2. General comprehension.

On reading the article point out which statements are true and which are false:

1. The Americans were the first to blaze the trail into space.

2. Russia’s space programme has been in sharp decline over the past decade.

3. Space exploitation is still a two-horse race these days.

4. India is the country with the longest history of space research.

5. Europeans are still beginners in space exploration.

6. Space achievements can serve as a barometer of a nation's prosperity.

3. Detailed comprehension.

Read the article a second time for details and answer the questions:

1. When did Russian space programme start?

2. What other countries besides Russia and the US have been successfully implementing their space programmes?

3. What are space ambitions of India, China and the EU member countries like?

4. Are the Americans leading in space research?

5. How does the article explain Russia's lagging behind?

III. Vocabulary exercises

1. Explain the meanings of the following collocations in your own words or translate:

a) a runner-up;

b) a spacewalk;

c) ailing space station;

d) prowess;

e) ... tonne payload;

f) sattelite;

g) a lander, a probe.

2. Find English equivalents to the following Russian ones:

а) пилотируемый космический корабль,

b) рекорд продолжительности пребывания в космосе,

с) затоплен в океане,

d) ракетоноситель,

е) спутники связи,

f) неудавшиеся запуски,

g) неконкурентоспособная программа.

3. Give Russian equivalents to the following English ones:

a) lesser space-faring nations;

b) space race;

c) to launch a test rocket;

d) a home-made rocket;

e) a failed launch;

f) cash-starved space programme.

4. Fill in the blanks with the right words in the correct forms:

a) to orbit, b) endurance, c) by-products, d) crew, e) mission, f) hatch

1. Indian and Chinese space programmes are ... of missile development.

2. According to the current plan the flight engineer will open the ... and reconnect the electrical cables.

3. Y. Gagarin was the first man to ... the planet.

4. That plan would have allowed the next ... to repair the hole.

5. The USSR and the US have set several space ... records.

6. That left only the real repair ..., which is basically a wiring job.

IV. Grammar exercises.

Substitute a clause for an infinitive in the function of an attribute:

1. The first man who orbited the planet and landed back on earth was Y. Gagarin.

2. Russia's president has recently declared that the country had much it could be proud of in space.

3. Indian and Chinese space programmes which reflect their technological prowess are by-products of missile development.

4. This launch vehicle which puts sattelites into a 24-hour orbit, has been recently designed.

5. Japan's first rocket which was launched in 1955, led to the creation of the Institute of Space.

V. Rendering.

Use the outline below and render the article:

1. a record of space achievements since 1950s;

2. a declining role of Russian space exploration projects;

3. accomplishments of India in space race;

4. Chinese lofty space ambitions;

5. the Japanese losing ground and beginning to reorganise their space programme;

6. European Agency space plans.