Reading Passages
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Paired Reading Passage: Science
Directions: The passages below are followed by questions based on the content of the passages and the relationship between the two passages. Answer the questions on the basis of what the passage states or implies and on any introductory material provided.

Questions 1–12 refer to the following pair of passages.

On January 14, 2004, President Bush announced a reorganization of NASA resources to make a manned mission to Mars the agency’s primary goal. This announcement reignited a long-smoldering debate on manned space travel. These passages, adapted from recently published articles, discuss the advisability of further American investment in manned space travel.


         Passage 1
         The popularity of manned space flight stems from a peculiar
    mixture of American ideals buried deep in the national
Line    consciousness. Can-do optimism and engineering know-how combine
(5)    with a New Frontier to provide something quasi-religious: the
    chance to be born again by ascending to the heavens.
    Unprecedented material benefits—the storied “spin-offs” that
    we’re always promised—will doubtlessly emanate from this noble
    effort that will unify our fractious country. Marshalling
(10)    America’s techno-scientific expertise for a Pilgrimage into space
    will allow us to re-enact our national origins and renew our
    appointed role: to create a shining City on a Hill in a New World
    that presents the last best hope of mankind. Thus, manned space
    flight reconciles seemingly contradictory aspects of the national
(15)    identity: nostalgic and forward-looking, religious and
    scientific, spiritual and material.
         Only through the sobering examination of the costs and
    benefits of manned space flight can the effect of so seductively
    romantic a brew be shaken off. Should we spend hundreds of
(20)    billions of dollars on, say, a
         mission to Mars when we face crushing problems such as
    poverty, terrorism, and global warming? The likely benefits of
    manned space flight had better be staggering in the face of the
    opportunity costs * of not directly investing in problems such as
(25)    these.
         Thus, I would like to discuss a non-romantic argument often
    put forth in favor of manned space flight. Enthusiasts claim that
    space-based scientific research is both invaluable and impossible
    to replicate on Earth. There is little proof for this claim. For
(30)    example, Mir, the now-defunct space station, yielded no
    scientific breakthroughs commensurate with its cost. In one
    experiment, scientists concluded that plants did not grow well in
    space. Clearly, this bit of information would be invaluable only
    to astronauts. Furthermore, a reexamination of this experiment
(35)    found that plant growth had been stunted for quite mundane and
    well-understood reasons. Ethylene, a gas long known to be
    released by plants, had accumulated in the enclosure and
    inhibited growth. So much for invaluable groundbreaking advances
    . As for important research that can’t be accomplished on Earth,
(40)    it is often argued that the only way to study the long-term
    effects of zero-gravity on the human body is in space. This
    argument carries weight only for those already committed to
    manned space flight. But as an independent argument for manned
    space flight, this argument is circular: we must have manned
(45)    space flight to understand the long-term effects of zero-gravity
    in order to have more manned space flight.
         A sober cost/benefit analysis shows that robotic space
    exploration trumps manned space flight. Robots have proven to be
    remarkably effective at exploring our solar system. Their
(50)    scientific impact is ubiquitously acknowledged. In terms of
    financial and human cost, robot expeditions are far cheaper to
    mount.
         The circularity of even seemingly non-romantic arguments for
    manned space flight belies the fundamental romanticism of its
(55)    supporters. Doubtlessly unaware of the ingredients in the
    seductive brew noted above, enthusiasts support manned space
    flight because they think it would be really fun and exciting.
    Being an American, I can understand this. I, too, yearn for
    adventures on alien shores. But even though it would be really
(60)    fun and exciting to deplete all my savings on a year-long
    adventure on merely Mediterranean shores, as an adult I know that
    I have more pressing, if less enticing, claims on my resources.
    Those who argue for manned space flight do so out of romantic,
    escapist, and childlike notions that they should outgrow.
(65)         * An “opportunity cost” is a comparison between the likely
    return on one investment and the likely return on another.
         Passage 2
         The orbiting astronaut looks down on his home and grasps
    both its fragility and the pettiness of our mundane conflicts.
(70)    How trite! How dare we spend vast sums on manned space flight
    when six billion of us live in the midst of conflicts and
    problems, which, while perhaps “petty” from a God’s-eye view,
    threaten the future of our civilization and species? Furthermore,
    the oft-made assertion that manned space experiments have yielded
(75)    critical advances either directly or indirectly is arguable at
    best.
         So goes the fashionable critique of manned space travel.
    However, rather than cynically dismiss the astronaut’s now
    proverbial reaction to seeing the Earth from on high, I propose
(80)    that we consider the potential benefits that this change in
    perspective would have on real-world problems were it only spread
    more widely. Moreover, equally intangible “romantic” impulses to
    explore should not be thrown aside so lightly. Motivation
    matters. Where would we be today if Christopher Columbus had not
(85)    embarked on his “folly” to open a western passage to the East?
    Beneficial unintended consequences—or, “spin-offs”—are real and
    pre-date the moon shot. Columbus, in fact, failed to open a new
    trade route to the East, but he did find two continents
    previously unknown to his contemporaries in Europe, Asia, and
(90)    Africa. While clearly not entirely beneficial—especially for the
    millions of Native Americans felled by Old-World diseases or
    conquistadors’ muskets—Columbus’ discovery nevertheless made
    great things possible, such as the United States.
         Rather than retreat in embarrassment from the charge of
(95)    “romanticism,” we should embrace it. The case for manned space
    flight should rest explicitly upon the rejuvenating and unifying
    potential the effort provides our troubled world. In particular,
    we should cease insisting that immensely important scientific
    discoveries are imminent and inevitable. While this almost
(100)    certainly is the case, we really don’t need manned space flight
    to yield scientific discoveries; robots do very well for that
    purpose. Moreover, the real-world benefits of intangible
    inspiration are not limited to a welcome and fruitful change in
    perspective. How many young people would rush into the sciences
(105)    if a full-scale global effort in manned space flight—a mission to
