esl theme the outer space

Upload: shiura-abdulrahman

Post on 23-Feb-2018

225 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    1/16

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    2/16

    Contents

    The Outer Space............................................................................................................................................................... 2

    Edwin Hubble............................................................................................................................................................... 2

    Out of this world the Hubble telescope...................................................................................................................... 2

    The Expanding Universe............................................................................................................................................... 3

    Mars Curiosity: Facts and information........................................................................................................................ 4

    Is There Life on Mars.................................................................................................................................................... 5

    Fourth Planet from the Sun......................................................................................................................................... 6

    ASTRONAUTS................................................................................................................................................................ 8

    Animals in Space........................................................................................................................................................... 9

    STEPHEN HAWKING.................................................................................................................................................... 10

    Life on the International Space Station..................................................................................................................... 11

    How do astronauts sleep in space?........................................................................................................................... 11

    Listening Comprehension........................................................................................................................................... 12

    Writing........................................................................................................................................................................ 13

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    3/16

    The Outer Space

    Edwin Hubble

    You need to know about Edwin Hubble. Not only was he arguably the most important

    astronomer since Galileo, but he was also an athlete. And, what is more, he has the rare

    distinction among scientists of having changed the way we think about the entire cosmos,

    not only once, but twice.

    Everything about Hubble, from his impressive height and athletic ability to his quiet self-

    confidence, suggested he had a privileged background, but he came from a family of

    farmers and so was, in many ways, a self-made man.

    He became fascinated by a particular kind of bright cloud called a nebula. It was thought

    at the time that the Milky Way galaxy was all there was to the cosmos. Hubble, working

    long, cold nights with a new 100-inch telescope, proved otherwise. He showed there

    were entire galaxies out there, not just our own Milky Way. He had discovered the

    universe.

    Many people would have left it there, but Hubble was not most people. He found galaxy after galaxy, and examined the

    type of light they gave off. Every atom and molecule has a 'code' in terms of the light it emits. Hydrogen, which is plentiful

    in galaxies, gives off a characteristic ultraviolet light. Hubble noticed that these codes moved towards the red, lower end

    of the spectrum. When this happens, it generally means the object is moving away. Hubble found that the further off the

    galaxy, the redder its light. Running this backwards, he realized that the whole thing must have started at a single point

    and the universe must have had a beginning. Hubble had discovered the Big Bang.

    1Who does Ben say is perhaps the greatest scientist since Galileo?

    2Why is Hubble such a great scientist?

    3What did Hubble discover about the galaxy? ...................................................................................................................

    4How are those galaxies moving? ......................................................................................................................................

    5What other theory does Ben say Hubble discovered? .

    6*Why do people want to explore the galaxies?

    Out of this world the Hubble telescope

    Read the following text about the Hubble Space Telescope. In your notebook,

    write the correct passive form of the verbs in brackets.

    [1]The Hubble Space Telescope (a).. (launch) in 1990 by the space shuttle

    Discovery and it orbits the earth about 610 kilometres above us. Scientists and star

    gazers (b).. (delight) by Hubbles pictures ever since its launch.[2]The Hubble Space Telescope is as large as a school bus and looks like a five-storey

    tower of silver cans. Each one of the cans holds important telescope equipment: the

    mirrors, computers, imaging instruments, and pointing and control machines. Solar panels (c).. (use) for

    generating electricity, and antennas communicate with scientists on Earth.

    [3]The 11,110-kilogram telescope collects starlight with a 2.4-metre-diameter mirror. The mirror, which (d)..

    (hide) inside a long, hollow tube that blocks the glare from the sun, Earth and the moon, (e).. (slightly curve)

    to focus and magnify light.

    [4]Hubble is not like a normal telescope on the ground because astronomers cannot look through Hubble s lens to see

    the planets and stars. Instead, Hubbles scientific instruments are the astronomers electronic eyes. By closely studying

    the colours of light from a star, astronomers can understand the stars temperature, its movements, what it (f)..(make) of and its age.

