UNIT 12.

LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS

A. PHONETICS
Exercise 1. Choose the word with the underlined part which is differently
pronounced from the others.
1. A. crater B. planet C. spaceship D. alien
2. A. happen B. ground C. gravity D. actual
3. A. spacemen B. daytime C. favourite D. surface
4. A. sun B. much C. under D. use
5. A. explore B. important C. novel D. stormy
6. A. rocket B. solar C. soldier D. oppose
7. A. sure B. future C. creature D. nature
8. A. enough B. hour C. outer D. found
9. A. speak B. creature C. pear D. least
10. A. main B. fail C. said D. train
Exercise 2. Choose the word which is stressed differently from the others.
1. A. alien B. crater C. creature D. attack
2. A. fiction B. happy C. human D. correct
3. A. liquid B. destroy C. Neptune D. object
4. A. gravity B. oppose C. outer D. planet
5. A. rocket B. repair C. solar D. spaceship
6. A. stormy B. system C. return D. travel
7. A. Saturn B. Venus C. support D. water
8. A. certain B. soldier C. exist D. tennis
9. A. obey B. weather C. object D. humans
10. A. observe B. novel C. lifestyle D. galaxy
B. VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR
Exercise 1. Underline the right word in brackets to complete each sentence.
1. The science fiction story featured a strange (telescope/ rocket/ creature) from
another planet.
2. Few movies represent intelligent (aliens/ strangers/ foreigners) as physically
different from humans.
3. Astronomers use (mirrors/ binoculars/ telescopes) to observe distant stars and
galaxies.
4. The (comets/ craters/ satellites) on the moon's surface tell a story of its history.
5. The (vehicle/ firework/ rocket) blasted off into the sky, carrying a payload of
satellites.
6. The Milky Way is a prominent (galaxy/ solar system/ planet) in our universe.
Exercise 2. Look at the pictures and write the correct word in the box under each
picture.
craters galaxy atmosphere outer space
aliens rocket solar system liquid
gravity telescope
 1. 2. 3. 4.
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

5. 6. 7. 8.
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

9. 10.
_______________ _______________
Exercise 3. Fill each blank with a word/ phrase in the box.
opposed obey take over
attack support meet
1. Most local residents ______________ the building of the shopping mall.
2. The soldiers were punished for failing to ______________ their commander's
orders.
3. The science fiction movie depicted an alien spaceship preparing to ______________
Earth.
4. The invaders from another world ______________ our planet in a matter of days.
5. Scientists are searching for a habitable planet that could ______________ life.
6. Certain conditions must be ______________ for a planet to be habitable.
Exercise 4. Complete the second sentences using wh-/ if/ whether and the correct
verb forms.
1. "Do you go for a walk every day?"
🡪 The interviewer asked ______________________ for a walk every day.
2. "Have you seen a UFO before, Nick?"
🡪 He asked ______________________ a UFO before.
3. "How many aliens did you see, Nick?"
🡪 He asked ______________________.
4. "Why didn't you take a photo of the aliens, Nick?"
🡪 He asked ______________________ a photo of the aliens.
5. "How long did the UFO stay there?"
🡪 The interviewer asked ______________________ there.
6. "Have you seen any UFOs since then, Nick?"
🡪 The interviewer asked ______________________ any UFOs since then.
7. "How many languages can you speak?"
🡪 The boss asked me ______________________ speak.
8. "What makes the new land different from others?"
🡪 They wanted to discover ______________________ the new land different from
others.
Exercise 5. Change into reported speech.
1. "Do you want to travel to space one day?" Henry asked me.
🡪 Henry asked me
2. "What is your favorite sci-fi movie, Nam?" said Viet.
🡪 Viet asked Nam
3. "Have you ever looked through a telescope?" I asked John.
🡪 I asked John
4. "When will the next space buggy be sent to the moon?" they asked.
🡪 They asked him when
5. "How and when was the universe created?" Tom asked the presenter.
🡪 Tom asked the presenter
6. "Are you going to visit NASA next Thursday?" said Mai to Dr. Taylor.
🡪 Mai asked Dr. Taylor
7. "May I ask you some questions about outer space?" Laura asked Ms. white.
🡪 Laura asked Ms. White
8. "What are telescopes used for?" we asked the scientist.
