XII-16: The Future of Space Exploration
Warm-up and Vocabulary
Key Vocabulary List:
- Interstellar Travel (n.): Travel between stars or planetary systems.
Example: Interstellar travel remains a concept of science fiction, as the distances are enormous. - Terraforming (n.): The hypothetical process of modifying a planet’s atmosphere, temperature, or ecology to make it similar to Earth’s for human colonization.
Example: The terraforming of Mars would be an immense and century-long project. - Colonization (n.): The action of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area. In space, it refers to establishing a human settlement.
Example: The colonization of the Moon is seen as a potential first step towards Mars. - Propulsion (n.): The action of driving or pushing forward.
Example: New forms of propulsion are needed to make deep space travel faster. - Deep Space (n.): The open regions of space beyond the solar system.
Example: The Voyager probes are now traveling through deep space. - Asteroid Mining (n.): The hypothetical extraction of raw materials from asteroids and other minor planets.
Example: Asteroid mining could provide valuable resources like platinum and water. - Robotics (n.): The branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots.
Example: Robotics will be essential for building structures on other planets before humans arrive. - Unmanned Mission (n.): A space mission that does not have a human crew on board.
Example: The Mars rovers are examples of successful unmanned missions. - Habitable (adj.): Suitable or good enough to live in.
Example: The goal is to find a habitable planet with conditions similar to Earth. - Long-duration (adj.): Lasting for a long period of time.
Example: Long-duration space missions present many challenges to the human body.
Interactive Activity: Mission Priority
Structuring Your Lecture Summary
TOEFL Speaking Task 4 is a pure test of your listening and summarizing skills. You will listen to a 90-120 second academic lecture. You will then have 20 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.
Your goal is to summarize the lecture’s main topic and the two key supporting points or examples the professor uses to explain it. A clear, simple structure is essential.
The 60-Second Speaking Template
1. State the Main Topic (approx. 15 sec): Start with a general sentence that introduces the main subject of the lecture.
“The professor discusses [Main Topic], and explains two main [examples/types/challenges] related to it.”
2. Explain the First Key Point (approx. 20 sec): Explain the first major detail, example, or category the professor discusses.
“First, she explains that… For instance,…”
3. Explain the Second Key Point (approx. 20 sec): Explain the second major detail, example, or category.
“The second point she makes is that… She mentions how…”
Example Breakdown:
- Lecture Topic: Two methods animals use to survive in the desert. Point 1: Some animals are nocturnal. Point 2: Others have special physical adaptations to conserve water.
- Your Spoken Response: “The professor discusses how desert animals survive in the harsh environment, and she explains two main strategies. First, she explains that many animals are nocturnal. For example, she mentions that desert foxes and some snakes stay in cool burrows during the hot day and only come out at night to hunt. The second strategy she discusses involves special physical adaptations. She uses the camel as an example, explaining that it can store large amounts of water and has wide feet to walk on the sand.”
Tips for Success
- Listen for the “Roadmap”: The professor will almost always introduce the topic and the main points at the beginning of the lecture. Listen very carefully for a sentence like, “Today, we’ll talk about two major factors…” or “Let’s discuss two types of…” This is your outline!
- Capture the “What” and the “How”: For each of the two key points, your notes should focus on WHAT the point is (e.g., “Psychological Problems”) and HOW it is explained or exemplified (e.g., “isolation, being far from family”). Don’t get lost trying to write down every single word.
- Don’t Add Your Own Opinion: This task is a 100% summary. Your job is to accurately report what the professor said. Do not say “I think…” or “I believe…”. Stick to the facts from the lecture.
Skill Practice
Let’s practice the vocabulary with some timed drills.
Drill 1: Multiple-Choice (90 seconds)
Choose the best answer for each question.
Drill 2: Fill-in-the-Blanks (90 seconds)
Drill 3: Crossword Puzzle (120 seconds)
Drill 4: Word Search (120 seconds)