11   I can describe the universe

A    The universe

• The moon is a satellite of the earth; in other words, it circles around the earth. This takes approximately 28 days.

• The earth revolves around the sun every 365 days.

• The sun is a star, but seems much larger than other stars because it is so close to the earth. Light from the sun takes approximately eight minutes to reach the earth.

• Nine planets revolve around the sun. We call the sun and all its planets the solar system.

• Seventy-five years ago, sending rockets into space seemed far-fetched, but now it is a fact of life and we have gained considerable knowledge of the earth’s satellite and our solar system.

 

Glossary

universe  the whole of space and everything in it, including the planets and stars.

satellite  an object that moves round a bigger object in space.

in other words  used for saying sth in a different way.

circle sth  go round sth in a circle. SYN revolve around sth.

approximately  about. SYN roughly.

reach sth  arrive at a place.

space  the area beyond the earth round the planets and stars.

far-fetched  not easy to believe because it is very improbable.

gain sth  get more and more of sth useful, such as knowledge or experience.

knowledge  what you know and understand about sth.

B    Scientific exploration

Why go to Mars?

Scientists have already sent satellites to explore the surface of Mars, and carried out experiments to see if they can discover any signs of life. So far, they haven’t found any, but an analysis of rocks from Mars has confirmed that they were created by the presence of water and wind. In other words, life could have existed in the past.

Glossary

scientist  a person who studies the physical world. science N. scientific ADJ.

satellite   a piece of electronic equipment that is sent into space and moves around, explore sth  travel round a place in order to learn about it. exploration N.

carry out sth  do and complete a task.

experiment  a scientific test done in order to learn sth.

analysis  a careful study of sth in order to explain it. analyse V.

confirm sth  say or show that sth is true or definite. confirmation N.

exist  If sth exists, it is present in the real world. existenceN.

 

spotlight  discover or invent?

If you discover something, you learn about or find something for the first time. discovery N. If you invent something, you create something that didn’t exist before. invention N.

They’ve discovered a new planet. Who invented the telescope?

7     Test yourself. Cover the glossary meanings and look at the words. Can you remember the meanings?