Упр.4 Юнит 3.3 ГДЗ Starlight Баранова 11 класс
4 RNE Read the text again and complete the gaps A-F with the parts of the sentences marked by numbers 1 -7.
Решение #
Приведем выдержку из задания из учебника Баранова, Дули, Копылова 11 класс, Просвещение:
4 RNE Read the text again and complete the gaps A-F with the parts of the sentences marked by numbers 1 -7. One part is extra.
Will we all have to leave home?
Brian Clark takes a look at what the future holds for mankind.
The idea that human beings will eventually colonise space, has been at the heart of science fiction A) ever since Jules Verne wrote From the Earth to the Moon in 1865. Lovers of this type of fiction have always been captivated by the idea of travelling through space and discovering the perfect unspoilt planet to colonise and create the ideal existence for humanity, but the idea has never been taken seriously - until now.
Professor Stephen Hawking argued that, if the human species is to survive, then we should start planning for the ultimate move. He feard that life on Earth was facing an increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster such as sudden global warming or a genetically engineered virus. It is a prospect that hardly bears thinking about.
Other experts have echoed Hawking’s beliefs, B) although they give different reasons. They point out that we are rapidly exhausting the Earth’s resources while the population continues to grow. Within one hundred years or so, if present trends continue, they predict that our planet will have been reduced to a barren wasteland. With nothing left in the larder, we shall all have to leave home, and there will be no return.
However, just how realistic is such a move? Given the known laws of the universe, travelling to a planet capable of supporting human life remains an impossibility. Even the journey to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star beyond our sun, would take about 100,000 years, C) which Is as long as humans have walked the face of the Earth.
To make matters worse, no planets matching the conditions required for human survival have been identified orbiting our nearest neighbour. To find such a planet we will have to go even farther afield. One possible candidate has been discovered circling a star 15 light-years away. Unfortunately, it would take more than 300,000 years to get there, and there are no guarantees that it can support life as we know it. Clearly then, unless scientists come up with a way for us to travel faster than the speed of light, we shall have to look for alternative solutions. One idea, first proposed by scientist Gerald O’Neill in the 1970s, would be to construct gigantic aluminium tubes D) which would orbit the Earth and provide wonderful living conditions. This seems an unlikely option. The only space station to have been built so far, at enormous cost, can support only six people at a time, and they require supplies from Earth.
A more realistic possibility is to build a permanent base on the moon, perhaps as a stepping stone for voyages to other planets, E) which Is an Idea being explored by NASA. Unfortunately, it would be difficult to sustain life on an airless, lifeless rock. Specialists also note that bones and muscles would, in the long term, waste away in the low gravity.
There is no doubt that our planet is struggling under the burden of humanity. Some experts claim that we are living on borrowed time already, F) because the average life of a species rarely exceeds 100.000 years. However, that does not mean that we should just wring our hands in despair. History shows that man has an incredible capacity to adapt and survive. It is worth remembering that only a few years ago things that we now take for granted, such as instant communications through the Internet, would have seemed impossible. Perhaps we shall soon see the dreams of science-fiction writers become reality after all.
1 which would orbit the Earth and provide wonderful living conditions
2 although they give different reasons
3 which means we will have to go even further afield
4 because the average life of a species rarely exceeds 100.000 years
5 which Is as long as humans have walked the face of the Earth
6 ever since Jules Verne wrote From the Earth to the Moon in 1865
7 which Is an Idea being explored by NASA