🡪 We asked the scientist
C. READING
Exercise 1. Put a word/ phrase from the box in each gap to complete the following
passage.
include moons temperatures galaxy
surfaces orbit supported revolving
The solar system came into being about 4.5 billion years ago when a cloud of gas and
dust collapsed, resulting in a circling disc of material that collided to form the solar
system.
Only 15% of the stars in the (1) __________________ host planetary systems, and one
of those stars is our own sun. (2) __________________ around the sun are 8 planets,
and based on their composition are categorized as Terrestrial or Jovian. Terrestrial
planets lie on the inner part of the solar system and (3) __________________
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars which are made up of rocky material. They have
solid (4) __________________ and no ring systems. They have very few (5)
__________________ and are relatively small planets. Mercury is the smallest planet
and is closest to the sun. It has the shortest (6) __________________ which is around
3 "Earthly months". Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, with (7)
________________ up to 867 degrees. Around 3.7 billion years ago, Mars had a
watery surface similarly to Earth and it's believed it once (8) ______________ "life"
there once.
Exercise 2. Choose the correct word A, B, C, or D for each of the gaps to complete
the following text.
The best place for people learn more about (1) __________________ is the
International Space Station. It is located between 330 and 435 kilometers above the (2)
__________________. Life on the Space Station is different. (3)
__________________many people here on Earth, people there wake up and brush
their teeth, take showers and wash their hair. But they must be very careful because
they don't want to use lots of (4) __________________. They must use special soap
and shampoo (5) __________________ they can use least water, when they eat
breakfast, they must eat food they first bring with them from Earth. Again, they must
be careful because they don't want their food to (6) __________________away! After
people on the Space Station finish breakfast, they start their work and then do exercise.
It is not easy to stay healthy in space, so they exercise for more than two hours every
day. They can exercise with running or cycling machines. For fun, people on the Space
Station can read books, watch movies, listen to music and look out the windows at
Earth. One time every week, they can also talk with their friends and families back
home.
1. A. galaxy B. space C. earth D. moon
2. A. earth B. asteroid C. satellite D. orbit
3. A. Alike B. Likely C. Like D. Unlike
4. A. food B. liquid C. water D. money
5. A. or B. so that C. despite D. because of
6. A. sink B. disappear C. run D. float
F. WRITING
Exercise 1. Write complete sentences using the given words.
1. My son likes/ read/ science fiction books/ about/ aliens/ space.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
2. Human beings/ living creatures/ in/ solar system.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
3. There be/ possibility/ that/ it/ might/ rain/ tomorrow.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
4. They/ have/ find/ planet/ that/ could accommodate half/ Earth's population.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
5. What/ we/ should/ do/ if/ aliens/ take over/ Earth?
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
6. There be/ lot of/ craters/ on the top/ the volcano.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
7. Rockets/ used/ carry things/ into space.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
8. Besides Earth,/ scientists/ have/ announce/ find out/ some habitable planets.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
Exercise 2. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence, using the given words in brackets.
1. "What do you think people will find on Jupiter?" he said. (would)
🡪 He asked me what
2. Possibly he isn't the captain of Star Trek. (may)
🡪 He
3. "How did they return to Earth?" we asked. (wanted)
🡪 We
4. It's possible the weather will be sunny tomorrow. (might)
🡪 The weather
5. "Is your uncle working as a pilot for NASA?" Julia asked me. (working)
🡪 Julia asked me
6. "How can the people from Venus travel around?" Tom asked. (could)
🡪 Tom wondered
7. "Do you want me to call your mom?" said the waitress to the little boy. (whether)
🡪 The waitress asked
8. "Where have you been the whole evening, son?" asked the mother. (had)
🡪 The mother asked the son

ADVANCED PRACTICE
A. PHONETICS
Exercise 1. Choose the word with the underlined part which is differently
pronounced from the others.
1. A. Neptune B. human C. temperature D. suitable
2. A. habitat B. character C. behavior D. imaginary
3. A. return B. Saturn C. support D. surface
4. A. attack B. happy C. travel D. water
5. A. obey B. observe C. professor D. object
6. A. enough B. another C. punish D. support
7. A. except B. exist C. expression D. explore
8. A. really B. early C. clearly D. nearly
9. A. break B. bread C. weather D. health
10. A. actual B. fiction C. spaceship D. social
Exercise 2. Choose the word which is stressed differently from the others.
