Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity

Name: Date: “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity” Comprehension Identify the choice that best answers the question. FIRST READ: 1. In “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity,” who does Tyson say always leads the way to new frontiers? a. individuals b. governments c. free enterprise d. university students 2. According to “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity,” why will a private company never build the first colony on Mars? a. Private companies do not have the technological expertise. b. Private companies do not have the vision to recognize the benefits. c. The U.S. government will not permit private companies to build colonies. d. Since building a colony will not be profitable, private companies will not make the effort. 3. As explained in the article “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity,” what are the STEM fields? Choose four options. a. science b. English c. modern art d. technology e. space travel f. engineering g. mathematics h. ethnic studies 1 GRADE 7 • UNIT 2 • SELECTION TEST “NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON ON THE FUTURE OF U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AFTER CURIOSITY” BY Name: Date: 4. In “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity,” what does Tyson say is needed to stir up interest in science? a. NASA must do something that has never been done before. b. NASA must prove that the costs of space travel are not excessive. c. NASA must demonstrate that a new technology is proven and reliable. d. NASA must provide technology that can be used by private companies. 5. In “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity,” how does Tyson say NASA paves the way for private companies to succeed? a. NASA avoids all competition with private companies. b. NASA allows private companies to take the lead in exploring the frontiers. c. NASA creates the technology that private companies then can develop further. d. NASA pays private companies to take risks and innovate costly new technologies. Concept Vocabulary Identify the choice that best answers the question. FIRST READ: 6. If a person were to cede a game to an opponent, what would happen? a. The person would give up. b. The person would be a bad loser. c. The person would do anything to win. d. The person would demand another game. 7. What is the most likely meaning of enterprise as it is used in the following sentence? My uncle opened his bakery six years ago, and now it is a successful enterprise with twenty employees. special hobby b. business firm c. unrealized dream d. government agency a. 2 GRADE 7 • UNIT 2 • SELECTION TEST “NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON ON THE FUTURE OF U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AFTER CURIOSITY” BY Name: Date: 8. Which of the following situations best describes a capitalistic society? a. Businesses are privately owned and compete with one another for customers. b. The government owns all businesses and decides what products to produce. c. People get all they need by hunting, fishing, and growing a few plants in small gardens. d. The government tells business owners how much to charge for their goods. Analyze the Text Identify the choice that best answers the question. CLOSE READ: 9. In “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity,” Tyson says of NASA, “It’s an investment, not a handout.” What does he mean? a. Investing money in NASA projects may advance human knowledge, but it has few practical benefits. b. Investing money in NASA projects will encourage innovation, which in turn will fuel a growing economy. c. Investing money in NASA projects is like giving money to any cause, but nothing should be expected in return. d. Investing money in NASA projects will support space travel, which will make people forget their daily concerns. 3 GRADE 7 • UNIT 2 • SELECTION TEST “NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON ON THE FUTURE OF U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AFTER CURIOSITY” BY Name: Date: 10. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B. Part A From Tyson’s explanation in “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity,” choose which of the following effects would be most likely if the United States were to land a human on Mars. a. American factories would not be relocating overseas. b. Most people would continue living as though nothing has happened. c. Other countries would quickly begin experimenting with space travel. d. Universities would be demanding more financial support for research. Part B Which quotation from the article best supports the answer to Part A? . . . low-Earth orbit is no longer the frontier. NASA has been going in and out of low-Earth orbit since 1962. b. I see private enterprise as a fundamental part of creating a space industry, but there will always be the frontier. c. A different kind of understanding of the value of sending humans into space needs to be had. . . . d. You won’t need tariffs to keep your factories stateside, because you’ll be innovating at a pace where you’re making products the rest of the world hasn’t figured out how to make yet. a. 11. Read this passage from “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity.” I have the benefit of being able to say I know where I was when Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. You don’t have it. You don’t have that moment. We have bred multiple generations of people who have not experienced knowing where you are the moment a news story broke, with that news story being great and grand and something that elevates society instead of diminishes it. According to Tyson, why is it important for people to experience something so vividly that they will always remember where they were when the event occurred? a. The memory will inspire them to believe in innovation and where it can lead. b. As individuals, they will no longer have to worry about not achieving great things. c. If nothing else important occurs in their lives, people will at least have that memory. d. The experience will help them feel proud that their government is the world’s leader in technology. 