    [5]When Hubble collects pictures and data, information (g).. (turn) into long strings of numbers that (h)

    .. (transmit) as radio signals. This information, which (i)(send) back to Earth, (j)(stream) through a

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    4/16

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    5/16

    Mars Curiosity Facts and information

    [1]The Mars Science Laboratory and its rover (a) .. , Curiosity,

    is the most (b).. Mars mission ever flown by NASA. The rovers

    primary mission is to find out if Mars is, or was, suitable for life. Another

    objective is to learn more about the red planets environment.

    [2]Curiositys large size allows it to carry many scientific experiments that

    will be able to (c).. , analyse and take pictures of any rock within

    reach of its 2-metre arm. Curiosity is about the size of a small sports utilityvehicle (SUV). It is 3 metres by 2.8 metres wide, about 2.1 metres high and

    weighs 900 kilograms. Curiositys wheels have a 50.8-centimetre diameter.

    [3]Engineers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed the rover to roll over (d).. up to 65 centimetres

    high and to travel about 200 metres per day. The rovers power comes from a multi -mission power generator, which

    produces electricity from the heat of plutonium-238s radioactive decay. The power supply should last a full Martian

    year (687 Earth days) or more.

    complicated landing

    [4]The $2.5-billion Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 26th

    November 2011, and arrived on Mars on 6th August 2012, after a (e).. landing sequence that NASA called

    Seven Minutes of Terror. Because of Curiositys weight, the rover had to go through an extremely complicated

    sequence of (f).. to land.

    [5]Firstly, from a fiery entry into the atmosphere, a supersonic parachute was needed to slow down MSL. NASA officials

    said the parachute would need to (g).. 29,480 kilograms to break the spacecrafts fall to the surface. Under

    the parachute, MSL let go of the bottom of its heat shield, so that it could get a radar fi x on the surface and calculate

    its (h).. . The parachute could only slow the spacecraft to 322 kilometres per hour, which was still far too

    fast for landing. To solve the problem, engineers designed the assembly to cut off the parachute and use rockets for

    the final part of the landing sequence.

    [6]Then, about 18 metres above the surface, MSLs skycrane was used. The landing assembly dangled the rover 6

    metres below the rockets. Falling now at 2.4 kilometres per hour, MSL gently touched the ground at about the same

    moment the skycrane (i).. the link and flew away, crashing into the surface. NASA personnel tensely

    watched the rovers descent on live television. When they received confirmation that Curiosity was safe, engineers

    pumped fists and jumped up and down in jubilation. News of the landing spread through social media, such as Twitter

    and Facebook, and traditional outlets, such as newspapers and television.

    Primary mission: Can, or could, Mars support life?

    [7]Curiositysmain mission is to determine if Mars is, or was, suitable for life. While it is not designed to find life itself,

    the rover carries a number of instruments on board that can bring back information about the surrounding

    environment. Scientists were excited when the rover beamed back information showing that Mars had had (j)

    .. conditions in the past. Powder from the first samples that Curiosity obtained included the elements of

    sulphur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon, which are all considered building blocks orfundamental elements that could support life. While this is not evidence of life itself, the find was still exciting to the

    scientists involved in the mission.

    A fundamental question for this mission is whether Mars could have supported a habitable environment, stated

    Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASAs Mars Exploration Program. From what we know now, the answer is yes. And

    the search continues

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    6/16

    Complete the gaps aj in the text using the words below.

    altitude ambitious centrepiece daring habitable manoeuvres obstacles severed withstand zap

    Answer these questions about the text.

    A What are the twomain objectives of the Mars Curiosity mission?

    .

    BWhy is Curiositys large size an advantage? .

    CWhat is the difference between a Martian year and an Earth year?

    .

    DHow long did it take MSL to reach Mars? .

    EWhich word describes MSLs entry into Marss atmosphere?.

    FWhat three things were used to slow down MSL before it landed on the surface of Mars?

    .

