A Step on the Moon

Hello there. My name is Neil Armstrong, and ever since I was a little boy, my eyes were always turned toward the sky. I didn't just look at it; I dreamed of being up in it. While other kids played with cars, I was carefully gluing together model airplanes, imagining each one soaring through the clouds. My dream felt so real that I worked hard to make it happen. I learned to fly a real airplane and got my pilot's license when I was just sixteen years old, even before I had a license to drive a car. That love of flying never left me. It took me to new heights, first as a test pilot, where I flew some of the fastest and most experimental jets ever made. But I always wanted to go higher. That's what led me to a special place called NASA. I became an astronaut, one of a group of people training for the most amazing adventure you could imagine: a journey into space. We all shared the same dream, a dream of pushing past the blue sky and reaching for the stars, maybe even reaching for our closest neighbor in space, the Moon.

Reading Comprehension Questions

Click to see answer

Answer: Nerve-wracking means something that makes you feel very nervous, anxious, or worried. The landing was scary and full of suspense, which made him feel this way.

Answer: He had to take control of the landing himself because the computer was trying to land the Eagle in a dangerous area full of large rocks and craters. He needed to fly it to a safer, smoother spot to land.

Answer: He probably felt a mix of awe, wonder, and pride. Seeing our beautiful, blue planet hanging in the black sky must have been amazing and made him realize how special our home is and what a great accomplishment the mission was.

Answer: He said it was a 'giant leap for mankind' because even though his step was just a small physical movement for one person, it represented a huge achievement for all of humanity. It showed that people could achieve incredible dreams, like traveling to another world.

Answer: His crewmates were Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Buzz Aldrin went with him in the Eagle to land on the Moon, while Michael Collins stayed in orbit around the Moon in the main spacecraft.