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First Men on the Moon

by J. Patrick Lewis

"The Eagle has landed!"

Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong

"A magnificent desolation!"

Air Force Colonel Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr.

July 20, 1969

That afternoon in mid-July,

Two pilgrims watched from distant space

The Moon ballooning in the sky,

They rose to meet it face-to-face.

Their spidery spaceship Eagle dropped

Down gently on the lunar sand.

And when the module's engines stopped,

Cold silence fell across the land.

The first man down the ladder, Neil,

Spoke words that we remember now--

"Small step for man..." It made us feel

As if we too were there somehow.

Then Neil planted the flag and Buzz

Collected lunar rocks and dust.

They hopped like kangaroos because

Of gravity. Or wanderlust.

A quarter million miles away,

One small blue planet watched in awe.

And no one who was there that day

Will soon forget the Moon they saw.

Read the following line from the poem: "They rose to meet it face-to-face." What is the meaning of the line?
1. There were people waiting to meet them on the Moon.
2. They were close enough to see the surface of the Moon from the spaceship.
3. They were able to climb up onto the surface of the Moon from the spaceship.
4. There were many people traveling together to the Moon.
Which line from the poem best shows the feelings of Americans that day?
1. "They hopped like kangaroos..."
2. "Then Neil planted the flag..."
3. "One small blue planet watched in awe."
4. "A quarter million miles away,"
How does the point of view in the poem influence how the landing on the Moon is described?
1. It informs the reader of one reporter's opinions about the landing.
2. It tells the reader what the speaker said to the men about the landing.
3. It indicates to the reader the speaker's thoughts about the landing.
4. It reveals to the reader what viewers from home said about the landing.
The meaning of the Latin root "luna" helps readers know the word "lunar" refers to
1. the Moon
2. planets
3. space
4. the Earth
Which line from the poem best supports the inference that the first humans on the Moon were explorers approaching a new frontier?
1. "Spoke words that we remember now--"
2. "Two pilgrims watched from distant space"
3. "The first man down the ladder, Neil,"
4. "That afternoon in mid-July,"
Which theme is best supported by the speaker's description of the first landing on the Moon?
1. Scientific discovery is not valued enough.
2. Teamwork makes difficult tasks possible.
3. Travel can be dangerous but also rewarding.
4. Adventure brings about excitement and wonder.
Read the line from the poem: "The Moon ballooning in the sky," What does the metaphor in the line suggest?
1. The Moon has a perfect shape.
2. The Moon appears to move swiftly.
3. The Moon is brightly colored.
4. The Moon appears to grow in size.
Read the following lines from the poem: "They hopped like kangaroos because... Of gravity. Or wanderlust." As used in the poem, the word "wanderlust" refers to
1. a strong desire to travel
2. deep confusion
3. feeling homesick
4. a stressfull situation