Comprehension task

I. Read the word combinations and translate them into Russian

rocket scientist, heavier-than-air flying machines, interplanetary travel, to be home schooled, aspects of space travel, to be inspired by smth., to be honoured for smth., to work through, ambitious topic, wide-scale interest, astronautic society, liquid-fuelled rockets, academic treatise, related subjects, air resistance.

II. Make up the word combinations

1. space 2. astronautic 3. to delve into 4. multistage 5. practical 6. reaction 7. academic 8. rocket 9. air 10. scientific

a) cusion b) treatise c) device d) research e) propulsion f) society g) theories h) rocket i) model j) elevator

III. Fill in the missing words (liquid-fuelled, to be acknowledged, a pioneer, rocketeers, academic works)

1. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was … of astronautic theory.

2. Zander built … rockets named OR-1 (1930) and OR-2 (1933).

3. Besides … Tsiolkovsky wrote science fiction novels too.

4. Only in the mid 1920s the importance of Tsiolkovsky’s work … by others.

5. Tsiolkovsky’s work influenced later … throughout Europe.

IV. Find synonyms in the list of words

dissertation, hard of hearing, independently, to acknowledge, to compute, original, deaf, research, subject, to publish, to accept, to conceive, separately, thesis, to elect, to theorize, topic, to calculate, investigation, pioneering, to choose, to print

V. Find antonyms in the list of words

success, passive, certainly, practical, well-known, liquid, arguably, solid, vertical, failure, little-known, theoretical, minimal, maximal, horizontal, active.

VI. Agree or disagree with the following statements

1. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was the founder of astronautic theory.

2. He was the first to conceive the air cushion inspired by the newly-constructed Eiffel Tower.

3. The Wright brothers had done the same calculations earlier than Tsiolkovsky.

4. Hermann Oberth promoted Tsiolkovsky’s work.

5. Tsiolkovsky’s most important work was published in 1903.

VII. Match the questions with the answers

1. When did Tsiolkovsky conceive the space elevator?	а) No, he wasn’t.
2. Was he the only scientist who worked with the theory of heavier-than-air flying machines?	b) Yes, he was, but very late.
3. When did Tsiolkovsky's ideas become well-known outside Imperial Russia?	c) Yes, it is.
4. Was Tsiolkovsky honoured for his pioneering work?	d) In 1895.
5. Is «The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices» arguably the first academic treatise on rocketry?	e) In 1923.

VIII. Answer the questions

1. What is Konstantin Tsiolkovsky?

2. What aspects did he theorize?

3. In what field did he begin his work?

4. When were his works finally noticed?

5. What impact did Zander do in the rocket construction?

6. What are Tsiolkovsky’s most important works?

7. Which scientist were the followers of Tsiolkovsky?