9th Reading

Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that exists in our universe. There’s a lot we still don’t know about dark matter, but what we do know is that it makes up 27% of our universe, and that there’s not enough visible matter in the universe to compose it. Dark matter doesn’t appear in our sky in the form of the stars and planets we are used to. It also can’t be dark clouds of normal matter, or antimatter; we don’t detect any radiation absorption in dark matter like we would with matter, nor does dark matter produce gamma rays that are indicative of antimatter. In addition, dark matter can’t be multiple galaxy-sized black holes, because dark matter doesn’t bend light that approaches it. In fact, dark matter doesn’t interact with electromagnetic forces at all. It doesn’t absorb, emit, or reflect light. The only way for scientists to study its existence is to make inferences about it due to the gravitational effect it has on visible matter. Yet, despite the mystery surrounding it, dark matter outweighs visible matter 6:1. So what is the purpose of a substance we can’t see, yet is so prevalent?

 

Initially, scientists and astronomers believed that gravity was slowing down the progress of the universe. However, in recent decades, data has shown that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Understanding dark matter and dark energy are key to elucidating the reason for this increased speed in universe development. Many galaxies in the universe are rotating too fast for their gravity to be the only thing keeping them together: if that was the case, galaxies would not be able to stay intact and would fall apart. We can infer that dark matter is part of the solution.

 

Astronomers and scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what dark matter is made of in order to further understand its applications in space. One hypothesis is that it is made of particles such as axions or WIMPS, weakly interacting massive particles. Another introduces supersymmetric particles. Scientists might be able to study dark matter particles at the world’s largest particle collider: the Large Hadron Collider, located underneath the France-Switzerland border. Dark matter particles may be large enough for the collider to produce them during collisions. While we wouldn’t be able to detect them, scientists can measure their existence via the energy and momentum “missing from a collision”—the significant energy and momentum carried by the dark matter particles. If this is the case, the Large Hadron Collider could be instrumental in shining a light on these otherwise invisible space particles.

Based on the reading, if there were 200 particles in our universe, how many of them would we expect to be dark matter?

• 27

• 100

• 10

• 54

Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that exists in our universe. There’s a lot we still don’t know about dark matter, but what we do know is that it makes up 27% of our universe, and that there’s not enough visible matter in the universe to compose it. Dark matter doesn’t appear in our sky in the form of the stars and planets we are used to. It also can’t be dark clouds of normal matter, or antimatter; we don’t detect any radiation absorption in dark matter like we would with matter, nor does dark matter produce gamma rays that are indicative of antimatter. In addition, dark matter can’t be multiple galaxy-sized black holes, because dark matter doesn’t bend light that approaches it. In fact, dark matter doesn’t interact with electromagnetic forces at all. It doesn’t absorb, emit, or reflect light. The only way for scientists to study its existence is to make inferences about it due to the gravitational effect it has on visible matter. Yet, despite the mystery surrounding it, dark matter outweighs visible matter 6:1. So what is the purpose of a substance we can’t see, yet is so prevalent?

 

Initially, scientists and astronomers believed that gravity was slowing down the progress of the universe. However, in recent decades, data has shown that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Understanding dark matter and dark energy are key to elucidating the reason for this increased speed in universe development. Many galaxies in the universe are rotating too fast for their gravity to be the only thing keeping them together: if that was the case, galaxies would not be able to stay intact and would fall apart. We can infer that dark matter is part of the solution.

 

Astronomers and scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what dark matter is made of in order to further understand its applications in space. One hypothesis is that it is made of particles such as axions or WIMPS, weakly interacting massive particles. Another introduces supersymmetric particles. Scientists might be able to study dark matter particles at the world’s largest particle collider: the Large Hadron Collider, located underneath the France-Switzerland border. Dark matter particles may be large enough for the collider to produce them during collisions. While we wouldn’t be able to detect them, scientists can measure their existence via the energy and momentum “missing from a collision”—the significant energy and momentum carried by the dark matter particles. If this is the case, the Large Hadron Collider could be instrumental in shining a light on these otherwise invisible space particles.

Based on the reading, which of the following best describes the role of the Large Hadron Collider in helping scientists understand dark matter?

