TPO 50 Integrated Writing Task

The reading passage explored the challenges of sending humans to Mars which seemed more difficult than the trip to the moon. Although these problems seemed impossible to solve, the professor proposed some solutions to make them possible.
To begin with, the author suggested that it took at least two years to have a round-trip to Mars and the capacity of the spacecraft couldn’t afford the sufficient cargo required by the crews. Nevertheless, the lecturer believed that astronauts could cultivate plants with water in the spaceship during the trip, indicating that, thanks to this manner, not only can they turn wasted water into potable water but also obtain fresh air to breathe. Thereby, the astronauts probably were able to sustain their lives during the mission without worrying about the supplement of the required resources.
Second, even though zero gravity might pose a negative impact on the human body, as suggested in the article, the lecturer argued that it was a misconception. This was because there were already several space stations orbiting the earth and the people in the stations had developed some techniques to overcome this problem. For example, taking regular exercise and consuming nutrient vitamins could be conducive to spacemen. As a result, there was no need for astronauts to be worried about the severe effects of the zero-gravity environment in space.
Last but not least, the lecturer acutely identified the weakness in the passage that astronauts might be unprotected from harsh space radiation. The lecturer pointed out that the sun emitted this dangerous radiation once in a while. Therefore, astronauts could safely conduct their missions most of the time. In addition, with the aim of providing a concrete and solid explanation, the lecturer illustrated that the spaceship could be equipped with a radiation-detecting machine and a small shelter in which astronauts could hide once the machine monitors the radiation. Accordingly, sending people to Mars seemed more plausible with this solution