Source 1: From the Earth to Outer Space
By: Readworks.org
Many years ago, people here on Earth decided that they wanted to go into outer space.
This is something people had imagined for a very long time, in books and movies and stories grandparents told to their grandchildren. However, in the 1950s, people decided they really wanted to do it. There was just one problem: how would they get there?
One of the earliest movies about flying to the moon was made by Georges Méliès and released in 1902. It was called A Trip to the Moon. In this movie, the moon was made up of a man’s face, covered in cream, and a whole tribe of angry natives lived there. That part was not very realistic. However, the spaceship didn’t seem too far-fetched: it was a small capsule, shaped like a bullet, that the astronauts loaded into a giant cannon and aimed at the moon.
This movie was based on a book that came out many years earlier by an author named Jules Verne. One of the fans of the book was a Russian man, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. The book made him think. Could you really shoot people out of a cannon and have them get safely to the moon? He decided you couldn’t, but it got him thinking of other ways you could get people to the moon. He spent his life considering this problem and came up with many solutions.
Some of Tsiolkovsky’s solutions gave scientists in America and Russia (where Tsiolkovsky lived) ideas when they began to think about space travel. They also thought about airplanes they and other people had made, and even big bombs that could fly themselves very long distances. How could they take all these ideas and make them into one thing that would safely get astronauts into space?
Many scientists spent years working together to solve the problem. They drew and discussed different designs until they agreed on the ones that were the best. Then, they built small models of those designs, and tested and tested them until they felt ready to build even bigger models. They made full-scale rockets, which they launched without any people inside, to test for safety. Often the rockets weren’t safe, and they exploded right there on the launch pad, or shot off in crazy directions like a balloon that you blow up and release without tying it first. After many, many tests, they started to send small animals into space. Only after a long time did they ever put a person inside a rocket and shoot him into space.
Even after they began sending people into space, during the Gemini program in the 1960s, scientists were still trying to improve the shape of the rockets. The design changed many times, and eventually ended up looking like a half-rocket and half-airplane. This rocket, called the space shuttle, was used for many years. Now, the government lets private companies try their own designs for spaceships, and they have come up with many different, crazy-looking machines.
There is no single solution for sending a person into space. Thanks to the imaginations of people like Jules Verne and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, and the hard work of the scientists who built and tested rockets over the years, humanity has developed reliable technology for space travel. Still, the work continues. Every day, the people who work on this problem share new designs, build test models, and try to imagine better ways to explore the vast deep mystery that is outer space. Remember this text
This source, from Readworks.org, discusses the history and development of space travel. It explains how the idea of space travel has been around for a long time, but it wasn't until the 1950s that people seriously considered making it a reality. The article mentions the influence of movies, such as Georges Méliès' "A Trip to the Moon," and books, like Jules Verne's, on inspiring ideas for space travel.
The article also highlights the contributions of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a Russian man who was inspired by Verne's book and spent his life considering how to get people to the moon. His ideas influenced scientists in America and Russia to think about space travel and develop solutions. The process of designing and testing rockets is described, including the use of small models and the launch of rockets without people to ensure safety.
The article mentions that even after humans were sent into space during the Gemini program, scientists continued to improve the design of rockets. The space shuttle, a combination of a rocket and an airplane, was used for many years. Nowadays, private companies are also involved in designing spaceships. The article concludes by emphasizing that space travel is an ongoing process, with researchers continually working on new designs and ways to explore outer space.
Overall, this source provides a historical perspective on the development of space travel and highlights the contributions of various individuals and organizations.
which part of this text talks about curiosity?
The specific part of the text that talks about curiosity is when it mentions how the imaginations of people like Jules Verne and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, as well as the hard work of scientists, have led to the development of reliable technology for space travel. It states that the work continues and that people are constantly sharing new designs, building test models, and trying to imagine better ways to explore outer space. This implies that curiosity is a driving force behind the ongoing efforts to improve and expand our understanding of space.
what inventor traits are shown in this text?
Several inventor traits are showcased in this text:
1. Imagination: The text mentions Jules Verne and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, both of whom had vivid imaginations and used their creativity to think about space travel. They imagined possibilities that others hadn't considered before.
2. Problem-solving: Tsiolkovsky, inspired by Verne's book, spent his life considering the problem of how to get people to the moon. He came up with various solutions and contributed to the field of space travel.
3. Persistence: The text highlights how scientists and researchers spent years working together to solve the problem of space travel. They tested different designs, built models, and conducted numerous experiments to ensure safety and improve rocket technology.
4. Collaboration: Scientists from different countries and organizations collaborated to solve the problem of space travel. They shared ideas, discussed designs, and built on each other's knowledge to make progress.
