“We are running out of space and the only places to go to are other worlds... Spreading out may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves. I am convinced that humans need to leave Earth.” These are the words of the famous scientist Stephen Hawking, spoken at a science festival in Norway in 2017, a year before his death.
Hawking was not alone in this view. Many experts feel that the only way for humanity to last far into the future is to colonize other planets. That way, if an asteroid, a terrible disease, nuclear war, or some other disaster strikes Earth, civilization as we know it would still have a chance. Mars is one of the most tempting destinations. NASA, the United Arab Emirates, the private company SpaceX, and the organization Mars One all have plans to send humans there. “Either we spread Earth to other planets, or we risk going extinct, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said at a conference in 2013.
But not everyone agrees that colonizing Mars or any other planet is such a great plan. The most common argument against going is that it’s just too expensive or dangerous. It will take huge amounts of money and other resources just to get people there, let alone set up a place for them to live. It’s not even clear if humans could survive on Mars. One of the biggest dangers there is deadly radiation that bombards the planet.
Maybe all the time and money people would pour into a Mars mission would be better spent on more urgent projects here on Earth, like dealing with poverty or climate change. Some experts argue that handling a problem like an asteroid strike or disease outbreak while staying here on Earth would be much easier and less expensive than surviving on a new planet.
In addition, moving to a new planet could harm or destroy anything that already lives there. Mars seems uninhabited, but it could possibly host microbial life. Human visitors may destroy this life or permanently change or damage the Martian environment. Some feel that’s too much of a risk to take.
What do you think? Should humans colonize outer space or stay home?
【小题1】What can be inferred from the passage?| A．Many experts insist that humans should take the risk. |
| B．Mars is the most attractive destinations for human beings. |
| C．Hawking firmly believes the only way to save humans is moving to Mars. |
| D．All the other experts don’t agree with Hawking’s idea. |
| A．It will cost much more money to settle on Mars than on Earth. |
| B．It is too long a distance from the Earth to the Mars. |
| C．Human visitors will bring diseases to Martian environment. |
| D．The deadly radiation that bombards the planet is the biggest danger. |
| A．To raise people’s awareness of protecting the environment. |
| B．To present different opinions on whether to move to the Mars. |
| C．To arouse readers’ reflection on whether to colonize outer space. |
| D．To inspire people to deal with the environmental problems. |
| A．Fiction. | B．Current affairs. | C．Social Studies. | D．Science. |