    Is There Life on Mars

    The search for life on Mars started seriously in 1976. In 1976 two NASA spaceships, Viking 1and Viking 2, flew from Earth to Mars and landed on the planet. In 1997 NASA returned to Marsfrom Earth and it took over 20,000 photographs of the planet.

    In the same year ESA (European Space Agency) decided to send their first spaceship to MarsIt was called Mars Express. A British space scientist, Dr. Colin Pillinger, heard about the m ission.He had an idea; he could build a robot to travel to mars inside ESAs spaceship. The robot couldland on Mars and look for life on the planet.

    In 1998, ESA agreed with Dr. Pillingers plan. Pillinger chose the name Beagle 2 for the robot. After Charles Darwins1831 ship, Beagle in which he travelled the Earth.

    Beagle 2 needed to send the Earth a signal when it landed. The signal tells scientists on Earth that the spaceship landedsafely. Dr. Pillinger asked a famous pop group, Blur, to write a songthe first pop concert on Mars!

    Dr. Pillinger and his team spent $60 million on the robot. And in 2003 everyone was looking forward to hearing Blurssong when the robot landed on Mars. The scientists waited and waited. But they didnt hear the song. The tried tocontact the robot, but they never discovered the problem. And now they know they never will.

    Now Dr. Pillinger is talking about sending another robot to Mars in 2009called Beagle 3, of courseto travel inside aNASA spaceship.

    a) Read the article and write the correct names

    1. NASAs first spaceships to land on Mars .

    2. Europes first spaceship to land on Mars .

    3. Dr. Pillingers first robot to go to Mars .

    4. The robot Dr. Pillinger wants to build next. .

    b) For questions 1 6 below, circle the best answer.

    1. How many space ships did NASA send to Mars in 1976?

    a) One b) Two c) Three

    2. When did ESA decide to send a spaceship to Mars?

    a) In 1976 b) In 1997 c) 1998

    3. Who travelled on a ship called Beagle?

    a) NASA b) Charles Darwin c) Dr Colin Pillinger

    4. Who wrote a song for Dr. Pillingers robot?

    a) Dr. Pillinger and his team b) A Pop Group c) A scientist

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    7/16

    5. What happened to Dr. Pillingers robot?

    a) We dont know b) It crashed on Mars c) It didnt take off

    6. In which does Dr. Pillinger want Beagle 3 to go to Mars?

    a) Alone b) Inside Mars Express 2 c) Inside NASAs next spaceship.

    Fourth Planet from the Sun

    Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is the first of the "superior" planets, being further from

    the Sun than the Earth. It has two very small moons - Phobos and Deimos. Like Earth, Venus, andMercury, Mars is a rocky planet, but is relatively small, being between Mercury and Venus in size.

    Mars has many striking surface features, such as Olympus Mons (right), a giant volcano, three times

    the height of Everest, with a base 600 km in diameter. An extensive valley complex, named Valles

    Marineris, can be followed for a total length of over 4,500 km, and, in places, descends to 7 km

    below the rim. Recently, a Smiley Face and a Heart-shaped feature have been imaged.

    Whispy Atmosphere - The Martian atmosphere is mainly CO2 (95%), the rest being nitrogen and argon. The very low surface

    pressure, at around 10 mbar (200 Pa), is due to the lack of depth of atmosphere. Most of its atmosphere was stripped away by

    the Sun's solar wind. Under these conditions, liquid water cannot exist on the surface. However there is plenty locked up in the

    polar caps, and probably underground.

    Liquid Water on Surface? - Reportedly, liquid water has been discovered running on the surface of Mars in low canyons. Thepossibility of water on Mars will spur us on to explore our neighboring world, on which life could once have started and may even

    still exist today.

    Out in the Cold - Mars experiences a wide range of temperatures. Away from the equator, maximum daytime temperatures reach

    only -30C, while, on the equator, this can rise to over 22C. The thin atmosphere is a poor heat retainer, and night-time

    temperatures fall to around -100C in even the warmest of places. The wide range of temperatures are the cause of extremely

    high winds across the planet, producing fearsome dust storms which can be seen with telescopes from the Earth. Coupled with

    seasonal changes at the poles, the surface appearance is constantly changing.