1. A. visit B. happen C. punish D. explore
2. A. include B. enough C. protect D. Spanish
3. A. wonder B. spacemen C. daytime D. except
4. A. around B. actual C. thrilling D. football
5. A. important B. character C. journalist D. similar
6. A. gravity B. appearance C. favourite D. habitat
7. A. Uranus B. professor C. Mercury D. telescope
8. A. behavior B. atmosphere C. condition D. another
9. A. particular B. unsuitable C. habitable D. imaginary
10. A. temperature B. similar C. information D. promising
B. VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR
Exercise 1. Complete the sentences with the words/ phrases from the box.
a gravity a UFO a living creature
possibility
outer space traces the solar system aliens
a promising planet a habitable planet
1. Strangely, no one believed us when we told them we'd been visited by
_________________ from Mars.
2. Do you genuinely believe that space _________________ have landed on our
planet?
3. There is _________________ that other forms of life exist beyond our planet.
4. The possibility of visitors from ______________________ has intrigued scientists
and enthusiasts for decades.
5. The _________________ of the Earth keeps objects and people grounded.
6. Recent findings suggest _________________ of water may exist on the moon.
7. Tom said that he saw a strange object in the sky and claimed to have seen
_________________.
8. _________________ consists of the sun and all the celestial bodies orbiting around
it.
9. Scientists have identified ____________ in a distant star system that could
potentially support life.
10. _________________ is one that has the right conditions to support life as we know
it.
Exercise 3. Change the following sentences into the reported speech.
1. "Have you seen any UFOs since then?"
🡪 The interviewer asked
2. "What are the essential conditions for human life?" the teacher asked her students.
🡪 The teacher asked
3. "Have humans been able to communicate with people on other planets?" Samuel
asked the scientist.
🡪 Samuel asked the scientist
4. "Did the Roswell UFO incident take place in the U.S. in June 1947?" Nick asked the
journalist.
🡪 Nick asked
5. "Who was the witness in the Roswell UFO incident?" Vanessa asked her uncle.
🡪 Vanessa asked her uncle
6. "When will humans be able to travel from one planet to another more easily?" the
son asked his father.
🡪 The son asked his father
7. "Why can't people move to Mars immediately?" Diane asked her mother.
🡪 Diane asked her mother
8. "Are they going to build a new school in this area next year?"
🡪 I wondered
Exercise 4. Choose the correct answer to complete the sentences.
1. Mohan asked his mother if _________________ the Internet.
A. could he surf B. he can surf C. he could surf D. he surfs
2. I asked the salesgirl how much _________________.
A. did the dress cost B. cost the dress C. the dress cost D. the dress costs
3. "_________________ the pink dress? It suits you," said Molly.
A. Why did I not buy B. why don't you buy
C. Did I buy D. Had you bought
4. Father asked me _________________ to watch Brother Bear with my cousins.
A. if I will want B. whether I wanted
C. when will I want D. why he wanted me
5. Mrs. Krishna asked her children to _________________ the room for their
grandmother's visit.
A. prepare B. be preparing C. prepared D. has prepared
6. The little boy asked the waitress _________________ have another spoon.
A. could he B. he could C. he can D. if he could
7. Lisa asked me where _________________ for delicious seafood.
A. did she go B. can she goes C. she could go D. could she go
8. I asked my mother _________________ go to the bookshop with my friends.
A. may I B. I may not C. if I might D. if could I
9. Charles wanted to know _________________.
A. why is Joseph late B. why was Joseph late
C. why Joseph was late D. was Joseph late
10. The little boy told the teacher what _________________ for Christmas.
A. did he get B. did he got C. he got D. he get
Exercise 5. Change the indirect sentences into direct ones.
1. We asked Mr. Tam whether he was working for NASA then.
🡪 "_____________________________________________________________" we
asked Mr. Tam.
2. They wanted to know if we would ever meet aliens one day.
🡪 "_____________________________________________________________" they
asked.
3. David asked me what I had talked to the astronaut the previous night.
🡪 "_____________________________________________________________"
David asked me.
4. Vinh asked Peter whether there were other life forms in the universe.
🡪 "_____________________________________________________________" Vinh
asked Peter.
5. My friends wanted to know if he would stay there with me for some more days.
🡪 "_____________________________________________________________" my
friends asked.
