Reading Practice: 3D Printer in Space

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This practice reading lesson focuses on Sentence Completion questions which means filling in a gap to complete a sentence. These are common questions in IELTS and also in English language exercise books.

The level is not high, so it is suitable for GT candidates and also a good easy practice for Academic candidates. Remember, the academic reading passages are usually a bit more difficult. Even so, this lesson will help you focus on skills.

Sentence completion questions in IELTS reading require you to choose one or more words from the passage to complete the sentence. This involves skim reading the passage, identifying the type of word missing from the sentences and then scanning the passage to locate the missing word. Always check how many words you can have for the answer.

Reading Passage: Space Technology

Made-in-Space

Astronauts on the International Space Station have used their 3-D printer to make a wrench from instructions sent up in an email. It is the first time hardware has been “emailed” to space. Nasa was responding to a request by ISS commander Barry Wilmore for a ratcheting socket wrench. Previously, if astronauts requested a specific item they could have waited months for it to be flown up on one of the regular supply flights. Nasa says the capability will help astronauts be more self-reliant on future long duration space missions. This will also have a positive impact on the sustainability of space travel. Furthermore, it makes ships lighter and reduces launching costs. Mike Chen added: “The socket wrench we just manufactured is the first object we designed on the ground and sent digitally to space, on the fly. It also marks the end of our first experiment—a sequence of 21 prints that together make up the first tools and objects ever manufactured off the surface of the Earth.” The other 21 objects were designed before the 3D printer was shipped to the space station in September on a SpaceX Dragon supply flight.

Questions 1-7

Complete the sentences below using no more than two words and/or a number.

  1.  A ……………….. was made using a 3-D printer on the International Space Station.
  2. The tool was essentially …………… to space.
  3. This new technology provides instant access to tools which would have taken …………… before.
  4. Consequently, astronauts will be ……………… to a much greater extent.
  5. Creating tools in space as needed means crafts will weigh less and therefore have lower ………………
  6. The tool was the ……………… that had been designed on Earth yet physically created in space.
  7. Vocabulary question to you all – can you paraphrase the term “on the fly”? 

Answers

Click here to see answers: Answers to 3D Printer Reading.

All the best and stay safe,

Liz

 

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Matching Sentence Endings: IELTS Reading Practice & Tips

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IEILTS Reading Matching Sentence Endings Questions can seem challenging when you first see them. However, there are easy techniques to conquer them which are listed below with a great practice reading lesson. In this type of question you need to choose the correct ending for each sentence by selecting the ending from a list given.

IELTS Reading Matching Sentence Endings – Tips

Read this list of tips and the tackle the reading practice lesson below.

  1. You will be given a list of sentences that are incomplete.
  2. You will also be given a list of possible endings for those sentences.
  3. Your task is to match the beginning of the sentence with the right ending.
  4. There will often be more endings than you need.
  5. The endings will be listed as letters, for example A-F.
    • This means your answer will be a letter.
  6. Start with the sentence (the incomplete sentence)
    • Notice keywords that will help you find that information in the passage.
    • Keywords are often paraphrased.
    • Paraphrasing might be in the form of a synonyms (which means one word is similar to the other) or the paraphrasing might be a complete re-writing that appears in a different way.
    • Paraphrased information might be found in more than one sentence. This is the common mistake people make with IELTS reading – they think one sentence in the question might be one sentence in the passage – this is not always the case in IELTS reading.
  7. When you have located the information for the incomplete sentence given in the question, it is time to look at the possible endings.
  8. The passage will tell you which ending is right.
  9. Luckily the answers come in order in the passage. This means that the incomplete sentence that is given as a question will come in order in the passage. This will help you save time and also guide you to the right answer.
  10. Also note that when you match the incomplete sentence to the right ending, the whole sentence must be grammatically correct. This is a useful tip to remember.

IELTS Reading Matching Sentence Endings Practice Lesson

Reading Passage: NASA’s Orion ‘Mars Ship’ set for test flight

IELTS Space Topic

A US space capsule that could help get humans to Mars is about to make its maiden flight. Orion will be launched on a Delta rocket out of Cape Canaveral in Florida on a short journey above the Earth to test key technologies. The conical vessel is reminiscent of the Apollo command ships that took men to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, but bigger and with cutting-edge systems. Given that this is a first outing, there will be no people aboard.

Nonetheless, the US space agency describes the demonstration as a major event. Nasa has a window in which to launch Orion of about two-and-a-half hours, which began at 07:05 local time (12:05 GMT). The launch preparations had to be stopped shortly before the opening of the window because a boat strayed into the eastern part of the launch range. After that, the countdown had to be held because of strong winds and a technical issue.

Orion is being developed alongside a powerful new rocket that will have its own debut in the near future. Together, they will form the core capabilities needed to send humans beyond the International Space Station to destinations such as the Red Planet. For Thursday’s flight, the Delta IV-Heavy rocket – currently the beefiest launcher in the world – is being used as a stand-in. It will send Orion twice around the globe, throwing the ship up to an altitude of almost 6,000km (3,600 miles). This will set up a fast fall back to Earth, with a re-entry speed into the atmosphere close to 30,000km/h (20,000mph) – near what would be expected of a capsule coming back from the Moon. It should give engineers the opportunity to check the performance of Orion’s critical heat shield, which is likely to experience temperatures in excess of 2,000C (4,000F). They will also watch how the parachutes deploy as they gently lower the capsule into Pacific waters off Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.

(Passage from BBC News)

Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences by selecting the correct ending, A-G (not all letters will be used).

  1.  The first ever flight of Orion is aimed to ……
  2. Although the shape of Orion is similar to previous ships, it ………..
  3. A new rocket is also being developed whose …………
  4. The rocket which will be used as a replacement will ………….
  5. As temperatures reach extreme levels on re-entry, this maiden flight will ……….
  • a. send Orion twice around the world.
  • b. has state of the art technology.
  • c. test the critical heat shield.
  • d. check Orion’s performance.
  • e. test the most important technology.
  • f. first voyage is within sight.
  • g. help humans get to Mars

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers.

Answers

  1. e
    • ……..its maiden flight.Orion will be launched on a Delta rocket out of Cape Canaveral in Florida on a short journey above the Earth to test key technologies.
  2. b
    • The conical vessel is reminiscent of the Apollo command ships that took men to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, but bigger and with cutting-edge systems.
  3. f
    • Orion is being developed alongside a powerful new rocket that will have its own debut in the near future.
  4. a
    • ……….the Delta IV-Heavy rocket – currently the beefiest launcher in the world – is being used as a stand-in. It will send Orion twice around the globe
  5. c
    • It [the maiden voyage] should give engineers the opportunity to check the performance of Orion’s critical heat shield, [this is about the performance of the shield, not about Orion itself with all its features] which is likely to experience temperatures in excess of 2,000C (4,000F).

Vocab Builder

  • reminiscent = similar to / reminding you of (something / someone)
  • maiden flight / maiden voyage = first ever flight / first journey
  • conical = shaped narrowing to a point
  • similar to something in the past
  • cutting-edge = front-line / pioneering / brand-new
  • strayed = drifted
  • debut = first appearance
  • in excess of = more than
  • (parachute) deploys = opens
.

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