tips to construct your own
    sentences with the same tense.
    1. Human beings have been travelling in space since 1961.
    2. People have been living on the ISS for several years
    3. Since when have human beings been travelling in space?
    4. Americans have been going to the moon since 1969.
    5. Since Valentina Tereshkova’s mission in 1963, other women have been
    going on missions in space. 
    5.2.5. Application Activity
    I. Using the Present Perfect Continuous tense of the verbs given in brackets, fill
    in the gaps in the sentences below.
    a. Soviet leaders ………… spacecraft in space since the Gagarin’s mission
    in 1961 (send)
    b. Astronomers………….. the space since many years ago. (explore)
    c. They …………..spacecraft to measure the solar wind in the interplanetary
    space. (Use)
    d. He ……………………… the eclipse for 30 minutes. (Observe)
    e. China………………… to send a new satellite in the space since last
    year. (Try)
    f. The United States and the Soviet Union ………….. to push the boundaries
    of mankind’s exploration of space for many years. (compete)
    g. The American government …………… a new spacecraft since last year.
    (Develop)
    h. The moon…………….. between the Sun and the Earth for 30 minutes.
    (Move)
    i. Individuals …………….. the space station since 2000. (Visit)
    j. The sun ……………..the Earth with light and the heat since its existence.
    (Provide) 

    5.3. Describing the Development of the International Space
     Station
    5.3.1. Reading and Writing: International Space Station
    The International Space Station (ISS) is a multi-nation construction project that
    is the largest single structure humans ever put into space. The dimensions of the
    completed ISS research facility will be approximately 356 feet (109 meters) by 240
    feet (73 meters), or slightly larger than a football field. When completed, the ISS
    will weigh around 450 tons (408,000 kg), or 450 times the weight of an average
    car. Its main construction was completed between 1998 and 2011. However the
    station continually evolves to include new missions and experiments. It has been
    continuously occupied since Nov. 2, 2000.

    As of January 2018,  the International Space Station had been visited by 230
    individuals from 18 countries. Top participating countries include the United States
    (145 people) and Russia (46 people). Astronautic time and research time on the space 
    station is allocated to space agencies according to how much money or resources
    (such as modules or robotics) that they contribute. The ISS includes contributions
    from 15 nations. NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia) and the European Space
    Agency  are the major partners of the space station who contribute most of the
    funding. The other partners are the  Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency  and
    the Canadian Space Agency.

    Crews aboard the ISS have been assisted by mission control centres in Houston and
    Moscow and a payload control centre in Huntsville, Ala, since the very beginning.
    Other international mission control centres support the space station from Japan,
    Canada and Europe. The ISS can also be controlled from mission control centres in
    Houston or Moscow.
    The space station flies at an average altitude of 248 miles (400 kilometres) above the
    Earth. It circles the globe every 90 minutes at a speed of about 17,500 mph (28,000
    km/h). In one day, the station travels about the distance it would take to go from
    Earth to the moon and back.

    The space station can rival the brilliant planet Venus in brightness and appears as a
    bright moving light across the night sky. It can be seen from Earth without the use of
    a telescope by night sky observers who know when and where to look.

    Astronauts spend most of their time on the ISS performing experiments and
    maintenance, and at least two hours of every day are allocated to exercise and
    personal care. They also occasionally perform spacewalks, conduct media/school
    events for outreach, and post updates to social media, as Canadian astronaut Chris
    Hadfield, an ISS commander, did in 2013. (However, the first astronaut to tweet from
    space was Mike Massimino, who did it from a space shuttle in May 2009.)
    Adapted from https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html retrieved on 21st March
    2018

