Topic 1: Does increasing travels between countries enable people to learn different cultures or to

Topic 8: Millions of dollars are spent on space research every year. Some people argue 
that the money should be spent on improving living standards on Earth. Do you agree or 
disagree?
 
(finite and exhaustible), (open energy and material resources of space for human benefit); (support 
economic growth), (an increase in business activity);
(cause the usable space to shrink), ( find a sanctuary),
(environmental monitoring), (living environment ) ( weather forecasting) , (sustainable development)
(technological competitiveness), (in international business), (human capital and high-level expertise);
(the interest of young people in natural sciences )
(long-term commitments and funding ), (unaffordable to most countries), (famine )
( make little progress), ( taxing and unrewarding )
In recent years, there have been more and more countries involved and interested in long-
term space projects. Because of the enormous research expenditures incurred, the value of 
space projects has been disputed. Some people suggest that government funding should be 
diverted toward improving the living standard of ordinary people. In evaluating the merits of 
space ambition, one should adopt a broader perspective. The investment in space research can 
be paid off someday in the future.
The first reason to support it is that our planet is now facing an unprecedented resource 
problem, which can be tackled only by discovering and mining new resources on other 
planets. The overuse or scarcity of some resources on the Earth is a severe problem. Rare 
metals, such as gold or silver, will eventually be depleted, as industrial production expands. 
These metals and other natural sources, although rare on Earth, might abound on other 
planets. In that case, conducting space research is a promising adventure.
Meanwhile, the world's population is now growing to a stage where there are too many 
people for the planet to support, highlighting the need to seek land suitable for people's re-
settlement off the planet. Even if new urban developments are able to accommodate the 
increasing population, water and electricity supply, waste treatment, sewage disposal and 
sanitation will become unmanageable for the capacity of our planet. As there are countless 
planets orbiting stars throughout the universe, one can be confident that at least one of them is 
suitable for our second home planet. Mars, for example, bearing a close resemblance to the 
Earth, is considered a potential backup.
In addition to searching for a shelter for future generations, space programs contribute 
considerably to the well-being of the Earth in some other aspects. For example, by monitoring 
the ozone hole, global warming, the loss of rain forests and other environmental threats to 
human survival, remote sensing satellites help people trace the recovery from the worst 
environmental threats and thereby improve the quality of life. Meanwhile, space research 
provides a new platform on which scientists can carry out experiments and make new 
discoveries in a variety of fields, such as agriculture.
As suggested above, in locating new resources, positioning new settlements, addressing 
environmental concerns and facilitating scientific discovery, space research will prove to be 
not only worthwhile, but also crucial to the survival and sustainability of human civilization.
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1. Value =merit= worthiness =worth 
2. Divert=redirect=reroute=switch
3. Overuse=overexploitation
4. Abound=be plentiful=thrive=flourish=proliferate=grow in great numbers
5. Adventure=voyage=journey
6. Re-settlement=relocation=immigration
7. Sewage =waste water
8. Unmanageable=uncontrollable=unruly
9. Backup=candidate=replacement
10. Recovery=healing=recuperation
11. Platform=stage
 
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