Lesson made on April 22, 2025
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Reading Lesson:
A group of six women, including pop singer Katy Perry, flew to space this week on a rocket. The mission was meant to celebrate women and inspire young girls. But instead of praise, it got a lot of criticism.
Many people said the trip wasted a lot of money, hurt the environment, and was just a way to get attention for the company Blue Origin, started by billionaire Jeff Bezos. The flight lasted only 11 minutes, and they were in space for just three minutes. During that short time, Katy Perry promoted her new concert tour. After landing, she kissed the ground and said she felt “super connected to love.” Some people said she was being too dramatic. They compared the short trip to real space missions by female astronauts, like Sunita Williams. She recently had to stay in space for over nine months because of problems with her shuttle.
The Blue Origin flight was fully automatic. This means the crew did not control the rocket. Because of this, some people said it was more like a space ride than a real mission.
The first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova from the Soviet Union, flew to space in 1963. She spent almost three days going around the Earth. Critics said this Blue Origin trip had no scientific value compared to that.
Fans were also surprised because Katy Perry has talked about climate change before, but rockets are bad for the environment. Many people were confused and disappointed by the trip and its message.
Comprehension Quiz:
Speaking and Writing Activities:
1. What do you think about Katy Perry’s space trip?
2. If you were extremely rich, would you like to go to space? Why or why not?
3. Do you think a lot of tourists will pay to travel to space in the future?
More Reading Practice:
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is a famous American pop singer. She became popular around 2008 with her song “I Kissed a Girl.” Since then, she has made many hit songs that people around the world know. Her music is often fun, colorful, and energetic. She also performs at big concerts and has appeared on TV shows, including as a judge on “American Idol.” Many people know her for her unique fashion style and powerful voice. In addition to music, she sometimes speaks about important topics like mental health and the environment.
Sunita Williams
Sunita Williams is an American astronaut. She has spent a lot of time in space and is known for her hard work and courage. She was born in the United States, but her father is from India. She trained as a pilot in the U.S. Navy before becoming an astronaut.
Sunita first went to space in 2006. During that mission, she stayed on the International Space Station for about six months. While she was there, she worked on science experiments, helped fix equipment, and even went on spacewalks. A spacewalk is when an astronaut leaves the space station and floats outside in space to do repairs or other important work.
She returned to space again in 2012 for another long mission. In total, Sunita Williams has spent more than 300 days in space. That is almost one year. She also ran a marathon on a treadmill while she was in space. This was to show that astronauts can stay healthy even when they are far from Earth.
In 2023, Sunita was part of a special mission using a new spacecraft called Starliner. There were some problems with the spacecraft, so she and her teammate had to stay in space longer than planned. They worked hard and stayed calm, showing that they were strong and ready for anything.
Sunita Williams is respected around the world. Many people admire her because she is smart, brave, and always ready to help others. Her missions help scientists learn more about space and how people can live there safely.
What did Wendy’s say about Katy Perry’s space trip?
Wendy’s, the fast-food company, made jokes online about Katy Perry’s recent space trip on social media. After she returned, they posted comments like “Can we send her back?”. They also posted, “I kissed the ground and I liked it,” which is a joke about her hit song in which she sings “I kissed a girl and I liked it.”
Many people thought these jokes were mean and unfair. Some said it was wrong for a big company to make fun of a woman who had just done something special.
Later, Wendy’s said they respect Katy Perry and that their social media is meant to be funny. However, they did not say sorry for the jokes.
Photos of Katy Perry’s Blue Origin space flight
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