IELTS ideas 03: Space exploration

Những đề IELTS Writing về chủ đề Space exploration có thể gặp:

Some people think the money spent in developing the technology for space exploration is not justified. There are more beneficial ways to spend this money. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people feel that the cost of space exploration is far too high for the benefits it brings while others argue that space programmes should continue no matter what the cost. Discuss both sides and give your opinion?

Some scientists think that there are intelligent life forms on other planets and messages should be sent to contact them. Other scientists think that it is a bad idea and would be dangerous. Discuss both views and give your own opinions.
Some people think that space exploration is a waste of resources while others think that it is essential for mankind to continue to explore the universe in which we live. Discuss both views and give your own opinions.
The government is spending a lot of money discovering other planets. Some people think that the government is wasting money and should spend more money addressing the problem of the public. To what extent, do you agree or disagree?
Space travel has been possible for some time and some people believe that space tourism could be developed in the future. Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

Space exploration is a hugely expensive affair. Should we spend money on space exploration when we have so many problems on planet Earth?

Space exploration is costly, and many argue that in times of belt-tightening, we should focus on solving problems here on Earth, especially since the knowledge gained from space exploration has few immediate benefits. On the other hand, proponents of space exploration argue that the knowledge to be gained is invaluable, and that it is in the very nature of humankind to explore. In addition, proponents of these programs argue that they have had significant benefits and resulted in the discovery of many useful new technologies. Furthermore, space exploration could be the only way to escape human extinction in case living conditions become unsustainable on Earth.

Space exploration pros and cons

Pros:

Knowledge generation. Thanks to space exploration programs we are discovering many things that help us understand the universe. For instance, learning about planets, comets, stars, etc. can help us find solutions for some of the problems our civilization will face, such as overpopulation and the need to colonize other planets.

Space race may save humanity. Life on Earth may be threatened by climate change, pollution, depletion of resources, infectious diseases or nuclear war. Further, space exploration is necessary to find another planet on which humans could pursue their lives. Space programs help also find solutions to adapt human lives to the space or other planets.

Space industry jobs. The space industry employs directly about 120,000 people in the OECD countries and 250,000 in Russia.

Cons:

Few direct benefits to space exploration. True, space technology has helped us launch satellites and introduce many useful products, but do we need to keep pushing forward? The direct intellectual gains from learning about far away planets or satellites such as the moon can hardly compensate the costs. Historical exploration on Earth allowed collect and trade resources. Bringing resources to Earth is not possible with the current technology.

Danger of establishing contact with alien life. One of the main goals of space exploration is to find out if there is life outside Earth. However, establishing contact with other civilizations can be extremely dangerous and could jeopardize human life. If we flag our existence to technologically advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, we may be somehow exposing ourselves to their attacks and invasion.

Priorities and opportunity costs. Even if there are benefits to space exploration, spending so much money and effort in reaching other planets is highly questionable. That money and brain power could be used to solve other more important problems for us. For instance governments could invest much more to prevent global warming, reduce crime rates and find a cure for cancer or Alzheimer’s Disease.

Từ vựng/cấu trúc hay:

• Costly: đắt đỏ, tốn kém = expensive
• In times of belt-tightening: trong thời buổi khó khăn cần thắt lưng buộc bụng/ cắt giảm chi phí
• Depletion of resources: cạn kiệt tài nguyên
• Something can hardly compensate the costs: lợi ích mang lại quá nhỏ so với chi phí
• Jeopardize: gây nguy hiểm, gây tổn hại
• Questionable: đáng nghi ngại, cần xem xét
• Extraterrestrial life = life on other planets = life across the universe: sự sống ngoài trái đất
• Space industry: ngành công nghiệp không gian
• The universe = the cosmos: vũ trụ

Xem thêm các bài viết khác trong chuyên mục IELTS Ideas tại đây