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The spaceship crashed into a
deep green jungle of a new
planet.
Its engines
could not be repaired and the crew
knew that would never escape.
They
would live and die on this planet. The captain spoke to his crew, 'I
have bad news for you all. Our spaceship cannot leave this planet,
we
cannot go home. I am so sorry.'
Everyone expected this, but it was still terrible
news.
'The atmosphere
is good, there is oxygen
to breathe, but the bacteria
and viruses
that live in the air and water will kill us. When we go
outside, we need to wear spacesuits to stay alive.'
Then one of the science officers said, 'Captain, I have a plan. I know we will all eventually die here, but there is still something we can do. We can mix our DNA with the DNA of this planet's most intelligent animal. We can create a new species, part of us and part animal. In the future, the new species will evolve and develop. One day, far in the future, they may build their own spacecraft and our descendents might find their way back to our home.'
The captain looked at her and
said, 'We have a lot of time.
Please take some crew members and search this planet for the most
intelligent animal. Use the DNA from our healthiest people, and create
your new species.'
'Thank you captain, I will do my best,' replied the scientist.
After many months, the
scientist had found and captured
thirty
of the intelligent animals. They were strong and clever, but also
aggressive,
jealous
and greedy.
'What do you call these animals?' the
captain asked.
'I call them chimpanzees,
sir. They are our best choice.'
It took many years, but eventually the scientist created one hundred new animals. The new animals walked on two legs but looked very much like chimpanzees. When the time was right, they released them into the jungle. Within one hundred years, all of the spaceship crew were dead, and the jungle started to grow over the spaceship until it was gone.
Over thousands of years, the
new animals evolved, becoming
more intelligent, learning to use tools and make weapons. They created
villages, then tribes,
then civilizations.
Finally, they were able to
build a spaceship and the world was excited when it went into space. A
young boy looked up at the night sky and asked his mother. 'Mum, do you
think
there are aliens out there, among the stars? Aliens that look like us?'
His mother laughed and replied, 'No, I don't think so. I think we're
alone in the universe. You've been reading too many science-fiction
books.'
Adjectives
terrible:
Very bad.
aggressive:
Easy to get angry and fight.
jealous:
Being unhappy because someone has something you want.
greedy:
Wanting more than you need.
Adverbs
eventually:
After a long time, and perhaps many problems.
Verbs
escape:
To get away from somewhere that you don't want to be.
evolve:
To change and improve.
capture:
To catch something to make it your prisoner.
Nouns
a planet:
A world. The Earth is a planet.
a crew:
The people who work on a ship or plane.
the atmoshere:
The gases that surround a planet. On earth = 'air'.
Oxygen:
The gas that we breath (O2).
bacteria:
Very small living things that can cause diseases.
a virus:
A very small living thing, smaller than a bacterium, that
causes disease.
DNA:
This is found in every cell
of the body. It has information on how the body grows and
works.
a cell:
the smallest part of a living thing that lives separately.
a species:
A group of animals or plants that are the same.
a descendent:
A family member who comes from you: children, grandchildren, etc.
a chimpanzee:
An intelligent African animal, like a monkey but with no tail.
a tribe:
A group of the same people who live in one area and have the same
culture.
a civilization:
A large society that is developed and very organized.