P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s

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INTERMEDIATE

2001: A Space Odyssey

S U M M A R Y

his is the story of a billion-kilometre journey to
solve a 3 million-year-old puzzle. It is the year 2001.
After two weeks of digging, scientists from man’s

base on the moon have uncovered a 3-metre high black
slab (TMA-1). As the sun strikes, the slab sends a powerful
radio signal aimed exactly at Saturn. Who put it on the
Moon? Who is waiting for its signal? Discovery, carrying a
five-man crew and controlled by Hal, a supercomputer, is
sent to find out. But just beyond Jupiter Hal malfunctions
and only one of the crew – Dave Bowman – survives to
continue the journey, shocked and alone. Now, for the first
time, Mission Control tells him the real purpose of the
expedition and after months of solitude, Bowman reaches
Japetus, one of Saturn’s moons. Here he finds a replica of
TMA-1, this time a kilometre high. While exploring,
Bowman passes beyond the knowledge of the men
waiting for his signals back on Earth. Now he, and we,
start to learn the answers he has been sent so far to find.

Arthur C. Clarke was born in 1917 and graduated from the
University of London with a First Class Honours Degree in
Physics and Mathematics. He is a member of the
Academy of Astronautics, the Royal Astronomical Society
and many other scientific organizations.

He is a prolific author with over 50 titles to his credit,

many of them books describing factual discoveries in
science and astronomy for the general reader. The use of
the latest scientific theories and technological inventions
in his science fiction stories add to their realism and take
them a step beyond the ‘cops and robbers/cowboys and
indians’ pattern of much earlier science fiction. Among
others, he has written the science fiction classics,
Childhood’s End, The City and the Stars, The Sands of
Mars and Rendezvous with Rama. The last title won all
three of science fiction’s most prestigious awards, the
Hugo, Nebula and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards.
He collaborated with the film director Stanley Kubrick for
four years in developing the plot for the Oscar-nominated
2001: A Space Odyssey and his novel and Kubrick’s film
came out in 1968, one year before man stepped on the
moon for the first time. The film and book were
enormously successful and both men became famous.

When first published in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was
set in man’s future, a story of exploration through and
beyond the Solar System.

Clarke’s knowledge of the astronomical findings and

technical innovations of the American and Soviet Space
Programmes of the sixties enabled him to invent a setting
full of exciting but plausible technologies and descriptions
of planets and moons still unseen.

One fascination for readers now we have reached 2001,

is the comparison between reality and the events and
lifestyle in the story. How far have we really come along
the path predicted by Clarke. Now we have the evidence
of the Voyager missions and data from the Hubble
Telescope, it is amazing how closely Clarke’s images fit
the reality: The Voyager 1 photos show a white oval with a
black dot on Japetus; the Skylab crew runs round a
circular track like Frank Poole in the film. In the midst of
the Space Race engendered by the Cold War, the novel’s
indication of friendly co-operation with the Russians was
still startling to its early audience. Now, with the Cold War
over, we have co-operation in space. The future of artificial
intelligence and its threat or benefit are still a contentious
issue, but Hal the supercomputer need no longer take up
a room and PCs are found in ordinary homes.

But although the setting was in the technological future,

the themes are those found in tales from every time and
culture. What is Man’s destiny as an individual and as a
species? Does that destiny have a purpose? And how did
he become the being he is, with all the characteristics we
consider human.

The central character for most of the story, Dave

Bowman signifies mankind in general. His thoughts,
feelings and actions are the lens through which we
undertake the journey and the measure of our own doubts
and certainties. For the most part, the other characters at
the Moonbase or on Discovery have minor roles. They are
there to move the plot along. We compare Bowman’s
responses not to his fellow crew but to his ancestor,
Moon-Watcher, his computer companion, Hal and his new
incarnation, Star-Child.

Written against a background of widespread protest

about Vietnam and materialism, and in a world divided
into opposing power blocs, 2001: A Space Odyssey is
more than a well-researched science fiction story. It
shows the benign possibilities of space exploration and in
so doing presents us with an optimistic view of man’s
potential.

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2001: A

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T e a c h e r’s n o t e s

by Arthur C. Clarke

© Pearson Education 2001

B A C K G R O U N D A N D T H E M E S

P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s

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5

The following teacher-led activities cover the same sections of
text as the exercises at the back of the reader, and supplement
those exercises. For supplementary exercises covering shorter
sections of the book see the photocopiable Student’s Activities
pages of this Factsheet. These are primarily for use with class
readers but, with the exception of discussion and pairwork
questions, can also be used by students working alone in a
self-access centre.

ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK

Write the following sentence on the board. ‘Intelligent
beings now know that men and women have taken their
first steps away from Earth.’ In small groups, students
decide whether they feel (a) excited, (b) frightened
(c) curious (d) another feeling. Then, groups explain their
choices to the class.

ACTIVITIES AFTER READING A SECTION

Part 1

Write the following on the blackboard. Put students into
pairs or small groups. Students say how Moon-Watcher
and/or the man-apes feel about these events and
situations. How would the students feel about them? What
do they think of people who react as Moon-Watcher did?

