Japan Sends Spacecraft Toward Phobos to Collect the First Samples From a Martian Moon
Listen to the B2 Daily News report “Japan Sends Spacecraft Toward Phobos to Collect the First Samples From a Martian Moon” and answer 7 comprehension questions.
About this practice test
Listen to the B2 Daily News report “Japan Sends Spacecraft Toward Phobos to Collect the First Samples From a Martian Moon” and answer 7 comprehension questions.
What you’ll practice
Understanding detail
Follow specific information and examples.
Interpreting ideas
Identify main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
7 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Single choice
How to approach this practice
Read the questions, then listen before opening the transcript. Notice names, numbers and any corrections the speaker makes.
News lesson for this practice
Read the complete article and use its text or audio alongside these exercises: Japan Sends Spacecraft Toward Phobos to Collect the First Samples From a Martian Moon.
Japan Sends Spacecraft Toward Phobos to Collect the First Samples From a Martian Moon
Read a transcript excerpt
Japan has launched a spacecraft toward Mars on an ambitious mission to explore Phobos, the larger and closer of the planet’s two moons. The project, called Martian Moons Exploration, or MMX, is designed to collect material from Phobos and return it to Earth. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is leading the effort, which brings together five of the world’s space agencies. The spacecraft lifted off before dawn from Tanegashima Island,…
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Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Where did the spacecraft lift off?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Tanegashima Island
- The surface of Phobos
- Mars’ other moon, Deimos
- A spaceport on Mars
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Tanegashima Island
The narration identifies Tanegashima Island as Japan’s main spaceport.
The spacecraft lifted off before dawn from Tanegashima Island, Japan’s main spaceport.
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Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What is unusual about the Idefix rover’s movement?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It bounces across the surface
- It flies directly back to Earth
- It circles Mars without landing
- It travels beneath Phobos’s surface
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- It bounces across the surface
Low gravity allows the rover to bounce across the surface before stopping.
Because Phobos has extremely low gravity, it is designed to bounce across the surface for several minutes before stopping.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Which materials will the spacecraft collect?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Dust, soil, and rocks
- Ice, gas, and metal panels
- Water, clouds, and atmospheric samples
- Plants, minerals, and frozen air
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Dust, soil, and rocks
The recording specifically names dust, soil, and rocks as collection targets.
The spacecraft will also collect dust, soil, and rocks that could eventually be delivered to Earth in 2031.
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Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
How large is Phobos described as being?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- About 14 miles across
- About 140 miles across
- About 22,000 miles across
- About 1.4 kilometers across
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- About 14 miles across
The narration compares its width with a distance of about fourteen miles.
Phobos is a lumpy, potato-shaped object about 14 miles, or 22 kilometers, across.
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Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What may Phobos samples reveal about the solar system?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- How moons in other regions formed
- Why Mars has nine spacecraft
- How to increase Phobos’s gravity
- Why Earth has no natural satellites
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- How moons in other regions formed
They could improve knowledge of how moons formed beyond Mars.
The material could also improve understanding of how moons in other parts of the solar system formed.
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Question 6 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What stages still lie ahead for the mission?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Travel, landing, collection, and return
- Launch, construction, farming, and mining
- Mapping, fueling, repairing, and orbiting
- Training, testing, broadcasting, and launching
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Travel, landing, collection, and return
The mission must travel, land, collect samples, and return safely.
However, the mission still faces years of travel, landing, collecting samples, and returning safely to Earth.
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Question 7 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Why might Japan be prepared for this difficult journey?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Earlier asteroid missions provided relevant experience
- Phobos has already been explored by Japan
- The rover has completed the journey before
- Mars has unusually strong gravity
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Earlier asteroid missions provided relevant experience
Earlier asteroid missions gave the agency relevant sample-return knowledge.
Japan has previous experience with asteroid sample-return missions, giving its space agency useful knowledge for this difficult journey.
What to review next
Listen again to difficult sections, then open the transcript to check what you heard. Repeat a useful phrase aloud and try the recording once more without the text.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Listen for the final information, especially when a speaker corrects or changes an earlier statement.
Example transcript: “Let’s meet at five — actually, half past five would be better.” What is the final suggested time?
The final suggested time is 5:30. Actually signals a correction; the first time is replaced by the later suggestion.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.