PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HEL THE WORLD WITH A THOUSAND MOONS
CHAPTER 1: Thrill Cruise
By Edmond Hamilton

Lance Kenniston felt the cold realization of failure as he came out of the building into the sharp chill of the Martian night. He stood for a moment, his lean, drawn face haggard in the light of the two hurtling moons.

He looked hopelessly across the dark spaceport. It was a large one, for this ancient town of Syrtis was the main port of Mars. The forked light of the flying moons showed many ships docked on the tarmac—a big liner, several freighters, a small, shining cruiser and other small craft. And for lack of one of those ships, his hopes were ruined!

A squat, brawny figure in shapeless space-jacket came to Kenniston's side. It was Holk Or, the Jovian who had been waiting for him.

"What luck?" asked the Jovian in a rumbling whisper.

"It's hopeless," Kenniston answered heavily. "There isn't a small cruiser to be had at any price. The meteor-miners buy up all small ships here."

"The devil!" muttered Holk Or, dismayed. "What are we going to do? Go on to Earth and get a cruiser there?"

"We can't do that," Kenniston answered. "You know we've got to get back to that asteroid within two weeks. We've got to get a ship here."

Desperation made Kenniston's voice taut. His lean, hard face was bleak with knowledge of disastrous failure.

The big Jovian scratched his head. In the shifting moonlight his battered green face expressed ignorant perplexity as he stared across the busy spaceport.

"That shiny little cruiser there would be just the thing," Holk Or muttered, looking at the gleaming, torpedo-shaped craft nearby. "It would hold all the stuff we've got to take; and with robot controls we two could run it."

"We haven't a chance to get that craft," Kenniston told him. "I found out that it's under charter to a bunch of rich Earth youngsters who came out here in it for a pleasure cruise. A girl named Loring, heiress to Loring Radium, is the head of the party."

The Jovian swore. "Just the ship we need, and a lot of spoiled kids are using it for thrill-hunting!"

Kenniston had an idea. "It might be," he said slowly, "that they're tired of the cruise by this time and would sell us the craft. I think I'll go up to the Terra Hotel and see this Loring girl."

"Sure, let's try it anyway," Holk Or agreed.

With the Jovian clumping along beside him, Kenniston made his way from the spaceport across the ancient Martian city.

Read the following line from the text:

"We can't do that," Kenniston answered. "You know we've got to get back to that asteroid within two weeks. We've got to get a ship here."

What can be inferred about Kenniston from this line?

He can take his time getting to the asteroid.
He must rush to get to the asteroid.
His urgency is unnecessary.
He is confident that they will get there in time.

Read the excerpt from the fairy tale “hansel and gretel” and answer the question that follows. hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. the boy was called hansel and the girl gretel. he had little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife: "what is to become of us? how are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves? " "i'll tell you what, husband," answered the woman, "early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. they will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them." "no, wife," said the man, "i will not do that; how can i bear to leave my children alone in the forest? —the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces." "o, you fool! " said she, "then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the planks for our coffins," and she left him no peace until he consented. "but i feel very sorry for the poor children, all the same," said the man. the two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had heard what their stepmother had said to their father. gretel wept bitter tears, and said to hansel: "now all is over with us." "be quiet, gretel," said hansel, "do not distress yourself, i will soon find a way to us." and when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. the moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. hansel stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in. then he went back and said to gretel: "be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, god will not forsake us," and he lay down again in his bed. when day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying: "get up, you sluggards! we are going into the forest to fetch wood." she gave each a little piece of bread, and said: "there is something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else." gretel took the bread under her apron, as hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. then they all set out together on the way to the forest. when they had walked a short time, hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. his father said: "hansel, what are you looking at there and staying behind for? pay attention, and do not forget how to use your legs." "ah, father," said hansel, "i am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me." the wife said: "fool, that is not your little cat, that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys." hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road. when they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said: "now, children, pile up some wood, and i will light a fire that you may not be cold." hansel and gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill. the brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high, the woman said: "now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood. when we have done, we will come back and fetch you away." hansel and gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe they believed that their father was near. it was not the axe, however, but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. and as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. when at last they awoke, it was already dark night. gretel began to cry and said: "how are we to get out of the forest now? " but hansel comforted her and said: "just wait a little, until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way." and when the full moon had risen, hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and showed them the way. source: grimm, jacob and wilhelm grimm. "fairy tales by the brothers grimm." project gutenberg. project gutenberg, 14 dec. 2008. web. 24 feb. 2011. which character represents the archetype of the hero best? the wife gretel the woodcutter hansel