Reading Comprehension · Fiction Story
Space Adventure
A short fiction reading comprehension story about Sarah and Joe, two astronauts on their first mission to Mars, who must navigate an asteroid field and deal with a spacecraft emergency 300 million miles from home.
Subject
Reading Comprehension
Grade Level
Grades 2–5
Format
Lesson + Printable PDF
Access
Full Member
Space Adventure
Sarah and Joe couldn’t believe what they were looking at. Bright, enormous, star-like boulders flew by them quicker than airplanes back at home. These asteroids were larger than their house back on Earth, and as they floated through an asteroid field in their spaceship, Sarah started feeling worried.
Joe and Sarah had been astronauts for less than a year, and this was their first time in outer space. They were on a mission to conduct experiments on Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun. Mars is about 300 million miles from Earth. Although Joe and Sarah had been trained for years before this mission, they never imagined that navigating an asteroid field would be quite so frightening in real life.
Just as they cleared the edge of the asteroid field, the spaceship began making a strange noise. Warning lights flashed on the control panel. Sarah checked the fuel gauge — the fuel line had a small leak. They were still 1 mile from Mars, and they needed to land before the situation got worse. Joe kept his hands steady on the controls while Sarah worked quickly to reroute power from the engines. Together, they guided the ship safely to the Martian surface. As the dust settled around them, they looked at each other and smiled. Their adventure had only just begun.
About This Story
This fiction reading comprehension story is designed to develop reading skills including vocabulary in context, reading for detail, and making inferences. After reading the story, students answer multiple-choice questions: What does the word “asteroid” mean based on the story? How many times had Sarah and Joe been in space? How far from Mars were they when the spaceship started having problems? Why were they in space?
The story can be used as a timed reading exercise, a silent independent practice, or a read-aloud activity. Teachers can extend the lesson by asking students to write a sequel — what happens next on the Martian surface? — or by connecting the story to a non-fiction unit on our solar system, space exploration, or the planet Mars.
The accompanying PDF includes the full story, five multiple-choice comprehension questions, and an answer key. It is a flexible resource that works equally well as a class activity, a homework assignment, or a literacy center station for grades 2–5.
Download the Worksheet
Full Members can download the printable PDF worksheet and answer key.
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