Page 1
Mercury is a planet. It's the planet nearest the Sun. Mercury is very
hot. The temperature is between 100 degrees and -200 degrees
Celsius. There is no water on Mercury. There aren't any plants or
animals, but there are mountains and valleys. Some of the mountains
are very high. One mountain is nearly 5,000 meters tall. That's about
the same as some mountains on Earth. The valleys are long and deep.
Mercury is small. It's only a little bigger than Earth's moon. In the past,
some people thought that Mercury was two planets because it
sometimes looks like there are two parts. Mercury goes around the
sun quickly. A year on Mercury is only eighty-eight days. A day on
Mercury is very long. It's almost fifty-nine Earth days long. That means
that one day on Mercury is about two weeks on Earth! Only two
space missions have gone to Mercury. One was the Mariner 10 in
1974/75. It took pictures of about half of Mercury. The other mission is
the MESSENGER mission. It started in 2004, and it went into orbit
around Mercury in 2011. MESSENGER will take pictures and collect
information for one year.
Name: Date:
Mercury
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
What are the temperatures on Mercury like?
How does the size of Mercury compare to Earth's moon?
How long is a year on Mercury compared to Earth?
How many space missions have gone to Mercury?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Page 2
Mercury is a planet. It's the planet nearest the Sun. Mercury is very
hot. The temperature is between 100 degrees and -200 degrees
Celsius. There is no water on Mercury. There aren't any plants or
animals, but there are mountains and valleys. Some of the mountains
are very high. One mountain is nearly 5,000 meters tall. That's about
the same as some mountains on Earth. The valleys are long and deep.
Mercury is small. It's only a little bigger than Earth's moon. In the past,
some people thought that Mercury was two planets because it
sometimes looks like there are two parts. Mercury goes around the
sun quickly. A year on Mercury is only eighty-eight days. A day on
Mercury is very long. It's almost fifty-nine Earth days long. That means
that one day on Mercury is about two weeks on Earth! Only two
space missions have gone to Mercury. One was the Mariner 10 in
1974/75. It took pictures of about half of Mercury. The other mission is
the MESSENGER mission. It started in 2004, and it went into orbit
around Mercury in 2011. MESSENGER will take pictures and collect
information for one year.
Name: Date:
Mercury
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
What are the temperatures on Mercury like?
How does the size of Mercury compare to Earth's moon?
How long is a year on Mercury compared to Earth?
How many space missions have gone to Mercury?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Name: Date:
Venus
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
What makes Venus the brightest planet in our sky?
Why is Venus considered the hottest planet in our solar system?
What was the first spacecraft to visit Venus, and what did it do?
Why have spacecraft sent to Venus only worked for a short time?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and it is the brightest planet
in our sky. It is sometimes called the Evening Star or the Morning Star
because we can often see it at these times of day.Venus is similar to
Earth in size, mass and density but its atmosphere is very different.Its
air is mostly carbon dioxide and it has a lot of clouds which make it
the hottest planet in our solar system. The temperature on Venus is
more than 450 degrees Celsius which is hotter than the surface of
Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the Sun.
We know a lot about Venus because many spacecraft have visited
the planet. The first one was Mariner 2 in 1962. It flew past Venus and
took measurements of its atmosphere. Since then other spacecraft
have landed on the surface of Venus and sent back information. But
they only worked for a short time because the conditions are so
difficult there.
The Soviet Union's Venera 7 was the first spacecraft to land on
another planet when it arrived on Venus in 1970. It sent back data for
23 minutes before it stopped working. The longest any spacecraft has
survived on Venus is two hours and seven minutes. That was the
American spacecraft Pioneer Venus Multiprobe in 1978.
Page 3
Mercury is a planet. It's the planet nearest the Sun. Mercury is very
hot. The temperature is between 100 degrees and -200 degrees
Celsius. There is no water on Mercury. There aren't any plants or
animals, but there are mountains and valleys. Some of the mountains
are very high. One mountain is nearly 5,000 meters tall. That's about
the same as some mountains on Earth. The valleys are long and deep.
Mercury is small. It's only a little bigger than Earth's moon. In the past,
some people thought that Mercury was two planets because it
sometimes looks like there are two parts. Mercury goes around the
sun quickly. A year on Mercury is only eighty-eight days. A day on
Mercury is very long. It's almost fifty-nine Earth days long. That means
that one day on Mercury is about two weeks on Earth! Only two
space missions have gone to Mercury. One was the Mariner 10 in
1974/75. It took pictures of about half of Mercury. The other mission is
the MESSENGER mission. It started in 2004, and it went into orbit
around Mercury in 2011. MESSENGER will take pictures and collect
information for one year.
