50 years since first man in space

Celebrations have been taking place in Russia to mark 50 years since the first man in space.

Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history on 12 April 1961, when he went where no man had gone before. A rocket blasted Gagarin into space, where he stayed for 108 minutes before returning safely to Earth - a hero.

To mark the anniversary, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held a video link-up with the International Space Station and an award ceremony.

Space race
At the time, it was a major victory for the Soviet Union in their space race against America. Before Gagarin's 1961 flight, no one knew whether humans could survive in space. Some people said the force of the take-off would crush his body. Others thought that being weightless would send him mad. He was fine.

Man on the moon
But the US hit back a few years later when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, in 1969.

Nowadays, the Russians and Americans are no longer rivals and work together in space discovery.


Match the words below to their definitions

award / celebration / ceremony / mark / rivals / survive / victory

special, enjoyable event about something important
commemorate
formal act done on an important occasion
when you win something
continue to exist after being in a difficult situation
people competing against each other
prize given to someone for achieving something

True or False?

1. Dmitry Medvedev gave an award to Gagarin.
2. There were concerns that humans would die in space.
3. Weightlessness made Gagarin temporarily insane.
4. Gagarin was physically unaffected by his time in space.
5. Russians and Americans still compete in space.
6. Neil Armstrong landed on the moon after Gagarin did.
7. Gagarin stayed in space for over two hours.

What is the missing word?

1. A rocket __________ Gagarin into space.
2. Some people said the force of the take-off would _________ his body.
3. __________ , the Russians and Americans are no longer rivals.
4. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made __________ on 12 April 1961.

KEY

Vocabulary

celebration special, enjoyable event about something important
mark commemorate
ceremony formal act done on an important occasion
victory when you win something
survive continue to exist after being in a difficult situation
rivals people competing against each other
award prize given to someone for achieving something

True or false?

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. False

What is the missing word?

1. blasted
2. crush
3. Nowadays
4. history