Reading Practice

Should space be explored by robots or by humans?

A 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.

B 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.

C 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.

D 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.

E 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

Access http://mini-ielts.com for more practices 1

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.

F 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.

Access http://mini-ielts.com for more practices 2

Questions 1-6
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. in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet

List of Headings

i. Robots on Earth - a re-evaluation

ii. The barriers to cooperation in space exploration
iii. Some limitations of robots in space
iv. Reduced expectations for space exploration
v. A general reconsideration of human/robot responsibilities in space
vi. Problems in using humans for space exploration
vii. The danger to humans of intelligent machines
viii. Space settlement and the development of greater self-awareness
ix. Possible examples of cooperation in space

1..................... Paragraph A

2..................... Paragraph B

3..................... Paragraph c

4..................... Paragraph D

5..................... Paragraph E

6..................... Paragraph F

Questions 7-8
Choose TWO letters, A-E.

Write the correct letters in boxes 7-8 on your answer sheet.

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

A Robots will work independently of humans.

B Robots will begin to oppose human interests,

C Robots will be used to help humans perform tasks more efficiently.

D Robots will think in the same way as humans.

E Robots will become too costly to use on space missions.

Questions 9-13

Access http://mini-ielts.com for more practices 3

Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each
answer. Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.

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 the planet Mars, robots could be used to set up
9..................... and do initial research before humans arrive. In other cases, humans could
stay in orbiting 10..................... and give orders to robots working on the surface of the
planet.

This would increase the speed of 11..................... with the robots. In such ways, robots
might be used to work in space in commercial enterprises or 12...................... However, the
final aim of humankind may be the 13..................... of space and this could in turn change
people's attitudes towards Earth.

Access http://mini-ielts.com for more practices 4

Solution:
1. vi 8. D
2. iii 9. infrastructure
3. i 10. spaceships
4. v 11. communication
5. ix 12. laboratories
6. viii 13. colonisation
7. A

Access http://mini-ielts.com for more practices 5