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The Space Race
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By Sharon Fabian
Sometimes a bad situation can have surprisingly good
results. The Cold War between the Uhited States and the
Soviet Union was a bad situation and a very dangerous one.
For years, citizens of both countries feared the outbreak of a
terrible war between their countries. However, there were good
results of the Cold War, at least in one area. In the area of
space exploration, the Cold War spurred both the United States
and the Soviet Union on to more and more discoveries. This socalled space race would never have happened if it hadn't been for the Cold' War.
The space race resulted in great scientific discoveries for both countries. In the
end, after the Cold War was finished, it also provided a project for both the United
States and the Soviet Union to work on together.
2
It began in the 1950's, soon after the beginning of the Cold War. The United
States was working on its first earth-orbiting satellite. At the time we didn't know ,
it, but so was the Soviet Union.
3
We found out on October 4, 1957, the day when the Soviet Union launched its
first satellite, Sputnik I, into space. An A-1 rocket boosted Sputnik into space from
its base in the Soviet republic of Kazakhstan. Its first orbit of the Earth took about
95 minutes traveling at a speed of 18,000 miles per hour. Sputnik stayed in space
for 57 days.
4
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This must have been a day to celebrate for the Soviet people, but in the
United States it was a day of panic. If the Soviet Union could launch a scientific
rocket, then it could also launch a military rocket. The big fear was that the Soviet
Union would be able to fire a nuclear bomb all the way to the United States with
this new technology.
'
5
Right away, the United States stepped up its own space program. By January
31 of the next year, the US was ready. Explorer I launched into orbit.
6
In 1958, the United States also passed the Space Act, which created NASA.
Ever since then, NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has
been in charge of our space program. Another effect of Sputnik was that schools in
the United States began teaching more math and science. Colleges began to offer
courses in rocket science.
7
Meanwhile, the space race continued. The Soviet Union sent up more
Sputniks, and the United States sent up more Explorers. Then both countries
moved on to bigger challenges. For a while the Soviet Union was in the lead. One
of its cosmonauts, Yuri Gagarin, became the first person in space. The Soviet
8
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111412006
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Union also built the first space station. Later, the United States moved into the
lead when it landed the first manned spacecraft on the moon.
At this time, the Cold War was still in progress, and both the Soviet Union and
the United States also used their satellites for military purposes. Orbiting
satellites, more advanced than the original Sputnik or Explorer, were now used by
each country to spy on the other. These spy satellites looked for missiles and
nuclear weapons. They were part of a more dangerous contest known as the arms
race.
9
The Cold War was a time of suspicions and mistrust between the United
States and the Soviet Union, but just like every other war, it finally came to an
end. Then, both countries could look back and see what they had learned from the
experience. Both countries had learned a great deal about space travel throughout
the Cold War years.
10
Soon, the two countries would be combining their knowledge of space travel
to work together on a great science project, the international space station.
11
Copyright
(:I
2006 edHelper
The Space Race
1. One result of the Cold War was
C};;) The space race
®- A peace treaty
CQ) World War I
aD World War II
and
C};;) The United
®- The United
CQ) The Soviet
aD The Soviet
,
3. The space race was a competition to excel in
C};;) Putting a man on the moon
®- Space discoveries and technology
CQ) Building a satellite to orbit the earth
aD
Finding life on other planets
5. The first man in space was
Cl0 Vladimir Putin
®- John Glenn
Yuri Gagarin
7. Spy satellites were part of the
Cl0 Space race
.®- Arms race
CQ) Both
aD
Neither
States,
States,
Union,
Union,
North Korea
Europe
the United States
Kazakhstan
4. The first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth
was
C};;) A-I
®- Explorer II
CQ) Explorer I
aD Sputnik I
6. The Space Act of 1958
Cl0 Started the program to send up spy
satellites
®- Provided for an Earth orbiting satellite
CQ) Started the space race
aD Created NASA
CQ) Alan Shepard
aD
2. The space race was a competition between
-
-
8. This article is mainly about
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.
