"Disaster in Space" QUIZ - SCHOLASTIC

"Disaster in Space" is mainly about:

• Neil Armstrong, the first human on the moon

• a life-or-death problem and how it was solved

• how parachutes work

• why people are curious about outer space

In which year did the Apollo 13 mission take place?

• 1955

• 1960

• 1969

• 1970

Why couldn't Lovell, Swigert, and Haise re-enter Earth's atmosphere in the LEM?

• The LEM's oxygen supply was quickly running out.

• The LEM couldn't travel quickly enough to get through Earth's atmosphere.

• The LEM didn't have a heat shield, and the astronauts would burn up if they traveled through the atmosphere without one.

• The astronauts couldn't fit comfortably inside the LEM.

The article says that the astronauts were shivering inside the LEM. Why?

• The astronauts were terrified.

• They had turned off the heat in the LEM to save power.

• The LEM's heating system was broken.

• A hole in the LEM was letting cold air in.

Which text evidence supports the fact that the astronauts turned off the heat in the LEM in order to save power?

• "The LEM and Odyssey were latched together like LEGO bricks."

• "The spacecraft moaned and shuddered."

• "So the astronauts turned off all but the most necessary systems, including heat."

• "The astronauts barely slept."

Why did some engineers fight back tears as the astronauts re-entered Earth's atmosphere?

• They had not heard from the astronauts, and they were afraid that the men were dead.

• They were relieved because the mission was almost over.

• They were sad because Apollo 13 had failed.

• They were afraid that they would be blamed for the disaster.

Reread the article's title. What "disaster" does it refer to?

• People lost interest in space exploration.

• An explosion badly damaged a spacecraft with three astronauts aboard.

• Apollo 13 did not make it to the moon.

• Mission Control temporarily lost contact with Apollo 13.

In which section of the article can you find details about the disaster?

• "A Mission to the Moon"

• "A Space Race"

• "A Catastrophe"

• "Free Fall to Earth"

The mood, or feeling, of the article's introduction can best be described as ____________.

• calm and mellow

• cheerful and upbeat

• sad and depressed

• tense and suspenseful

The article says that as Apollo 13 took off, the astronauts "felt that their bones could shatter." Why?

• They were jammed inside a small place.

• They were very excited and nervous.

• They were traveling extremely fast.

• They were extremely cold.