Universe started in the third grade when she and her father watched a blood moon — a total lunar eclipse (月食) — outside their Skokie house. “It is just really cool how the universe can change and how something like that happens,” Dobek said.
Now a seventh grader at East Prairie Elementary School, Dobek recently won the national Discovery Education Lockheed-Martin Beyond Challenge by designing a space station for traveling to Mars.
Dobek competed by handing in a two-minute video where she presents her design.
“My design will not only ensure the safety of the astronauts (宇航员) but also make sure their comfort is out of this world,” she says in her video.
Dobek’s design calls for building the Mars Storage Station to store plentiful supplies. In the video, Dobek explains how her spacecraft (宇宙飞船) — the Adventurer — will land in a space station. Dobek’s design includes physical activity for the astronauts. They can choose their exercise machines and virtual (虚拟的) reality environment. So they will be able to watch downloaded shows and even see places on Earth such as their homes.
Dobek said she began her project by performing her research and then she constructed the design over three weeks to a month, working on it whenever she could, including on weekends.
When Andrea Smeeton, her teacher, saw the video and her design before they were sent, she said she had a feeling that she could win. “I don’t know why but maybe it was the excitement and the detail in the project,” Smeeton said. “I have taught for a long time and many of my students are gifted but this project is just very creative and it gives hope to a space program.”
Dobek and her parents traveled to Washington D.C. in April where they learned Dobek had won. When she texted her teacher the happy results, Smeeton admitted that she cried.
“I want to tell other kids to follow their dreams,” Dobek said. “Whatever they want to do, they should kind of just push for it. They should always try their best.”
【小题1】What change did Dobek show after watching the total lunar eclipse?| A．She determined to be a scientist. |
| B．She took to working with her father. |
| C．She got interested in the universe. |
| D．She gave up her dream of becoming an astronaut. |
| A．It replaces the role of the Adventurer. |
| B．It enables astronauts to connect with their family. |
| C．It ensures the safety of the supplies in the spacecraft. |
| D．It aims to make life in the Mars space station comfortable. |
| A．She felt it was pretty amazing. |
| B．She felt it was a little disappointing. |
| C．She felt it was less fun than she had expected. |
| D．She felt it was as good as other students’ designs. |
| A．Energetic and friendly. |
| B．Productive and selfless. |
| C．Strong-willed and generous. |
| D．Forward-looking and inventive. |
