4th Grade - RI.4.5 30 Seconds of Fuel - by Theresa Baker

In July 1969, three astronauts blasted off for the Moon. Their goal was not only to land on the Moon but also to walk on its surface. The journey from Earth to Moon was quiet, and the astronauts were patient and calm during the trip. The landing, however, would be quite exciting. After getting near the Moon, the landing ship, named Eagle, separated from the command ship. The command ship then remained in orbit around the Moon. During the landing ship’s descent to the Moon, the astronaut flying the ship made an announcement. Astronaut Neil Armstrong said, “The Eagle has wings.” He meant that the landing ship was flying well and doing its job. As the Eagle began its final approach, alarms sounded. By now, fuel was running low. Looking out the window, Armstrong realized the terrain was not good for landing. The problem was that it was rocky and dangerous. The landing site was supposed to be smooth. There was less than a minute of fuel left for a landing. If they ran out, the Eagle would be forced to cancel its flight and go back to the command ship. Armstrong had to decide how to meet this challenge. Should he call off the landing? Or should he look for another landing spot? He quickly chose to fly the ship to another area. Just seconds later, the ship landed in an area of the Moon called the Sea of Tranquility. There were only about 30 seconds of fuel left. Armstrong announced, “The Eagle has landed."

This questions has two parts. Answer part A, then answer Part B.

Part A
In paragraphs 1 and 2, the author describes events in time order. What structure does the author use to present information in paragraphs 3 and 4?
A. The author tells the order in which the events happened during the Eagle’s attempt to land.
B. The author explains a challenge Armstrong faced and how he solved it.
C. The author tells what caused the Eagle to land and what happened as a result.
D. The author compares and contrasts the events that happened before and after the Eagle landed.

Part B
Which two sentences from the text best support the answer in Part A?
A. “As the Eagle began its final approach, alarms sounded.”
B. “The problem was that it was rocky and dangerous.”
C. “The landing site was supposed to be smooth.”
D. “There was less than a minute of fuel left for a landing.”
E. “He quickly chose to fly the ship to another area.”
F. “Armstrong announced, ‘The Eagle has landed.’”