Apollo Missions to the Moon

Read the excerpt from Team Moon.

The heavier the spacecraft, the harder it is to launch. And fuel is heavy. So it was critical to pinpoint the fuel needed, add a cushion, then take no more than necessary. But now, because the landing was taking far longer than planned, the fuel was almost gone. Mission Control wanted Neil to take as much time as he needed and fly the LM as near empty as possible only because they wanted him to make the landing. But if he ran out of fuel above the surface, in all likelihood the LM would crash onto the moon. So they were trying to time it to the last possible second before calling an abort—calling off the landing.

Which detail from the excerpt identifies a solution?

• they were trying to time it to the last possible second

• they wanted him to make the landing

• the fuel was almost gone

• And fuel is heavy

Read the excerpt from Team Moon.

The heavier the spacecraft, the harder it is to launch. And fuel is heavy. So it was critical to pinpoint the fuel needed, add a cushion, then take no more than necessary. But now, because the landing was taking far longer than planned, the fuel was almost gone. Mission Control wanted Neil to take as much time as he needed and fly the LM as near empty as possible only because they wanted him to make the landing. But if he ran out of fuel above the surface, in all likelihood the LM would crash onto the moon. So they were trying to time it to the last possible second before calling an abort—calling off the landing.

Why does the author use a problem-solution text structure in the paragraph?

• to help the reader understand how the fuel system on a spacecraft works

• to help the reader understand the difficult decisions faced by Mission Control

• to help the reader understand the differences between the two astronauts

• to help the reader understand how the country’s space program got started

Read the excerpt from Team Moon.

The trouble with option 2 was that the venting might push the fuel to an unstable condition. Or, another possible outcome of the “burping”: what if the landing gear hadn’t deployed correctly? Could any movement, or any resulting burst—no matter how small—tip the LM over? Many a voice in the debate thought the safest option was to abort—now! But that opinion was quickly overruled by the Grumman and NASA leadership (who were confident of the landing gear), and the consensus of the leaders was that it would be safe to gently, gently burp the engine.

Which detail from the excerpt best identifies a problem?

• the venting might push the fuel to an unstable condition

• Many . . . thought the safest option was to abort—now

• it would be safe to gently, gently burp the engine

• that opinion was quickly overruled by the Grumman

Read the excerpt from Team Moon.

The trouble with option 2 was that the venting might push the fuel to an unstable condition. Or, another possible outcome of the “burping”: what if the landing gear hadn’t deployed correctly? Could any movement, or any resulting burst—no matter how small—tip the LM over? Many a voice in the debate thought the safest option was to abort—now! But that opinion was quickly overruled by the Grumman and NASA leadership (who were confident of the landing gear), and the consensus of the leaders was that it would be safe to gently, gently burp the engine.

Which detail from the excerpt identifies a solution?

• the venting might push the fuel to an unstable condition

• that opinion was quickly overruled by the Grumman

• what if the landing gear hadn’t deployed correctly

• it would be safe to gently, gently burp the engine

Read the excerpt from Team Moon.

The trouble with option 2 was that the venting might push the fuel to an unstable condition. Or, another possible outcome of the “burping”: what if the landing gear hadn’t deployed correctly? Could any movement, or any resulting burst—no matter how small—tip the LM over? Many a voice in the debate thought the safest option was to abort—now! But that opinion was quickly overruled by the Grumman and NASA leadership (who were confident of the landing gear), and the consensus of the leaders was that it would be safe to gently, gently burp the engine.

Why does the author use a problem-solution text structure in the paragraph?

• to help the reader understand the astronauts’ feelings about the landing

• to help the reader understand the intense pressure of the situation

• to help the reader understand the similarities between the leaders’ options

• to help the reader understand the process of “burping” an engine

Read the excerpt from Team Moon.

So they came by the thousands—kids, really, twenty-somethings, a few in their thirties. No one knew for sure how to get to the moon, how to land, or get home. But their goal was clear-cut, and that was enough. That gave them purpose: a reason to puzzle out the problems and seek solutions rather than sleep.

Which sentence from the excerpt best identifies the problem?

• So they came by the thousands—kids, really, twenty-somethings, a few in their thirties.

• But their goal was clear-cut, and that was enough.

• No one knew for sure how to get to the moon, how to land, or get home.

• That gave them purpose: a reason to puzzle out the problems and seek solutions rather than sleep.

Read the excerpt from Team Moon.

Absolutely no one expected it to happen. They painstakingly planned so it absolutely wouldn’t-couldn’t happen. But here they were, less than five hundred feet from the moon, and just about plumb out of fuel.

Which detail from the excerpt best identifies the problem?

• no one expected it to happen

• just about plumb out of fuel

• they painstakingly planned

• five hundred feet from the moon

Which best states how information in Team Moon and the NASA article are the same?

• Both give information about the moon landing of the Apollo 11 space mission.

• Both give detailed information about problems faced during the moon landing.

• Both give information about the entire Apollo 11 flight from launch to landing.

• Both give detailed information about the astronauts’ feelings during the flight.

Which best states how information presented in Team Moon and the NASA article are different?

• The NASA article is about the Apollo 11 mission, while the Team Moon article is mostly about the “space race.”

• The Team Moon article captures the excitement of the Apollo 11 moon landing, while the NASA article does not.

• The Team Moon article is about President Kennedy, while the NASA article is about Neil Armstrong.

• The NASA article covers the entire Apollo 11 flight, while the Team Moon article is mostly about the landing.

Which detail is included in both Team Moon and the NASA article?

• The Apollo 11 spacecraft required 7.5 million pounds of thrust to be propelled into space.

• The lunar module was only a few seconds away from having no fuel when it landed.

• The lunar module had been landed with 120 seconds of fuel left in every simulation.

• The Apollo 11 spacecraft entered lunar orbit three days after it was launched from earth.