Asteroid Attack!

What detail does the author use to describe NT7?

• The speed of NT7 is 70 miles per hour.

• The size of NT7 is 8 miles wide.

• The orbit of NT7 takes 837 days

• The color of NT7 matches that of comets.

According to the passage, where do most asteroids orbit the sun?

• between Earth and Mars

• between Venus and Jupiter

• between Mars and Jupiter

• between the Sun and Earth

In Paragraph 10, the author states that people often confuse asteroids and comets. Why?

• Like asteroids, comets look like space rocks when they are far from the sun.

• Like asteroids, comets could cause a lot of damage if they hit Earth.

• Like comets, most asteroids melt when they get close to the sun.

• Like comets, most asteroids have long tails when they pass Earth.

"A few years ago, astronomers discovered a mile wide rock tumbling through space."

What does the word astronomers mean in the above sentence?

• people who study objects in space

• people who study maps of the Earth

• people who study rocks

• people who study the sun

The primary purpose of this passage is to

• persuade the reader that NT7 will hit Earth

• list all the steps scientists take to study asteroids

• describe near - Earth asteroids

• compare comets and asteroids

Which is the best summary for this text selection?

• Scientists discovered a rock tumbling through space, heading for Earth. Scientists discovered that the asteroid would miss Earth. Scientist know about 350 near - Earth asteroids.

• Scientists discovered a rock tumbling through space, heading for Earth. Scientists discovered that the asteroid would miss Earth. Scientists say that an asteroid is expected to hit the Earth every few million years. There are differences between asteroids and comets.

• People often confuse asteroids and comets. Asteroids are made of rock, comets are made of ice. Scientists study them both.

• Scientist discovered an asteroid and named it NT7. They are waiting for asteroids to hit the Earth. There are anywhere between 500 and 1,000 near- Earth asteroids waiting to be discovered.

Why did the author use the photograph on the front?

• to show how dark space is

• to show how dangerous an asteroid is

• to show what an asteroid may look like

• to show what Earth looks like.