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The Moon Landing of 1969

Posted by: Jaksyn Peacock
“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” -Neil Armstrong

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • astronaut: a person who travels in space
  • pledge: to publicly promise to do something
  • rivalry: a conflict between two groups competing to reach the same goal
  • advancement: a new development or progression in a certain area
  • capable: having the ability to complete a certain task

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

In 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first to walk on the moon. The decision to send astronauts to the moon was made in 1961, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy pledged to accomplish this before the end of the . Kennedy set this goal because of the rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union at the time. The Soviet Union had already made advancements in space , such as sending the first unmanned probe to the moon, and sending the first human to space. The U.S. wanted to prove that they were capable of space exploration as well. Over eight years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and launched 11 missions that would lead to the moon landing. The final mission took place on July 20th, 1969. Armstrong was the first of the two astronauts to walk on the moon, where he said the quote – “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Comprehension questions

1. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were

Correct! Wrong!

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans on the moon.

2. The decision to land a man on the moon was made in

Correct! Wrong!

The decision to land a man on the moon was made in 1961.

3. One advancement that the Soviet Union made in space travel was

Correct! Wrong!

One advancement that the Soviet Union made in space travel was sending the first human to space.

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Some people believe in the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked. Do you think this is possible? Why or why not?

Transcript

In 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. The decision to send astronauts to the moon was made in 1961, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy pledged to accomplish this before the end of the decade. Kennedy set this goal because of the rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union at the time. The Soviet Union had already made advancements in space travel, such as sending the first unmanned probe to the moon, and sending the first human to space. The U.S. wanted to prove that they were capable of space travel as well. Over eight years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) prepared and launched 11 missions that would lead to the moon landing. The final mission took place on July 20th, 1969. Armstrong was the first of the two astronauts to walk on the moon, where he said the famous quote: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

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Written and recorded by Jaksyn Peacock for EnglishClub
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