C};;) A competition that was a part of the
Cold War
®- A competition that was not taken
seriously
CQ) A competition that started a cold war
aD A friendly competition
1114/2006
The CoUapse of Communism
By Sharon Fabian
'
I
From the time communist rule began, there were problems.
The ideals imagined by the original communists never came
about. :Comm~unist party leaders ruled with absolute power. They
took control of farms and factories. Workers did not become
more prosperous as theyhad expected. Instead, they were
treated harshly and punished cruelly. Discontent and unrest
were problems in communist societies from the start, and these
problems worsened as the years went on.
.
.
The economy worsened in communist countries. Workers
who were still poor were no longer motivated to work hard. Not
enough products were being made, and not.enouqh food.wasbelnq
grown. People
could not buy the things that they needed. The situation went from bad to worse.
2
This is one reason why communism did not spread from country to country as
people had imagined. It also helps to explain why communism eventually
collapsed.
3
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union. He tried to
make changes that would improve the economy. He began two new policies. One
of them was called glasnost, a Russian word that means openness. People were
now allowed to speak out against the government. The other new policy was
known as perestroika, which means restructuring. This was a change back towards
more lndlvldual ownership of business.
4
-8oweve-r-;-Gcrrb-a-chev'schanges did not bring about the improvement
economythat
people hoped for.
5
in the
At that same time, citizens in the republicsthaf nlade-up tnesovtet Union
began-to teel that they should rule their own land. They wanted independence.
6
.By 1991, communism could not. hold on any longer. Gorbachev reslqned, and
the Soviet Union was dissolved. The republics of the former Soviet Union became.
separate countries. The red hammer and sickle flag was replaced by many flags,
each one representlnqcne of the newly independent republics. The names
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Be arus; Ukraine,
Georgia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan (Kurgystan), Moldova, Tajikistan,
and Russia were added to the world map.
7
Other countries that had been ruled by communist dictators changed too. They
chose new leaders in place of their former communist dictators. These countries
- included Poland, East Germany, -Czechoslovakia,_Bulg~ria,-~_9m_9_rl!a,and Hungary.
a
9
Some countries
made changes to improve their economy but remained under
htto:llwww.edhelperblog.com!cgi-binlvspec.cgi
111412006
communist rule. These included China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam.
The former communist countries now had economies based on a free market.
Many ,of the countries had turned to a more democratic form of government.
10
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The changes affected countries all over the world. The Cold War ended.
Governments began to send diplomats to do business wJth the former communist
countries, and international businesses began to trade with these countries too.
12
The changes affected everyday people all over the world too. People no longer
had to fear that the Cold War would turn into a real nuclear war. Many people
began to look forward to democracy spreading even further. In many ways, the
years after communism collapsed were a hopeful time.
Copyright C 2006 edHeJpei
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The Collapse of Communism
1. Which country did not exist after 1991?
CE::> Russia
<lD Soviet Union
CID China
<JD Azerbaijan
2. Which country is not a former Soviet republic?
<:A) Armenia
<E> Belarus
~
Romania
aD Estonia
3. Which country is not a former Soviet republic? 4. Which country remained under communist
rule?
CE::> Turkmenistan
CE;). Poland
_ <lf2 Tajikistan _
c:s::> Georgia
~
Pakistan
cc::> North Korea
<JD Kazakhstan
<lD Uzbekistan
j
5. Mikhail Gorbachev --CE::> Was assassinated
aD Resigned
~
Became president
<lP Became premier
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7. Before communism collapsed in the Soviet
Union, workers were.
~
<A:> Getting rich
<ID Taking over the government
aD Still poor
(]I) Noneof-th-e-above--
6. Mikhail Gorbachev
.
CE;) Lost a war with the US
c:s::> Led his country in a war
~
Made changed to try to improve his .
country's economy
-<lP Overthrew communism in the Soviet
Union
8. After communism collapsed in the Soviet
- Union, the republics
.
CE;) Became independent
c:s:> Joined together
<JD No longer existed
CID 'All of the above