    Mars is the obvious choice—were launched? How beneficial would
    the consequences of the requisite and unprecedented international
    cooperation be for the grave issues that face our species here on
    Earth?
(110)         Rather than promise dubious economic boons when we’re
    labeled “escapist,” we should explicitly state the possibility
    that we have already failed on this planet and that space is our
    only long-term option. Most scientists agree that we are already
    dangerously close to Earth’s
(115)         carrying capacity. Surely, within the half-century or so it
    would take to truly conquer manned space flight, we will be that
    much closer to a nightmare of ecological or societal collapse.
    Doesn’t the likely prospect of global collapse in itself
    represent the most massive opportunity cost possible for not
(120)    investing heavily in manned space flight? It’s at the very least
    arguable that the new frontier of the Americas gave rise to a
    kind of society whose ideals truly are the last best hope of
    mankind. Wouldn’t the new frontier of space bestow another
    opportunity for fruitful experiments in enlightened government? I
(125)    maintain that we cannot afford to throw aside the undeniable
    romantic appeal that a global effort to put man in space would
    engender. Our civilization will need all the help it can get to
    survive this century. I can think of no argument for manned space
    flight more unromantic than that.
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1.    Which of the following, if true, would most clearly STRENGTHEN the assertion in Passage 1 about science experiments conducted in space (lines 31-38)?
(A) Many of the recent developments in gene therapy are directly attributed to experiments conducted on Mir.
(B) Recent reports have questioned the objectivity of the critics of the Mir program.
(C) A full report on all experiments conducted in space has yet to be evaluated.
(D) A list of the 100 most important scientific discoveries since the beginning of manned space travel yielded none based on experiments conducted in space.
(E) Many of the experiments conducted in space are highly technical, and not easily accessible to the layman.
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2.    With which of the following statements would the author of Passage 1 be LEAST likely to agree?
(A) When considering whether an investment is worthwhile, the likely benefits of that investment should be weighed against the likely benefits of a similar investment in another venture.
(B) The benefits of manned space missions do not outweigh the benefits of robotic space missions to a degree significant enough to justify the higher cost of the former.
(C) The strong support for manned space missions among Americans is surprising given the spirituality of the American people.
(D) It is part of the American character to be attracted by the idea of experiencing exciting adventures in new territories.
(E) Part of becoming an adult is coming to recognize that the potential benefits of any venture must be weighed against the costs.
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3.    In the context of lines 43-46, the reference to “circular” serves to
(A) outline the path which astronauts take when in orbit
(B) emphasize that arguments which support sending humans into space are self-serving
(C) illustrate the accuracy needed to gauge an astronaut’s health in space
(D) demonstrate the progress that has been made in helping humans to adapt to the demands of space
(E) refute the argument that space travel is costly and even unnecessary
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4.    In line 48, “trumps” most nearly means
(A) devises
(B) suits
(C) duplicates
(D) outperforms
(E) defrauds
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5.    According to Passage 2, the argument that people should not go into space is
(A) harmlessly entertaining
(B) unjustly scornful
(C) logically flawed
(D) astutely argued
(E) unnecessarily complicated
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6.    The author of Passage 2 begins by describing an astronaut’s view from space in order to
(A) emphasize that the astronaut is a kind of national hero
(B) show how overly simplistic things look in space
(C) prepare the reader for the idea that new perspectives can be important
(D) warn the reader against adopting an overly romantic notion of space travel
(E) prove that environmental problems are so severe that their effects can be seen from space
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7.    The word “fashionable” in line 77 most nearly means
(A) flattering
(B) apparent
(C) wholesome
(D) trendy
(E) conspicuous
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8.    Which of the following strategies for arguing in favor of manned space missions would the author of Passage 2 be MOST likely to favor?
(A) emphasizing the importance of scientific experiments conducted in space
(B) showing the benefits of traveling to Mars
(C) emphasizing the way it will nurture and inspire positive sentiments in the people back on Earth
(D) proving precisely what discoveries lie in wait for us in space
(E) eliminating the danger of manned space travel
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9.    Which of the following most accurately describes the last paragraph of Passage 2 in relation to arguments in Passage 1?
(A) The author of Passage 2 proposes a new argument and revives an argument dismissed in Passage 1.
(B) The author of Passage 2 predicts a future series of events also considered in Passage 1.
(C) The author of Passage 2 examines an idea from Passage 1 and disputes the figures offered in support.
(D) The author of Passage 2 asserts a viewpoint shared by the author of Passage 1 by offering up historical evidence.
(E) The author of Passage 2 reconciles his point of view with the author of Passage 1.
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10.    In each passage, the author assumes that the efficacy of scientific experiments conducted in space is
(A) useful only if carefully monitored by a mirror crew on the ground
(B) called into question only by the most cynical of observers
(C) tragically underutilized by the most talented scientists
(D) only justifiable under certain circumstances
(E) not enough to justify manned space flight
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11.    The passages differ in their evaluation of manned space flight in that Passage 1 claims that
(A) space enthusiasts ultimately want to go to the moon for romantic notions
(B) propagandists have falsified the data of scientific experiments to justify their continued use
(C) the only real benefits of manned space travel could be achieved less expensively with robotic space exploration
(D) Christopher Columbus had a specific goal in mind when he set off on his journey
(E) the only way to understand the long-term impact of space travel on the body is to engage in manned space flights
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12.    Both passages are primarily concerned with
(A) the poor planning of current space missions
(B) the future of manned space flight
(C) the eventuality of going to Mars
(D) the best way to improve the space program
(E) the introduction of more math and science into the school curriculum


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