    Read the above text and answer the questions below: In a paragraph, briefly
    explain what the title of the passage ‘International Space Station refers to.
    1. In around sixty (60) words, explain the aspects of a completed International
    Space Station.
    2. Why is most astronautic and research time devoted to NASA, Roscosmos
    and European Space Agency only while there are many ISS partners?
    3. What do the following words/phrases mean as used in the above passage?
    • ...weigh... (paragraph 1)
    • …Astronaut… (paragraph 2)
    • …robotics… (paragraph 2)
    • … Crews… (paragraph 3)
    • … rival… (paragraph 5)
    • …telescope… (paragraph 5)
    5.3.2. Techniques of a good argumentative composition:
    1. Have you ever seen two people arguing? How do they do it? They just stand
    in front of each other, with red faces, shouting and trying to prove that one
    of them is right.
    2. Probably, this method works for somebody, but you have a chance to
    learn arguing in a polite and much effective way. If you learn how to write
    argument papers, you will not have to shout at someone.
    3. This time, we offer you to check our step-by-step guide on how to write
    argument papers.
    4. First of all, you need to come up with the right topic, because not all issues
    are good to cover in papers of this kind. It should be a controversial or
    debatable issue, something that people can argue for and against
    5. Investigate the chosen topic. Particularly, you need to know at least two
    opposing opinions about it. Yet, it is better to view the topic from several
    different angles and define your own view about the topic.
    6. After you decide on your own option or view, start collecting evidences
    to support your point of view. You can use real-life examples, opinions of
    reputable scholars, relevant printed sources, etc.
    7. Finally, get down to writing. There are two significant aspects of the writing
    process you should keep in mind: a thesis statement and the overall
    organization of your paper.
    by Diane Clark . Adapted from: https//owl.english.purdue.edu/resources/585/05 (retrieved on
    26th June, 2018)
    5.3.3. Application Activity
    On the basis of the above text and any additional researched information, write
    a 250 word argumentative composition making a case for the view that Space
    travel is a worthwhile issue on which nations should devote resource.
    5.3.4. Language structure: Present Perfect Tense with passive+ since or
     for
    • Before talking about Present Perfect with passive let’s first have a glance at the
    present perfect.

    5.3.5. The Present Perfect

    The Present Perfect is used to indicate a link between the present and the past. The
    time of the action is before now but not specified, and we are often more interested in
    the result than in the action itself. The Present Perfect is also used to express an action
    that was completed in the very recent past; in that case words like “just”, “recently”
    or “lately” are used. The Present Perfect is formed using the construction Have/has +
    past participle.

    • The sentences below will guide you on the rules of using Present Perfect with
    the Passive voice:

    1. Astronauts have occupied the International Space Station since
     November 2, 2000.
    In the above sentence, the action of occupying the International Space Station
    started in the past and still continues in the present.

    2. Two hundred and thirty individuals from eighteen countries have visited
    the International Space Station.

    In this sentence, the time they visited the International Space Station is not important,
    what matters is the result.

    3. Chinese have just sent a spacecraft in the space.

    In this sentence, the action of sending the spacecraft was completed in the very
    recent past, the recent past is expressed by “just”

    When we use specific time expressions in the past such as  yesterday, we use
    the Simple Past. Therefore, we can’t say:

    “The NASA has sent a new spacecraft in space yesterday.” 

    But we can say:
     “NASA has sent a new spacecraft in space.” 
    5.3.6. Application Activity
    Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with the appropriate Present Perfect
    form of the verbs given in brackets.
    1. France…………..a young astronaut in space. (send)
    2. Russians……….. a lot of astronauts since 1961. (hire)
    3. The astronomers…………………their spacecraft that was lost. (find)
    4. Gagarin……….. the Soviet Union win USA in pushing the boundaries of
    mankind’s exploration of space. (make)
    5. A lot of people ……………..the space station since 2000. (Visit)
    6. This old man ………..many orbits since 1988. (do)
    7. Engineers ………………the space launching site. (prepare)
    8. Space exploration …………….an interest of many countries. (become)
    9. Humans ………… about spaceflight since antiquity. (dream)
    10. Humanity’s interest in the heavens …………..universal and enduring.
    (be)
    5.3.7. The present perfect with passive + since or for
    The passive voice of Present Perfect is formed using the construction have/has + been +
    past participle form of the verb.

    In the sentences below, the verbs in bold are in Present Perfect Passive:
    1. The International Space Station has been continuously occupied since Nov.
    2, 2000.
    2. The space station has been continuously inhabited for fifteen years.
    3. Since 2000, the International Space Station has been visited by a lot of
    people.
    4. Since the year 2000, fifty-seven thousand, three hundred sixty-one orbits
    around the Earth have been made.
    Now change the following sentences into Passive Voice:
    1. Astronauts have occupied the International Space Station since November
    2nd, 2000.
    2. China has sent another satellite in the space.
    3. The new spacecraft has carried ten people in the space.
    4. Americans have done many orbits since 2000.
    5. Space travel agencies have sent a lot of women on mission in the space
    since the Valentina Tereshkova’s mission in 1963
    6. Astronauts have conducted the physical exploration of space and succeeded
    since 1961.
    7. Mission control centres have assisted Crews aboard the ISS for more than
    15 years.
    8. Satellites have helped human beings to achieve their goals.
    9. The American government has developed a new spaceship.
    10. My sister has watched the eclipse for 20 minutes. 
    5.3.8. Listening and Speaking: Debate
    “Space travel should be banned for rockets used in launching spacecraft damage
    ozone layer”

    • Please apply the rules of debate learnt in unit one, page... and carry out the
    debate on the above motion.
    5.4. Predicting the future of space travel
    5.4.1. Reading and Writing
    Humans “could be living on Mars by 2030” as astronauts train for mission to the red
    planet.

