NOAA

Sept. 29, 2004

Working in Space (Part 2)

Challenge: Space Talking

When you read a story, you can often guess the meanings of unfamiliar words in order to follow the plot. But to understand fully what the author is saying, it's a good idea to identify those words you don't know and find their meanings.

The following words all appear in Eric's story, "A Man's Place". Some were familiar to you. For others, you were probably able to make an educated guess about their meaning from clues in the story. Using what you know and what you guessed, match each of the following words with its meaning.

	Word		Meaning
1	brownout	a	A brief eruption of intense high-energy radiation from the sun's surface, associated with sunspots.
2	bulkhead	b	Electromagnetic radiation of longer wavelength than gamma rays.
3	decompression	c	Electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength than x rays.
4	gamma rays	d	A stable subatomic particle found inside atoms.
5	ilmenite	e	An atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to loss or gain of one or more electrons.
6	infirmary	f	The layer of loose solid material covering the bedrock of a planet.
7	ion	g	No apparent force of gravity acting upon a body.
8	logistics module	h	A valuable, hard, silver-gray metal used to make lightweight, corrosion-resistant alloys.
9	microgravity	i	A black mineral consisting of oxides of iron and titanium.
10	millisieverts	j	A device used to measure an absorbed dose of ionizing radiation.
11	proton	k	An organized warehouse where every item is recorded and tracked.
12	radiation sickness	l	Measurement of the biological effect of ionizing radiation; one unit is defined as that which delivers a joule of energy per kilogram of recipient mass.
13	redundant	m	A partial power blackout.
14	regolith	n	Not strictly necessary to function, but included in case of failure in another component.
15	solar flare	o	Very weak gravity, as in orbiting spacecraft.
16	thermoluminescent dosimeter	p	Reduction in air pressure.
17	titanium	q	Dividing wall or barrier between separate compartments in a ship or aircraft.
18	vitamin B	r	Illness caused by exposure of the body to ionizing radiation, characterized by nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, bleeding, and damage to bone marrow and the central nervous system.
19	X rays	s	Required for the working of certain enzymes in the body.
20	zero-g	t	A hospital or any place in a large institution set aside for the care of the ill.

Answers Hide the answers

Working in Space (Part 1)

Challenge: A Solar Storm

This week's recommended scifi books

Art gallery

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