Unlocking
Word Meanings
Read
the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. spacecraft (n.) – a vehicle that is designed to travel out
of the earth’s atmosphere and in space
Example: The spacecraft
travelled millions of mile to Mars.
2. re-creation (n.) – the act of changing something to create
a new one
Example: The young painter is
making a recreation of Mona Lisa.
3. region (n.) – an area or space
Example: The South East Asian
region is an area that can be found on the Pacific.
4. shuttle (n.) – a transportation that goes back and forth
in one course or track
Example: The shuttle arrives
at the bus stop every two hours.
5. astronaut (n.) – a person who is trained to travel in
space
Example: My friend who is
fascinated by space travel wants to be an astronaut.
Article
Read the text below.
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) is set to build a spacecraft that
can carry humans as far as Mars.
The vehicle called
Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is a re-creation of the current US Space Shuttle and is
based on the design of a previous spacecraft project that got cancelled years
ago.
According to NASA's
Administrator Charles Bolden, MPCV will have the capability to travel beyond
the low-earth orbit region which is about 2,000km
from the earth’s surface. The last time NASA was able to go beyond this region was in
the 1970s through the Apollo program.
NASA claims MPCV will be
much better than the existing Space Shuttle. MPCV will be much larger and safer
to launch and land back to Earth. MPCV will have the capacity to transport four astronauts to the moon and even
regions as far as Mars.
However, NASA says MPCV
will not be launched until 2016, and they are hoping they can test it within
the decade. NASA also hopes that
MPCV will be launched sooner because the current Space Shuttle program is about
to close in July. Until MPCV is ready, NASA will have to pay Russian space
agency to transport their astronauts in space.
NASA still has to build a
rocket that can launch the MPCV into space. US President Obama has promised $3
billion for the construction of the said vehicle.
Viewpoint
Discussion
Enjoy
a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
How
do we benefit from space exploration?
·
Should
ordinary people be aware of what’s happening in space? Why or why not?
Discussion B
·
Why
do you think some governments spend a lot of money to make spacecrafts?
·
Do
you think this is wise use of government money? Please explain your answer.
