Assignment 1
Read the assignment and write down the answers in English. You may use English-language Internet sources to help you. If you only know the Dutch word, use a dictionary to find the English word.
a An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the first letters of other words and pronounced as a word. NASA is an acronym. Find out what NASA stands for. Next, find out the name of the European organisation that works in the same field.
b Name at least 3 other acronyms. For each acronym, also write down what it stands for.
| “Perseverance”
NASA is planning a new Mars rover mission: Mars 2020. NASA held a contest in the United States. They asked school kids of all ages to come up with possible names for the new Mars rover. Read the whole story here. |
Assignment 2
Read the text. Connect the words and expressions in the two columns that have the same meaning.
| 1. rover | a. activities of making something ready for something |
| 2. six-wheeled | b. activity of searching things and finding out more about them |
| 3. to blast off | c. giving protection |
| 4. Martian | d. having six wheels |
| 5. samples | e. last |
| 6. contest | f. to leave the ground and go into space |
| 7. explorer | g. a machine used for exploring the surface of a moon, planet, etc. |
| 8. setbacks | h. of or from the planet Mars |
| 9. curiosity | i. a person who travels to places where no one has ever been in order to find out what is there |
| 10. exploration | j. a person whose job is to design or build machines, engines, etc. |
| 11. entry | k. persons competing in the last part of a contest, competition, race, etc. |
| 12. finalists | l. problems that make it more difficult to finish things |
| 13. to become enamored | m. a situation in which someone is trying to win something |
| 14. engineer | n. small amounts of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from |
| 15. final | o. to start liking something a lot |
| 16. preparations | p. the thing that you do or make to take part in a contest |
| 17. protective | q. the wish to learn or know more about something or someone |
Assignment 3
a
1 Look up what “perseverance” means.
2 Write down the Dutch translation of the word.
b Who is Alex Mather?
1 One of the first people who will travel to Mars.
2 The associate administrator who works for NASA.
3 The boy who came up with the name for the new Mars rover.
4 The boy who thought of the name “Curiosity” for a Mars rover.
c Alex wrote: “We can persevere.” What does he mean?
1 We are a species of explorers.
2 We will meet many setbacks on the way to Mars.
3 We will not give up.
4 We will win this contest.
d What are Alex Mather’s plans for the future?
1 He wants to become an astronaut and work for NASA.
2 He wants to become an engineer and work for NASA.
3 He wants to become a space explorer.
4 He wants to become a video games designer.
Assignment 4
a Wash your hands.
b Keep your distance. (6 feet = ~ 2 metres)
c Be kind.
d Stay calm and carry on.
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