    It is 20 years since Pathfinder touched down on Mars and there are now eight
    robots collecting information from the red planet ahead of a crew being sent out.
    The intriguing question of whether there’s life on Mars  has obsessed mankind
    for generations. Within two decades the answer might be a definite ‘yes’ because
    scientists hope to send people to the red planet.

    There may be no little green men but there could be humans wearing special suits
    and living in capsules.

    Scientists believe humans could have been living on Mars in between 15 and 20
    years time.

    It is 20 years since NASA’s Pathfinder spacecraft touched down on Mars and, using
    a robot, sent a huge amount of data back to Earth. Since then NASA has sent more
    Landers and orbiters. There are currently eight robots from various countries 
    examining the planet. They have found water, raising hope microorganisms once
    existed there and could sustain human life.

    And it might not be a moment too soon. Last month physics genius Prof Stephen
    Hawking, 75, warned our days on Earth are numbered and we need to colonise
    another planet within 100 years or face the threat of extinction. He said “the Earth
    is becoming too small for us and our physical resources are being drained at an
    alarming rate”.

    “We know that extinction is a possibility after what happened to the dinosaurs and
    we are vulnerable if, for example, a pandemic sweeps across the earth. So it makes
    sense for us to have colonies where we can live in the solar system and Mars is an
    ideal candidate.” Said Dr Aderin Pocock. So, if our life on Earth is vulnerable, human
    beings will have to colonise another planet in the solar system.

    The hopes for a future on Mars have grown in tandem with the technological
    advances that have expanded our knowledge about the fourth planet from the
    Sun. NASA’s Mars Pathfinder released its 23lb six-wheel robotic rover Sojourner. It
    only travelled 100m but sent back 550 images and about 8.5 million temperature,
    pressure and wind measurements back to Earth.

    Sojourner was followed by the far more mobile Exploration Spirit and Opportunity
    rovers in 2004 and the Phoenix in 2008. But it was NASA’s Curiosity rover, which is
    still sending information back to Earth, that marks the biggest shift in the space
    age advances. It was launched in 2011 to determine whether Mars was ever able to
    support microbial life.

    By Antonia Paget 19:56, 3 JUL 2017
    Adapted from https://www.mirror.co.uk/science/humans-could-living-mars-2030-10720755 retrieved on
    23rd March 2018.
    Read the news report from the Mirror on pages 120-121 and answer the questions
    below. All your work should be presented in complete sentences.

    1. Who is Prof Stephen Hawking? Fully explain his warnings about the planet
    earth
    2. Why does the writer say that “our hopes for a future on the Mars have gone
    to tandem”?
    3. How does the writer explain human beings’ obsession with colonialising
    other planets?

    4. Give the meanings of the following words/phrases in the context of the above
    passage.

    a. …Mars…(paragraph 1)
    b. …capsules…(paragraph 2)
    c. …robot… (paragraph 2)
    d. …planet…(paragraph 2)
    e. …extinction…(paragraph 3)
    f. …tandem…(paragraph 4)
    g. …launched… (paragraph 5)

    5.4.2. Application Activities
    I. Write two paragraphs explaining why astronauts choose to send
    pathfinders and Landers to Mars instead of human beings.
    II. Write a short composition of around 200 words explaining why there could
    be life on the Mars.
    5.4.3. Language structure: Modal verbs may, might, could and will have to
    1. Might and may
    • Might is used to talk about possibilities in the present, past and future. It has the
    same meaning as may but may is used when one is a bit more sure, while might
    expresses some doubts. Therefore, may” and “might” can be used:
    a. To show possibility
    Example
    1. There might be life on Mars, we never know. (In this sentence, the degree
    of certainty is low)
    2. There may be life on Mars since they found there water and micro
    organisms. (In this sentence, the degree of certainty is a bit higher for
    water and micro organisms are signs of life)

