Future of Space Exploration

As explained in “Future of Space Exploration Could See Humans on Mars, Alien Planets,” who is Mae Jemison?

• the head of the 100-Year Starship project

• an astronaut training to travel in the first expedition to Mars

• a fundraiser trying to obtain money to fund NASA’s programs

• a scientist working on new technologies for exploring the moon

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According to “Future of Space Exploration Could See Humans on Mars, Alien Planets,” what are the main purposes of the 100-Year Starship project? Choose two options.

• to enable human beings to establish colonies on Mars

• to help humanity overcome its problems with political instability

• to encourage public enthusiasm for travel beyond our solar system

• to develop the new technology needed to travel beyond our solar system

• to generate support for NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft

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According to “Future of Space Exploration Could See Humans on Mars, Alien Planets,” the 100-Year Starship project includes artists and science fiction writers, as well as scientists and engineers. What is the main reason for including people from the arts?

• Artists and science fiction writers are among the greatest critics of space travel, so changing their opinions is crucial to the success of the project.

• Artists and science fiction writers are great supporters of space travel, and they are willing to lend their time and effort to the project.

• The skills of artists and science fiction writers can help in the program’s aim of increasing public enthusiasm for space exploration.

• The program is so experimental that artists and science fiction writers understand it better than scientists and engineers do.

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In “Future of Space Exploration Could See Humans on Mars, Alien Planets,” what main point does Mae Jemison make regarding Proxima Centauri, the nearest star?

• It probably will be reached by NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft within her children’s lifetime.

• It cannot be reached for thousands of years, given our present technology.

• It is unlikely to have a planetary system that can support human life.

• It is farther away than the distance from New York to Los Angeles.

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According to “Future of Space Exploration Could See Humans on Mars, Alien Planets,” which of the following specific ideas is the 100-Year Starship program looking at closely? Choose two options.

• ways to adapt spaceships for public transportation on Earth

• ways to lower the cost of space travel

• ways to enable spaceships to travel more rapidly

• ways to shrink the amount of time space travel takes

• ways to improve the human body to help it endure long space trips

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If humans someday colonize Mars, what must they do?

• write about it

• remember it

• improve it

• settle it

Which of these actions is an example of planetary motion?

• the sun’s movements

• the Earth’s movements

• rockets moving through space

• astronauts moving in spaceships

If future astronauts engage in interstellar travel, where will they go?

• from star to star

• between Earth and Mars

• between Earth and the moon

• anywhere within our solar system

In “Future of Space Exploration Could See Humans on Mars, Alien Planets,” how important does Mae Jemison think the support of the general population is to the success of space programs?

• The dedication and support of the general population is needed for a space program to succeed.

• A space program can succeed without public support, but getting funding is easier with it.

• The general population’s support has less of an impact than the government’s support.

• Technology is the key to a space program’s success, not the support of the public.

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Choose the sentence from the news article best supports the answer to Part A?

• Mars may be one of the closest planets humans want to colonize, but it certainly isn’t the only one.

• Mae Jemison described the 100-Year Starship project to an interested audience.

• “The reason we’re not on the moon has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with public will and commitment,” Jemison said.

• “I believe that pursuing an extraordinary tomorrow will create a better world today,” she said.

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