Should Space be Explored by Robots or by Humans Reading Answers

Mar 20, 2024

Should Space be Explored by Robots or by Humans Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Should Space be Explored by Robots or by Humans Reading Answers have a total of 14 IELTS questions in total. This topic has 6 questions in which you have to fill up the black choosing appropriate title for the paragraphs. In the next 2 questions we have say whether statement is true or false. In the next question you have to fill in the blanks with appropriate words.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Should Space be Explored by Robots or by Humans Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Should Space be Explored by Robots or By Humans?

The advisability of humans participating directly in space travel continues to cause many debates. There is no doubt that the presence of people on board a space vehicle makes its design much more complex and challenging, and produces a large increase in costs, since safety requirements are greatly increased, and the technology providing necessities for human passengers such as oxygen, food water must be guaranteed. Moreover, the systems required are bulky and costly, and their complexity increases for long-duration missions. Meanwhile, advances in electronics and computer science allow increasingly complex tasks to be entrusted to robots, and unmanned space probes are becoming lighter, smaller and more convenient.
However, experience has shown that the idea of humans in space is popular with the public. Humans can also be useful; there are many cases when only direct intervention by an astronaut or cosmonaut can correct the malfunction of an automatic device. Astronauts and cosmonauts have proved that they can adapt to conditions of weightlessness and work in space without encountering too many problems, as was seen in the operations to repair and to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. One human characteristic which is particularly precious in space missions, and which so far is lacking in robots, is the ability to perform a great variety of tasks In addition, robots are not good at reacting to situations they have not been specifically prepared for. This is especially important in the case of deep space missions. While, in the case of the Moon, it is possible for someone on Earth to 'tele-operate' a robotic device such as a probe, as the two-way link time is only a couple of seconds, on Mars the two- way link time is several minutes, so sending instructions from Earth is more difficult.
Many of the promises of artificial intelligence are still far from being fulfilled. The construction of machines simulating human logical reasoning moves towards ever more distant dates. The more the performance of computers improves, the more we realise how difficult it is to build machines which display logical abilities. In the past it was confidently predicted that we would soon have fully automated factories in which all operations were performed without any human intervention, and forecasts of the complete substitution of workers by robots in many production areas were made. Today, these perspectives are being revised. It seems that all machines, even the smartest ones, must cooperate with humans. Rather than replacing humans, the present need appears to be for an intelligent machine capable of helping a human operator without replacing him or her. The word cobot, from 'collaborative robot', has been invented to designate this type.
A similar trend is also apparent in the field of space exploration. Tasks which were in the past entrusted only to machines are now performed by human beings, sometimes with the aim of using simpler and less costly devices, sometimes to obtain better performance In many cases, to involve a person in the control loop is a welcome simplification which may lower the cost of a mission without compromising safety. Many operations originally designed to be performed under completely automatic control can be performed more efficiently by astronauts, perhaps helped by their 'cobots'. The human-machine relationship must evolve towards a closer collaboration
One way this could happen is by adopting the Mars Outposts approach, proposed by the Planetary Society. This would involve sending a number of robotic research stations to Mars, equipped with permanent communications and navigational systems. They would perform research, and establish the infrastructure needed to prepare future landing sites for the exploration of Mars by humans. It has also been suggested that in the most difficult environments, as on Venus or Jupiter, robots could be controlled by human beings located in spaceships which remain in orbit around the planet. In this case the link time for communication between humans and robots would be far less than it would be from Earth.
But if space is to be more than a place to build automatic laboratories or set up industrial enterprises in the vicinity of our planet, the presence of humans is essential. They must learn how to voyage through space towards destinations which will be not only scientific bases but also places to live. If space is a frontier, that frontier must see the presence of people. So the aim for humankind in the future will be not just the exploration of space, but its colonisation. The result of exploring and living in space may be a deep change in the views which humankind has of itself. And this process is already under way. The images of Earth taken from the Moon in the Apollo programme have given humankind a new consciousness of its fragility, its smallness, and its unity. These impressions have triggered a realisation of the need to protect and preserve it, for it is the place in the solar system most suitable for US and above all it is the only place we have, at least for now.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 28-33

Reading Passage has six paragraphs, A-F. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-ix.

List of Headings

Robots on Earth - a re-evaluation
The barriers to cooperation in space exploration
Some limitations of robots in space
Reduced expectations for space exploration
A general reconsideration of human/robot responsibilities in Space
Problems in using humans for space exploration
The danger to humans of intelligent machines
Space settlement and the development of greater self- awareness
Possible examples of cooperation in space

Paragraph A

Answer: VI
Supporting statement:“.......The advisability of humans participating directly in space travel continues to cause many debates. There is no doubt that the presence of people on board a space vehicle makes its design much more complex and challenging........”
Keywords: debates, space
Keyword Location: para A, line 2
Explanation: Para A mentions the complexities and challenges associated with human participation in space travel, highlighting the increased costs, safety requirements, and technological needs.

Paragraph E

Answer: III
Supporting statement:“.......One way this could happen is by adopting the Mars Outposts approach, proposed by the Planetary Society. This would involve sending a number of robotic research stations to Mars, equipped with permanent communications and navigational systems........”
Keywords: robotc, systems
Keyword Location: para E, line 1
Explanation: Para E mentions the limitations of robots in space exploration, particularly focusing on the challenges posed by communication delays in controlling robots on distant planets like Mars

Paragraph C

Answer: I
Supporting statement:“........Many of the promises of artificial intelligence are still far from being fulfilled. The construction of machines simulating human logical reasoning moves towards ever more distant dates........”
Keywords: fulfilled, distant
Keyword Location: para C, line 1
Explanation: It mentions the challenges in achieving fully automated processes and the need for collaboration between humans and machines, indicating a reassessment of expectations regarding robots' roles on Earth.