    b. To ask for or give permission:
    Example
    1. I wonder if I might use your telescope to see the International Space
    Station.
    2. “You may launch the spaceship now”, the chief of Aerospace Exploration
    Agency said.
    c. To express polite offers, request or suggestions.
    Example
    1. May you come to assist the launch of the new spacecraft?
    2. I had hoped I might have access to the Aerospace control room.
    2. Could
    • Could is used to:
    a. Talk about ability, make a request or ask for permission
    Example
    1. Could human beings live on Mars one day? (Ability)
    2. Could I visit the Aerospace control room? (Permission)
    3. Could you send other Landers? (Request)
    b. To express present, past and future possibility:
    Example
    1. The lecturer thinks that you could be a good astronaut.
    2. Had I known that the eclipse had occurred, I could have brought my
    glasses.
    3. When human beings went to Mars, they could grow crops there. 
    3. Will have to
    • Will have to is used to express a future obligation
    Example
    1. If our Earth is vulnerable, human beings will have to colonise another
    planet in the solar system.
    2. We will have to spend billions of dollars to go to Mars.
    3. Once on Mars, people will have to grow food in greenhouses.
    4. What will people have to do to survive on Mars?
    5.4.4. Application Activities
    I. Study the sentences below and indicate the meaning expressed by the
    underlined modal verbs, the first one has been done for you.
    a. May I assist the launch of the new spacecraft? (Permission)
    b. May you come to assist the launch of the new spacecraft?
    c. Astronauts might find drinking water on Mars.
    d. NASA will have to send more spaceships in the space.
    e. The crews could send messages from the International Space Station.
    f. Could you visit the Aerospace control room?
    g. Could I visit the Aerospace control room?
    h. What will people have to do to survive on Mars?
    i. Pathfinder could send a lot of information in one minute.
    j. We might assist the launch of the new spaceship.
    II. Choose the most appropriate modal verb between might and may to
    complete each of the following sentences:
    a. The chief of Aerospace Exploration Agency …… be around since his
    office is open.
    b. The chief of Aerospace Exploration Agency …… be around, we never
    know.
    c. ............ I use your telescope to see the International Space Station?
    d. She …… be sent on mission in the space, she has got all the necessary
    trainings.
    e. His son …… come back soon since his mission on the International
    Space Station was cancelled.
    5.4.5. Sounds and Spelling
    1. Rewrite the following paragraph by correcting misspelled words
    Most of the satelites of the plenets and the asteroids revolve around the Sun in the
    same direction, in nearly circular orbits. When looking down from above the Sun’s
    North Pole, the planets orbit in a counter-clockwise direction. The planets oribit the
    Sun in or near the same plane, called the eclaptic. Pruto is a special case in that its
    orbit is the most highly inclined (18 degrees) and the most highly elliptical of all
    the plajnets. Because of this, for part of its oribit, Pluto is closer to the Sun than is
    Neptune. The axis of rotation for most of the planets is nearly perpendikular to the
    eclaptic. The exceptions are Uranas and Pluto, which are tipped on their sides.
    2. Practise reading the words in activity 1 above. You can use the
    dictionary to check their pronunciation.
    The words in activity 1 above are read as follows:
    • Mars / mɑːz /
    • Capsules /’kæpsjuːlz/
    • Robot /ˈrəʊbɒt/
    • Planet /ˈplænɪt/
    • Extinction / ɪksˈtɪŋkʃən/
    • Tandem /ˈtændəm /
    • Launched / lɔːnʧt/
    3. Read and give phonological transcription of the following words
    a. Ecliptic                                       d. Comet
    b. Intergalactic                            e. Meteoroid
    c. Asteroid
    5.5. UNIT SELF- ASSESSMENT
    5.5.1. Comprehension and Vocabulary
    Women’s Role in Space Travel
    NASA’s Kennedy Space Center celebrated Women’s History Month by inviting
    employees to hear a panel of leaders and directors from NASA’s past and present.
    All successful women discussed the stories of their lives and careers with the
    agency.

    George Jacobs, deputy director of Center Operations, was Master of Ceremonies
    for the event held March 26 in the Kennedy Learning Institute. NASA is “no longer
    a ‘good all boys’ network,” he observed as he introduced the distinguished panel.
    Providing their insights were Kennedy directors Josie Burnett of the International
    Space Station Ground Processing and Research Project Office, Nancy Bray of
    Center Operations, and Digna Carballosa of Human Resources. Also participating
    was Rita Willcoxon, former director of Launch Vehicle Processing, now retired from
    NASA and employed by General Electric Transportation in Melbourne, Florida.
    Gordy Degear, program analyst in the Office of the Center Director and facilitator
    for the program, opened the discussion by asking the panellists what brings them
    happiness. All agreed that family fulfilled them and made their time away from
    home worthwhile.

    Burnett recalled a time when her three-year-old grandson recognized her in a
    photo posted online, in which she was shaking hands with NASA’s Robonaut
    before it was flown to the International Space Station. He was delighted. It made
    me proud that he’s proud of the work I do,” she said.

    Degear next asked the panelists to describe the changes they had witnessed
    during their careers.

