[outside front cover, see separate file]
YOU ARE THE HERO!
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AN EASY-ENGLISH ADVENTURE WITH 8 DIFFERENT ENDINGS
JOURNEY TO MARS by Paul Raine Illustrated by Alice Carroll Series created and edited by Marcos Benevides
300 headword level • total 2500 words 100-110 words per page • 800-880 words per path CEFR A2 and up • ages 11 and up
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Our warmest thanks to all the family, friends, and colleagues who supported the creation of this series through a Kickstarter campaign. We could not have done it without you. Atama-ii Series #1: Journey to Mars by Paul Raine Illustrated by Alice Carroll Series created and edited by Marcos Benevides Front cover and website design by Mark Bain Extension questions and teaching ideas by Lesley Ito and Marcos Benevides ISBN: 978-1-941140-31-4 Length: 45 story pages; approx. 2,500 words; between 100-110/page; 800-880/path. Level: approx. 300 headwords; 98% or better within GSL/ NGSL 2K, 94% or better within 1K exc. keywords. Recommended for CEFR A2+, age 11+. “PG” rated. © 2014 Atama-ii Books, Florida and Tokyo ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental. Distributed in Japan by EnglishBooks.jp. For international orders and other queries, please contact: publisher@atama-ii.com Printed in Korea
atama-ii.com
BEFORE READING
This story is about a journey to the planet Mars. In it, you will travel through space as an astronaut. Before you read, think about these questions:
1. What do you know about Mars?
2. What do you know about space travel?
3. Do you think there is life on other planets?
Next, turn the page and learn the important keywords.
KEYWORDS
asteroid (n.) a space rock that circles the sun astronaut (n.) a person whose job is to go to space blast (v.) to explode; (n.) an explosion or other strong force blast-off (n.) when a space ship goes up into the sky command (v.) to lead; to be in control of a team commander (n.) a leadership position, like “captain� communicator (n.) a machine used to talk with other people; e.g. a phone or a radio control panel (n.) the part of a ship used for telling the ship where to go, how fast, etc. escape pod (n.) a small ship inside a larger ship, used to get away in an emergency fuel tank (n.) the part of a ship which holds the material used to move the ship land (n.) the ground; (v.) to reach the ground safely laser blaster (n.) a kind of gun that shoots strong light-energy blasts
KEYWORDS
navigator (n.) a person whose job is to check the map, and plan where a ship will go pilot (n.) a person whose job is to keep a ship going the right way planet (n.) a very large round body that circles a sun; e.g. Earth, Mars, Saturn self-destruct (v.) to blow up one’s own ship; i.e. so that an enemy can’t take it space (n.) the cold, black emptiness between planets, stars, asteroids, etc. wormhole (n.) a hole in space that connects two far away places; scientists don’t know if wormholes really exist, or what happens if we go into one...
START
You are an astronaut.
You and two other people are going on the
first trip to Mars. Your space ship is called the Mars
Adventure. You are the navigator. You must keep the space ship going the right way.
You trained every day for many months. Space
Command tested your science and navigation skills. They also tested what kind of person you are. Not everyone can stay healthy on the 200-day journey to Mars.
It was hard, but in the end, you passed all the
tests. Now you are ready to go. The Mars Adventure blasts off tomorrow!
CONTINUE TO THE NEXT PAGE
2
In the morning, you go to the Kennedy Space
Center in Florida. You sit in the Mars Adventure, ready to blast off. The countdown begins.
“10... 9... 8…” says a voice on the
communicator.
You look at the other astronauts, Commander
Joe “Buck” Bukowski and Dr. Makiko “Maki” Yamazaki.
Buck is the pilot. He is a big man with a serious
face. He lost his legs in a crash many years ago.
“7... 6... 5...” the voice continues.
Maki is the science officer. She is smart and full
of energy. She smiles and gives you a thumbs-up.
“4... 3... 2... 1…
“BLAST OFF!”
CONTINUE TO THE NEXT PAGE
4
The space ship shakes as it goes up into the
sky. You are pushed into your chair.
“I think I need to go the bathroom,” says Maki.
“What?” you ask.
“Just joking!” she answers.
Buck is watching the control panel. A few
minutes later, a green light comes on. “We made it,” he says. “Welcome to space!”
You look out the window at Earth. It’s
beautiful. Suddenly, you see something else. “Hey, what’s that?” you ask.
“It can’t be...” Buck says. “It’s... it’s a
wormhole! A doorway to another time or place! This could be our chance to really see space!” you.
“But what about Mars?” Maki asks, turning to
DO YOU ENTER THE WORMHOLE?
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OR DO YOU CONTINUE TO MARS?
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