    1. Why is Mars the first of the superior planets?

    2. Mention any two striking features which Mars has.

    3. What is the Martian atmosphere mainly composed of?

    4. Why cannot liquid water exist on the surface of Mars?

    5. Where has liquid water been discovered?

    6. What will the possibility of water on Mars spur us on to?

    7. What is the maximum daytime and night-time temperature?

    8. What causes the wide range of temperatures?

    9. Why is the surface appearance constantly changing?

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    8/16

    Look at the following notes about missions into space. Use the notes to write a paragraph. Look at the example

    first.

    Aearly 1960s / many attempts made / USSR / reach Mars / but / all ended / failure / for different reasons

    Example: During the early 1960s, many attempts were made by the USSR to reach Mars, but all ended in failure for

    different reasons.

    Bfirst success / 1964 / USA Mariner 4/ sent back 21 images

    Clate 1960s / more USSR attempts / none successful / because / launch failure

    D1971 / USSR first success / Mars 3Orbiter-Lander / sent back data for eight months / and landed on Mars / but / only

    20 seconds of data

    Emid 1970s / USA Viking 1and 2Orbiter-lander / 16,000 images returned / large quantity of data and soil experiments

    F1980s and 1990s / mostly failures / USA, USSR, Japan

    G1985 / Sultan bin Salman Al Saud / join / international crew / on Discovery/ launch satellite / space

    Hearly to mid-2000s / plenty of USA success / sending back enormous amounts of data

    I2012 / Chinese astronauts / eat / fresh vegetables / gardens / extraterrestrial bases in space

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    9/16

    Read the article about astronauts, and then complete the notes below.

    ASTRONAUTS

    Astronauts are people who explore space in spacecraft, shuttles and space

    stations. In Russia, they are called cosmonauts.

    There are two types of astronauts commanders who fly the spacecraft

    and carefully trained specialists who conduct scientific experiments andcarry out spacewalks to repair damaged equipment.

    Astronauts have to pass a medical and have qualifications in a relevant

    subject. They have to be willing to live an extremely small space and work

    well with other people. Experiments can go dangerously wrong, risking the

    lives of astronauts. They have to be able to react calmly in a difficult

    situation as well as be prepared to work hard.

    The very first human being to travel in space was a Russian cosmonaut named Yuri Gagarin. He orbited earth once in

    his spacecraft, Vostok 1, on April 12, 1961. Shortly after, an American astronaut Alan Shepard made a short space flight

    in a Mercury space vehicle but did not go into orbit. That was left for John Glenn Junior to do on February 20, 1962.

    The first woman in space was a Russian cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, who orbited Earth 45 times in 1963. Thefirst men to land on the moon were the American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin on July 20, 1969. Their

    Apollo II lunar module was called Eagle. Michael Collins orbited above in the spacecraft during the moonwalk.

    The British astronaut was, usually, a woman most astronauts are male. Helen Sharman got the job after hearing an

    announcement on the radio. There were 18,000 applicants and, luckily for Helen, she was chosen. She said that the

    most amazing thing was seeing the earth from 120 miles into space.

    Make short notes under each heading as a plan for your presentation.

    Types of astronauts

    *

    *

    Qualifications to be an astronaut

    *..

    *..

    *..

    *

    Astronauts who orbited Earth

    *..

    *..

    *..

    Now use your notes, to write a summary of about 70 words.

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    10/16

    Animals in Space

    Match the words to the meanings and read the text. Notice the

    words in action.

    (1)The first men and women who travelled in

    space, in the 1960s, depended on the

    sacrifices of animals that gave their lives

    for the advancement of human knowledge.

