Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What personal qualities and training do you think are essential for someone to become an astronaut and undertake missions in space?
- What is a hurricane, and how does it affect the weather and environment?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- amid /uh-MID/
- conclude /kuhn-KLOOD/
- dedication /ded-i-KEY-shuhn/
- gesture /JES-cher /
- acknowledge /ak-NOL-ij/
[preposition] – in the middle of or surrounded by
Amid the bustling city streets, she found a moment of tranquility.
[verb] – to cause something to end, or to end
The meeting will conclude with a summary of the key points discussed and the next steps to be taken.
[noun] – the willingness to give a lot of time and energy to something because it is important
Her dedication to her craft was evident in the countless hours she spent practicing and perfecting her skills.
[noun] – a movement of the hands, arms, or head, etc. to express an idea or feeling
As a gesture of goodwill, he offered to help his neighbor with her yard work while she was recovering from surgery.
[verb] – to accept, admit, or recognize something, or the truth or existence of something
She was quick to acknowledge her mistake and apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Four astronauts wrapped up a six-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS) amid Hurricane Idalia’s impact in Florida. As part of NASA and SpaceX’s Crew-6 mission, they departed the ISS at 7:05 a.m. Eastern Time on a Sunday, journeying back to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon capsule. Their voyage, with an extra day in space, concluded at 12:17 a.m. Eastern Time, exemplifying their dedication. Crew-6, composed of Stephen Bowen, Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Sultan Alneyadi (the UAE’s second astronaut in space), and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, confronted Hurricane Idalia’s challenges during their ISS tenure, overseeing 200+ projects and emphasizing their research and innovation roles. Axiom Mission 2, with an American businessman and two Saudi Arabian astronauts, showcased NASA’s commitment to low-Earth orbit commercial activities, including space tourism.
In a heartwarming gesture, the returning astronauts acknowledged their colleague Frank Rubio, who is nearing a record for the longest time a U.S. astronaut has spent in microgravity, resulting from a coolant leak in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. This incident led to a mission extension. In conclusion, the safe return of Crew 6 astronauts not only illustrates their courage and space exploration expertise but also underscores NASA and SpaceX’s resilience during terrestrial disasters, offering inspiration for the future of human space exploration and expanding our planet’s boundaries.
In a heartwarming gesture, the returning astronauts acknowledged their colleague Frank Rubio, who is nearing a record for the longest time a U.S. astronaut has spent in microgravity, resulting from a coolant leak in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. This incident led to a mission extension. In conclusion, the safe return of Crew 6 astronauts not only illustrates their courage and space exploration expertise but also underscores NASA and SpaceX’s resilience during terrestrial disasters, offering inspiration for the future of human space exploration and expanding our planet’s boundaries.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- Who were the four astronauts mentioned in the article?
- What mission did these astronauts participate in?
- When did they depart from the International Space Station (ISS)?
- How long did their voyage last?
- How did the astronauts exemplify their dedication during their mission?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have you ever been on a long journey or trip like the astronauts in the article? If yes, where did you go, and how did you feel during the journey? If not, would you like to experience a long space journey? Why or why not?
- Can you think of a time when you had to show dedication or commitment to a goal or project, similar to what the astronauts demonstrated in the article? If yes, what was the goal, and how did you stay dedicated to it? If not, can you imagine a situation where dedication would be important?
- Did you find the article about the safe return of the Crew-6 astronauts and their experiences during their mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) interesting?
- The astronauts in the story had some difficult times while they were in space. How do you think they got ready for and dealt with these tough situations in space? What can we learn from how they fixed problems in space to help us in our everyday lives?
- The article talks about how NASA and SpaceX work together in space exploration. Why is it good for them to work together? Are there any problems or things we should think about when they work together like this?