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PSSA Grade 5 ELA

Last updated 12 months ago
12 questions

Stellar-Tasting Space Food

by Stephanie Warren

What space food do astronauts like best? The answer might surprise you. “Our most popular product by far is our freeze-dried shrimp cocktail,” says food scientist Vickie Kloeris, who has spent the past 26 years developing and testing all of the food that NASA astronauts eat in space, as well as creating packaging.
Dehydrated shrimp may not sound very appetizing, but Kloeris explains that it’s not the seafood the astronauts love—it’s the sauce. The shrimp comes with a packet of freeze-dried cocktail sauce that has spicy horseradish in it. “That gives it a kick,” she says.

Astronauts like the sauce’s strong flavor because of a strange side effect of living in space: Something about floating in a microgravity environment weakens a person’s sense of taste.

Now, thanks to a team of high-school students from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, tasteless space food could be a thing of the past. The students created edible, dissolvable sheets—which they named Stellar Strips—that deliver a punch of flavor to the tongue.

Stellar Strips made it to the finals of the Conrad Foundation’s Spirit of Innovation Challenge, a competition in which students develop products to solve global and local problems. The team hopes its invention will go all the way to space someday.

Taste in Space

Scientists don’t yet fully understand why astronauts lose some of their sense of taste in space, but they have some theories.

Here on Earth, gravity pulls fluids throughout the body. In the microgravity of space, these fluids collect in the head and the astronauts get all stuffed up.

“It’s just like when you have a cold and can’t smell the food because you’re congested,” says Kloeris. Smell is an important part of taste; if you can’t smell food, you can’t taste it very well either.

Over time, astronauts’ bodies adapt, but the astronauts still say they can’t taste their food as well as they can on Earth. So scientists suspect more is going on.

“Space travel might also interfere with food aromas themselves,” says Kloeris. For one thing, astronauts don’t eat off plates—the food would float away. Instead, they eat out of packages. The packages keep the food from escaping but probably hold in its aromas as well. And even if the aromas do get out of the package, in microgravity they don’t float up toward the nose as they do on Earth. They might go down or sideways instead.

To boost their food’s flavor, astronauts ask for their spacecraft to be stocked with spicy toppings. “We have flown so many different kinds of hot sauce that I can’t even count them!” says Kloeris.

Problem Solvers

The students who developed Stellar Strips didn’t start out trying to boost the flavor of foods in space. “We actually started off with wanting to solve the problem of bone atrophy,” says 18-year-old Jin Yoon, one of the team’s members.

Astronauts don’t have the normal force of gravity pressing on their bones. They also don’t need the full strength of their bones to stand and walk in microgravity. These factors cause their bones to weaken.

So the students set out to make a calcium supplement that was easy to consume in space so astronauts’ bones would stay stronger. “One day we thought of Listerine breath strips,” says Yoon. The breath-freshening strips dissolve on the tongue, releasing a powerful mint flavor. The team realized they might be able to create a similar product to boost flavor in foods. “We thought maybe we could solve the problem of taste in space,” says Yoon.

Taste Test

The team had identified a problem and had an idea of how to solve it. But the students still had to create a strip that would deliver a lot of flavor and dissolve on the tongue—but not too quickly, or the flavor wouldn’t last through a whole meal.

First, the team tried sandwiching flavor between two Listerine strips. “It was way too minty!” says Yoon. But the team didn’t give up. The students researched edible materials and experimented to see what could be made into flavored strips.

Finally, they found one that worked: Vietnamese spring-roll wrappers. Spring-roll wrappers are made out of rice flour and come in extremely thin sheets.

First the team soaked the wrappers in water to soften them. Then they dripped liquid flavoring onto the wrappers. Once the wrappers dried, it was time to test them. “It didn’t dissolve too quickly, [and] you could taste the flavor,” says Yoon. Eureka!

A Stellar Idea

The team made a sour-lemon-flavored strip to present to the judges at the Spirit of Innovation Challenge. In the future, they want to create Stellar Strips in various flavors, such as sweet, spicy, and barbecue. Their hope is to refine their product so they can sell it to NASA. “It’s a very interesting concept that has potential,” says Kloeris.

One advantage of Stellar Strips is that they’re lightweight. According to Kloeris, it costs about $10,000 to send each pound of food into space, so she’s always trying to make foods and their packages as light as possible. A six-pound pack of Stellar Strips would give astronauts enough flavor choices to last three meals a day for about 15 years!

