Apollo 11- The First Moon Landing Reading Answers

Sep 30, 2025

Apollo 11 - The first Moon Landing Planning Reading Answers contains 14 questions and belongs to the assessment system of the IELTS General Reading test. Apollo 11 - The first Moon Landing Reading Answers must be answered within 20 minutes. In this IELTS reading section, question types include: Write the correct number and Do the following statements agree with the information given.

Apollo 11 - The first Moon Landing Reading Answers offers a comprehensive overview of Apollo 11, launched on July 16, 1969, which carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, marking humanity’s first Moon landing. Armstrong and Aldrin spent over 21 hours on the lunar surface at Tranquillity Base, collecting samples before safely returning to Earth on July 24. The mission fulfilled President Kennedy’s 1961 goal and became a historic milestone in the Space Race. To practice similar reading tests, candidates can refer to the IELTS Reading Practice Test section.

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Topic:

A.Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that helped humans land on the moon for the first time. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin designed the American crew that landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969. After landing of the Module, Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon after six hours and nineteen minutes. After nineteen minutes, Aldrin also landed on the lunar surface. They spent two and a quarter hours together outside the spacecraft, and they gathered 21.5 kg of lunar material to bring back to Earth. The third crew member remained in the command module, named Columbia around the moon alone. Both the astronauts spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the lunar surface at the site they named Tranquillity Base before lifting off to re-join Columbia in lunar orbit.

B.Saturn V rocket was used to launch the Apollo 11 from the Kennedy Space Center located in Florida on 16th of July. It was the fifth crewed mission of NASA’s Apollo program. The spacecraft had three spaces: a command module (CM) with a cabin for the three astronauts, the only part that reimbursed to Earth; a service module (SM), which stored the command module with propulsion, electrical power, oxygen, and water; and a lunar module (LM) that had dual phases: a descent stage for landing on the Moon and an ascent stage to return the astronauts back into lunar orbit. The astronauts had to travel for eight days to reach the lunar’s orbit after separating themselves from the Saturn V rocket. Armstrong and Aldrin then moved into Eagle that docked (joined) with the command module and landed on the site of Tranquillity Base on July 20. After the mission was accomplished, the astronauts used the ascent module to propel themselves into the lunar’s orbit and join Collins in the command module. They dumped Eagle before they did the manoeuvres that propelled Columbia out of the last of its 30 lunar orbits onto a trajectory back to Earth. They returned to Earth and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24 next more than eight days in space.

C.Millions of people around the globe saw the live telecast of Armstrong’s first step onto the lunar surface. He spoke the famous as soon as he landed on the moon “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Apollo 11 effectively ended the Space Race and fulfilled a national goal projected in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, who said in the public “before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” The initial crew made of Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot (CMP) Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot (LMP) Buzz Aldrin for Apollo 9 was officially announced on November 20, 1967. Lovell and Aldrin had formerly sailed together as the crew of Gemini 12. Owing to design and manufacturing delays in the LM, Apollo 8 and 9 swapped prime and backup crews, and Armstrong’s crew became the backup for Apollo 8. Grounded due to normal crew rotation structure, Armstrong was then likely to command Apollo 11.

D.There would be one change. Michael Collins, the CMP on the Apollo 8 crew, started facing trouble with his legs. Doctors analysed the delinquency as a bony growth amid his fifth and sixth vertebrae, because of which he needed surgery. Lovell took his place on the Apollo 8 crew, and when Collins recovered, he teamed up with Armstrong’s crew as CMP. In the interim, Fred Haise was included as backup LMP, and Aldrin as backup CMP for Apollo 8. Apollo 9 was the subsequent American mission where all the crew members had past spaceflight experience, the first being Apollo 10 that was STS-2 launched in 1988. Deke Slayton provided Armstrong the choice to substitute Aldrin with Lovell, since some thought Aldrin was difficult to work with. Armstrong had no matters working with Aldrin nonetheless left it over for a day before declining. However, Armstrong preferred to keep his crew unchanged for Apollo 11 (unlike Apollo 13). The Apollo 11 prime crew was not a single person of the close joyful camaraderie characterized by Apollo 12. Instead, they forged an amiable working relationship. Armstrong and Aldrin were not close, Collins choosing the crew as “amiable strangers”. Armstrong did not settle with the camaraderie attempts. However, Armstrong stuck with Collins, who described him as a lone wolf, confessed to rebuffing Aldrin’s attempts to create closer bonds.

E.The backup crew consisted of Lovell as Commander, William Anders as LMP, and Fred Haise as CMP. When Lovell was offered a command in early 1969, he accepted a job with Apollo 13. Anders decided to leave NASA in August 1969. He was then moved to a non-flying role and replaced by backup CMP Ken Mattingly was stirred from the support crew into corresponding prime and as backup CMP. This crew was officially assigned in late 1968, intended July launching date, at which point Anders would be replaced as prime and a backup crew rotated. Lovell was sent to command Apollo 13. Throughout Projects Mercury and Gemini, to expand a prime and a backup crew.

F.For Apollo 4, a third crew of astronauts was supplemented to prime and backup. This third group of astronauts maintained the flight plan checklists, and mission ground rules, and ensured the prime crew was kept updated with the changes during course and composed of the measures, particularly those for emergency situations, so served as a support crew. This crew was retained until Apollo 10, when all missions were simulators, allowing them to concentrate on practicing and preparing for the mission itself. The first support crew for Apollo 10 included astronauts, and Bill Pogue. The capsule communicator (CAPCOM) was the Mission Control Centre in Houston, Texas, who was responsible for communicating directly with the Apollo spacecraft. In the Apollo 11 mission, the CAPCOMs were: Charles Duke, Ronald Evans, Bruce McCandless, Owen K. Garriott and Harrison Schmitt.

