Name: _______________________________________________Date: _______________________ Group: ___________

ENGLISH FINAL EXAM FIRST TRIMESTER

1. Read the article. Underline the main ideas.

Ask an astronaut: Live video links kids with astronaut on space station

Imagine you could talk to an astronaut up in space. What would you say? What
would you want to ask? Some lucky students got to do this! They went to a
"STEM in 30" program. It took place at the Smithsonian Museum. The museum is
in Washington, D.C. STEM stands for four school subjects: science, technology,
engineering and math. "STEM in 30" is an online show. It is all about STEM. The
show tries to get students excited about these subjects.
Live Video Filmed In Space

At the museum, the "STEM in 30" program showed a live video. It was filmed in space! Viewers could ask an astronaut
questions. His name is Randy Bresnik. He answered the questions right away.
The students had many questions for him: Is it hard to move around? Can you watch TV? How do you know when it's
bedtime? What if you get sick?
Mr. Bresnik had answers. He is living in space for six months. Mr. Bresnik is on the International Space Station. The station
is like a science lab. It circles Earth high above. There are six astronauts up there now. They do experiments about life in
space.
Floating Around In Space

On the live video, Mr. Bresnik floated around. People and objects float in space. The space station flies high above Earth.
It is too far to be strongly pulled on by Earth's gravity.
Gravity is an important force. When you throw a ball in the air, gravity pulls it back down. When you stand on Earth,
gravity pulls on you, too. It keeps your feet on the ground. Farther away, this pull gets weaker. That is why the astronauts
float.
Around Earth 16 Times Each Day

The space station moves really fast. It travels 5 miles a second. It goes all the way around Earth 16 times each day! So the
astronauts see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every day. They cannot use sunset to know when to go to bed. They use their
watches instead. Students at the museum liked seeing Mr. Bresnik live from space.
"It was really cool," said Emily Steed. She is 11 years old. "It is not every day you get to talk to an astronaut in space."
Amina Gasaway agreed. Amina is 14 years old. She wants to be an engineer when she grows up. Seeing Mr. Bresnik made
her want the job even more, she said.
Launch Is The Biggest Thrill

Being in space is not all fun. Astronauts miss their families. Amina asked Mr. Bresnik about that. He said it is hard. But he
talks to his wife and kids a lot. They use email and satellite phone.
What is one of the biggest thrills of being an astronaut? The launch! Bresnik said. That's when the rocket fires into space.
He said it is like riding the fastest roller coaster ever.

2. Read the questions and circle the correct answer.

1. Which word goes with "science"?
a. objects
b. technology
2. Which sentence is an example of the word "objects"?
a. Kelly couldn’t find the lollipops she wanted to share with her friends.
b. Kelly couldn’t find her brother who was hiding in the closet.
3. Which word goes with "super fun"?
a. thrills
b. launch
4. Which sentence is an example of the word "launch"?
a. Brian couldn’t wait to watch the fireworks flying and exploding in the sky.
b. Brian is afraid of loud noises and usually hides under a bed when he hears them.
5. What is the article MAINLY about?
a. how the Smithsonian is in Washington, D.C.
b. how Mr. Bresnik misses his wife and children
c. how students talked to an astronaut in space
d. how gravity affects life on the space station

6. Read the following paragraph from "Around Earth 16 Times Each Day."

The space station moves really fast. It travels 5 miles a second. It goes all the way around Earth 16 times each
day! So the astronauts see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every day. They cannot use sunset to know when to go to
bed. They use their watches instead.

What is the focus of this paragraph?

a. How quickly the space station moves

b. how astronauts like seeing sunsets

c. why astronauts can float in space

d. why Mr. Bresnik likes being in space

7. Why did Mr. Bresnik do a live video for “STEM in 30”?

a. He likes to make videos about gravity.

 b. He works at the Smithsonian Museum.

c. He wants every kid to be an astronaut.

d. He knows about life on a space station.

8. How is living in space different from living on Earth?

a. Things float higher on Earth than in space.

b. Gravity is much stronger on Earth than in space.

c. People see more sunsets on Earth than in space.

d. Experiments are harder on Earth than in space.

3. Write a short paragraph that explains the central idea of the article. Use at least two details from the article to
support your response. Write at least 16 lines.

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