Paragraph D

Answer: V
Supporting statement:“.......A similar trend is also apparent in the field of space exploration. Tasks which were in the past entrusted only to machines are now performed by human beings, sometimes with the aim of using simpler and less costly devices, sometimes to obtain better........”
Keywords: performed, obtain
Keyword Location: para D, line 1
Explanation: Para D mentions the shifting roles where tasks once performed only by machines are now undertaken by humans, emphasizing the need for collaboration and the advantages of involving humans in space missions.

Paragraph E

Answer: IX
Supporting statement:“........This would involve sending a number of robotic research stations to Mars, equipped with permanent communications and navigational systems. They would perform research, and establish the infrastructure needed to prepare future landing sites for the exploration of Mars by humans.......”
Keywords: research, exploration
Keyword Location: para E, line 2
Explanation: Para E mentions strategies such as controlling robots from orbiting spacecraft and sending robotic research stations to prepare for human exploration, illustrating possible cooperative approaches in space missions.

Paragraph F

Answer: VIII
Supporting statement:“.......But if space is to be more than a place to build automatic laboratories or set up industrial enterprises in the vicinity of our planet, the presence of humans is essential. They must learn how to voyage through space towards destinations which will be not ........”
Keywords: essential, destination
Keyword Location: para F, line 2
Explanation: Para F discusses the broader implications of space exploration, focusing on the potential for human colonization of space and its impact on human self-awareness.

Questions 34-35 Choose TWO letters, A-E.

According to the writer, which TWO predictions about artificial intelligence have not yet been fulfilled?

Robots will work independently of humans.
Robots will begin to oppose human interests,
Robots will be used to help humans perform tasks more efficiently.
Robots will think in the same way as humans.
Robots will become too costly to use on space missions.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“.......which display logical abilities. In the past it was confidently predicted that we would soon have fully automated factories in which all operations were performed without any human intervention........”
Keywords: operations, human
Keyword Location: para C, line 4
Explanation: The passage mentions that previous predictions about fully automated factories and complete substitution of workers by robots are being revised due to the challenges in achieving full automation, as mentioned in para C.

Ques 34:

Answer: D
Supporting statement:“........complete substitution of workers by robots in many production areas were made. Today, these perspectives are being revised. It seems that all machines, even the smartest ones, must cooperate with humans. ......”
Keywords: production, smartest
Keyword Location: para C, line 8
Explanation: The passage mentions the difficulty in creating machines that can think in the same way as humans, indicating that this prediction about artificial intelligence has not yet been fulfilled, as stated in para C.

Questions 36-40

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Humans in space - the Mars Outposts approach and its implications

One way of exploring space would be through collaboration between humans and robots. For example, when exploring theplanet Mars, robots could be used to set up (36)........... And do initial research before humans arrive. In other cases, humans could

Answer: INFRASTRUCTURE
Supporting statement:“......They would perform research, and establish the infrastructure needed to prepare future landing sites for the exploration of Mars by humans..........”
Keywords: infrastructure, humans
Keyword Location: para E, line 4
Explanation: In para E, it is mentioned that robotic research stations could establish the infrastructure needed for future human exploration of Mars

stay in orbiting (37)......... and give orders to robots working on the surface of the planet.

Answer: SPACESHIPS
Supporting statement:“........the most difficult environments, as on Venus or Jupiter, robots could be controlled by human beings located in spaceships which remain in orbit around the planet........”
Keywords: robots, planets
Keyword Location: para E, line 5
Explanation: Para E suggests that humans could control robots on the surface of distant planets like Mars from orbiting spaceships.

This would increase the speed of (38)...... with the robots. In such ways, robots might be

Answer: COMMUNICATION
Supporting statement:“.......robots could be controlled by human beings located in spaceships which remain in orbit around the planet. In this case the link time for communication between humans and robots would be far less than it would be from Earth.........”
Keywords: communication, robots
Keyword Location: para E, line 6
Explanation: The passage mentions the importance of reducing communication delays between humans and robots in space, as discussed in para E.

used to work in space in commercial enterprises or (39)........ However, the final aim of

Answer: LABORATORIES
Supporting statement:“.......But if space is to be more than a place to build automatic laboratories or set up industrial enterprises in the vicinity of our planet, the presence of humans is essential. ........”
Keywords: enterprises, essential
Keyword Location: para F, line 1
Explanation: Para E discusses the potential use of robots in space for commercial enterprises or laboratory research.

human kind may be the (40)......... of space and this could in turn change people's attitudes towards Earth.

Answer: COLONISATION
Supporting statement:“.......also places to live. If space is a frontier, that frontier must see the presence of people. So the aim for humankind in the future will be not just the exploration of space, but its colonisation. The result of exploring and living in space may be a deep change in the views which humankind has of itself.........”
Keywords: colonisation, humankind
Keyword Location: para F, line 4
Explanation: Para F discusses the ultimate aim of human space exploration, which is not just exploration but also colonization, indicating a potential shift in human attitudes towards Earth.

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