Question

Reading:Summaries

Assess
Read the following passage. Then, answer the question and complete the
activities that follow.
Our bodies are adapted to Earth's gravity. Our muscles are strong in order to
overcome gravity as we walk and run. Our inner ears use gravity to keep us upright.
And because gravity wants to pull all our blood down into our legs, our hearts are
designed to pump hard to get blood up to our brains.
In space, the much weaker gravity makes the human body change in many
unexpected ways. In microgravity, your blood is rerouted, flowing from the legs, which
become thin and sticklike, to the head, which swells up. The extra liquid in your head
makes you feel like you're hanging upside down or have a stuffed-up nose.
-from "Life Without Gravity" by Robert Zimmerman
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
2. Name two details that support the main idea..
3. Write a brief summary of the passage on the lines provided.

Answer 1

Answer: The main idea of the passage is what living in space feels like. According to the passage, "In microgravity, your blood is rerouted, flowing from the legs, which become thin and sticklike, to the head, which swells up." It also states, "The extra liquid in your head makes you feel like you're having upside down or have a stuffed-up nose."

Brief summary: Gravity largely affects how our bodies are designed and work, without gravity, our bodies undergo major changes such as redirected blood flow and muscle atrophy.