TPO40 33:15

The reading passage states that the environments of Venus are so extreme that it is impossible to maintain a human presence there. However, all the problems raised in the reading passage can be solved according to the listening materials. Indeed, we can build a residential station that is floating about 50 kilometers’ height.

First, the extreme pressure is the biggest problem if someone wants to set a human presence at Venus’ surface. However, as is proposed by the proferssor, the pressure about 50 kilometers from the surface approximately equals to what on the Earth. That is because the pressure will decrease when the height is increasing. Therefore, it is unnecessary to overcome those techniques to extreme pressure.

Second, the reading passage contends that the water, oxygen, and those who are fundamentals to human hardly exist on Venus and need to to transfer from Earth. In contrast, the professor argues that by collecting carbon dioxide and other resources, we can produce enough water and oxygen with some chemical procedures. That will save a lot and make it possible for living a long time.

Third, by the reading passage, Venus is covered by thick clouds, very little sunlight reaches its surface and solar power cells are useless. While, the professor says, this problem still can be solved. When setting a station around 50 km, the clouds are not that thick, we can collect the direct sunlight from above and the reflected sunlight from below. So, there is sufficient energy to power the floating station.

TPO28 52:48

The reading passage proposed three arguments that strong support for the truth that Peary have reached the pole on April 7, 1909. However, the listening materials believe those arguments are not solid and convincing, and offers relevant explanations to disprove them individually.

First, though there is a committee investigating Peary’s records and equipment according to the reading passage. It is ture but the professor doubts they are not objective. Most members of the committee are Pearcy’s friends, they may support money to this challenge as fundation. Still the invesigation only last for two days, which could involve bias to the result.

Second, the reading passage raises a experiment that Tom reached the North Pole less than 37 days setting out from Ellesmere Island, which argues against Skeptics’ arguement that Peary cannot travel that fast and is unable to reach within 37 days. But the situation has taken another turn. The professor states that Tom ’s travel and Peary’s travel are different. Tom didn’t take food, and there was an airplane fly along with him, which meant Tom was traveling under external favor while Peary was unfavorable. So, the duration of Tom’s travel within 37 days cannot proves that Peary could do it as well.

Third, the passage says there are some photographs can support Pearcy reached the North Pole, just by the cohererant of speculated time with Sun’s position. In contrast, the professor claims this method is inaccuracy, because the technique requires precise photographs, while those provided photographs are blurred and faded. Therefore, it is still unable to determine whether Peary’s North Pole travel is really taken.

TPO49

TPO16