Unit6

SpaceandbeyondListeningLife

in

space1.Learnnewexpressionsbylisteningaboutthespacecamp

andarousestudents’interestinspaceexploration;2.Guidethestudentstouseexpressionstotalkaboutthespaceprogrammetheyimagine.LifeinspaceTheFermiParadox:accordingtosomecalculations,thereshouldbemanyothercivilisationsoutthere,butthereisnoevidenceoftheseatall.Nospacecraft,noradiotransmissions,nothing.So,asFermisaid:“Whereiseverybody?”Listentotheinterviewandchoosethequestionsdiscussed.Istherelifeonotherplanets?Whatwouldlifeonotherplanetslooklike?Shouldweuserobotstoexplorespace?WhatistheFermiParadox?Willpeopleevermakecontactwithlifeonotherplanets?√√√5Listenagainandcompletethetable.AnswersQ1Sophie:Theremustbemillionsofplanetslikeours,andsomecouldhavelife1_________________.Eric:Youwouldthinkitlikelythat2____________________________.Butthat’s3_________________theFermiParadox.Q2Sophie:Lifeonotherplanetswon’tlooklikeusbecause

4______________________________________________.Eric:Evolution5________________________________,so

it’slikelythatlifeonotherplanetswould

looklikeus.similartoourownthereareformsoflifesomewherewithoutconsideringconditionsonotherplanetswon’tbelikethoseonEarthwouldworkthesamewayeverywhere6Q3Eric:Wecannot6___________________,whichmeansitwouldtakemorethanalifetimetoreachplanetswheretheremightbelife.Sophie:Maybewedon’tneedtotravelinstraightlines.Perhapswewillbeableto7___________________________________________________tomakecontactwithlifeonotherplanets.travelfasterthanlighttakeshortcuts,througha“warmhole”inspace,forexample,Interviewer:Welcometoourdiscussionprogramme,Science,FactorFiction?.Ontonight’sshow,we’lltalkaboutlifeonotherplanetswithscientistEricPringle,andsciencefictionauthorSophieEllis.Sophie,canIstartwithyouonafavouritetopicforsciencefictionauthors?Istherelifeonotherplanets?Sophie:Ithinktheredefinitelyis.TheremustbemillionsandmillionsofplanetslikeourEarthoutthere.Andonsomeofthemtherewillbeformsoflife,maybesimilartoourown.Interviewer:Eric?Eric:Asascientist,Ican’tagreewithSophiehere.Statistically,youwouldthinkitlikelythatthereareformsoflifesomewhere.Butthat’swithoutconsideringtheFermiParadox.ListeningmaterialsInterviewer:Whatdoyousaytothat,Sophie?Sophie:I’mafraidIdon’tagreethattheFermiParadoxisaproblem.Maybetheydon’tevenwanttocommunicatewithus,justaswedon’twanttocommunicatewithmice!Eric:IadmitthatthisisapossibleanswertotheFermiParadox.Butwejustdon’tknowatthemoment.Interviewer:Well,let’sassumelifeisoutthere.Whatwouldthislifelooklike?Sophie:Sinceconditionsonotherplanetswon’tbelikethoseonEarth,itisn’treasonabletothinkthattheywillbelikeusatall.Forexample,onanoceanplanet,theycouldlooklikefish.Ithasevenbeensuggestedthatonacloudplanettheycouldlooklikeballoons.Interviewer:Whatdoyouthink,Eric?Eric:Well,there’sevidencethatevolutionwouldworkthesamewayeverywhere,soit’sactuallyquitelikelythatlifeonotherplanetswouldinmanywayslooklikeus.Possiblythey’resmarterandmoreadvanced.Interviewer:Icanunderstandbothpointsofview.Itwouldbewonderfulifwecouldseewhattheylooklike.Willhumansonedaytraveltomakecontactwiththem?Eric:No,I’mafraidnot.Thisonlyexistsintheimaginationofsciencefictionwriters.Thefactthatwecannottravelfasterthanlight,300,000kilometresasecond,meansthatitwilltakemorethanalifetimetoreachplanetswheretheremightbelife.Interviewer:What’syouropinion,Sophie?Sophie:Itakeyourpoint,butmaybewewon’tneedtotravelinstraightlines.Perhapswewillbeabletotakeshortcuts,througha“wormhole”inspace,forexample.Thefactistheimaginationofsciencefictionwritershasoftenpointedthewaytothefuture.JustthinkofallthepredictionsaboutspacetravelmadebyArthurC.Clarke.Interviewer:Ithinkyou’vebothmadegoodpoints.Thankyouforbeingontheprogramme,andlet’shopethatonedaywewillfindoutthesolutiontotheFermiParadox—andmaybecontactothercivilisations!ExpressingopinionsExpressinghopesA.Ithinktheredefinitelyis.B.Since...,itisn’treasonableto...C.There’sevidencethat...D.Itwouldbewonderfulif...E.Thefactthat...means...F.Let’shopethat...Completetheboxeswiththeexpressionsfromtheinterview.Ithinktheredefinitelyis.Since…,itisn’treasonableto…There’sevidencethat…Thefactthat..means