Question

Part A
Paragraph 3 contains an allusion to American astronaut Neil Armstrong's statement when, as the first person ever to walk on the Moon, he said: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

What is the author implying by the allusion to Armstrong's statement in paragraph 3?
A
Like Armstrong's Moon landing, the launch of the first Robonaut aboard the Discovery represents a historic breakthrough in space exploration.
B
The use of R2 aboard the International Space Station will make space exploration safer for astronauts in the future.
C
In the future, human astronauts like Neil Armstrong will unfortunately be replaced with humanoid robots like R2.
D
Compared to the launch of R2 aboard the space shuttle Discovery, Neil Armstrong's Moon landing was only a minor achievement.
(b)

Part B
Which piece of evidence from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?

(c)
A
". . . our challenge has been to build machines with dexterity that exceeds that of a suited astronaut." (paragraph 1)
B
". . . not only does this improve efficiency in the types of tools, but also removes the need for specialized robotic connectors." (paragraph 2)
C
"Next steps include a leg for climbing through the corridors of the Space Station .. . ." (paragraph 4)
D
"Robonaut can take over simple, repetitive, or especially dangerous tasks . . . ." (paragraph 6)

Answer 1

Part A: A

Part B: A — " . . . our challenge has been to build machines with dexterity that exceeds that of a suited astronaut."

Reason: The allusion to Armstrong emphasizes the launch as a historic breakthrough; paragraph 1's line about surpassing suited-astronaut dexterity shows the Robonaut represents a major technological advance.