4 GRADE 7 • UNIT 2 • SELECTION TEST “NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON ON THE FUTURE OF U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AFTER CURIOSITY” BY Name: Date: Analyze Craft and Structure Identify the choice that best answers the question. CLOSE READ: 12. Read this sentence from “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity.” The people who say that all we need is private space travel are simply delusional. What evidence does Tyson give to support this claim? Private enterprise can never lead a space frontier. It’s not possible because a space frontier is expensive, it has unknown risks, and it has unquantified risks. b. When you feel that you are part of an innovation nation, you think innovatively, no matter your field. c. We have bred multiple generations of people who have not experienced knowing where you are the moment a news story broke, with that news story being great and grand and something that elevates society instead of diminishes it. d. Boldly going where hundreds have gone before does not make headlines. a. 13. Read this statement from “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity.” When an industry matures, it means it’s not advancing and of course the jobs go overseas. What reason does Tyson give to explain this argument? Because low-Earth orbit is no longer the frontier. NASA has been going in and out of low-Earth orbit since 1962. b. Anything NASA does in space that has never been done before drums up interest in science. c. You start thinking that the science fiction story you just read or movie you just saw is maybe in reach. d. That’s the obligation of the multi-national corporation, to put the factory where it can make the widget as cheap as possible. a. 5 GRADE 7 • UNIT 2 • SELECTION TEST “NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON ON THE FUTURE OF U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AFTER CURIOSITY” BY Name: Date: 14. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B. Part A In “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity,” what claim about how NASA should operate does Tyson argue? a. NASA should become a private company so that it can compete on a fair basis with private companies. b. NASA should reduce spending and allow corporations to innovate and expand their operations into space. c. NASA should not share its technology with private companies so that those companies will be forced to innovate on their own. d. NASA should be making scientific breakthroughs that will lead to further developments by private companies and that will inspire the public. Part B Which statement from the article best supports the answer to Part A? Private enterprise is giving us access to low-Earth orbit for less than what NASA was providing. b. It’s an understanding—that the public does not yet have—of the role of NASA as a flywheel of innovation, influencing not only direct spin-offs but also the culture itself. c. For example, in the movie Prometheus, they have these flying spheres that go up and down caves and use laser tomography to map their structure. We don’t have that, but that’s really cool and I can imagine having that. d. When an industry matures, it means it’s not advancing and of course the jobs go overseas. That’s the obligation of the multi-national corporation, to put the factory where it can make the widget as cheap as possible. a. 15. In “Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration After Curiosity,” Tyson states that Curiosity is not a “stepping stone” to helping people understand the value of sending humans to Mars. How does the term stepping stone affect Tyson’s argument? a. It helps the audience understand that, according to Tyson, Curiosity is not actually made of stone. b. It helps the audience understand that, according to Tyson, Curiosity is not as valuable as the planet Mars. c. It helps the audience understand that, according to Tyson, Curiosity is not something to be ignored like stepping stones on a path. d. It helps the audience understand that, according to Tyson, Curiosity is not a small feat, and it will eventually lead to greater interest in space travel. 6 GRADE 7 • UNIT 2 • SELECTION TEST “NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON ON THE FUTURE OF U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AFTER CURIOSITY” BY Name: Date: Word Study Identify the choice that best answers the question. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: 16. The word market has multiple meanings. One meaning is “a place where people buy and sell goods.” Which sentence uses market with this meaning? The market for ice cream increases in the summer. b. The local market opens at 10 o’clock on Saturday morning. c. The price for any product is decided by the market for each particular good. d. She predicted that the job market for programmers would grow in the coming years. a. 17. Read this sentence and think about how the word base is used. The landing craft stood at the base of the cliff. The word base has multiple meanings. Which definition defines the word as it is used in the sentence? a main ingredient b. the essential fact or idea c. the bottom or lowest part d. an organization’s headquarters a. Conventions Identify the choice that best answers the question. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: 18. Which of the following sentences is an imperative sentence? a. What an exciting soccer game that was! b. Working on the project took longer than we had expected. c. Take one of these papers and write your name on it. d. How much time will it take you to complete the assignment? 19. Read the following sentence. What kind of sentence is it? Sarah looked everywhere for her phone. imperative b. declarative c. exclamatory d. interrogative a. 7 GRADE 7 • UNIT 2 • SELECTION TEST “NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON ON THE FUTURE OF U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AFTER CURIOSITY” BY KEITH WAGSTAFF Name: Date: 20. Which of the following sentences is an interrogative sentence? a. Hey, watch out! b. Who is going to the concert this Saturday? c. Please wait until the bell rings to gather your books. d. We hoped that Eric would try out for the baseball team. 8