English. Year 4. Reading. Sample. This booklet contains the reading text: Space Tourism Please write your answers in the reading answer booklet.

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1 English Year 4 Reading Sample This booklet contains the reading text: Space Tourism Please write your answers in the reading answer booklet.

2 Space Tourism Have you ever wondered what it s like to go into space? Well, it may not be long before you get the chance to find out. Several companies are planning to give ordinary people the opportunity to travel in space for fun. This is known as space tourism and could start to happen very soon, though it will be extremely expensive! How did it all begin? Dennis Tito was the first person to travel into space who was not a fully trained astronaut. He paid an estimated 20 million dollars to go into space in 2001 and spent eight days visiting the International Space Station (this is a spacecraft that orbits the Earth for scientific research). Since then six other people have done the same, including Anousheh Ansari, who in 2006 became the first female space tourist. Some wealthy people have already paid to be the first to go as a group of space tourists in the near future. But will we all want to go into space for our holidays? What is take off like? When a spacecraft takes off, you have to wear a space suit. Dennis Tito said he was surprised that lift-off was much less dramatic than he expected. He explained: You could barely hear it. When I witnessed a launch from the outside, even a mile away, there was a huge sound. But we heard nothing of that within the spacecraft. 1

It is really extraordinary, because there is nowhere on Earth that we can experience that. It was a wonderful experience; the feeling of floating is just unbelievable.

3 What happens when you reach space? When the spacecraft reaches outer space, there is no gravity (commonly called zero-g ). Dennis Tito described what it was like: Once we got out of the space suits we were able to float around and experience weightlessness. It is really extraordinary, because there is nowhere on Earth that we can experience that. It was a wonderful experience; the feeling of floating is just unbelievable. Moving around is not difficult and you learn very quickly. What is it like being in space? Going into space is an exciting adventure but it s also challenging, because being weightless can make some people feel space-sick, until they get used to it. It can also make their bones and muscles weak. What do you eat in space? It can be quite difficult to eat and drink on a spacecraft. If you let go of a piece of food, it will drift around. Water will escape from your cup and hang in the air. You quickly lose your sense of taste and smell and it can be hard to swallow. The first meals eaten in space were like baby food and astronauts squeezed them straight into their mouths from tubes! Since then, scientists have come up with new ways of heating up food and keeping food fresh in space. Space tourists will be able to enjoy varied, healthy meals during their trips. 2

How do you wash and sleep in space? The simplest things, like eating and washing are more complicated in space. In space you wash by using a wet wipe or flannel, rather than by having a shower.

4 How do you wash and sleep in space? The simplest things, like eating and washing are more complicated in space. In space you wash by using a wet wipe or flannel, rather than by having a shower. You sleep in a sleeping bag, which is hooked to a wall. You may have to wear earplugs to block out the constant noise from fans and other machinery. What can you see from space? The view from space is difficult to imagine. But looking out into space, and looking back at the Earth will be one of the main attractions for space tourists. This is how different people have described it: I could see the blackness of space, I could see Earth, and the curvature of Earth, and the sight of Earth from space was spectacular. Dennis Tito It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. Neil Armstrong, who was one of the first men to walk on the Moon in As we got further and further away, it [the Earth] diminished in size. Finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful you can imagine. It looked so fragile, that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble and fall apart. James B Irwin, who was the eighth person to walk on the Moon. GLOSSARY orbits - goes around gravity - a force which makes everything fall downwards on Earth curvature - the way something curves 3

5 What s the future for space tourism? Who knows what the future holds? There may be hotels in space and opportunities to land on the Moon and go for a spacewalk. You may be able to visit Mars or even other planets. Eventually, going into space could become as common as going to Spain for your holidays! 4

6 SPACE TOURISM: Copyright 2015 Doublestruck Ltd ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT HOLDERS Permission to reproduce all copyrighted material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright holders have been unsuccessful and Doublestruck Ltd will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements in future papers if notified Doublestruck Ltd, Argyle House, Euston Road, London, NW1 2SD

IPC Themes 2018/2019

IPC Themes 2018/2019 The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is taught in an integrated thematic approach. It comprises: English Language Skills, Mathematics, Science, ICT & Computing, Technology, History, Geography, Music,