The Telescope | edHelper - Free Printable

Let’s read the passage carefully and answer each question one by one.

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Question 1: Do you like to lie on your back and gaze at the stars? What constellations can you name?

This is a personal question — there’s no right or wrong answer. You can say yes or no, and name any constellations you know (like Orion, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, etc.). Since this is for homework, you can write something like:

> Yes, I love looking at the stars! Some constellations I know are Orion, the Big Dipper, and Scorpius.

*(Note: If you don’t know any, it’s okay to say “I’m still learning” or ask an adult to help you find some.)*

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Question 2: Have you ever used a telescope to get a closer look at the universe? Do you have access to a telescope?

Again, this is personal. Answer honestly.

Example:
> No, I haven’t used a telescope yet, but I’d love to try one someday. My school doesn’t have one, but maybe we can visit a planetarium or science museum.

Or if you have:
> Yes! I’ve used my dad’s telescope to look at the Moon and Jupiter. It was amazing!

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Question 3: A telescope is not an unusual object any more. There are two basic types of telescopes – the refracting telescope and the reflecting telescope. Each will help you see the planets, moon, sun, stars, and other objects in space as they appear to be from far away. However, each works in a different way.

This sentence is just giving background info — no question here. Just reading it helps you understand what comes next.

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Question 4: A refracting telescope uses glass lenses to help us see objects in space. An objective lens collects light from distant objects you want to view. The eyepiece acts as a magnifying glass to enlarge and clarify the image received by the telescope. As you look through the eyepiece, the picture is reversed. The lens of a refracting telescope is long and thin. In order to see clearly, both lenses must be lined up.

This explains how a refracting telescope works. Again, no direct question — but it sets up the next part.

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Question 5: The first refracting telescope used two convex lenses one over the other. Galileo used this type of telescope to walk in astronomy in the early 1600s. With it he discovered four of Jupiter’s moons. He was also able to see the phases of Venus and the craters on our Moon.

Still background info — tells us about Galileo’s use of the refracting telescope.

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Now let’s check if there are actual questions to answer...

Looking again — the only real questions are #1 and #2 above. The rest is informational text.

But wait — sometimes teachers expect students to summarize or explain based on the text. Let’s make sure we didn’t miss anything.

Actually, re-reading the whole thing — it seems like this is a reading comprehension worksheet where you’re supposed to answer the two personal questions at the top, and perhaps show that you understood the text by being able to explain it later (but since ExplainAnswer is false, we won’t do that).

So — final answers should just address Questions 1 and 2.

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Final Answer:
1. Yes, I enjoy lying on my back and gazing at the stars. Some constellations I can name are Orion, the Big Dipper, and Cassiopeia.
2. I have not used a telescope before, and I do not currently have access to one, but I hope to try one soon at a science center or with a friend who has one.