Questions 27-32

Choose the correct heading for the given sections from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number in the answer sheet.

LIST OF HEADINGS

i. An occasion that the entire world watched.

ii. Alternate crew.

iii. This crew formed the actions required in predicament.

iv. This crew was not able to complete their tasks on time.

v. One of the crew members facing distress in his limbs.

vi. Elucidation of the different parts of the space craft.

vii. The mission that never get going.

vili. The historic moment.

27. Paragraph A

Answer: viii. The historic moment

Supporting statement: "Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that helped humans land on the moon for the first time."

Keywords: Apollo 11, first time, land on the moon

Keyword Location: Paragraph A, line 1

Explanation: Paragraph A narrates the landmark moment of humans first stepping on the moon, making “The historic moment” the best heading.

28. Paragraph B

Answer: vi. Elucidation of the different parts of the space craft

Supporting statement: "The spacecraft had three spaces: a command module… a service module… and a lunar module…"

Keywords: command module, service module, lunar module

Keyword Location: Paragraph B, lines 3–6

Explanation: Paragraph B focuses on explaining the spacecraft structure and roles, fitting the heading about different parts.

29. Paragraph C

Answer: i. An occasion that the entire world watched

Supporting statement: "Millions of people around the globe saw the live telecast of Armstrong’s first step onto the lunar surface."

Keywords: millions, live telecast, Armstrong’s first step

Keyword Location: Paragraph C, line 1

Explanation: The paragraph highlights the worldwide broadcast of Armstrong’s first step, so the heading refers to the global attention.

30. Paragraph D

Answer: v. One of the crew members facing distress in his limbs

Supporting statement: "Michael Collins… started facing trouble with his legs. Doctors analysed… a bony growth…"

Keywords: Collins, trouble with legs, bony growth

Keyword Location: Paragraph D, lines 1–3

Explanation: This paragraph focuses on Collins’ leg health issue and resulting surgery, aligning with the heading.

31. Paragraph E

Answer: ii. Alternate crew

Supporting statement: "The backup crew consisted of Lovell as Commander, William Anders as LMP, and Fred Haise as CMP."

Keywords: backup crew, alternate crew

Keyword Location: Paragraph E, line 1

Explanation: The paragraph describes the backup crew members, fitting “Alternate crew.”

32. Paragraph F

Answer: iii. This crew formed the actions required in predicament

Supporting statement: "This third group… ensured the prime crew was kept updated with the changes during course… particularly those for emergency situations."

Keywords: support crew, emergency situations, updated

Keyword Location: Paragraph F, lines 1–4

Explanation: Paragraph F details the support crew’s emergency role, hence the heading about actions in predicament.

Questions 33-40

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

TRUE - If the statement agrees with the information.

FALSE - If the statement contradicts the information.

NOT GIVEN - If there is no information on this.

33. All crew members of Apollo 11 touched down the lunar surface.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: "The third crew member remained in the command module… around the moon alone."

Keywords: third crew member, command module, alone

Keyword Location: Paragraph A, lines 6–7

Explanation: Only Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the lunar surface, while Collins stayed in orbit, so not all crew landed.

34. The specimen of lunar soil collected by Apollo 11 crew was not useful for research.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Supporting statement: The passage states they collected 21.5 kg of lunar material but does not say whether it was useful or not.

Keywords: lunar material, research usefulness

Keyword Location: Paragraph A, line 5

Explanation: No information is provided about whether the samples were useful for research.

35. The coupling of Eagle and Command module was unsuccessful.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: "After the mission was accomplished, the astronauts used the ascent module… and join Collins in the command module."

Keywords: join Collins, command module, successful

Keyword Location: Paragraph B, lines 11–13

Explanation: The docking between Eagle and the command module succeeded, so the statement contradicts the passage.

36. The Apollo 11 crew flew back to Earth on Eagle module.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: "They dumped Eagle before they… propelled Columbia… back to Earth."

Keywords: dumped Eagle, Columbia returned

Keyword Location: Paragraph B, lines 13–15

Explanation: They returned in Columbia, not Eagle.

37. There was some adjournment in the creation and design of the lunar module that prompted the substitution of crew members.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: "Owing to design and manufacturing delays in the LM, Apollo 8 and 9 swapped prime and backup crews…"

Keywords: design delays, LM, crew substitution

Keyword Location: Paragraph C, lines 6–8

Explanation: The text confirms delays in the lunar module led to crew changes.

38. Armstrong accepted to bring in Lovell instead of Aldrin as the third crew member.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: "Deke Slayton provided Armstrong the choice to substitute Aldrin with Lovell… Armstrong… declined."

Keywords: Armstrong, substitute Aldrin, declined

Keyword Location: Paragraph D, lines 8–10

Explanation: Armstrong chose not to replace Aldrin with Lovell, so the statement is false.

39. Three astronauts were assigned as the core group of the mission Apollo 13.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: "When Lovell was offered a command in early 1969, he accepted a job with Apollo 13."

Keywords: Lovell, command, Apollo 13

Keyword Location: Paragraph E, lines 3–4

Explanation: This confirms three astronauts (including Lovell) were assigned for Apollo 13.

40. The support crew of Apollo 11 was accountable for broadcasting alterations to the prime and back-up crews.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: "This third group of astronauts… ensured the prime crew was kept updated… particularly those for emergency situations."

Keywords: support crew, updated prime crew, alterations

Keyword Location: Paragraph F, lines 1–4

Explanation: The passage directly states the support crew’s role was communication of changes, supporting the statement.

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