    Scientists needed to find out about the

    conditions in outer space, beyond Earth's

    protective ozone Layer, about the effects

    of weightlessness on Living organisms,

    and about the effects of stresson behaviour.

    Preparations for human space activities

    depended on the ability of animals that flew during and after the 1940s to survive and thrive.

    (2) Before humans actually went into space, scientists thought that humans might not survive long periods of

    weightlessness. Because of this, American and Russian scientists used animals - mainly monkeys and dogs,

    but also mice - in order to test their ability to launch a Living creature into space and to bring it back alive

    and unharmed.

    (3) As Long ago as June 1948, an American rocket was launched into space carrying Albert I, a monkey. In the same

    month, a second rocket carried another monkey, Albert II, to an altitude of 134 km. The monkey was killed when

    the rocket hit the. Earth on its return. Two months later, the first mouse went into space. Over the next four years,

    several more rockets were sent into space carrying monkeys and mice.

    (4) During the early 1950s, the Russians launched numerous rockets carrying mice, rats and rabbits as one-way

    passengers for their tests. They needed to collect data to design a cabin to carry a human being into space

    (5) ten years later, the tests continued, with mice, rats, fruit flies and plants travelling into space. In January 1961, Ham

    became the first chimpanzee to travel in a spaceship. The original flight plan called for an altitude of 185 km and speeds

    up to 7, 080 km/h. However, due to technical problems, the spacecraft carrying Ham reached an altitude of 253 km and

    a speed of 9,426 km

    (6) Ham performed well during his flight and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean 97 km from the recovery ship. He

    experienced a total of 6.6 minutes of weightlessness during a 16.5 minute flight. A post-flight medical examination found

    Ham to be slightly fatiguedand dehydrated, but in good shape otherwise. The success of Ham's flight led directly to

    the launch of Alan Shepard on America's first human space flight on 5 May 1961.

    A What information can you find in paragraph 1? ..

    B In which paragraph can you find three examples of verbs in the passive?

    C Scientists wanted to bring animals back to Earth alive. What else did they want?

    .

    D How did Albert II die? ..

    E What is a one-way passenger (paragraph 4)? .

    F Which word in paragraph 5 tells you that something went wrong with the flight plan for Ham's journey?

    .

    G How high and fast did Ham travel? Why was Ham's space travel so important?

    .

    sacrifices an event to celebrate or introduce somethingnew

    advancement not hurt or damaged

    protective tired

    stress the development or improvement of somethingthrive information

    launch giving protection

    unharmed height above sea level

    altitude to give up something

    numerous develop or be successful

    data loss of water from the body

    cabin great worry caused by a difficult situation

    fatigued the area where passengers sit in an aircraft

    dehydrated many

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    11/16

    Read through the passage carefully before you attempt any questions. Answer all the questions.

    STEPHEN HAWKING

    Stephen Hawking

    wrote A Brief

    History of Time in

    1988. Within only a

    few weeks, itreached the best-

    seller list. More than

    five million copies

    have been sold all over the world. Fan clubs were

    organized in America. In Britain, the popularity of the

    book and of Stephen Hawking was astounding. What

    was so special about it was that it was a non-fiction book

    about the creation of the universe. Physics dominated

    the content of the book. Not many people foresaw the

    success of it.

    Stephen William Hawking was born on 8 January 1942.Three hundred years ago on that exact same date, the

    famous Italian, Galileo, had died. Galileo was noted for

    his contributions to the study of astronomy and he was

    the first to state that the sun was the centre of the

    universe, not the earth, as was formerly believed. For

    promoting this notion, he was persecuted. That

    Hawking was born on the death anniversary of such a

    great man as Galileo was a fact that fascinated him. He

    would prove in the future that he too would make great

    contributions to the world of science.

    Hawking was born a healthy, normal child. From a

    young age, he demonstrated his intelligence. He was

    always among the brightest students. Without having to

    work hard, he still managed to do well. Eventually, he

    ended up in oxford, studying mathematics and physics.

    Even at such an advanced level, work was easy for him.

