Chapter 9 IArgumentative£SSa1'5 155
automatedspacetelescopes.Bush'sproposal,whichcallsfor"reprogramming"
someofNASA'spresentbudgetintotheMarseffort,mightactuallyleadtoa
reductioninsuchunmannedscience-theoneaspectofspaceexplorationthat's
workingreallywell.
7 RatherthanspendhundredsofbillionsofdollarstohurltonstowardMars
usingcurrenttechnology,whynottakeadecade-ortwodecades,orhowever
muchtimeisrequired-researchingnewlaunchsystemsandadvancedpropulsion?
Ifnewlaunchsystemscouldputweightintoorbitaffordably,andif advanced
propulsioncouldspeedupthatlong,slowtransittoMars,thenthedreamof
steppingontotheredplanetmightbecomereality.Marswillstillbetherewhenthe
technologyisready.
8 Spaceexplorationproponentsderideaslackofvisionthementionof
technicalbarriersortheinsistencethatneedsonEarthcomefirst.Notso.The
formerisrationality,thelatterthesettingofpriorities.If Marsproponentswantto
raise$600billionprivatelyandstagetheirownexpedition,morepowertothem;
manyofthegreatexpeditionsofthepastwereprivatelymounted.IfMars
proponentsexpecttaxpayerstofoottheirbill,thentheymustmaketheircase
againstthemanyothercompetingneedsformoney.Andagainsttheneedsfor
healthcare,education,povertyreduction,reinforcementofthemilitary,and
reductionofthefederaldeficit,thecaseforvastexpenditurestogotoMars
usingcurrenttechnologyisveryweak.
9 Thedrivetoexploreispartofwhatmakesushuman,andexplorationof
thepasthasledtounexpectedglories.Dreamsmustbetemperedbyrealism,
however.Forthemoment,goingtoMarsishopelesslyunrealistic.
Questions.
- Mostofparagraph1 is a quotationbyGeorgeW.Bush.Rewritethedirect
quotationasanindirectquotation.Besuretoincludea reportingphrase.
- Paragraph2 beginswitha transitionsignalthatsignalscontrast.
a. Whattwothingsarecontrasted? and
b. Onwhatthreepointsaretheycontrasted?
(1)
(2)
(3)
- Paragraph4 containsthethesisstatementfortheessay.Copyit here.__