Stellar Strips may be useful here on Earth too. Like astronauts, people going through chemotherapy for cancer or taking certain types of medicines experience a decreased sensation of taste. “Stellar Strips could make their lives a little happier,” says Yoon.

When the team first started the project, they didn’t think they would really create something that could potentially be used by astronauts. “After all,” says Yoon, “this is a problem that the world’s smartest people are working on. But that’s no reason to be intimidated by a project,” he says. “Just go for it!”


Stellar Strips are made from three layers of thin spring-roll wrappers, which are layered like tiny sandwiches: two plain sheets surround one that’s doused in tasty liquids. Different fillings can yield different flavors, like sweet, spicy, and barbecue. Vitamins could even be added.
Required
1

Based on the suffix “-ion,” the word “competition” means

Required
1

Read the sentences from the passage.

“The shrimp comes with a packet of freeze-dried cocktail sauce that has spicy horseradish in it. ‘That gives it a kick,’ she says.”

Which idea does the phrase “gives it a kick” suggest?

Required
1

How are the experiments the students completed related to each other?

Required
1

Which section of the passage has information that is most connected to the diagram at the end of the passage?

Required
1

How does the diagram of Stellar Strips contribute to the reader’s understanding of the passage?

Required
1

Which evidence from the passage best supports the generalization that Stellar Strips may have benefits on Earth?

Required
1

This question has two parts. Answer Part One and then answer Part Two.

Part One: Which statement best expresses main ideas of the passage?

Required
1

Part Two: Which evidence from the passage best supports the answer in Part One? Choose one answer.

The Noblest of the Lilies

by JoLynne Ricker Whalen

C.J. Malone stood on the pitcher’s mound, her hands tightly squeezing the baseball. She brushed back her braids and stared intently at the batter.

“Hey Frankie! Let’s see if you can handle my fastball!” C.J. said as she put on her glove.

She started her windup and released the ball as hard as she could. Frankie dropped to the ground as the ball whizzed past him. He watched the ball hurdle the fence and land with a crash in Mr. Kelly’s backyard.

“Uh-oh,” groaned C.J. She quickly ran to the fence and scanned the back of the house. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that none of the windows were broken. But then her eyes moved to the planters filled with colorful flowers that sat on the patio. There she saw the missing ball resting in a pile of broken, rose-colored glass.

At the same moment, Mr. Kelly appeared at the back door. “I thought I heard something break,” he said, adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses. He saw the broken glass and murmured, “Irene’s vase,” as he picked up the shattered pieces.

“I—I’m sorry,” C.J.stuttered, bowing her head. “It was an accident. I was aiming for that boy over there,” she said and pointed to the ball field.

Mr. Kelly looked to the ball field. It was vacant. Frankie had run away.

“I can buy you another one,” C.J. offered. “I get an allowance.”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible,” said Mr. Kelly. “My late wife, Irene, made this vase for me years ago. It can never be replaced.” Mr. Kelly wiped a tear from his eye as he walked toward the door and into the house.

As C.J. lay in bed that night, she couldn’t forget the hurt look on Mr. Kelly’s face. The vase had been very special to him, and C.J.’s carelessness had hurt him deeply.

C.J. walked to the window and looked down upon the moonlit gazebo in Mr. Kelly’s yard. It was adorned with flowers of all colors, and their sweet scent embraced the gentle breeze. Somehow, her fastball didn’t seem so important now.

The sound of chirping birds awakened C.J. the following morning. She looked out the window and spotted their nest in an oak tree. Then she noticed Mr. Kelly working in his garden. She dressed quickly and hurried outside.

Frankie saw her and shouted, “Hey C.J.! Wanna play catch?”

“Maybe later,” she answered. Her mind was set on something different. As difficult as it may be, she knew she had to make things right.

C.J. passed under an arched trellis that was covered with fragrant miniature roses. Their scarlet blooms and glossy foliage enhanced what appeared to be a gateway to paradise.

“Hi, Mr. Kelly,” said C.J. hesitantly.

Her voice startled him. He turned around, and his expression softened as he recognized C.J.

“Good morning,” he said gently. “You haven’t lost another ball, have you?”

“No,” answered C.J. “I was hoping that I could help you. You know, to make up for the broken vase.”

