Google launches Project Suncatcher to test whether AI computing can move into orbit

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

Use the surrounding sentence to identify the meaning and word form needed. Check which words naturally go together.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “experimental” as used in the article?

   1. based on testing a new idea or method rather than established practice
   2. designed exclusively for commercial production
   3. assembled from previously verified components only
   4. intended to replace all existing infrastructure
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   based on testing a new idea or method rather than established practice

   The word describes a new system being tested rather than established infrastructure.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “constraints” as used in the article?

   1. limits or restrictions that restrict what can be done
   2. procedures that increase processing speed
   3. connections that transfer data between devices
   4. predictions about future technological demand
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   limits or restrictions that restrict what can be done

   Here, constraints are limits imposed by heat-management requirements.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “withstand” as used in the article?

   1. to resist damage or failure under difficult conditions
   2. to measure performance under ordinary conditions
   3. to transmit information through laser links
   4. to redesign equipment for terrestrial use
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   to resist damage or failure under difficult conditions

   The verb concerns resisting physical stresses without failing.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “envisions” as used in the article?

   1. imagines or anticipates a particular future development
   2. rejects a proposal after extensive testing
   3. calculates the present cost of equipment
   4. records an event immediately after it occurs
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   imagines or anticipates a particular future development

   The verb indicates Google’s imagined future arrangement of satellites.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “preliminary” as used in the article?

   1. conducted or presented as an initial stage before fuller investigation
   2. proven reliable through long-term commercial operation
   3. restricted to equipment manufactured on Earth
   4. intended to communicate exclusively with satellites
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   conducted or presented as an initial stage before fuller investigation

   The adjective signals an initial stage before broader implementation.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “sustained” as used in the article?

   1. continuing for a considerable period without interruption
   2. available only during brief testing intervals
   3. generated by increasingly capable AI systems
   4. maintained through repeated hardware replacements
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   continuing for a considerable period without interruption

   It describes access that continues without significant interruption.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “opposition” as used in the article?

   1. resistance or disagreement directed against a proposal or activity
   2. cooperation between aerospace and software companies
   3. competition among machine-learning models
   4. communication between satellites and Earth
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   resistance or disagreement directed against a proposal or activity

   The noun refers to resistance toward energy-intensive facilities on Earth.

What to review next

Keep a short list of unfamiliar words with their meanings and example sentences. Practise recalling them later, then use them in a sentence of your own.

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

Read the whole sentence before choosing a word. Check both its meaning and the words it naturally combines with.

Please make an appointment before visiting the clinic.

Make an appointment is a natural word combination. Knowing a dictionary meaning alone may not tell you which verb fits.

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.