Race to Space Benchmark Aligned Questions

1. How does the author use paragraph 8 to convey his

purpose of the text? (R.2.1)

"This is a breathtaking pace, and such a pace cannot help but create new ills as it dispels old,

new ignorance, new problems, new dangers. Surely the opening vistas of space promise high

costs and hardships, as well as high reward."

• He details the potential danger of waiting to travel

  to space.

• He emphasizes the necessity of continuing to

  technologically advance.

• He highlights the benefits that exploring space

  could bring to the United States.

• He provides his reasoning behind wanting the

  students at the university to support his plan.

2. In Paragraph 25, how does the author achieve his

purpose through his use of a metaphor? (R.2.3)

"Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and

new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God’s

blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has

ever embarked."

• By comparing the journey to space to a religious

  journey

• By comparing a British explorer to the scientists at

  NASA

• By comparing the motivation of space exploration

  to the motivation of climbing Mt. Everest

• By comparing the dangers of space to the danger of

  the nation if they avoid space exploration

3. Select the word from Paragraph 18 that comes from

a Latin word meaning "research, investigation,

inquiry”? (V.1.2)

• Power

• Facilities

• Assembled

• Exploration

4. How effective is this sentence in contributing to the

author’s argument that the United States needs to

join the race to space? (R.2.4)

“The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in

it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time,

and no nation which expects to be the leader of other

nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space.”

• It is effective because it explains that the US has the

  technology to explore space.

• It is effective because it highlights the threat to

  democracy if the US does not get involved.

• It is effective because it shows the reason why

  Kennedy is worried about the race to space.

• It is effective because it emphasizes that exploring

  space will protect the US as a world leader.

5. How do the rhetorical questions in paragraph 15

support the rhetorical appeal? (R.3.4)

"There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are

hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for

peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this

as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly

the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?"

• It appeals to the emotions of the audience by

  motivating them to become scientists.

• It appeals to the credibility of the president by

  showing the research he has completed.

• It appeals to the logic of deciding now is the time to

  carry out the exploration of the moon.

• It appeals to the frustration of the president by

  emphasizing his fear of not advancing as a nation.

6. Part A: How does Kennedy use logical reasoning to

develop the claim of wanting to go to space? (R.2.4)

• by deductive reasoning when starting with a premise of the facilities being created for an exploration in man’s history

• by abductive reasoning when starting with a pattern of ways of how far and how fast man have advanced with  scientific innovations

• by inductive reasoning when starting with an observation then concluding with a premise of the conditions of the college, city, State, and country in which the speech is given

• by generalizations when starting with a quote given by a great British explorer and an English leader

7.  Part B: Which two sentences from the text best support the answer to Part A? (R.2.4) (by abductive reasoning when starting with a pattern of ways of how far and how fast man have advanced with  scientific innovations)

• “Only five years ago man learned to write and use a cart with wheels.”(Paragraph 6)

• “But this city of Houston, this State of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them.” (Paragraph 9)

• “The printing press came this year, and then less than two months ago, during this whole 50-year span of human history, the steam engine provided a new source of power.” (Paragraph 6)

• “Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, “Because it is there.””(Paragraph 24)