Name: Date:
Mercury
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
What are the temperatures on Mercury like?
How does the size of Mercury compare to Earth's moon?
How long is a year on Mercury compared to Earth?
How many space missions have gone to Mercury?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Name: Date:
Venus
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
What makes Venus the brightest planet in our sky?
Why is Venus considered the hottest planet in our solar system?
What was the first spacecraft to visit Venus, and what did it do?
Why have spacecraft sent to Venus only worked for a short time?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and it is the brightest planet
in our sky. It is sometimes called the Evening Star or the Morning Star
because we can often see it at these times of day.Venus is similar to
Earth in size, mass and density but its atmosphere is very different.Its
air is mostly carbon dioxide and it has a lot of clouds which make it
the hottest planet in our solar system. The temperature on Venus is
more than 450 degrees Celsius which is hotter than the surface of
Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the Sun.
We know a lot about Venus because many spacecraft have visited
the planet. The first one was Mariner 2 in 1962. It flew past Venus and
took measurements of its atmosphere. Since then other spacecraft
have landed on the surface of Venus and sent back information. But
they only worked for a short time because the conditions are so
difficult there.
The Soviet Union's Venera 7 was the first spacecraft to land on
another planet when it arrived on Venus in 1970. It sent back data for
23 minutes before it stopped working. The longest any spacecraft has
survived on Venus is two hours and seven minutes. That was the
American spacecraft Pioneer Venus Multiprobe in 1978.
Name: Date:
Earth
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
How many oceans are there on Earth, and which one is the largest?
Where is Mount Everest located, and how high is it?
How old is our planet, and when did the first people appear?
Why is it important to take care of the animals and plants on Earth?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
The Earth is our planet. It's not too big and it's not too small. It's just
the right size for us and it has everything we need.We live on the
Earth's surface, but there's a lot more of the Earth under the
water.There are five oceans: the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean,
the Southern Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. The
Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean.
The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest. It's 8,848 meters
high. It's in Asia. The lowest place in the world is the Dead Sea. It's
400 meters below sea level. It's between Israel and Jordan.
Our planet is very old - about 4.5 billion years. A long time ago, there
were no people here. The first people appeared about 2 million years
ago.
There are now about 7.3 billion people on the Earth. We live all over
the planet, but most people live in Asia. There are also many other
animals and plants on the Earth. We must take care of them.
What lies beneath the Earth's surface besides water?
________________________________________________________________
Page 4
Mercury is a planet. It's the planet nearest the Sun. Mercury is very
hot. The temperature is between 100 degrees and -200 degrees
Celsius. There is no water on Mercury. There aren't any plants or
animals, but there are mountains and valleys. Some of the mountains
are very high. One mountain is nearly 5,000 meters tall. That's about
the same as some mountains on Earth. The valleys are long and deep.
Mercury is small. It's only a little bigger than Earth's moon. In the past,
some people thought that Mercury was two planets because it
sometimes looks like there are two parts. Mercury goes around the
sun quickly. A year on Mercury is only eighty-eight days. A day on
Mercury is very long. It's almost fifty-nine Earth days long. That means
that one day on Mercury is about two weeks on Earth! Only two
space missions have gone to Mercury. One was the Mariner 10 in
1974/75. It took pictures of about half of Mercury. The other mission is
the MESSENGER mission. It started in 2004, and it went into orbit
around Mercury in 2011. MESSENGER will take pictures and collect
information for one year.
Name: Date:
Mercury
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
What are the temperatures on Mercury like?
How does the size of Mercury compare to Earth's moon?
How long is a year on Mercury compared to Earth?
How many space missions have gone to Mercury?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Name: Date:
Venus
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
What makes Venus the brightest planet in our sky?
Why is Venus considered the hottest planet in our solar system?
What was the first spacecraft to visit Venus, and what did it do?
Why have spacecraft sent to Venus only worked for a short time?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and it is the brightest planet
in our sky. It is sometimes called the Evening Star or the Morning Star
because we can often see it at these times of day.Venus is similar to
Earth in size, mass and density but its atmosphere is very different.Its
air is mostly carbon dioxide and it has a lot of clouds which make it
the hottest planet in our solar system. The temperature on Venus is
more than 450 degrees Celsius which is hotter than the surface of
Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the Sun.
