Social distancing advice from astronauts,

experts on isolation, during coronavirus

By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.08.20
Word Count 691
Level 740L

Image 1. Astronaut Christina Koch returned to Earth in February after 328 days in space. She has a lot of experience with social distancing.
Image: NASA Twitter @NASA

Christina Koch lived at the South Pole before living for months in space. Chris Hadfield lived
below the ocean, in a lab off the coast of Florida.

The astronauts did not get out much. They couldn't. Koch was surrounded by frozen land.
Hadfield was 62 feet underwater. The experiences proved useful. When they rocketed out to the
International Space Station (ISS), on separate months-long missions in different years, they were
used to being isolated.

Koch returned to Earth from her 328-day mission on the space station in February. She broke the
record for the longest space flight by a woman.

Hadfield spent more than five months on the ISS from 2012 to 2013. It feels like living in the
basement of a large building for a long time, he said. They work each day with the same small
group of people, with no way to leave. Their workspace is their living space. They see the people
they love only through video chats.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Astronauts Offer Self-Quarantine Tips

Now, the spread of the coronavirus has sent millions

of people into a similar situation. The coronavirus is a
flu-like illness. It has been spreading around the
world since December 2019. Health officials have
been encouraging social distancing. This means
staying home and staying away from other people to
help slow the spread of the virus. Astronauts might be
some of the most qualified people to offer advice
about how to live in a limited world.

Hadfield and Koch are among several astronauts

offering self-quarantine tips. At least 175 million
people across the United States have been urged to
stay at home.

The situations are similar because there is a big danger out there "that is not clearly defined," said
Hadfield. He is 60 years old. He is a retired Canadian astronaut who was the commander of the
space station in 2013. Hadfield said it is unclear and frightening. "Operating a rocket ship is very
much like that. There's a constant elevated level of danger, and it's sort of nameless and quiet."

The key is to leave behind a life ruled by outside demands, he said. It is important to get used
to going almost nowhere except for a walk. Koch suggested looking at it as if it were "a new planet
to explore."

Set Goals Every Day

"There will be things that you can do that you've never done before. There will be things you can't
do," said Koch. She is 41 years old. "But we're almost like a new group of people now, operating
within a completely different set of rules and under a completely different normal. What are the
new things people can do on this new planet?"

Hadfield said that people should study the risks of the coronavirus in their area. They should
understand how it limits them.

Next is to set goals for every day.

On the space station, to-do lists were made for every day. Missions ranged from fixing a toilet to
studying. However, on Earth, missions can be as simple as brushing your teeth or calling a
grandparent.

Find Creative Ways To Interact

"You should always have objectives every single day," Hadfield said. "What do I want to get done
in the next 10 minutes, and what do I want to do in the next hour?"

Then there is the loneliness, away from friends and family. On the space station, Koch said, she
could talk with family about once a week. Feeling connected also meant doing fun things together.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

When her friends ran a 10-kilometer race one Saturday, she raced with them. She ran on her
treadmill in space. She and her crew sent "battle of the bands" challenges to friends. They took
turns playing songs with a few instruments they had. Hadfield recorded music from space, playing
his guitar.

"We had to come up with creative ways to interact," Koch said. Anything that makes you feel like
you still have shared experiences is important, she said.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Quiz

1 Read the paragraph below from the Introduction [paragraphs 1-4].

The astronauts did not get out much. They couldn't. Koch was surrounded by frozen land.
Hadfield was 62 feet underwater. The experiences proved useful. When they rocketed out to the
International Space Station (ISS), on separate months-long missions in different years, they were
used to being isolated.

What conclusion can the reader make based on this paragraph?

(A) Koch and Hadfield were the first astronauts to spend months at a time on the ISS.

(B) Koch and Hadfield practiced being in isolated places before going to space.

(C) Koch and Hadfield both spent a few months each underwater and on frozen land.

(D) Koch and Hadfield were surprised by how long they had to be alone on the ISS.

2 Which detail supports the conclusion that it can be difficult for astronauts to be in space for long periods of time?

(A) Hadfield said that people should study the risks of the coronavirus in their area. They should understand
how it limits them.

(B) On the space station, to-do lists were made for every day. Missions ranged from fixing a toilet to
studying.

