China makes its first rover landing on Moon

            China has become the first country in 37 years to land a spacecraft on the Moon.

            They've announced that their unmanned craft has successfully landed on a flat area called the Bay of Rainbows. It makes China the third country to send a craft to land on and explore the Moon's surface.

            A six wheeled robotic rover named Yutu will now explore and carry out scientific experiments.

            It's a big step for Chinese space authorities who say one day they hope to send a man to the Moon too.

True or false?

1. China has not landed on the moon previously.

2. China will send a man to the moon next year.

3. The last time anyone landed on the moon was 37 years ago.

4. The Chinese spaceship has landed on the moon.

5. The Bay of Rainbows is very hilly.

6. China is the only country to land on the moon.

7. There are no people aboard the spacecraft.

8. The rover rolls along on wheels.

Match the words below to their definitions

authorities / descent / rainbow / robotic / rover / unmanned

a curved shape in the sky that has many different colors

describes something that is controlled by a computer

describes something that works automatically without any people present

people who are officially in charge of something

type of vehicle designed for traveling over rough ground

when something moves downward

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?

1. explore

a) the same as investigate

b) the same as explode

c) the same as capture

2. flat

a) the same as bumpy

b) the same as high

c) the same as level

3. country

a) the same as county

b) the same as nation

c) the same as place

4. carry out

a) the same as conduct

b) the same as remove

c) the same as plan

KEY

True or false

1. True

2. False

3. True

4. False

5. False

6. False

7. True

8. True

Vocabulary

authorities         people who are officially in charge of something

descent             when something moves downward

rainbow             a curved shape in the sky that has many different colors

robotic              describes something that is controlled by a computer

rover                 type of vehicle designed for traveling over rough ground

unmanned         describes something that works automatically without any people present

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?

1. a)   the same as investigate

2. c)   the same as level

3. b)   the same as nation

4. a)   the same as conduct