• It will allow scientists to study dark matter in more controlled, lab conditions.

• It will allow scientists to take dark matter particles across the ocean.

• It will allow scientists to manipulate the weight of the dark matter particles.

• It will allow scientists to view the previously invisible dark matter particles.

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Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that exists in our universe. There’s a lot we still don’t know about dark matter, but what we do know is that it makes up 27% of our universe, and that there’s not enough visible matter in the universe to compose it. Dark matter doesn’t appear in our sky in the form of the stars and planets we are used to. It also can’t be dark clouds of normal matter, or antimatter; we don’t detect any radiation absorption in dark matter like we would with matter, nor does dark matter produce gamma rays that are indicative of antimatter. In addition, dark matter can’t be multiple galaxy-sized black holes, because dark matter doesn’t bend light that approaches it. In fact, dark matter doesn’t interact with electromagnetic forces at all. It doesn’t absorb, emit, or reflect light. The only way for scientists to study its existence is to make inferences about it due to the gravitational effect it has on visible matter. Yet, despite the mystery surrounding it, dark matter outweighs visible matter 6:1. So what is the purpose of a substance we can’t see, yet is so prevalent?

 

Initially, scientists and astronomers believed that gravity was slowing down the progress of the universe. However, in recent decades, data has shown that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Understanding dark matter and dark energy are key to elucidating the reason for this increased speed in universe development. Many galaxies in the universe are rotating too fast for their gravity to be the only thing keeping them together: if that was the case, galaxies would not be able to stay intact and would fall apart. We can infer that dark matter is part of the solution.

 

Astronomers and scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what dark matter is made of in order to further understand its applications in space. One hypothesis is that it is made of particles such as axions or WIMPS, weakly interacting massive particles. Another introduces supersymmetric particles. Scientists might be able to study dark matter particles at the world’s largest particle collider: the Large Hadron Collider, located underneath the France-Switzerland border. Dark matter particles may be large enough for the collider to produce them during collisions. While we wouldn’t be able to detect them, scientists can measure their existence via the energy and momentum “missing from a collision”—the significant energy and momentum carried by the dark matter particles. If this is the case, the Large Hadron Collider could be instrumental in shining a light on these otherwise invisible space particles.

Based on the reading, which statement is true?

• Dark matter may be composed of supersymmetric particles.

• The expansion of the universe is slowing down.

• The Large Hadron Collider is located on the Spain-Switzerland border.

• Dark matter is part of the visible spectrum.

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Friday the 13th is considered a day in which bad things occur. It is a superstition. A superstition is a belief of something ominous without actual reason. The origin of this superstition is unclear. Both Friday and the number 13 have been considered unlucky for hundreds of years. Bad luck associated with the number 13 may have biblical roots. Some believe Eve bit the apple from the Tree of Knowledge on the 13th day. Others point to the idea that there were 13 people present for Jesus’s Last Supper, the day before Good Friday. The number 13 was considered so unlucky, that many hotels and buildings were built without a 13th floor! It wasn’t until the 20th century, however, that Friday and “13” were paired together in bad luck. In 1907, author Thomas Lawson wrote Friday, the Thirteenth. The book was about a stock broker who purposely caused the stock market to crash on that day.

 

The Friday the 13th superstition, however, gained serious traction with the Friday the 13th horror film series. Originally released in 1980, the story centers around the “ghost” of Jason Voorhees. In the movie, Jason, with his iconic hockey mask, hunts the hapless characters who come to vacation at Crystal Lake – the lake he drowned in as a child. Twelve movies later, the Friday the 13th series remains one of the most successful horror film franchises in history.

 

Is Friday the 13th actually unlucky compared to other days? Not really. There is no actual evidence to suggest that events that have occurred on Friday the 13th throughout history are worse than events that have occurred on other days. Some studies have shown that Friday the 13th is actually safer than other days, because people are more anxious and attentive. People may actually find Friday the 13th to be lucky. It is thought that air travel is cheaper and booking a wedding is much cheaper on Friday the 13th than other days. It is clear, however, that Friday the 13th will be around for a long time. Over the next 4,800 months, the 13th will occur on Friday more than any other day!