6. People wondered why the security of the earth would be threatened
🡪 “_____________________________________________________________" Peter
asked.
7. I asked Ms. Gray if she could speak Martian language.
🡪 "____________________________________________________________" I
asked Ms. Gray.
8. She asked Mr. Armstrong how long he had worked on space projects.
🡪 "_________________________________________________________" she asked
Mr. Armstrong.
9. The reporter wanted to know why I hadn't taken a picture when I had seen the UFO.
🡪 "___________________________________________________________" the
reporter asked me.
10. Hoa asked me whether I had been leaving the spaceship at 3 o'clock the day
before.
🡪 "_____________________________________________________________" Hoa
asked me.
Exercise 7. Supply the correct form of the words in brackets.
1. The _________________ skills he acquired during his wilderness training were
useful when he got lost in the forest. (survive)
2. Astronauts experience _________________ in the environment of space, allowing
them to float inside the spacecraft. (weight)
3. _________________ efforts are crucial to protect such endangered animals as the
black rhinoceros from disappearing from the planet. (conserve)
4. Many reports of a(n) _________________ flying object in the sky turned out to be a
weather balloon, not an alien spacecraft. (identify)
5. The toxic gases in the old mine are _________________ to breathe. (poison)
6. Exploring the _________________ island gave me a sense of loneliness. (desert)
7. Scientists are curious about the _________________ of alien life beyond Earth.
(exist)
8. Children often have vivid imaginations and create stories about
_________________ living things. (imagine)
9. The unions are in _________________ to the government over the issue of
increasing the minimum wage. (oppose)
10. Many people think that the death penalty is too severe a _________________ for
any crime. (punish)
Exercise 8. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.
1. The _________________ launched into space with a deafening roar, leaving a trail
of smoke behind.
A. rocket B. asteroid C. planet D. satellite
2. Scientists use _________________ to observe the distant stars and galaxies in the
night sky.
A. telescopes B. binoculars C. 3D contact lens D. glasses
3. The Milky Way is a vast _________________ containing billions of stars and
planets.
A. comet B. galaxy C. universe D. planet
4. The moon's surface is covered in _________________ from countless impacts over
the years.
A. meteoroids B. glaciers C. craters D. asteroids
5. The _________________ worked tirelessly to repair their spaceship, stranded on a
distant planet.
A. rockets B. pilots C. spacecrafts D. astronauts
6. Scientists are constantly searching for planets beyond our solar system that might be
__________ for human colonization in the future.
A. user-friendly B. deserted C. habitable D. hospitable
7. The _________________ of the Earth keeps us firmly fixed to the ground,
preventing us from floating into space.
A. gravity B. atmosphere C. weightlessness D. pressure
8. Venus, often called Earth's "sister planet", is known for its extreme heat and thick,
toxic ________.
A. atmosphere B. climate C. weather D. galaxy
9. Too much carbon dioxide in the air can be _________________ for humans to
breathe.
A. poisonous B. unfriendly C. healthy D. habitable
10. A _________________ is a spacecraft that creatures from other planets travel in.
A. flying saucer B. rocket C. telescope D. galaxy
11. Many people believe that _________________ may exist on other planets in our
vast universe.
A. creatures B. aliens C. craters D. monsters
12. It's unlikely that any living _________________ can survive on a cold planet like
Neptune.
A. individuals B. workers C. creatures D. agents
13. There are no trees or animals on the _________________ of Mars.
A. face B. crater C. mouth D. surface
14. Astronauts left a flag as a _________________ of human life during a visit to the
Moon.
A. trace B. discovery C. copy D. picture
15. Tom asked me _________________ people are exploring outer space.
A. why B. what C. who D. whom
16. Dean asked his teacher _________________ humans might inhabit the Moon.
A. what B. how C. who D. where
17. They wanted to know _________________ was found on Mars.
A. where B. how C. what D. why
18. The little girl asked _________________ she could phone people living on other
planets.
A. who B. whom C. if D. unless
19. The students wanted to know _________________ the similarities between Mars
and Earth were.
A. how B. why C. whoever D. what
20. Nick asked me _________________ there were any green plants on Venus.
A. it B. what C. who D. unless
D. READING
Exercise 1. Read the following text and decide which answer best fits each
numbered blank.
