21 What surprised Declan most about the initial phase of Mars colonization?
A the estimated financial cost
B the psychological toll on astronauts
C the difficulty of securing reliable transport
22 Regarding the ‘Vanguard Module’ habitat, both students agree that it
A lacks sufficient radiation shielding.
B is too complex to assemble on site.
C limits the crew’s mobility.
23 How will they organize the presentation’s section on agriculture?
A chronologically by technology development
B by the type of crops grown
C according to energy efficiency
24 What is the main criticism of the ‘Helios Water Extraction’ method?
A It requires too much heavy machinery.
B It yields heavily contaminated water.
C It takes too long to operate.
25 For the conclusion, they decide to focus on
A ethical considerations of terraforming.
B timelines for establishing a permanent base.
C commercial mining opportunities.
Questions 26–30
What challenge does each proposed solution address?
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to Questions 26-30.
Challenges
A Solar radiation
B Dust storms
C Muscle atrophy
D Equipment failure
E Mental fatigue
F Soil toxicity
G Communication delay
Proposed Solutions
26 The ‘Aegis’ habitat design
27 Biometric suits
28 The ‘Oasis’ software
29 Mycoremediation
30 Automated fabrication
Keys
21 A
22 B
23 C
24 A
25 B
26 A
27 C
28 E
29 F
30 D
Transcripts
Part 3: You will hear two astrophysics students discussing their presentation on Mars colonization.
DECLAN: Zara, I’ve reviewed our research for the Mars colonization presentation. We could easily spend an hour just talking about the engineering challenges.
ZARA: It’s overwhelming. What surprised you most about the initial planning? I figured the psychological toll on astronauts would be the standout issue.
DECLAN: I thought the same. Being trapped in a tin can sounds awful. Then I read about the difficulty of securing reliable transport rockets.
ZARA: Right, getting a heavy payload into orbit is a nightmare.
DECLAN: Exactly, but neither compares to the numbers I found yesterday. I couldn’t believe the estimated financial cost! We are talking about budgets that could fund nations. It’s mind-boggling.
ZARA: I saw that report too. Billions just for prototypes. Anyway, let’s discuss the Vanguard Module habitat.
DECLAN: Well, my main concern is that it seemingly lacks sufficient radiation shielding.
ZARA: Actually, the latest specs show they added water walls to the exterior, so radiation isn’t an issue. But doesn’t the small interior severely limit the crew’s mobility?
DECLAN: The layout is quite open. The real dealbreaker is putting it together. It’s just far too complex to assemble on site. The astronauts would spend weeks bolting it together.
ZARA: You’re right. Let’s focus on that drawback. Next is the agriculture section. Should we organize it chronologically by technology development?
DECLAN: That might confuse the audience. What if we sort it by the type of crops grown? Starting with leafy greens, then root vegetables.
ZARA: That sounds too simplistic. Remember Professor Thorne’s rubric? The core theme of our course is sustainability. We should structure this part according to energy efficiency.
DECLAN: Good call. That makes a stronger academic argument. Now, what about the Helios Water Extraction method?
ZARA: I read it yields heavily contaminated water, meaning we’d need extra filtration equipment.
DECLAN: I double-checked that. The new thermal drill boils off impurities, so the extracted water’s perfectly pure. Critics do argue it takes too long to operate, though.
ZARA: Time isn’t a massive factor since it runs autonomously. The real problem is the sheer weight. It requires way too much heavy machinery to transport practically.
DECLAN: Right, lifting that much steel into space isn’t viable yet. Let’s finish with the conclusion. I thought we could discuss the commercial mining opportunities on Mars.
ZARA: Declan, Professor Thorne specifically said we shouldn’t include corporate ventures. How about focusing on the ethical considerations of terraforming?
DECLAN: That’s too huge a topic. Let’s just focus on the realistic timelines for establishing a permanent base. It ties everything together neatly.
ZARA: Perfect. That keeps our arguments grounded.
DECLAN: Now we need to outline specific solutions to the colonization challenges for the second half. This will show we moved beyond just listing problems.
ZARA: Okay. First is the Aegis habitat design. I initially thought it was meant to withstand massive dust storms.
DECLAN: That’s a common misconception because of its aerodynamic shape. Its actual purpose is deflecting solar radiation. The magnetic coils handle that beautifully. It is brilliant.
ZARA: Oh, I see it. Then we have the biometric suits. Do they protect against radiation too?
DECLAN: No, they’re strictly internal wear. They apply continuous physical resistance to the wearer’s joints to combat muscle atrophy in low gravity.
ZARA: Makes sense. What about the Oasis software? Is it to help deal with the communication delay between Mars and Earth?
DECLAN: It has a messaging feature, but it’s primarily an immersive environment simulator. It provides virtual Earth landscapes to prevent mental fatigue during isolation.
ZARA: Wow, clever. Isolation would be tough. Then there’s the mycoremediation project using genetically engineered fungi.
DECLAN: Yes. We need that because Martian dirt is full of toxic perchlorates. The fungi break those down, solving the issue of soil toxicity.
ZARA: Excellent. Finally, automated fabrication. I suppose that’s for building expanding habitats?
DECLAN: It could be used for that eventually, but for the first ten years, its primary role is 3D printing spare parts to deal with equipment failure.
ZARA: Because waiting months for a replacement valve from Earth isn’t an option.
DECLAN: Exactly. If the life support system fails, they need to manufacture a new component within hours. Let’s build the slide deck.