    In one instance, when his class was given an

    assignment from a textbook, he did not even bother to

    do them. When asked by his tutor for an explanation, he

    pointed out mistakes that were in the textbook. He

    continued to excel in his schoolwork, and went on to do

    post-graduate work.

    Then suddenly, things began to go wrong. He slowly

    became aware that he was losing the ability to control

    his movements. He could not do even the simplest

    things, like tying his shoelaces or pouring a drink.

    Doctors diagnosed him as having motor neurone

    disease. This disease was unfortunately incurable. Over

    time, it would affect the spinal cord, until total paralysis

    took over. Hawkings initial reaction was depression. He

    was only twenty-one with a bright future ahead, but this

    disease threatened that future.

    Yet gradually he pulled out of the depression. The

    disease, while paralyzing his body, did not affect his

    mind. He was able to continue working in his field of

    theoretical physics. Over the years, Hawking moved

    from using a walking stick to using a wheelchair. Then

    finally, with the electric wheelchair, Hawking regained

    some of his independence. With it, he could once again

    express his emotions, like turning away from someone

    abruptly if he was displeased, or even to run over

    someones toes if he was annoyed by them.

    Then in 1985, he developed pneumonia. Doctors said

    that the only solution was to cut directly into his windpipe

    and install a breathing device. However this meant thathe would lose his voice, another setback for him. Yet,

    he was not beaten by it. He learnt how to speak by

    typing into a computer, which would transmit the

    message to a voice-synthesiser. Today, Stephen

    Hawking is respected all over the world, not only for his

    contributions to theoretical physics, but also for his

    strength in the face of adversity.

    From paragraph 1:

    1. a) What is a non-fiction book?

    ..

    b) Why was the book not expected by many people to be a success?

    c) Physics dominated the content of the book. Explain what you think this means inyour own words.

    From paragraph 2:

    2. What was the significance of the birth-date of Hawking?

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    12/16

    3. a) for promoting this notion, he was persecuted. Explain what the notion was.

    b) Why do you think Galileo was persecuted for promoting this notion?

    c) What was the similarity between Galileo and Hawking?

    From paragraphs 3 and 4:

    4. What is the importance in the statement that Stephen Hawking was born a healthy, normal child?

    5. a) How do you think Hawking demonstrated his intelligence?

    b) thingsbegan to go wrong. What was it exactly that went wrong?

    6. What do you think total paralysis in the paragraph means?

    7. How was the disease a threat to Hawkings future?

    From paragraph 5:

    8. What would tell us that paralysis was not an immediate consequence for Hawking but came on gradually?

    9. Why was Hawking unable to express his emotions before he had an electric wheelchair?

    10.a) How was pneumonia another setback for Hawking?

    b) ... for his strength in the face of adversity. Explain what thismeans in your own words.

    Write a summary on Stephen Hawkings life and the difficulties he faced.

    USE ONLY MATERIAL FROM PARAGRAPHS 3 TO 6.

    Your summary should be in continuous writing and should not be longer than 70 words, including the words given below.

    Begin your summary as follows:

    Stephen Hawking was born healthy and normal.

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    13/16

    Life on the International Space Station

    Some people dream of travelling into space. However, Life in space is not very easy.

    Here are some of the problems that people on the International Space Station (lSS)

    have.

    1 Having lunch on the lSS is very difficult because there is no gravity in space,

    and things never stay where you put them. Food comes in plastic containers

    because the food cant stay on a plate.

    2 When they go outside, people wear special clothes, because there is noatmosphere in space. lt is also very cold in space. Inside the lSS, people can wear

    ordinary clothes.

    3 You can't have a shower in space because the water doesn't stay in one place. People wash with a sponge with water

    and soap.

    4 People on the ISS cant sleep in normal beds, because their bodies don't stay in the bed. They use special sleeping bags

    on the wall.

    lf you want to have a holiday in space, remember that life there is very different from life at home. And if you don't

    like it, you can't take a train or bus home.

