Unlocking Word
Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in
today’s article.
1. capsule
(n.) [kap-suhl, -sool, -syool] – (in space travel) a vehicle designed to transport human beings to outer
space; also known as space capsule or spacecraft
Example: Most boys dream of riding a space capsule and travel around the universe.
2. dock
(v.) [dok] – to bring a vessel or vehicle to a landing area
Example: The ship docked at the port of Dalian in China to avoid the heavy storms.
3. sustain
(v.) [suh-steyn] – to support or maintain something
Example: Discipline is an important factor in
sustaining a healthy lifestyle.
4. quest
(n.) [kwest] – the act of searching or pursuing something
Example:
We all go through a quest in
search of happiness.
5. settlement
(n.) [set-l-muhnt] –an act of settling or residing, whether permanent or not, in a place
Example: Typhoon victims established a
temporary settlement in a nearby
town.
Article
Read the text below.
Flights to Mars might soon be cheaper if a new
joint project in the US becomes successful.
The project, currently called Red Dragon,
involves the efforts of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), a private manufacturer of
space vehicles.
Currently, SpaceX is testing the capability of a
space capsule called Dragon to dock at NASA’s space station and
deliver supplies. Under the Red Dragon project, the Dragon space capsule will
be improved in order to carry not only goods but also people from Earth to
Mars.
The idea for the project came after Pete Worden,
director of NASA’s Ames Research Center, and his team found that transporting
a Dragon capsule via a rocket does not cost as much as expected. He said this
costs only hundreds of millions, and not billions, of dollars as other people
may think.
Red Dragon will be part of the upcoming Mars
Science Laboratory to be launched by NASA in November. The said laboratory
would examine if Mars can sustain
life. Red Dragon’s part will involve drilling the planet’s buried ice to
gather proof that life exists, or existed, there.
In this quest,
NASA will also be able to demonstrate if Red Dragon can transport heavy load
to Mars. Such a transport system, experts say, is important to make settlement and existence in another
planet a possibility.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion
A
·
Is
space exploration done by your country?
·
Do
you think that a government should set a high budget for studies about outer
space?
Discussion
B
·
Do
you believe that life can exist in other planets like Mars?
Do you believe aliens
or other extra-terrestrial beings live on other planets? Why or any not?
