{"id":1778,"date":"2026-07-09T09:13:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T09:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/?p=1778"},"modified":"2026-07-09T09:14:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T09:14:57","slug":"michael-collins-apollo-11-esl-reading-worksheet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/michael-collins-apollo-11-esl-reading-worksheet\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Collins: The Man Who Stayed in Space | ESL Reading Worksheet (\u95b1\u8b80\u7df4\u7fd2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

For about 21 hours in July 1969, one man orbited the far side of the Moon completely alone<\/strong> \u2014 out of radio contact and farther from another human being than anyone in history. His name was Michael Collins (\u9ea5\u53ef\u00b7\u67ef\u6797\u65af). While Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin got the spotlight, Collins flew the command module that carried all three astronauts home. This free ESL reading worksheet<\/strong> retells his story at an elementary reading level, with vocabulary, comprehension, and discussion activities built in. \u9019\u4efd\u521d\u7d1a\u82f1\u6587\u95b1\u8b80\u7df4\u7fd2\u8b1b\u8ff0\u963f\u6ce2\u7f8511\u865f\u592a\u7a7a\u4eba\u9ea5\u53ef\u00b7\u67ef\u6797\u65af\u7368\u81ea\u7e5e\u6708\u7684\u6545\u4e8b\u3002<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

Earthrise over the Moon \u2014 the view from Apollo 11. (NASA, public domain \u516c\u5171\u9818\u57df)<\/p>\n

Quick Answer (\u5feb\u901f\u89e3\u7b54):<\/strong> Michael Collins was the third Apollo 11 astronaut. He stayed in the command module Columbia<\/em> and orbited the Moon alone while Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the surface. Without him, the crew could not have returned to Earth. This free ESL reading worksheet retells that story for elementary English learners, with a full answer key for teachers.<\/div>\n

Who Was Michael Collins? (\u9ea5\u53ef\u00b7\u67ef\u6797\u65af\u662f\u8ab0\uff1f)<\/h2>\n

Collins was a U.S. Air Force test pilot who joined NASA in 1963. On Apollo 11 he had the one job almost nobody remembers: he never landed. Instead he ran the systems checks, tracked the spacecraft, and waited \u2014 the only person who could bring Armstrong and Aldrin back from the surface. He later said he felt not loneliness but “awareness, anticipation, satisfaction, confidence, almost exultation.”<\/p>\n

\"Astronaut<\/p>\n

Michael Collins training in the command module Columbia<\/em>. (NASA)<\/p>\n

That quiet, essential role makes him a rare kind of hero \u2014 and a great topic for a reading lesson about teamwork. The truth is, most classroom stories celebrate the person who goes first; this one celebrates the person who stays behind so the team can succeed.<\/p>\n

Read the Story (\u95b1\u8b80\u6587\u7ae0) \u2014 Elementary Level<\/h2>\n

Here is the ~220-word passage from the worksheet, written at roughly a Grade 3 reading level. Students can read it on screen or download the printable PDF below.<\/p>\n

Most people know the names Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. They were the first two men to walk on the Moon in 1969. But there was a third man on that trip. His name was Michael Collins.<\/p>\n

Michael Collins had a very important job. He flew the spaceship, called Columbia, around the Moon. He waited there while Armstrong and Aldrin walked below. He was all alone for about a day. When he was behind the Moon, he could not talk to anyone. He could not see Earth. He could not see his two friends. He was the most alone person in all of history.<\/p>\n

Some people felt sorry for Collins. They said he missed his big chance. But Collins was not sad. He knew his job mattered. Without him, his friends could not come home. After three days, Armstrong and Aldrin flew back up to Columbia, and the three men went home to Earth as heroes. Michael Collins showed us that you do not always need to be first. Sometimes the most important job is the quiet one.<\/p>\n

What’s Inside This ESL Reading Worksheet (\u5167\u5bb9)<\/h2>\n