Based on the reading, what does “traction” mean in the following sentence? "The Friday the 13th superstition, however, gained serious traction with the Friday the 13th horror film series."

• fiction

• popularity

• disbelief

• excitement

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Friday the 13th is considered a day in which bad things occur. It is a superstition. A superstition is a belief of something ominous without actual reason. The origin of this superstition is unclear. Both Friday and the number 13 have been considered unlucky for hundreds of years. Bad luck associated with the number 13 may have biblical roots. Some believe Eve bit the apple from the Tree of Knowledge on the 13th day. Others point to the idea that there were 13 people present for Jesus’s Last Supper, the day before Good Friday. The number 13 was considered so unlucky, that many hotels and buildings were built without a 13th floor! It wasn’t until the 20th century, however, that Friday and “13” were paired together in bad luck. In 1907, author Thomas Lawson wrote Friday, the Thirteenth. The book was about a stock broker who purposely caused the stock market to crash on that day.

 

The Friday the 13th superstition, however, gained serious traction with the Friday the 13th horror film series. Originally released in 1980, the story centers around the “ghost” of Jason Voorhees. In the movie, Jason, with his iconic hockey mask, hunts the hapless characters who come to vacation at Crystal Lake – the lake he drowned in as a child. Twelve movies later, the Friday the 13th series remains one of the most successful horror film franchises in history.

 

Is Friday the 13th actually unlucky compared to other days? Not really. There is no actual evidence to suggest that events that have occurred on Friday the 13th throughout history are worse than events that have occurred on other days. Some studies have shown that Friday the 13th is actually safer than other days, because people are more anxious and attentive. People may actually find Friday the 13th to be lucky. It is thought that air travel is cheaper and booking a wedding is much cheaper on Friday the 13th than other days. It is clear, however, that Friday the 13th will be around for a long time. Over the next 4,800 months, the 13th will occur on Friday more than any other day!

Based on the reading, what is implied in the final sentence of the second paragraph?

• People really believed that Jason Voorhees was real

• People were really entertained by the Friday the 13th movies

• People really believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day

• All of the above

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Friday the 13th is considered a day in which bad things occur. It is a superstition. A superstition is a belief of something ominous without actual reason. The origin of this superstition is unclear. Both Friday and the number 13 have been considered unlucky for hundreds of years. Bad luck associated with the number 13 may have biblical roots. Some believe Eve bit the apple from the Tree of Knowledge on the 13th day. Others point to the idea that there were 13 people present for Jesus’s Last Supper, the day before Good Friday. The number 13 was considered so unlucky, that many hotels and buildings were built without a 13th floor! It wasn’t until the 20th century, however, that Friday and “13” were paired together in bad luck. In 1907, author Thomas Lawson wrote Friday, the Thirteenth. The book was about a stock broker who purposely caused the stock market to crash on that day.

 

The Friday the 13th superstition, however, gained serious traction with the Friday the 13th horror film series. Originally released in 1980, the story centers around the “ghost” of Jason Voorhees. In the movie, Jason, with his iconic hockey mask, hunts the hapless characters who come to vacation at Crystal Lake – the lake he drowned in as a child. Twelve movies later, the Friday the 13th series remains one of the most successful horror film franchises in history.

 

Is Friday the 13th actually unlucky compared to other days? Not really. There is no actual evidence to suggest that events that have occurred on Friday the 13th throughout history are worse than events that have occurred on other days. Some studies have shown that Friday the 13th is actually safer than other days, because people are more anxious and attentive. People may actually find Friday the 13th to be lucky. It is thought that air travel is cheaper and booking a wedding is much cheaper on Friday the 13th than other days. It is clear, however, that Friday the 13th will be around for a long time. Over the next 4,800 months, the 13th will occur on Friday more than any other day!

Based on the reading, if the answer to a question is “because people are more anxious or attentive,” what might the question be?

• Why is Friday the 13th so scary to people?

• What evidence is there to show Friday the 13th is more dangerous than other days?

• Why do more people crash their cars on Friday the 13th?

• Why might Friday the 13th actually prove safer than other days?

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