The following passage is titled "Where Do Old Satellites Go When They Die?" by NASA. Like every other machine, satellites do not last forever. Whether their job is to observe weather, measure greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, or point away from Earth to study the stars, eventually all satellites grow old, wear out, and die, just like old washing machines and vacuum cleaners. So what happens when a trusty satellite's time has come? These days there are two choices, depending on how high the satellite is. For the closer satellites, engineers will use its last bit of fuel to slow it down. That way, it will fall out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere. The second choice is to send the satellite even farther away from Earth. It can take a lot of fuel for a satellite to slow down enough to fall back into the atmosphere. That is especially true if a satellite is in a very high orbit. For many of these high satellites, it takes less fuel to blast it farther into space than to send it back to Earth.
Which of the following statements expresses a main idea of the entire passage?
- A. When satellites stop working, they have to be moved from orbit.
- B. Satellites are sent to orbit Earth for many different purposes.
- C. After satellites are slowed down, they burn up in the atmosphere.
- D. Satellites are designed to work for only a limited amount of time.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
Option A effectively captures the main idea by emphasizing the necessity of relocating non-functional satellites, highlighting a critical aspect of their lifecycle. Option B, while relevant, only addresses the initial purpose of satellites rather than their entire operational journey. Option C discusses a specific consequence of satellites slowing down, which is too narrow to represent the overall theme. Option D mentions the limited lifespan of satellites but does not encompass the broader implications of their eventual decommissioning and the need for orbital management.
Option A effectively captures the main idea by emphasizing the necessity of relocating non-functional satellites, highlighting a critical aspect of their lifecycle. Option B, while relevant, only addresses the initial purpose of satellites rather than their entire operational journey. Option C discusses a specific consequence of satellites slowing down, which is too narrow to represent the overall theme. Option D mentions the limited lifespan of satellites but does not encompass the broader implications of their eventual decommissioning and the need for orbital management.
Other Related Questions
Which THREE of the following describes how an illustrator's use of space enhances a children's picture book?
- A. Drawing attention to an object
- B. Making everything more realistic
- C. Suggesting action and movement
- D. Creating an illusion of distance
- E. Implying loneliness or isolation
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A,C,D
An illustrator’s use of space can significantly enhance a children's picture book in several ways. Option A highlights how space can draw attention to specific objects, guiding the reader’s focus and enhancing storytelling. Option C emphasizes the ability of space to suggest action and movement, making scenes dynamic and engaging. Option D explains how space can create an illusion of distance, adding depth and context to the illustrations. Conversely, Option B, while relevant, does not specifically pertain to the unique role of space in illustration. Option E, although it can be a thematic element, is more about emotional context rather than the structural use of space in visual storytelling.
An illustrator’s use of space can significantly enhance a children's picture book in several ways. Option A highlights how space can draw attention to specific objects, guiding the reader’s focus and enhancing storytelling. Option C emphasizes the ability of space to suggest action and movement, making scenes dynamic and engaging. Option D explains how space can create an illusion of distance, adding depth and context to the illustrations. Conversely, Option B, while relevant, does not specifically pertain to the unique role of space in illustration. Option E, although it can be a thematic element, is more about emotional context rather than the structural use of space in visual storytelling.
Once a writer enters the intermediate, or syllables and affixes, stage of spelling development, which of the following proficiencies becomes evident?
- A. Using rules to accurately add inflectional endings to words
- B. Making a clear distinction between writing and drawing
- C. Correctly writing words that possess r-controlled vowel sounds
- D. Accurately spelling words with consonants in various positions
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
In the intermediate stage of spelling development, writers begin to understand and apply spelling rules, particularly for inflectional endings, such as -ed and -ing. This proficiency reflects their growing grasp of morphological structures in language. Option B, while important, pertains more to early literacy skills and does not specifically relate to spelling development at this stage. Option C focuses on r-controlled vowels, which may be addressed in earlier stages rather than the intermediate phase. Option D involves consonant positioning, which is also a foundational skill but does not highlight the specific rule-based approach that characterizes the intermediate stage.
In the intermediate stage of spelling development, writers begin to understand and apply spelling rules, particularly for inflectional endings, such as -ed and -ing. This proficiency reflects their growing grasp of morphological structures in language. Option B, while important, pertains more to early literacy skills and does not specifically relate to spelling development at this stage. Option C focuses on r-controlled vowels, which may be addressed in earlier stages rather than the intermediate phase. Option D involves consonant positioning, which is also a foundational skill but does not highlight the specific rule-based approach that characterizes the intermediate stage.
During writing, a student draws a picture and underneath creates a long line of forms and occasional numbers to approximate words. The writing described best exemplifies the emergence of which of the following writing stages?
- A. Scribbling
- B. Letter-like symbols
- C. Strings of letters
- D. Beginning sounds
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
The writing described showcases the use of forms and numbers that resemble letters, indicative of the letter-like symbols stage. This stage is characterized by students experimenting with shapes that mimic letters, though not yet forming recognizable words. Option A, scribbling, involves random marks without any letter-like features. Option C, strings of letters, would show a sequence of actual letters, which is not evident here. Option D, beginning sounds, implies an understanding of phonetic spelling, which is absent in the student’s representation. Thus, the focus on forms and numbers aligns best with letter-like symbols.
The writing described showcases the use of forms and numbers that resemble letters, indicative of the letter-like symbols stage. This stage is characterized by students experimenting with shapes that mimic letters, though not yet forming recognizable words. Option A, scribbling, involves random marks without any letter-like features. Option C, strings of letters, would show a sequence of actual letters, which is not evident here. Option D, beginning sounds, implies an understanding of phonetic spelling, which is absent in the student’s representation. Thus, the focus on forms and numbers aligns best with letter-like symbols.
Which of the following is a quantitative measure of text complexity?
- A. Conventions of language
- B. Sentence length
- C. Knowledge demands
- D. Structure
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Quantitative measures of text complexity rely on numerical data to assess readability. Sentence length (Option B) is a key quantitative factor, as it can be measured and analyzed statistically to determine how challenging a text might be for readers. Option A, conventions of language, refers to grammatical rules and stylistic choices, which are qualitative aspects. Option C, knowledge demands, involves the background knowledge required for comprehension, making it subjective rather than quantifiable. Option D, structure, pertains to the organization of a text, which can be analyzed qualitatively. Thus, sentence length stands out as the only purely quantitative measure.
Quantitative measures of text complexity rely on numerical data to assess readability. Sentence length (Option B) is a key quantitative factor, as it can be measured and analyzed statistically to determine how challenging a text might be for readers. Option A, conventions of language, refers to grammatical rules and stylistic choices, which are qualitative aspects. Option C, knowledge demands, involves the background knowledge required for comprehension, making it subjective rather than quantifiable. Option D, structure, pertains to the organization of a text, which can be analyzed qualitatively. Thus, sentence length stands out as the only purely quantitative measure.