(a) Death of the Old One.

(b) Treatment of the babies and the very old.

(c) First raid of the Leopard.

(d) Looking at the Moon.

Part 2

Put the students into small groups. On page 11 and 12,
what tells them that Dr Floyd is considered important and
urgently needed? Each group then describes one such
clue to the class and they are written on the board.

Part 3

1 Put students into small groups. Write the following

question on the board for students to discuss.

The astronauts were using hibernation to go on a
5-year journey. Assume that hibernation is now
technically possible. What would be its advantages
and disadvantages for individuals/ for society as a
whole/ for the planet?

2 Find a video of the film and play a short sequence

covering Chapter 19 and 20 in the book. Students can
discuss any differences in how the film and the book
show Jupiter. Can they find any extra information in the
book and if so, about what?

Part 4

Put students in small groups. Tell each group they must
agree on the three saddest moments/situations in this
Part. Each group then describes these moments/situations
to the whole class, and they are listed on the blackboard.
From these suggestions the saddest can be chosen.

Part 5 and 6
Put students into small groups. Ask them to imagine that
they are government advisors. After the discovery of
TMA-1, they are called to an international meeting to give
their views on the following points which you write on the
board:

‘Was TMA-1 made or is it a natural object. If it was made,
do its makers still exist, where do they come from; what
do they look like and are they enemies or friends?’

Then have a whole class discussion.

ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK

In small groups, students discuss the following question.

We have now reached 2001. Will we travel through the
solar system in the next generation? Should we aim to
do so?

It will be useful for your students to know the following new words. They
are practised in the ‘Before You Read’ sections of exercises at the back of
the book. (Definitions are based on those in the Longman Active Study
Dictionary.)

Pages 1-8

Part 1
ape (n) an animal like a monkey, but usually larger and without a tail.

leopard (n) a large yellow cat with spots

odyssey (n) a long interesting journey.

slope (n) the side of a hill or valley, neither flat nor upright.

steward (n) a person who looks after people on a plane.

structure (n) the pattern or shape of an object made by its parts, the
framework.

Part 2
airlock (n) a small room with doors that will not let through air, used to
move between places with air and those without air.

anomaly (n) something different from normal in some way.

astronaut (n) a person who helps fly a spaceship.

crater (n) mouth of a volcano, hole made by a large object crashing or
exploding as it hits the ground.

experiment (n) a test done very carefully to study what happens and to
gain knowledge.

gravity (n) a force found everywhere in the universe that attracts one
object to another, especially objects towards the centre of any planet or
star.

helmet (n) a strengthened head-covering, worn to protect the head
from damage.

horizon (n). line at which the earth and sky seem to meet.

(loud)speaker (n) equipment that changes electrical patterns back into
sound, part of radio, TV.

magnetic (adj) able to attract iron.

orbit (n) path followed by an object in space (e.g. planet, moon or
spaceship) around another object in space.

reflect (v) to throw back light from a surface.

Part 3
asteroid

(n) very small pieces of planet in orbit around the sun or other

stars.

hibernate (v) to sleep through the whole winter.

mission (n) a journey to do a special job.

probe (n) an unmanned spaceship

satellite (n) something in orbit around a star, planet or moon.

telescope (n) an instrument for making objects far away look nearer
and larger.

Part 4
antenna (n) equipment to detect radio and TV signals

lunar (adj) connected with the moon

unit (n) a piece of equipment which is part of a larger machine

vacuum (n) a place completely empty of air or any other gas

Parts 5 and 6
galaxy

(n) a very large group of stars, billions of kilometres in width.

oval (adj) things with the shape of an hen’s egg.

2001: A

SPACE

ODYSSEY

T e a c h e r’s n o t e s

P u b l i s h e d a n d d i s t r i b u t e d b y P e a r s o n E d u c a t i o n

F a c t s h e e t w r i t t e n b y K a t e W h i t w e l l

F a c t s h e e t s e r i e s d e v e l o p e d b y L o u i s e J a m e s

© Pearson Education 2001

C o m m u n i c a t i v e a c t i v i t i e s

G l o s s a r y

P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s

(a) Which objects in Space are mentioned?

(b) Why was Dr Michael’s audience carefully chosen?

(c) What clues do we have here that the black object is

proof of intelligent life beyond Earth?

Part 1

Below are the first and last lines of the first six sections of
Part 1, but not in the right order. Match up the first lines
(a–f) and last lines (i–vi) of each part and put them in the
right order.

(a) As the line of wild pigs crossed the path, Moon-

Watcher stopped suddenly

(b) Late that night Moon-Watcher suddenly woke up.

(c) Moon-watcher saw the New Rock when he led the

group down to the river in the first light of morning.

(d) Very little rain had fallen for a long time, for at least ten

million years.

(e) The tools they had been programmed to use were

simple enough.

(f) In the morning Moon-Watcher and his group had no

memories of what had happened the night before.

