TOURISTS IN ORBIT

Ex-astronaut Buzz Aldrin is offering tourists day trips into space. A ticket - return, of course - will cost about $ 62,000 (€ 60,000).

Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon after Neil Armstrong, believes that the time has come when ordinary tourists can enjoy experiences which, until now, have been limited to professional astronauts.

Aldrin is one of six astronauts who have created a company called Space Adventures Travel, based in Houston, Texas (home of NASA).

LOTTERY PRIZE

The first place on the maiden flight was won by Raimund Czihak, a 32-year-old from Austria, in a competition organized by a supermarket chain. The project has been partially financed by lotteries, and lottery winners have won reservations on future flights.

Although they will only be passengers, the space tourists will have to take a five-day training course.

During the course, they will each be accompanied by a NASA astronaut. Training will include a high-altitude trip in a jet aeroplane to experience weightlessness. If they pass this test (weightlessness makes some people ill), the tourists will then be taught the emergency procedures that ail astronauts have to learn.

Buzz Aldrin believes that space tourism will expand quickly. One day there will be hotels in space, he says, which will be built around the big empty fuel tanks which take shuttles into orbit. He thinks that in a few years, groups of 100 people at a time will be taking their vacation in space.

by David WALTER
Today in English, April 2000

HELP :
fuel tank = réservoir de carburant
shuttle = navette

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TRAVAIL A FAIRE PAR LE CANDIDAT

LIRE ATTENTIVEMENT TOUT LE DOCUMENT

COMPREHENSION :
1- Retrouvez dans le texte les équivalents anglais des mots suivants :

2- Dites si les phrases suivantes sont vraies (V) ou fausses (F) en cochant la case correspondante et justifiez votre choix en citant le texte (toute réponse non justifiée sera considérée comme nulle).

a - Buzz Aldrin wiIl pay for the tickets of the tourists who want to go into space.
Vrai
Faux
..................................................................

b - Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the Moon.
Vrai
Faux
..................................................................

c - Raimund Czihak didn't pay for his ticket on the maiden flight.
Vrai
Faux
..................................................................

d - There is no particular preparation for the tourists who want to go into space.
Vrai
Faux
..................................................................

e - Buzz Aldrin thinks that only a few tourists at a time will spend their holidays in space.
Vrai
Faux
..................................................................

3- Répondez en anglais aux questions suivantes en faisant des phrases complètes.

a- What is the name of the company which offers space trips ?

COMPETENCE LINGUISTIQUE :
4- Recopiez les phrases ci-dessous en conjuguant les verbes à la forme qui convient.

a- People (dream) of travelling into space since the first step on the Moon.

b- A few years ago, American astronauts (create) a company to travel into space.

c- By 2100, everyone (be able to) travel into space.

d- Buzz Aldrin (think) many people will like the idea.

5 - Complétez les phrases suivantes en choisissant parmi : whose, what, which, who.
a- I don't know the girl .......................... is sitting near you.
b- She is the girl .......................... father is an astronaut.
c- .......................... I like about her is that she often tells us about her father's trips.
d- Space Adventures Travel, .......................... is based in Houston, was created by six astronauts.

EXPRESSION ECRITE :
6- Rédigez un paragraphe sur le sujet suivant (BEP: environ 60 mots ; CAP: environ 40 mots):
Describe your ideal holidays
o Where ? (at the seaside, in the mountains, in the countryside, in a foreign country)
o Who with ? (staying at camping sites, hotels, friends' homes,...)
o Activities ?(swimming, climbing, relaxing,...)

CORRIGE

TOURISTS IN ORBIT

COMPREHENSION :

1- 0,5 point par réponse
a- a maiden flight
b- a training course
c- weightlessness
d- to pass

2- 1 point par réponse
a- Wrong - Buzz Aldrin is offering tourists day trips to space. A ticket will cost about $ 62,000.
b- Right - Aldrin, the second man to walk on the room after Neil Arrnstrong.
c- Right - The first place on the maiden flight was won by Rairnund Czihak in a competition organized by a superrnarket chain.
d- Wrong - The space tourists will have to take a five-day training course.
e- Wrong - He thinks groups of 100 people at a tirne will be taking their vacation in space.

3- BEP : 1 point par réponse, CAP : 1 point par réponse
a- Space Adventures Travel
b- Aldrin and other astronauts
c- $ 62,000 (ou € 60,000)
d- it cornes from lotteries
e- Raimund Czihak-Austrian

COMPETENCE LINGUISTIQUE :

4- 2 points
a- have drearnt
b- created
c- will be able to travel
d- thinks

5- BEP : 0,5 point par réponse. CAP : a et b : 1point, c et d 0,5 point
a- who
b- whose
c- what
d- which

EXPRESSION :

6- BEP : 4 points. CAP : 2 points