(C) "You should always have objectives every single day," Hadfield said. "What do I want to get done in the
next 10 minutes, and what do I want to do in the next hour?

(D) Then there is the loneliness, away from friends and family. On the space station, Koch said, she could
talk with family about once a week.

3 Read the following paragraph from the section "Astronauts Offer Self-Quarantine Tips."

The situations are similar because there is a big danger out there "that is not clearly defined,"
said Hadfield. He is 60 years old. He is a retired Canadian astronaut who was the commander of
the space station in 2013. Hadfield said it is unclear and frightening. "Operating a rocket ship is
very much like that. There's a constant elevated level of danger, and it's sort of nameless and
quiet."

What is the structure of this paragraph?

(A) list

(B) comparison

(C) events in order

(D) problem and solution

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

4 Which paragraph from the article uses a list in its structure?

(A) Hadfield and Koch are among several astronauts offering self-quarantine tips. At least 175 million
people across the United States have been urged to stay at home.

(B) "There will be things that you can do that you've never done before. There will be things you can't do,"
said Koch. She is 41 years old. "But we're almost like a new group of people now, operating within a
completely different set of rules and under a completely different normal. What are the new things
people can do on this new planet?"

(C) When her friends ran a 10-kilometer race one Saturday, she raced with them. She ran on her treadmill
in space. She and her crew sent "battle of the bands" challenges to friends. They took turns playing
songs with a few instruments they had. Hadfield recorded music from space, playing his guitar.

(D) "We had to come up with creative ways to interact," Koch said. Anything that makes you feel like you
still have shared experiences is important, she said.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Answer Key

1 Read the paragraph below from the Introduction [paragraphs 1-4].

The astronauts did not get out much. They couldn't. Koch was surrounded by frozen land.
Hadfield was 62 feet underwater. The experiences proved useful. When they rocketed out to the
International Space Station (ISS), on separate months-long missions in different years, they were
used to being isolated.

What conclusion can the reader make based on this paragraph?

(A) Koch and Hadfield were the first astronauts to spend months at a time on the ISS.

(B) Koch and Hadfield practiced being in isolated places before going to space.

(C) Koch and Hadfield both spent a few months each underwater and on frozen land.

(D) Koch and Hadfield were surprised by how long they had to be alone on the ISS.

2 Which detail supports the conclusion that it can be difficult for astronauts to be in space for long periods of time?

(A) Hadfield said that people should study the risks of the coronavirus in their area. They should understand
how it limits them.

(B) On the space station, to-do lists were made for every day. Missions ranged from fixing a toilet to
studying.

(C) "You should always have objectives every single day," Hadfield said. "What do I want to get done in the
next 10 minutes, and what do I want to do in the next hour?

(D) Then there is the loneliness, away from friends and family. On the space station, Koch said, she
could talk with family about once a week.

3 Read the following paragraph from the section "Astronauts Offer Self-Quarantine Tips."

The situations are similar because there is a big danger out there "that is not clearly defined,"
said Hadfield. He is 60 years old. He is a retired Canadian astronaut who was the commander of
the space station in 2013. Hadfield said it is unclear and frightening. "Operating a rocket ship is
very much like that. There's a constant elevated level of danger, and it's sort of nameless and
quiet."

What is the structure of this paragraph?

(A) list

(B) comparison

(C) events in order

(D) problem and solution

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

4 Which paragraph from the article uses a list in its structure?

(A) Hadfield and Koch are among several astronauts offering self-quarantine tips. At least 175 million
people across the United States have been urged to stay at home.

(B) "There will be things that you can do that you've never done before. There will be things you can't do,"
said Koch. She is 41 years old. "But we're almost like a new group of people now, operating within a
completely different set of rules and under a completely different normal. What are the new things
people can do on this new planet?"

(C) When her friends ran a 10-kilometer race one Saturday, she raced with them. She ran on her
treadmill in space. She and her crew sent "battle of the bands" challenges to friends. They took
turns playing songs with a few instruments they had. Hadfield recorded music from space,
playing his guitar.

(D) "We had to come up with creative ways to interact," Koch said. Anything that makes you feel like you
still have shared experiences is important, she said.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.