5. Continuous improvement: Even after humans were sent into space, scientists continued to work on improving the design of rockets. The space shuttle, a more advanced and versatile spacecraft, was developed and used for many years. The text also mentions that private companies are now involved, further indicating the drive for continuous improvement in spacecraft design.
These inventor traits demonstrate the characteristics of innovative individuals who pushed the boundaries of knowledge and technology in the field of space travel.
which part of the text talks about persistence?
The part of the text that talks about persistence is when it mentions how scientists spent years working together to solve the problem of space travel. They dedicated themselves to finding solutions and faced numerous challenges along the way. They drew and discussed different designs, built and tested small models, and launched full-scale rockets without people inside to ensure safety. Despite many failures and setbacks, they persisted in their efforts until they achieved success. This demonstrates their tenacity and determination to overcome obstacles and achieve their goal of advancing space travel.
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Source 3: Louis Braille
By: Readworks.org
Have you ever noticed when you step into an elevator that next to the buttons showing the floor numbers, there are small plates with a series of raised dots and bumps? Did you ever wonder what those bumps and dots mean and why they are there? When you run your fingers over those plates, you feel the ridges. When blind people touch them, they read the floor numbers. In a grid of six bumps, with two across and three down, a configuration of two raised bumps across the top and one down on the right side is the number 4; one dot on the top left side and two across the middle is the number 8.
Who invented this elaborate setup of bumps and dots that comprise an entire alphabet and numerical system that allows blind people to read with their fingers? Was it a distinguished scientist, or a brilliant author, or perhaps a famous artist?
Actually, this system, which is called braille, was created by a blind 12-year-old French boy and was named for him. Louis was not always blind. He became blind by accident. Louis Braille was born on January 4, 1809 in a small country village near Paris called Coupvray. His father was a leather worker who made harnesses and other leather goods. One day, when he was just three years old, Louis was in his father’s leather workshop. Like many young children, Louis enjoyed imitating his father. He was fiddling with an awl, a small tool with a round wooden handle and a sharp, pointed metal tip that is used to punch holes in leather. While he was playing, the awl slipped and poked Louis in the eye. A doctor treated the wound as best he could and patched the eye. But the eye became infected, and the infection spread to the other eye. Within a short time, young Louis was totally blind in both eyes.
In those days, many blind people became beggars or performers in sideshows. But Louis’s parents refused to allow their son’s disability to get in the way of his studies or his life. Louis attended school like his brothers and sisters, relying on his creativity, intelligence, and drive to overcome obstacles. To help him navigate the village, his father made him canes. The local priest taught him to use his other senses to learn: his hearing to distinguish the calls of different birds, and his sense of smell to identify different plants and flowers. Louis was one of the brightest students in his school.
In 1819, at age 10, Louis earned a scholarship to attend the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris, the first school in the world devoted to blind children. For Louis, going to the school meant leaving his family and the village he knew well, where he felt safe. But Louis and his family knew the school offered him the best opportunity to get an education and lead a successful life. There he excelled in studying history, math, science, and grammar, but he proved especially gifted at music. Louis became an accomplished pianist and organist. He even got a paid job as an organist, playing in a small church near the institute.
The students at the school learned most of their subjects by listening to lessons. But there were a few books that the school’s founder, a man named Valentin Hauy, had developed by printed raised, or embossed, letters. Reading that way was slow, and the books were large and heavy. But they were the only books available then for blind people. Louis Braille began to wonder: wasn’t there a better way to allow blind people to read?
One day Louis learned about the work of a former French army captain named Charles Barbier. Captain Barbier had invented something called “night writing,” a code of 12 raised dots and dashes that allowed soldiers to communicate with one another at night without using lights that would alert the enemy to their location. The soldiers could “feel” the messages with their fingers, and keep safe. The code turned out to be too complex for the soldiers, but it inspired Louis Braille. Louis simplified the system, reduced the series of dots from twelve to six and eliminated the dashes. By the time he was 20, Louis published his first alphabet for the blind, a system he continued to work on and perfect.
And how did Louis create the dots he used in his revolutionary new system? He used an awl. The very tool that caused his blindness became the instrument that brought the opportunity for reading to Louis and generations of blind people to this day.
The world was slow to accept Louis Braille’s innovation. Indeed, during his lifetime, his method was not widely accepted. Louis Braille died at the young age of 43 from tuberculosis, a devastating respiratory disease. He was buried in his home village of Coupvray.
In time, Braille’s method became accepted around the world. “Braille” alphabets were created in languages spanning the globe. Today, we find them not only on elevator plates, but also on computers and cell phones. And the name Louis Braille stands for innovation, courage, and determination.