The latest in space science: We look back at the Big Bang

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

C1. 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 passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the article’s principal purpose?

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   1. To explain how observatories are constructed
   2. To connect current research with cosmic origins
   3. To challenge the scientific model of expansion
   4. To compare stars with living organisms
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   Answer

   To connect current research with cosmic origins

   It connects current research with a foundational cosmological question.

   A new edition of NPR’s Spacing Out turns its attention to the latest developments in space science, while also looking back toward the universe’s earliest moments.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

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   What does “it” refer to in the third paragraph?

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   1. The universe
   2. The early expansion
   3. The Big Bang
   4. Empty space
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   Answer

   The Big Bang

   The pronoun refers to the Big Bang scientific model.

   It does not merely refer to a conventional explosion in empty space; rather, it describes the expansion of space itself.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

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   Why does the article mention antimatter?

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   1. To explain the formation of planets
   2. To contrast related substances and motivate the central puzzle
   3. To prove that explosions created space
   4. To identify the episode’s presenter
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   Answer

   To contrast related substances and motivate the central puzzle

   Antimatter helps establish why matter’s dominance demands explanation.

   In ordinary discussions of the universe, it is often considered alongside antimatter, which has related properties but opposite electrical charges.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

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   What relationship does the article establish between theories and evidence?

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   1. Evidence replaces the need for theories
   2. Theories translate evidence into historical fiction
   3. Theories link abstract concepts with observed evidence
   4. Evidence is relevant only after theories are rejected
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   Answer

   Theories link abstract concepts with observed evidence

   Theories are presented as explanations tested and improved through observation.

   Within that broader effort, theories about the origin of matter connect abstract physics to evidence gathered from the universe.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How is the article organized overall?

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   1. Chronologically from ancient astronomy to modern engineering
   2. From a central question through explanation to broader interpretation
   3. By contrasting two competing scientific institutions
   4. From experimental results to a personal narrative
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   Answer

   From a central question through explanation to broader interpretation

   It moves from the episode’s topic to concepts, models, evaluation, and significance.

   By placing a current space-science development alongside a look back at the Big Bang, the edition presents cosmology as both an investigation of the present and a reconstruction of the past.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

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   What can be inferred about the theories discussed?

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   1. They have achieved unquestionable finality
   2. They are evaluated within an ongoing, revisable process
   3. They depend exclusively on philosophical speculation
   4. They concern only the universe’s present condition
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   Answer

   They are evaluated within an ongoing, revisable process

   Their continued refinement indicates that they remain open to revision.

   Such theories remain part of an active scientific conversation, in which explanations are assessed against observations and refined when necessary.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the author clarify that the Big Bang was not a conventional explosion?

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   1. To reject all physical descriptions of the early universe
   2. To distinguish cosmic expansion from an explosion occurring within space
   3. To show that empty space contains antimatter
   4. To emphasize that the model is non-scientific
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To distinguish cosmic expansion from an explosion occurring within space

   The clarification prevents a misleading interpretation of cosmic expansion.

   It does not merely refer to a conventional explosion in empty space; rather, it describes the expansion of space itself.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

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

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

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.