NASA announced its plans to (1) ______________ humans to the moon again by
2020. The space agency hopes to make a giant leap - back to the moon. Back in 2005,
the U.S. space agency announced its plan to send four astronauts to the moon within
the next 15 years.
NASA officials say the moon is just (2) ______________ first step. They hope future
missions will take (3) ______________ to Mars and beyond. "We will return to the
moon no later than 2020 and extend the human presence across the (4)
______________ system and beyond," says Michael Griffin, the head of NASA.
So far, the moon is the only place (5) ______________ Earth that humans have
visited. At 226,000 miles away, the moon is Earth's closest space neighbour.
On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (6) ______________
the first astronauts to land on the moon. They traveled there aboard Apollo 11. when
Armstrong first set (7) __________ on the moon, he spoke these famous words:
"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for (8) ______________ "
During NASA's Apollo program, 12 American astronauts explored the lunar terrain.
The last U.S. trip to the moon finished in December 1972.
1. A. send B. mail C. transport D. arrive
2. A. one B. a C. the D. some
3. A. doctors B. satellites C. spacecrafts D. comets
4. A. sun B. solar C. galaxy D. universe
5. A. far B. near C. outer D. beyond
6. A. become B. became C. have become D. were becoming
7. A. foot B. step C. head D. foundation
8. A. women B. space C. Earth D. mankind
Exercise 3. Read the text and decide whether the following statements are T
(True) or F (False).
Elon Musk Wants to Send You to Mars!
For many years, a growing number of people have talked about the real possibility of
sending people to Mars. One of the problems with such a trip, however, has been the
cost: US 10 billion dollars to send just one person to the red planet.
However, in the early 2000s things began to change. That's when Elon Musk, a
billionaire businessman, announced his plan to lower the cost of sending people to
Mars. Musk is the CEO of SpaceX, a company that he created, and he hopes to change
the world by selling tickets to Mars for only US$200,000. How can he do this? The
answer is technology. With new technology, he believes, his company will be able to
make the long trip to Mars affordable.
He plans to send the first humans to Mars before 2030, and after that his company
wants to send one million people to Mars in the next 40 to 100 years. To do this,
SpaceX needs to build about 1,000 spaceships, why does Elon Musk want to do this?
He wants to do this because he hopes people will build a city on Mars, a city that will
be a second home for humans. Such a city on another planet should increase the
chances that humanity will survive far into the future. What do you think about Elon
Musk's plan to sell affordable tickets to Mars? Would you like to travel to Mars and
live there?

STATEMENTS T F
1. It is thought that it is possible to send sending people to Mars.
2. Elon Musk is a co-founder and CEO of SpaceX.
3. Elon Musk aims to make the tickets to Mars more affordable through the
use of technology.
4. Elon Musk's company, SpaceX, need to set up about 1,000 space stations.
5. A city on Mars could improve the chances of human survival in the long
term.
F. WRITING
Exercise 1. Put the words/ phrases in the correct order to make complete
sentences.
1. Mars/ is/ the Red Planet/ called/ its/ reddish surface./ because of
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
2. My mother/ subject/ me/ what/ I found/ asked/ the most difficult.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
3. The Moon/ once/ on/ orbits/ each time/ it/ the Earth./ revolves/ its axis
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
4. The Moon's surface/ to be/ been known/ completely/ waterless./ has long
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
5. In this space,/ is/ nothing/ there/ besides/ the Moon/ all the stars./ the Sun,/ and
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
6. Sally/ residents/ had/ from Venus/ and/ round faces./ thought/ very big eyes
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
7. Nick/ his teacher/ if/ asked/ good friends/ those people/ would become/ with
humans.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
8. The father/ the boy/ asked/ if/ he/ all the instructions./ had followed
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
Exercise 2. Use the given words to write the complete sentences.
1. Astronauts/ experience/ difficulties/ when/ they/ first land/ on/ moon.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
2. The climate/ other planets/ be/ very different/ that/ Earth.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
3. The Earth/ seem/ too small/ accommodate/ the increasing population.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
4. The rebels/ decide/ oppose/ the commander's authority/ during last year.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
5. Mercury/ closest planet/ to/ sun/ our solar system.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
6. The gravity/ the earth/ prevents us/ fall out/ the atmosphere.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
7. Mars/ one of/ promising planets/ for life/ our solar system.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________
8. Gravity/ the force/ of the earth/ that/ causes/ things/ fall to the ground.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________