Question

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Achieve3000, September 16, 2009). José Hernández spent much of his childhood toiling in California's farm fields alongside his parents, migrant workers from Mexico. He didn't learn English until he was 12. Now, Hernández is a NASA astronaut whose mission is to inspire children to reach for their dreams.

Hernández realized his own dream on August 28, 2009, when he and six other astronauts boarded the space shuttle Discovery for a 14-day mission to the International Space Station. His parents, sister, and two older brothers were among the spectators who watched the launch. It was a long way from the 1960s and 1970s, when all six family members worked the cucumber, sugar beet, and tomato fields of California.

"A lot of kids loved summer vacation," Hernández said in a recent interview, adding, "[My siblings and I] dreaded it because we knew what that meant. That meant we were going to be working seven days a week in the fields."

Each year in March, the Hernández family would make a two-day car trip from La Piedad de Cavadas in the central Mexican state of Michoacán to California. The family would work its way northward with the crops until November. Then José, his siblings, and his parents returned to Mexico until the next March—despite the frequent relocations, José's parents made sure that the children never missed school.

Hernández, 47, vividly recalls being dusty, sweaty, and tired in the back seat of the family's car after a hard day of labor. Before starting the engine, his father, who had left school after third grade, would look back at his children and tell them, "Remember this feeling, because if you guys don't do well in school, this is your future."

"That was pretty powerful," Hernández recalled.

All four took the message to heart and went to college. José followed his dream and became an astronaut. Two experiences pointed Hernández toward space. During the Apollo moon landings in the 1960s and 1970s, Hernández would watch intently, holding the rabbit-ear antenna steady on the family's old black-and-white TV for good reception. Then, during his senior year of high school, he learned of NASA's first Hispanic astronaut, Franklin Chang-Díaz, who was born in Costa Rica.

"I said, 'Hey …he came from poor, humble beginnings and he became an astronaut, [and] if he can do it, why can't I do it?'" Hernández said.

Hernández ended up getting bachelor's and master's (college and post-college) degrees in electrical engineering, and in 1987, went to work for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. He moved to Houston, Texas, in 2001 to work at NASA's Johnson Space Center as an engineer and was selected as an astronaut in 2004.

It wasn't easy, but it paid off—for Hernández, the poverty of his childhood is a distant memory.

"When we see an example like José, we are so happy," said Matthew Sheaff, a spokesperson for the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs in Washington, D.C. "It's an example that [people] can break the cycle of poverty that they live in."

Hernández feels that's a crucial lesson. That's why he has formed the "Reaching for the Stars" foundation in Stockton, California, his hometown, to inspire local kids to excel in math, science, engineering, and technology.

It was Hernández's success in school that put him on the path to space. During the recent mission, he helped with construction work on the space station. He and three of his crewmates conducted spacewalks and hauled thousands of pounds of supplies from the shuttle to the station. Hernández spent his downtime on the Internet communication site called Twitter. He composed and sent messages to Earth in both English and Spanish. This made him the first bilingual Twittering astronaut. Hernández hoped that his words would inspire others to follow in his footsteps. Just before he and his fellow crewmembers returned to Earth, he wrote:

"Space has been great! Words cannot describe this experience! The take-home [message] is [that] our planet is very beautiful! Let's take care of it."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

The best alternate headline for this article would be __________.

Former Migrant Worker Starts New Foundation for Kids
Astronaut José Hernández Remembers Watching Apollo Moon Landings
Former Migrant Worker Launches Into Space Aboard Shuttle
Astronaut José Hernández Earned Degrees in Electrical Engineering

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Former Migrant Worker Achieves Dream of Becoming NASA Astronaut

Answer 2

Former Migrant Worker Starts New Foundation for Kids

Astronaut José Hernández Remembers Watching Apollo Moon Landings
Former Migrant Worker Launches Into Space Aboard Shuttle
Astronaut José Hernández Earned Degrees in Electrical Engineering

use one of these answers

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Former Migrant Worker Launches Into Space Aboard Shuttle

Answer 4

Which is the closest antonym for the word crucial?

Admirable
Efficient
Decisive
Trivial

Answer 5

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Trivial

Answer 6

Based on the article, which is most likely to happen?

José Hernández will decide to move his "Reaching for the Stars" foundation to Houston, Texas.
Through his story and his foundation work, José Hernández will motivate many children to do their best in school.
The next time José Hernández goes into space, he will decide to write messages in English only.
José Hernández will publish several books about the accomplishments of Franklin Chang-Díaz.

Answer 7

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Through his story and his foundation work, José Hernández will motivate many children to do their best in school.

Answer 8

The article states:

His parents, sister, and two older brothers were among the spectators who watched the launch. It was a long way from the 1960s and 1970s, when all six family members worked the cucumber, sugar beet, and tomato fields of California.
Look at the sentences above and think about the article. Which would be the closest synonym for the word spectators?

Observers
Employees
Trainees
Siblings

Answer 9

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Observers

Answer 10

This article was first placed in the group of news called "Space." In which other category would this article fit best?

Sports Extra
Political Update
Eye on People
Animals in Action

Answer 11

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Eye on People

Answer 12

Which of these is most important to include in a summary of this article?

José Hernández and three of his crewmates hauled thousands of pounds of supplies from the shuttle to the space station.
José Hernández moved to Houston, Texas, in 2001 to work at NASA's Johnson Space Center as an engineer.
José Hernández composed and sent messages to Earth in English and in Spanish while he was working on the space station.
José Hernández spent a great deal of his childhood working on farms, but now he is a NASA astronaut.

Answer 13

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

José Hernández spent a great deal of his childhood working on farms, but now he is a NASA astronaut.

Answer 14

The article states:

Hernández, 47, vividly recalls being dusty, sweaty, and tired in the back seat of the family's car after a hard day of labor. Before starting the engine, his father, who had left school after third grade, would look back at his children and tell them, "Remember this feeling, because if you guys don't do well in school, this is your future."
The author's purpose for writing this passage was to _________.

Point out how the family traveled through Mexico while they worked in the fields
Describe the type of transportation the family used when they were working in the fields
Summarize the reasons why José Hernández's father left school after third grade
Explain the way that his father influenced José Hernández's decision to excel in school

Answer 15

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Explain the way that his father influenced José Hernández's decision to excel in school