We know a lot about Venus because many spacecraft have visited
the planet. The first one was Mariner 2 in 1962. It flew past Venus and
took measurements of its atmosphere. Since then other spacecraft
have landed on the surface of Venus and sent back information. But
they only worked for a short time because the conditions are so
difficult there.
The Soviet Union's Venera 7 was the first spacecraft to land on
another planet when it arrived on Venus in 1970. It sent back data for
23 minutes before it stopped working. The longest any spacecraft has
survived on Venus is two hours and seven minutes. That was the
American spacecraft Pioneer Venus Multiprobe in 1978.
Name: Date:
Earth
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
How many oceans are there on Earth, and which one is the largest?
Where is Mount Everest located, and how high is it?
How old is our planet, and when did the first people appear?
Why is it important to take care of the animals and plants on Earth?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
The Earth is our planet. It's not too big and it's not too small. It's just
the right size for us and it has everything we need.We live on the
Earth's surface, but there's a lot more of the Earth under the
water.There are five oceans: the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean,
the Southern Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. The
Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean.
The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest. It's 8,848 meters
high. It's in Asia. The lowest place in the world is the Dead Sea. It's
400 meters below sea level. It's between Israel and Jordan.
Our planet is very old - about 4.5 billion years. A long time ago, there
were no people here. The first people appeared about 2 million years
ago.
There are now about 7.3 billion people on the Earth. We live all over
the planet, but most people live in Asia. There are also many other
animals and plants on the Earth. We must take care of them.
What lies beneath the Earth's surface besides water?
________________________________________________________________
Name: Date:
Mars
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
Why is Mars often referred to as the 'Red Planet'?
Why have scientists been interested in studying Mars for many years?
What did the Curiosity rover discover on Mars in 2012?
Why do many people find the idea of exploring Mars exciting?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and the second smallest planet
in the solar system. Named after the Roman god of war, it is often
called the 'Red Planet' because the iron oxide (rust) on its surface gives
it a reddish appearance. Mars has a thin atmosphere and a very cold
climate. Its average temperature is around -80 degrees Fahrenheit
(-62 degrees Celsius). It also has the largest volcano and the deepest,
longest canyon in the solar system. For many years, scientists have
been interested in Mars because they believe it may have once had
conditions that could support life. They have sent numerous spacecraft
to study the planet and search for signs of water and past life. In 2012,
the Curiosity rover landed on Mars and discovered evidence of liquid
water in the past. In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion
about sending humans to Mars. Private companies like SpaceX and
government space agencies like NASA are working on plans to send
astronauts to the Red Planet. However, the journey to Mars would be
long and dangerous, and there are still many challenges to overcome
before humans can live there permanently. Many people are excited
about the possibility of exploring Mars in the future. It remains one of
the most fascinating and mysterious planets in our solar system.
Page 5
Mercury is a planet. It's the planet nearest the Sun. Mercury is very
hot. The temperature is between 100 degrees and -200 degrees
Celsius. There is no water on Mercury. There aren't any plants or
animals, but there are mountains and valleys. Some of the mountains
are very high. One mountain is nearly 5,000 meters tall. That's about
the same as some mountains on Earth. The valleys are long and deep.
Mercury is small. It's only a little bigger than Earth's moon. In the past,
some people thought that Mercury was two planets because it
sometimes looks like there are two parts. Mercury goes around the
sun quickly. A year on Mercury is only eighty-eight days. A day on
Mercury is very long. It's almost fifty-nine Earth days long. That means
that one day on Mercury is about two weeks on Earth! Only two
space missions have gone to Mercury. One was the Mariner 10 in
1974/75. It took pictures of about half of Mercury. The other mission is
the MESSENGER mission. It started in 2004, and it went into orbit
around Mercury in 2011. MESSENGER will take pictures and collect
information for one year.
Name: Date:
Mercury
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
What are the temperatures on Mercury like?
How does the size of Mercury compare to Earth's moon?
How long is a year on Mercury compared to Earth?
How many space missions have gone to Mercury?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Name: Date:
Venus
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
What makes Venus the brightest planet in our sky?
Why is Venus considered the hottest planet in our solar system?
What was the first spacecraft to visit Venus, and what did it do?