“That’s not necessary,” Mr. Kelly said. “Accidents happen, and your apology was sufficient.”

“But if I could help you, it would make me feel better,” insisted C.J. She knelt down beside him and pulled a small weed from the flower bed.

“Why do you like flowers so much?” she asked.

“I love their beauty, but I also find them interesting,” said Mr. Kelly. He showed C.J. a delicate white cluster.

“This is called lily of the valley,” explained Mr. Kelly.

“The flowers look like little bells,” C.J. said and sniffed the sweet blooms. “Mmm, they smell good.”

“Many stories, names, and beliefs come from flowers,” said Mr. Kelly. “Did you know that every state in the United States has a flower to represent it? Even your birth month has its own special flower.”

“I was born in September,” said C.J. “What is my flower?”

“I’ll show you,” said Mr. Kelly. He led C.J. down the brick pathway to the gazebo. Its rooftop and sides were interlaced with vines and blue blooms.

“This is the morning glory,” began Mr. Kelly, “the flower for September.”

“It’s kind of pretty,” said C.J. She stroked the morning glory with her fingers and then took a deep sniff. She giggled as the thin petals clung to her nose. “Who would guess that C.J. Malone would have something in common with a flower?” she said, chuckling.

“May I ask what C.J. stands for?” asked Mr. Kelly.

“I try to keep it a secret,” C.J. said reluctantly. “I don’t like my real name.”

“I was never fond of my name either,” said Mr. Kelly. “Then I discovered something magical about it.”

“What was it?” C.J. asked.

“My name is Gareth,” explained Mr. Kelly. “I wanted to have a common name like Charles or James until I learned how my name was special. I learned that Gareth means ‘garden.' ”

C.J. gasped in amazement. Now she understood why Mr. Kelly had changed his mind about his name.

“My real name is Calla Jo,” she began. “I’ve never liked it. It’s so different from other names. I don’t understand why my parents gave me that name.”

“I think I may know,” said Mr. Kelly. He motioned for C.J. to follow him. They walked down a brick path to a small garden beyond the gazebo. Nestled there were dozens of pink, yellow, and white flowers.

“These are called callas,” said Mr. Kelly heartily. “Aren’t they lovely? They have so much character and beauty that the calla is known as the noblest of the lilies. I think that they are the perfect match for you.”

C.J. knelt down. She touched the delicate pastel blooms and emerald leaves.

“It was very honest and thoughtful of you to tell me about the vase,” said Mr. Kelly. “You should be very proud of yourself.”

He clipped a small bouquet of callas and gave them to C.J.

“I’m glad that you found your own special magic,” said Mr. Kelly.

“They’re beautiful, Mr. Kelly. Thank you,” C.J. said. She gave Mr. Kelly a quick hug and hurried home to put the flowers in water.

“Hey, C.J.! Are you ready to play ball now?” shouted Frankie when he saw her rushing to her house.

“I can’t I have to take these flowers home,” C.J. explained, tightly hugging the bouquet. “Oh, and Frankie please call me Calla.”
Required
4

In the passage, C.J. Malone has two interactions with Mr. Kelly. Write an essay analyzing how C.J.’s interactions with Mr. Kelly affect her. Use evidence from the passage to support your response.

Writer’s Checklist for the Text-Dependent Analysis Prompt

PLAN before you write
  • Make sure you read the prompt carefully.
  • Make sure you have read the entire passage carefully.
  • Think about how the prompt relates to the passage.
  • Organize your ideas on scratch paper. Use a thought map, outline, or other graphic organizer to plan your essay.
FOCUS while you write
  • Analyze the information from the passage as you write your essay.
  • Make sure you use evidence from the passage to support your response.
  • Use precise language, a variety of sentence types, and transitions in your essay.
  • Organize your paper with an introduction, body, and conclusion.
PROOFREAD after you write …
  • I wrote my final essay in the answer booklet.
  • I stayed focused on responding to the prompt.
  • I used evidence from the passage to support my response.
  • I corrected errors in capitalization, spelling, sentence formation, punctuation, and word choice.

Required
1

Which sentence correctly uses italics to indicate a title?

Required
1

Which conjunction should fill in the blank to correctly complete the sentence?

Mom said that _________ my sister nor I had homework, so we could do something fun.

Required
1

Which sentence uses the underlined word correctly?