    Willcoxon recalled that Joann Morgan and Ann Montgomery were the only
    women in technical management positions when she started working at the
    center. Morgan, an engineer, was the only woman during the Apollo launches
    who supported the countdowns from the firing room; Montgomery was the first
    woman assigned as a flow director for a space shuttle, the orbiter Columbia. 

    At the moment, Kennedy’s Executive Team is made of ten men and nine women,
    including Kennedy’s Deputy Director Janet Petro and Chief Financial Officer Susan
    Kroskey. After commenting that three of Kennedy’s four primary programs and
    projects are led by women, Bray got a positive response from the largely female
    audience when she observed “women are taking us into outer space.”
    How can we keep this trend growing? By encouraging girls to study the STEM
    disciplines in school that is science, technology, engineering and mathematics
    which are the components of NASA’s education initiative, all agreed. Students
    generally decide “by the fifth grade whether to go into STEM fields,” Carballosa
    commented.
    “The percentage of girls going into engineering hasn’t changed in 15 years,”
    Willcoxon said. We should “look for ways to inspire girls to go into engineering,”
    she suggested. Burnett concurred and raised the question educators ponder of
    whether engineers are “born or derived.”

    Degear asked the panelists if, in looking back over their careers, there was anything
    they would do differently.

    Bray said that she learned it is important to give employees ample career 
    development opportunities and found IDPs helpful, bringing a playful groan

    from the audience. The IDP, or individual development plan, is a tool NASA uses to
    clarify an individual’s long-term career goals. While requiring upfront thoughtful
    introspection, the plan is valuable in identifying an employee’s future steps on her
    career path.

    Carballosa got a chuckle from the audience when she suggested that she would
    “learn to delegate earlier.” Women have a tendency to do everything themselves,
    she explained, and in doing so may deprive their employees of valuable learning
    experiences. She encouraged everyone to strive to remain relevant to the
    organization.

    “Staying relevant is a personal commitment one makes in whatever role we
    happen to be in,” Carballosa said. “If you need help linking your job to the mission,
    challenge your supervisor to help you make this connection.”

    The event was planned and implemented by members of Kennedy’s Federal
    Women’s Program (FWP).

    By Kay Grinter
    NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center Last Updated: Aug. 7, 2017
    Editor: Anna Heiney
    https://www.nasa.gov/content/role-in-space-travel-highlights
    -womens-history-month retrieved on 25th March 2018

    Read the text on pages 126-127 and answer the questions below:

    1. Which event is being celebrated in this passage?
    2. Discuss the meaning of this statement; “NASA is no longer a ‘good ole
    boys’ network.” As in paragraph two.
    3. Basing on Burnett’s experience, explain how a little child can encourage
    his/her parents to pursue their career.
    4. In one paragraph, explain what should be done to increase the number
    of women who participate in space exploration.
    5. Why do you think Carballosa got a chuckle from the audience?
    6. Give the meaning of the following words in the context of the above
    passage.
    a. …career…(paragraph one)
    b. …flown…(paragraph four)
    c. …engineer…(paragraph five)
    d. …space shuttle…(paragraph five)
    e. …ample…(paragraph nine)

    5.5.2. Grammar and Phonology
    I. Use the appropriate form of the verbs given in the brackets
    to fill in the gaps
    a. The Aerospace Agency………two spacecraft in the space yesterday.
    (send)
    b. The Aerospace Agency ………two spacecraft in the space since 2016.
    (send)
    c. Many orbits………………..since last year. (make)
    d. The new satellite…….just……... (launch)
    e. A lot of women…………….. on mission in the space since the Valentina
    Tereshkova’s mission in 1963. (go)
    f. A lot of women…………….. on mission in the space last year. (go)
    II. Choose the most appropriate modal verb among might, may, could or will
    be have to complete each of the following sentences.
    a. The NASA……………..launch another spacecraft in the space, we
    never know.
    b. The NASA……………..launch another spacecraft in the space since
    the space shuttle is ready.
    c. The crews……… post updates to social media from the International
    Space Station.
    d. Space Agencies ……………invest more money in space exploration if
    they want to colonise another planet one day.
    e. Sojourner …………….. send 550 images and about 8.5 million
    temperature, pressure and wind measurements after travelling 100m
    only.
    III. Give the phonological transcription of the following words:
    a. Spacecraft
    b. Astronauts
    c. Telescope
    d. Satellite
    e. Galaxy
    5.5. 3. Summary
    In 80 words, summarise the passage on pages 126-127 focusing on role of women
    in space exploration.
    5.5. 4. Essay Writing
    Carry out research and write a 250 word essay on this topic: “Future perspectives
    of space travel”.

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