Page 127 - Grasp English C1+ (Student Book)

Cosmology 9

Reading and Vocabulary

A. Discuss with a partner.
1. Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut? Why/Why not?
2. Why do you think some scientists are keen to investigate life on Mars as an option for the future?
3. What do you think life on Mars would be like at the beginning?
4. How likely are you to see life on Mars as an option during your lifetime?

B. Read the text. Complete the sentences with the words in the boxes. Use a dictionary to help you.

asteroid colonising cosmic rays gravity launched lift-off orbit spacecraft

The first successful mission to the Moon was 1 by the Russians in 1959. The
2 was called Luna 2. 3 occurred on September 12 and the
th
spacecraft landed on the surface two days later. There had been ten previous attempts by the Russians
and American space agencies but all had failed to 4 the Earth’s satellite.

Since India’s Chandrayaan-1 probe confirmed the existence of lunar water in 2009, there has been
renewed interest in 5 the Moon. However, with the Moon’s 6 being
considerably less than that of the earth, it’s unclear whether humans could survive on the planet
long-term. Another concern is radiation from 7 . However, life on the Moon could
become a necessity if an extinction-level 8 ever looks to be on a collision course
with Earth.

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