(i) But he did not see the bright light, brighter than any

star, that crossed the sky twice, rising high and sinking
down to the east.

(ii) A long time later, he went back into the cave and, for

the first time in his life, he had an unbroken night’s
sleep.

(iii) A hundred failures would not matter if one success

could change history.

(iv) It was the sound of metal hitting stone.

(v) And it was even longer before Moon-Watcher, despite

all he had been shown, really understood that he need
never be hungry again.

(vi) They did not look back at the strange light that was

showing them the way to their homes – and to an
unknown future, perhaps even to the stars.

2 Complete the following sentences on the possible

development of early man.

(a) If they hadn’t learnt to use tools, their teeth wouldn’t

_________

(b) If their teeth hadn’t got smaller, their jaws wouldn’t

_________

(c) If their jaws hadn’t got shorter, their speech wouldn’t

_________

(d) If they hadn’t learnt to speak, they wouldn’t

_________

Part 2

1

Complete the gaps in the following sentences. The
bracket at the end of each sentence gives a letter from
the missing word. For each sentence write down that
letter. Then re-arrange these seven letters to form a
word. The first one has been done for you.

(a) Near the ____________, Dr Floyd could see the silver

tower of Saturn 5. (7th letter is ‘n’)

(b) The engines slowed down and stopped when the

spaceplane was in ______. (1st letter)

(c) Dr Floyd moved from the spaceplane to the Space

Station through the _________. (1st letter)

(d) It was not difficult to eat in zero ______. (7th letter)

(e) Clavius is the second largest ________ visible from

Earth. ( 3rd letter)

(f) Floyd tried a simple ________ on the black object.

(7th letter)

(g) Through the speaker in his ___________, Floyd heard

TMA-1’s electronic screams. (3rd letter)

2 Why is Floyd relieved to leave Dimitri Moisewitch.

Choose the correct reason.

(a) Because he dislikes Dimitri personally.

(b) Because Dimitri is asking questions.

(c) Because he is due to board the Moonship.

(d) Because Dimitri is a Russian.

Part 3

Answer these questions. Write the answers in numerals
and units.

(a) How long since man had first gone into space?

(b) How many human crew members did Discovery have?

(c) How long would Discovery orbit Saturn?

(d) How many known moons does Saturn have?

(e) What was the length of Discovery?

(f) How old was Dave Bowman?

(g) At what relative speed would Discovery pass 7794?

(h) What area is Europa?

(i) How long does Hal calculate it will take Discovery to

go from Jupiter to Saturn?

l e v e l

UPPER

INTERMEDIATE

2001: A Space Odyssey

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2001: A

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ODYSSEY

Photocopiable

Individually or in pairs. Read the Introduction at the front
of the book, then answer the following questions:

Activities before reading the book

S t u d e n t ’ s a c t i v i t i e s

Activities while reading the book

© Pearson Education 2001

horizon

P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s

Part 4

In these sentences, the speaker is not telling everything
he knows. What is being left unsaid? Some parts of the
conversations are true. Which are they and why is their
truth worrying?

(a) ‘This is Mission Control. We appear to have a slight

problem.’

(b) ‘We may have a slight case of space sickness on

board’.

(c) ‘It does seem strange, Dave. But I am certain the

unit will fail.’

(d) ‘It’s a pity about Frank’, Hal said.

(e) ‘OK Dave,’ he said. ‘You’re certainly the boss. I was

only trying to do what I thought best.’

(f) ‘I think there has been a failure in the airlock doors,’

Hal remarked. ‘Lucky you weren’t killed.’

Parts 5 and 6

1 After you have read Part 5, close your book. What do

you think will happen in Part 6? Write down your
opinions.

2 The following sentences are false. Correct them and

say what you know about each situation.

(a) Mission Control believed that the builders of TMA-1

came from Saturn.

(b) Bowman preferred to live and work in silence.

(c) Discovery needed to use Saturn’s gravity to increase

her speed.

(d) The eye of Japetus was an empty white oval.

(e) Bowman went through the Stargate and came out

close to Earth again.

(f) In ‘Reception’ Bowman found food from Earth in the

fridge.

(g) The Star-Child would stay close to the shining glass

object.

1 ‘Though he was master of the world, he was not quite

sure what to do next. But he would think of something.’

The last words of the book also appear at the end of
Chapter 5. What similarities do you see between the
Moon-Watcher and the Star-Child? What are the
differences? Write three or four paragraphs.

2 Hal could easily pass the Turing Test. Do you agree

that Hal thinks and, if so, does he think like a human
being?

Discuss with a partner and write three or four
paragraphs giving the reasons for your opinion.

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S t u d e n t ’ s a c t i v i t i e s

P u b l i s h e d a n d d i s t r i b u t e d b y P e a r s o n E d u c a t i o n

F a c t s h e e t w r i t t e n b y K a t e W h i t w e l l

F a c t s h e e t s e r i e s d e v e l o p e d b y L o u i s e J a m e s

2001: A

SPACE

ODYSSEY

Activities after reading the book

© Pearson Education 2001