Unit 15

UNIT 15 WORD LIST although You use although to say that one thing is contrasted by another. Although she was late, her friends gave her a warm welcome. apply To apply something means to put it on. She always applies makeup to her face before going outside. await To await something means to wait for it. The players awaited the referee's decision. beloved When something is beloved, it is very special and you like it very much. The boy took a nap next to his beloved cat. climate A climate is the usual weather in a place. The climate in the desert is very hot. complain When you complain, you say that you are unhappy about something. The workers complained that they were being treated unfairly. confuse To confuse someone means to make them feel like they are unsure. The sign confused the traveler because it pointed in two directions. due When something is due, it is expected to happen or be done at that time. The papers were due on the 19th. establish To establish something means to create it. He wanted to establish a club for people to help the Earth. furnace A furnace is a place where heat is made. Mr. Jones came to fix the furnace.

leash A leash is a rope or chain that is used to lead an animal. Dogs must wear a leash to keep them from running away. mature To mature means to grow up to become an adult. When they matured, they became as tall as their parents. measure To measure something means to find out the quality, value, or effect of it. The scientists carefully measured the amount of chemicals in the tubes. midst The midst of something is the middle of it. She was in the midst of cleaning when the telephone rang. misery Misery is extreme suffering. There was a lot of misery after Sam lost his dog. powerless Powerless means without power or authority. I fear my father is powerless now. prior When something happened prior to something else, it happened earlier. Ron had to wait since he arrived prior to the scheduled meeting time. research Research is close and careful study to discover new things. Scientists did a lot of research on the subject of blood type. spaceship A spaceship is a craft designed for spaceflight. Many people want to travel into space by spaceship. variety A variety of something is a group of many different kinds of it. There are a variety of flowers at the shop.

Laika, the Space Dog One of the world's most beloved space travelers was also the furriest. Laika was a little dog living on the streets of Moscow, Russia. She matured on the streets because no one would give her a home. She had to learn how to live without eating much. She found ways to keep warm in a very cold climate. Scientists thought a tough dog like Laika would do well in a project they were putting together. In a prior launch, Russia had put the first man-made object into space. Now, scientists wanted to see if a living thing could go into space. Although many facts about space had been learned, they weren't enough to help send humans into space safely yet. Laika and two other dogs were chosen to help scientists with their research. The animals were used in a variety of tests. In the end though, only Laika would go into space. On November 3, 1957 the Sputnik 2 spaceship was due to leave Earth. Scientists carefully applied wires to Laika's skin to measure her body's reactions once she got into space. Laika also wore a special leash. Without it, she would float around in the spaceship. Soon after, Laika left the planet. Scientists on Earth awaited information from the ship. But in the midst of so much excitement, something very sad happened. Scientists were able to tell that Laika was under a lot of stress. The trip confused and scared her. Laika's entire ship had become as hot as a furnace. Scientists were powerless to help the dog in her misery. After about five hours, Laika died. Some have complained that the little dog should never have been used in the mission. Scientists knew that she would not survive the trip. Laika was never buried, but a memorial has been established in Moscow. There are many songs and books about her, too. It seems that Laika became a hero to many people.