Space tourism - PAEG inglés CLM

Would you pay $20 million for a 10-day vacation? That is what Dennis Tito, a millionaire from the USA, did when he became the first space tourist in April, 2001. Two others followed him in 2002 and 2005. After a short training period, each man went for a short visit to the orbiting International Space Station (ISS).

The high cost of a “space vacation” makes it impossible for most people, but several private companies believe that the cost will soon come down. New technological developments should lower fares initially to about $100,000, but the price could quickly drop to $10,000. Although this sounds high, estimates indicate that at least half a million people each year would pay $50,000 for a ticket to space.

Companies also have to ensure the safety of their passengers to the satisfaction of national space agencies. In addition, they still have to develop reliable vehicles that can be reused. But despite these problems, several commercial companies believe that they will soon be able to offer brief space flights. These would take passengers straight up into space for about 100 km, and then back down again, without orbiting the Earth. Brief orbital flights are planned for the next stage.

Space tourism may sound unbelievable, but even NASA, the American space agency, recognised the possibility in a report published in 1998. So in the not too distant future, when you start to plan a vacation, you may include “space” along with the Caribbean or the Himalayas as a possible destination.

READING COMPREHENSION

Add TRUE or FALSE and copy the evidence from the text to support your answer.NO marks are given for only true or false.

1.    Dennis Tito paid $20 million for a space vacation.

• TRUE (paragraph 1) “Would you pay $20 million for a 10-day vacation? That is what Dennis Tito … did”

2.    A ticket to space is not expected to cost less than $50,000.

• FALSE (paragraph 2) “the price could quickly drop to $10,000.”

3.    Companies have already developed safe, reusable space vehicles for commercial flights.

• FALSE (paragraph 3) “they still have to develop reliable vehicles that can be reused.”

4.    The first commercial space flights will not orbit the Earth.

• TRUE (paragraph 3) “These would take passengers straight up into space … then back down again, without orbiting the Earth.”

LEXICON

Find words or phrases in the text that mean the same as these given.

1.    money for journeys: fares (paragraph 2)

2.    to secure: ensure (paragraph 3)

3.    dependable: reliable (paragraph 3)

4.    short: brief (paragraph 3)

PHONETICS

Find words in the text with the following phonemes.

1.    Write two words from the text that have the same diphthong sound as “there”.

    (Underline the part of the word which contains the diphthong.) 

millionaire, fares

2.    Which of the following words has the same vowel sound as “saw”?

1. short    2. would      3. down

3.    Is the “-c-” pronounced /s/ or /k/ in “space”?

/s/

USE OF ENGLISH

Rewrite the following sentences starting with the words given.

1. “How much does a space vacation cost?” I asked.    

• I asked how much a space vacation cost.

2.  They will soon offer short space flights to the public.   

•  The public will soon be offered short space flights.

3.   I haven’t travelled anywhere for eight years.    

• It is eight years since I’ve travelled anywhere.

4. He didn’t buy a ticket because he couldn’t afford it.    

• If he could have afforded a ticket, he would have bought one.

5. The travel agent booked my flight yesterday.    

• I had my flight booked by the travel agent yesterday.
• I had the travel agent book my flight yesterday.

6. Although it was snowing heavily, we arrived on time.    

• In spite of the heavy snow, we arrived on time.

+EXÁMENES RESUELTOS