    Read the text. Mark the sentences T (True) or F (False)

    I You can eat vegetables on a plate. .. 2 You can eat pasta from a plastic container. ..

    3 You can wear jeans inside the ISS.. 4 You can have a shower

    5 You can wash with a sponge. .. 6 You can sleep in a normal bed

    7 You cant go home by train. ..

    Read the article below about how astronauts sleeps in space and write a short summary of how they sleep in space. Your

    summary should be at least 70 words.

    How do astronauts sleep in space?

    After a long days work, youre ready for a good nights sleep. But its a little different if youre weightless.

    Theres no gravity in

    space, so astronauts can

    sleep almost anywhere.

    But this weightlessness

    means there is a risk of

    drifting around and

    bumping into things in

    your sleep. To solve this problem, astronauts use sleeping

    bags that can be attach to almost anything. If theyre in a

    space shuttle, many astronauts attach the sleeping bags to

    the wall so that they can feel pressure on their back or theirhead, making it seem more like a normal sleeping

    environment.

    On the international Space Station, things are slightly more

    luxurious the astronauts have their own box (quarters)

    that they can sleep in. The sleep stations are located in a

    couple of different modules on the International Space

    Station, says Dr Laura Barger from Harvard Medical Schools

    Division of Sleep Medicine in the US. She says that the

    Russian sleep stations are in one module, while the US has

    some stations in another.

    However, there are a number of factors that might stopthem dozing off. We studied sleep aboard Space Shuttle

    and International Space Station Missions and found there is

    a vast amount of sleep deficiency among astronauts and a

    widespread use of sleep promoting medications during

    spaceflight, Bargersays.

    These can be as simple as being uncomfortable sleeping in a

    free-fall environment without the pressure youd expect

    against your back. The temperature can also play a role in

    this discomfort some astronauts, like the famous Apollo

    crew, say that theyre too cold, while others complain about

    the heat. It can also be very noisy, depending on whats

    happening at the time and sharing close quarters can disturb

    people if their colleagues are up and about.

    There is also the 90 minute light-dark cycle for every time

    they orbit the Earth, which, according to Barger, can affect

    the astronauts circadian clocks as the light brightens and

    dims frequently. We think that theres an opportunity for

    the clock to become misaligned with the 24-hour cycle that

    theyre trying to keep.

    There is a new lighting spectrum being planned to help

    astronauts deal with this alignment. Shorter wavelengths of

    light have been shown in laboratory studies more effectively

    shift the circadian clock, Barger explains. This lighting

    could potentially be used in flight to facilitate circadian

    alignment when the astronauts sleep/wake schedules are

    abruptly shifted.

    And just in case youre wondering, it is also possible to snore

    in space.

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    14/16

    Listening Comprehension

    Listen to the following past paper question aboutvoyage1 and fill in the missing blanks.

    Voyager 1 and the golden disc

    The space craft

    1977: started its journey from Earth

    2012: first space vehicle to travel so far.............................. km

    Width: 3.7 metres Weight: 722 kilos

    Size: similar to a .............................. ..............................

    Knowledge gained: proof of .............................. on one of Jupiters moons

    Very limited technology on board

    Will send no more information after the year ..............................

    The golden disc

    Contains images: suggestions made by different people:

    children: animals

    young adults: .............................. older people: famous people from the past Contains sounds: music from

    around the world

    sounds from the world of nature, e.g. .............................. Purpose: for people in the future, to show the

    diversity of life on Earth

    The disc cover: made of metal

    includes ..................................

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    15/16

    Writing

    Recently it was announced that a travel company is taking tourists to space. You were selected as a lucky winner and

    made your first journey to the outer space. Write a letter to your friend about the experience of travelling to the

    International Space Station.

    In your letter you should explain

    how you won the lucky draw.

    how you got to space and how it was like to live there

    now that you are back what you plan to do next.

    Your letter should be between 100150 words.

  • 7/24/2019 ESL Theme the Outer Space

    16/16