Achieve 3000: Lunar Takeaways

What is this Article mainly about?

• Approximately 70 percent of the lunar rock samples collected during six Apollo missions are in original condition and have never been exposed to Earth's atmosphere.

• Lab technicians are determining the best way to remove lunar rock, core, and dust samples from their sealed containers so that Earth's atmosphere does not contaminate them.

• NASA has announced that it will grant geologists permission to study some of the remaining lunar rock samples that have been sealed for 50 years.

• An analysis of lunar rocks collected during the Apollo missions supports the theory that the moon was formed when a planetary body crashed into Earth.

Which is the closest antonym for the word contaminate?

• discard

• purify

• expose

• acknowledge

Look at the events below. According to the Article, which of these happened third?

• Apollo 11 successfully launched on its mission to the moon with three astronauts aboard.

• Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin collected 48 pounds (22 kilograms) of rocks from the surface of the moon.

• Three Apollo moon missions used rovers so that the astronauts could gather samples from a broader area than was previously possible.

• Lab technicians practiced with imitation lunar dirt to try to determine the best way to open containers of lunar samples that had been sealed.

Which information is not in the Article?

• How the astronauts of Apollo 15, 16, and 17 were able to collect lunar rock samples from such a wide-ranging area

• Why samples of lunar rocks brought back from the Apollo missions were sealed on the moon and kept frozen or stored in gaseous helium after splashdown

• How the samples of lunar rocks collected during the Apollo missions were used to determine the ages of the surfaces of Mars and Mercury

• What scientists have already learned about the inner solar system by studying lunar rock samples brought back from the six Apollo missions

The Article states: In fact, lab technicians are trying to figure out the safest way to remove the samples from their containers without contaminating them. To that end, they're practicing on imitation lunar dirt. Which is the closest synonym for the word imitation?

• explosive

• baffling

• phony

• collectible

The Article states: So what's the big deal about a bunch of rock and soil samples? According to NASA scientists, studying them provides useful information about the early history of Earth, the moon, sun, and other objects in the inner solar system. Apollo moon rocks tell us the ages of the surfaces of Mars and Mercury. They also suggest that Jupiter and the other large outer planets probably formed closer to the sun and moved outwardly. Studies of lunar rocks also revealed the chemical composition of the moon. These studies support the belief that the moon was formed after a planetary body struck Earth. Why did the author include this passage?

• To describe the way in which rocks which came from the surfaces of Mars and Mercury ended up as some of the Apollo mission's lunar rock samples

• To suggest that it is nearly impossible for scientists to determine accurate ages for Earth and its moon

• To emphasize the tremendous difference between lunar rock samples and rocks that can be found on Mars and Mercury

• To help explain why the study of lunar rock samples is so essential to gaining a better understanding of our solar system

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-6

Which passage from the Article best supports the idea that the study of lunar rock samples can help scientists gain a better understanding of other objects in our solar system?

• Indeed, between 1969 and 1972, 12 astronauts over the course of 6 Apollo missions to the moon gathered 842 pounds (382 kilograms) of lunar samples. The samples came from six different exploration sites. And as it turned out, Armstrong and Aldrin's haul was the lightest of all six missions. It yielded approximately 48 pounds (22 kilograms) of samples. Because theirs was the first lunar landing, NASA wanted to lessen any potential risks. So the agency limited the amount of time the two astronauts spent on the moon.

• But most of them were locked in vaults for safekeeping in the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Approximately 70 percent of these samples have not been touched or exposed to Earth's atmosphere since they were bagged and tagged over 50 years ago.

• The NASA astronauts who touched down on the moon in the late 1960s and early '70s were like visitors to a family theme park. They brought back souvenirs. And what those long-ago moonwalkers hauled home was what they moonwalked on: actual rocks, core samples, pebbles, sand, and dust from the surface of the moon.

• In addition, scientists learned that a crust formed on the moon more than 4 billion years ago. This crust formation, the meteorite bombardment that followed, and later lava outpourings are all recorded in the rocks. Similarly, the radiation emitted by the sun since the formation of the moon's crust is trapped in the lunar soil. The soil serves as a sort of permanent record of solar activity throughout this period.

Based on the Article, which is most likely to happen?

• Some of the lunar rock samples currently in NASA's possession will be gifted to other countries as a gesture of good will.

• Sealed containers with lunar rock samples will remain unopened until additional rocks can be collected on future planned moon missions.

• Scientists will learn more about the nature of our solar system by studying lunar rock samples using modern testing equipment and practices.

• Most of the remaining sealed lunar rock samples will be put on display in museums across the United States.