Wait until you get into this next story. It's a favorite of
most students. Our last reading passage
was a trip to the Past. In this story, we enter the Future.
You'll need some time because it is a longer story, but it
is worth the read! The questions you will be answering relate
to cause and effect, sequence, and compare / contrast.
Because it is a longer story, this is a perfect time to review
concepts you learned in previous lessons. There are several
questions relating to vocabulary, inference, main idea, and
literary elements too. Here's your chance to pull it all
together!
The questions you will be answering relate to cause and
effect, sequence, and compare/contrast. As a review, there
are a couple questions relating to concepts from previous
lessons, such as vocabulary, inference, main idea, and literary
elements too!
Skim over the questions before reading. This will start
the brain cells working to recognize the connections in the
story as you read.
Because this story is a longer length, you might want to
take a few notes as you read. Knowing the questions will help
guide your notes.
Remind yourself to always always always refer to the text
to find proof or evidence for the answer you choose.
Continue! When you're finished, complete the answer check
at the end. Be sure to keep track of what questions you answered
correctly.
Question
1: (setting)
This story takes
place in . . .
Yes
No
Maybe
Answer
A.
the present on the spaceship Stardust.
B.
the future on the planet Woden.
C.
the future on an EDS.
D.
the past in hyperspace.
Question
2: (vocabulary in context)
As it is used in
this story, the word jettisoned means . . .
Yes
No
Maybe
Answer
A.
powered by nuclear engines.
B.
powered by rocket fuel.
C.
a law made by circumstances of the space frontier.
D.
thrown off the ship.
Question
3: (cause/effect)
Why did the girl
have to be jettisoned from the EDS?
Yes
No
Maybe
Answer
A.
She had to be punished for the crime
of being a stowaway.
B.
There wasn't enough fuel
for the EDS to complete its mission if one more person was on
board.
C.
She had discovered the EDS's secret mission and
had thus threatened its success.
D.
She needed to get back to
the Stardust, and being jettisoned was the only way.
Question
4: (inference)
The reason EDS's
were given only enough fuel to complete their missions was
probably because . . .
Yes
No
Maybe
Answer
A.
the people who made the Interstellar Regulations wanted to
discourage stowaways.
B.
the people who made the Interstellar
Regulations were stingy.
C.
there was a short supply of rocket fuel, so it had to be conserved.
D.
nuclear engines were far too large for
EDS's.
Question
5: (character)
How does the pilot
feel about what he has to do once he discovers the stowaway
is a girl?
Yes
No
Maybe
Answer
A.
Surprised and amused
B.
Relieved
C.
Shocked and regretful
D.
Determined
Question
6: (sequence)
Which of the following
events happened last?
Yes
No
Maybe
Answer
A.
The girl boarded the Stardust to
head for Mimir.
B.
The man told the girl she
would have to be jettisoned.
C.
The man signaled the Stardust to see if
there was any possibility it could help.
D.
The girl decided to stow
away on the EDS so she could visit her brother.
Question
7: (compare/contrast)
There is situational
irony in the first part of the story. The EDS pilot knows
right away that the stowaway must be jettisoned. The reader
knows it too. Only the girl does not realize what the effect
of her secretly boarding and hiding on the EDS is.
Which sentence best
describes her attitude when she comes out of the locker,
compared to her attitude when she discovers that she will
die as a result of hiding on the EDS?
Yes
No
Maybe
Answer
A.
First she is sad she broke the rules,
compared to a defiant attitude when she finds out the consequences.
B.
She first feels a little
remorse, but is generally talkative. When she hears she will
die, she can't believe it, but finally understands.
C.
She is excited to be on an adventure to see her
brother at first, but it changes to disbelief and fear when
she learns she will be jettisoned from the EDS.
D.
At first she is helpful and willing to work on
the EDS during the journey, but when she learns she must leave
the ship and die, she thinks it isn't fair because she didn't
know what would happen.
Question
8: (main idea)
Part I of "The
Cold Equation" is mainly about . . .
Yes
No
Maybe
Answer
A.
why a young girl decides to stow away
on an EDS, even though there was a sign saying she shouldn't.
B.
how the Interstellar Regulations
came into existence.
C.
a pilot on an EDS mission to deliver medicine
to one of the exploration parties on the planet of Woden.
D.
the discovery of a young
girl who has stowed away on an EDS, and why she must be jettisoned
from the ship.
How did you do?
Questions 3, 6 and 7 covered concepts for this lesson (cause/effect,
sequence, and compare/contrast). The other questions focused
on skills you reviewed in previous lessons. If any of the answer
explanations did not make sense to you, review the story again
to
see if the answer explanations make sense. After that, if you
are still confused, check with your teacher.
If you scored 7 or 8 correct, Congratulations!!! You read
carefully and paid attention to connections in the story! Nice
work!!!
If you want to know what happens in Part 2 of this story,
print it up and take it home to read! We will work with it
later in the
course too.