Why have spacecraft sent to Venus only worked for a short time?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and it is the brightest planet
in our sky. It is sometimes called the Evening Star or the Morning Star
because we can often see it at these times of day.Venus is similar to
Earth in size, mass and density but its atmosphere is very different.Its
air is mostly carbon dioxide and it has a lot of clouds which make it
the hottest planet in our solar system. The temperature on Venus is
more than 450 degrees Celsius which is hotter than the surface of
Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the Sun.
We know a lot about Venus because many spacecraft have visited
the planet. The first one was Mariner 2 in 1962. It flew past Venus and
took measurements of its atmosphere. Since then other spacecraft
have landed on the surface of Venus and sent back information. But
they only worked for a short time because the conditions are so
difficult there.
The Soviet Union's Venera 7 was the first spacecraft to land on
another planet when it arrived on Venus in 1970. It sent back data for
23 minutes before it stopped working. The longest any spacecraft has
survived on Venus is two hours and seven minutes. That was the
American spacecraft Pioneer Venus Multiprobe in 1978.
Name: Date:
Earth
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
How many oceans are there on Earth, and which one is the largest?
Where is Mount Everest located, and how high is it?
How old is our planet, and when did the first people appear?
Why is it important to take care of the animals and plants on Earth?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
The Earth is our planet. It's not too big and it's not too small. It's just
the right size for us and it has everything we need.We live on the
Earth's surface, but there's a lot more of the Earth under the
water.There are five oceans: the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean,
the Southern Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. The
Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean.
The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest. It's 8,848 meters
high. It's in Asia. The lowest place in the world is the Dead Sea. It's
400 meters below sea level. It's between Israel and Jordan.
Our planet is very old - about 4.5 billion years. A long time ago, there
were no people here. The first people appeared about 2 million years
ago.
There are now about 7.3 billion people on the Earth. We live all over
the planet, but most people live in Asia. There are also many other
animals and plants on the Earth. We must take care of them.
What lies beneath the Earth's surface besides water?
________________________________________________________________
Name: Date:
Mars
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
Why is Mars often referred to as the 'Red Planet'?
Why have scientists been interested in studying Mars for many years?
What did the Curiosity rover discover on Mars in 2012?
Why do many people find the idea of exploring Mars exciting?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and the second smallest planet
in the solar system. Named after the Roman god of war, it is often
called the 'Red Planet' because the iron oxide (rust) on its surface gives
it a reddish appearance. Mars has a thin atmosphere and a very cold
climate. Its average temperature is around -80 degrees Fahrenheit
(-62 degrees Celsius). It also has the largest volcano and the deepest,
longest canyon in the solar system. For many years, scientists have
been interested in Mars because they believe it may have once had
conditions that could support life. They have sent numerous spacecraft
to study the planet and search for signs of water and past life. In 2012,
the Curiosity rover landed on Mars and discovered evidence of liquid
water in the past. In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion
about sending humans to Mars. Private companies like SpaceX and
government space agencies like NASA are working on plans to send
astronauts to the Red Planet. However, the journey to Mars would be
long and dangerous, and there are still many challenges to overcome
before humans can live there permanently. Many people are excited
about the possibility of exploring Mars in the future. It remains one of
the most fascinating and mysterious planets in our solar system.
Name: Date:
Jupiter
Reading Comprehension
Read the text and answer the questions.
How does Jupiter's size compare to Earth?
Why would you not be able to land on Jupiter?
Why is Jupiter named after the king of the Roman gods?
What have we learned about Jupiter from the Voyager, Galileo, and
Juno missions?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
How do Jupiter's rings compare to Saturn's rings?
________________________________________________________________
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It's about 1,300 times
the size of Earth. It's also very far away from us - about 484 million
miles (778 million kilometers) away from Earth. One special thing
about Jupiter is its Great Red Spot. This is a huge storm that has
been happening for over 400 years! The storm is so big that three
Earths could fit inside it! Jupiter is made mostly of gas and doesn't
have a solid surface like Earth does. If you tried to land on Jupiter,
you would just fall into it because of its strong gravity. Jupiter has
more than 60 moons. One of its moons, Ganymede, is the largest
moon in the solar system. In fact, Ganymede is even bigger than the
planet Mercury! Jupiter is named after the king of the Roman gods.
The ancient Romans believed that the bright light in the night sky
was Jupiter watching over them. We've learned a lot about Jupiter
from the Voyager, Galileo, and Juno missions. For example, we now
know that Jupiter has rings, but they're not as big or bright as
Saturn's rings.
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