▶ Reading script
The National Aeronautics and Space Adrninistration, also known as NASA, used to be at the center of the US government’s interest, especially during the Cold War period. Most of the interest in NASA during the Cold War period was centered on the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. But now, NASA is of peripheral interest to the US government and has been receiving downsized budgets over the past several years. The United States should provide greater support to NASA for the following reasons.
First, as the Earth’s population is exponentially growing, mankind will eventually need a place to relocate, and space is the only solution we have. It is big, and we have the ability to go there. But we do not yet have the technology to freely live in space or on other planets. In order to be prepared for the future, we need to start investing more in space programs such as NASA.
Secondly, by studying space, we could better prepare for possible natural disasters, such as asteroids. Compared to the rest of the universe, Earth is a speck of dust. In fact, there are probably other planets in our very own galaxy with more advanced species living on them. Although we may think we are civilized and that we are technologically capable of doing many things , we still do not have the ability to accurately predict natural disasters in space which could easily threaten our lives. To preserve our lives and those of future generations , we need to start supporting the NASA program now.
Finally, outer space could be a great place to find alternative fuels and resources. Mankind is currently too dependent on natural resources, such as petroleum. These resources are finite and will eventually be depleted. This is why we need to continue our search for alternative resources in outer space. Scientists in the future may even discover fuel sources that are totally benign to the environment. Although there is no assurance that there will be a resource that humankind can utilize, space is an enormously vast place where if we patiently continue our exploration, we just rnight find something useful.
▶ Listening script
Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to leam about NASA today. Now, honestly, 1 concur with the article in that the NASA program is important, but 1 do not agree with the author on the point that NASA needs to be at the core of the government’s interest and deserves a higher budget. Here is why.
First of all, it is unfair to compare NASA spending of modern times to that of the Cold War period. It was the Cold War period during which there was abnormally high NASA financing. As many of you know, this was primarily driven by the mission not to lose to the U.S’s rival, the Soviet Union. It was practically a race to the moon where beating the other guy meant more than technological advancement. Now that battle is over. It is both understandable and appropriate that we calm our fears and reduce our funding on NASA.
Secondly, there are many other ways for the U.S. to spend its money more effectively. Some examples are social welfare, the unemployment rate, economic recovery, etc. There are many more tangible and immediate needs that should come before NASA on the priority list. Only once we have settled these issues can we start discussing NASA further.
Finally, there are cheaper ways to find alternative resources. The author is not wrong; space certainly is a place where we might find useful resources. However, we still have not even fully explored the possibilites on our own planet, such as areas under the ocean or near volcanoes. In fact, there have been reports about discoveries of gas hydrates under the ocean that we may be able to use as alternative fuel. While we have not exhausted the potential of our planet, searching on and inside the earth is more efficient than launching a series of expensive spatial projects just to look for something that we are not even sure exists.
|