Study Buddy (Explorer): Young Hongkongers over the moon at meeting down-to-earth Chinese astronaut Chen Dong during school visit by space programme team
- Members of China’s manned space programme visited students at Pui Kiu Middle School to talk about their experience in space
- Each week, this page presents an interesting story that we have adjusted to be more accessible for all English learners
Chinese astronaut Chen Dong visits Pui Kiu Middle School in North Point on November 29, 2023. Photo: Sam TsangContent provided by British Council
Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below:
[1] Thousands of Hongkongers were over the moon at the chance to meet Chinese astronauts visiting the city last month, as they made their rounds at schools to share their experience in space.
[2] Astronaut Chen Dong and two colleagues from the country’s manned space programme spoke to pupils at Pui Kiu Middle School in North Point, one of the stops on a four-day trip by the delegation.
[3] During the session, he also met Chen Man-lin, a 16-year-old pupil he wrote to from space last year as part of a campaign to connect astronauts with students. “It is inspiring to hear about the endurance and the resilience they demonstrate in space,” Chen Man-lin said.
[4] The talk was one of the sessions on three campuses across the city, with the delegation meeting more than 1,000 pupils from 20 primary and 21 secondary schools.
[5] The four-day visit, led by China Manned Space Agency deputy director General Lin Xiqiang, is the first by Chinese astronauts since 2012, when crew members from the Shenzhou-9 mission toured the city. The delegation included astronauts Liu Boming, Wang Yaping and Zhang Lu, who took part in the Shenzhou-12, 13 and 15 missions, respectively.
[6] Chen Man-lin was the only local pupil selected to receive a reply from the astronauts in the campaign. In his reply, Chen Dong, who was involved in the Shenzhou-11 and 14 missions, wrote about his gruelling journey to become an astronaut and encouraged the student to keep pursuing her interest in aerospace.
[7] The pupil said that since their last interaction had taken place at more than “400km between the ground and the sky”, meeting him face to face was “incredibly exciting”. She also received a signed photograph from the astronaut, which she said she would treasure forever.
[8] It was not the first time the school received members of China’s space programme. Yang Liwei, the country’s first astronaut in space, visited the school and planted an oak tree on its grounds in 2003.
[9] Yalena Chen Ying-lam, 15, who was among the pupils chosen to welcome the delegation, said Chen Dong was down to earth and unlike her stereotypical idea of an astronaut. “He is a very cool person,” she said. “He doesn’t act the way we think astronauts are, like very scientific and logical. Perhaps this is the only chance I get to meet someone this famous face-to-face.”
[10] She previously took part in a live lecture broadcast from the Tiangong space station by astronauts on the Shenzhou-13 mission in 2021, which she said helped her realise that physics was “not that boring”.
[11] Although she is uncertain about becoming an astronaut herself, the group’s visit opened her eyes to other possibilities. “Each small step contributes to the larger one, so even if we do not go to space, we can still play a role, like being engineers or designers,” she said.
Source: South China Morning Post, November 29
Questions
1. The phrase “over the moon” in paragraph 1 suggested Hongkongers were … to meet the Chinese astronauts.
A. excited yet worried
B. extremely happy and excited
C. surprised and happy
D. none of the above
2. According to paragraph 2, how much time did Chen Dong spend in Hong Kong?
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3. What does the session in paragraph 3 refer to?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Decide whether the following statements in paragraphs 3 and 4 are True, False or the Information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) Chen Dong met a pupil with whom he had a video call when he was in space.
(ii) Chen Man-lin hopes to become an astronaut.
(iii) Chen Dong visited more than 40 schools when he was in Hong Kong.
(iv) The astronaut and his team met both primary and secondary school students during their visit.
5. According to paragraph 5, Liu Boming, Wang Yaping and Zhang Lu …
A. were part of the Shenzhou-9 mission.
B. took part in the same mission as Chen Dong.
C. are all Chinese astronauts.
D. visited Hong Kong in 2012.
6. Find a word in paragraph 6 that means “very difficult and needing great effort for a long time”.
___________________________________________________
7. When was the first time an astronaut visited Pui Kiu Middle School, according to paragraph 8?
___________________________________________________
8. In paragraph 9, what did Yalena find surprising about Chen Dong?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. The word “possibilities” in paragraph 11 most likely refers to …
A. different ways to be involved in space exploration
B. various ways to get to space
C. the different planets astronauts can explore
D. all of the above
Answers
1. B
2. four days
3. Astronaut Chen Dong and two colleagues from the country’s manned space programme speaking to pupils at Pui Kiu Middle School.
4. (i) F; (ii) NG; (iii) F; (iv) T
5. C
6. gruelling
7. 2003
8. She was surprised that Chen Dong was down to earth and unlike her stereotypical idea of an astronaut, which is very scientific and logical.
9. A