S e c o n d e d I t I o n 1 Reading for the Real World 1

remote
place, 
no-one was killed. However, closer to the blast, windows were smashed, and 
people could feel extreme heat. 
Vibrations
were recorded in the Earth as far as 
1,000 kilometers away. The forest near the blast site had been flattened as far as 
30 kilometers from the center. Some trees were burned completely. The asteroid 
itself had 
vaporized
completely. 
Though people may worry about large asteroids striking the Earth, they are 
easy to detect. Smaller NEAs are much harder to find, and there are many more 
of them. The history of asteroids and the Earth has not ended.
Reading Time
_______ minutes _______ seconds
590 words
30
block out --- to cover from sight
38 
visible --- able to be seen
42
remote --- isolated; far from other people or things
44
vibrations --- small movements, like shaking
47 
vaporize --- to change to gas form

---

R 
eading Comprehension
98
A
Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the 
reading.
 1.
____ Most asteroids are located between Mars and Jupiter.
 2.
____ NEAs have probably caused the extinction of animals in the past.
 3.
____ In 1989, a NEA hit Earth.
 4.
____ The effect of an asteroid strike can be similar to that of a nuclear bomb.
B
 
Choose the best answer.
 1.
Why do scientists think that big asteroids hit the Earth in the past?
a. There is evidence in space.
b. We can see big marks on Earth.
c. We have experienced it recently.
d. We have had an ice age.
 2.
How could a NEA have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs?
a. By hitting the dinosaurs
b. By making poisonous vapor
c. By causing the climate to become very cold
d. By causing volcanoes
 3.
Why are NEAs more dangerous to us?
a. We can’t easily find them to destroy.
b. They are too big to destroy.
c. They are smaller and faster.
d. We know where they are.