The Challenges Of Living In Space - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Trainer 2 Academic Listening Test 3 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
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Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
The Challenges of Living in Space
Living on the International Space Station (ISS)
- Astronauts spend months in microgravity, so
- their blood moves to the head and 31 .
- they lose minerals such as 32
- they have to exercise 2.5 hours to avoid 33 loss.
- they may suffer from poor 34 back on Earth.
- NASA continues to improve ways to recycle water, including 35
Building on the moon or Mars
- Engineers and architects must either use materials which
- are 36 enough for transport.
- can already be found on the moon or Mars.
- Rocks and minerals could be used to make metal, brick and possibly 37 for buildings.
- NASA still needs to find a way to make large 38
- People could use virtual reality
- to visit places like a 39 .
- to get a new 40 .
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | chest | On Earth, your blood would naturally be pulled towards your feet, but in space, it goes to your head. And we'll talk a bit more about the consequences of that later. But it also goes to your chest – and that's why astronauts have to be careful about their blood pressure | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that in space, gravity does not pull blood toward the feet. Instead, the blood flows to the head and the chest area, which can affect an astronaut's health. Answer Explanation: The answer "chest" refers to the part of the body between the neck and the belly. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "chest" because the speaker describes how microgravity (low gravity) changes how blood moves in the body. Since there is no gravity to pull blood down to the legs, the blood moves to the upper body, specifically the head and the chest. |
| Q32 | calcium | Over time, for example the amount of calcium inside your bones begins to decrease, so the bones become weaker | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when astronauts spend a long time in space, the amount of calcium in their bones goes down, making their bones less strong. Answer Explanation: The answer "calcium" is a specific mineral that is found in bones and can be lost by astronauts while they are in space. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "calcium" because the speaker mentions that living in microgravity changes the minerals in an astronaut's body. The speaker gives a specific example of the amount of calcium in bones decreasing over time, which fills the note about losing minerals. |
| Q33 | muscle | The astronauts have to maintain a very strict exercise programme – they do 2.5 hours of exercise six days a week. If they don't, what happens is that their muscle begins to waste | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that if astronauts do not do their 2.5 hours of exercise, their muscles will begin to waste away, which is a type of body loss. Answer Explanation: The answer muscle refers to the soft parts of the body that let you move and be strong. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is muscle because the text explains that astronauts follow a strict plan to work out for 2.5 hours. If they skip this exercise, their muscles will begin to 'waste,' which means they will become smaller or be lost. Therefore, exercise is necessary to prevent muscle loss. |
| Q34 | vision | And one final problem that some astronauts experience –they find that when they get back to Earth, they can't see clearly. Scientists aren't exactly sure why this happens, but it seems that the astronauts' vision can be permanently affected | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when astronauts come home to Earth, they might have trouble looking at things clearly. This problem with their eyes is called vision, and it might stay that way forever. Answer Explanation: The answer 'vision' means the ability to see or how well someone can see things. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'vision' because the transcript talks about the physical problems astronauts face after living in space. It specifically says that some astronauts cannot see clearly when they return to Earth and that their 'vision'—their ability to see—can be permanently changed or damaged. |
| Q35 | sweat | That means that even the sweat that the astronauts produce is recycled | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that because water is so important in space, NASA has reached a point where they even recycle the liquid that astronauts' bodies produce naturally. Answer Explanation: The answer is sweat, which refers to the liquid that your skin produces when you are hot or exercising, and it is something NASA recycles to save water. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the part of the transcript discussing how NASA recycles water on the International Space Station. The speaker mentions that water is a very important resource, so the agency finds ways to reuse even the salt water that comes off an astronaut's skin during work or exercise. |
| Q36 | light | It's incredibly expensive to transport materials into space, so they need to be as light as possible | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that because sending things into space costs a lot of money, the materials used for building must not be heavy. Answer Explanation: The answer 'light' means that materials should not weigh very much so they are easier to move into space. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'light' because the transcript explains that moving materials into space is very expensive. To save money, engineers and architects need to ensure the building materials weigh as little as possible. The phrase 'as light as possible' in the text directly corresponds to the note requirement for materials to be 'light enough for transport.' |
| Q37 | paint | These can be made into metal, into brick . and some engineers are also suggesting they could produce paint |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that minerals found on the moon can be transformed into metal or bricks, and some experts believe they can also make paint from them. Answer Explanation: The answer is paint, which is a liquid used to cover and color walls, and it is something engineers think they can make using materials from the moon. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is paint because the speaker mentions that rocks and minerals on the moon can be converted into several building materials. Specifically, they list metal and bricks first, then add that engineers might also be able to create paint from those same moon minerals. |
| Q38 | windows | Actually there's one thing that NASA hasn't managed yet, and that's to increase the size of the windows on the ISS. They're very small – and if people were going to live in buildings on the moon, this is something NASA still has to work on | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the windows currently in space are not big enough. Therefore, NASA is still working on making bigger windows for future moon missions. Answer Explanation: The answer is windows, which are the glass openings in a building that let you look outside. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is windows because the speaker explains that the windows on the current space station are too small. NASA needs to find a way to make them larger for future buildings on the moon. The transcript mentions that NASA hasn't yet managed to "increase the size" of these windows and that it is something they "still has to work on." |
| Q39 | museum | Imagine you're living on the moon but you could use virtual reality to walk around a museum and see all the exhibits | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that virtual reality allows people on the moon to feel like they are walking through a place like a museum to see the things shown there. Answer Explanation: The answer "museum" refers to a place where people look at interesting things like art or historical objects, which astronauts can visit using technology while they are far away from Earth. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "museum" because the student suggests using virtual reality as a way for people living on the moon to stay mentally active and relax. The speaker gives an example of someone using this technology to walk through a building and see objects on display. The word "visit" in the notes matches the idea of "walking around" a place described in the talk. |
| Q40 | qualification | And by using virtual reality, you could continue your education, by say, studying for a qualification that might be useful in your current environment, or once you're back on Earth | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that virtual reality allows people in space to keep learning and work toward getting an official certificate or degree that can help them with their work. Answer Explanation: The answer means a certificate or an official document that shows you have successfully completed a course of study or training. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the student explains how virtual reality can be used for more than just fun. He mentions that it can help people in space continue their education and study for a 'qualification' that would be helpful for their jobs in space or when they return home to Earth. |
Transcript
Student: Hello everyone. So I'd like to tell you about some of the challenges of living in space. We'll start with the International Space Station – or ISS, as it's often called. The ISS has been in space – in orbit around the Earth - since 1998. Over 200 astronauts have lived on board – and one of the biggest challenges for them is living in microgravity. So what happens when you're living in microgravity 24 hours a day for months? For a start, it affects your blood circulation. On Earth, your blood would naturally be pulled towards your feet, but in space, it goes to your head. And we'll talk a bit more about the consequences of that later. But it also goes to your chest – and that's why astronauts have to be careful about their blood pressure. Microgravity also affects the minerals stored inside your body. Over time, for example the amount of calcium inside your bones begins to decrease, so the bones become weaker. Yes, it's not much fun living in space. The astronauts have to maintain a very strict exercise programme – they do 2.5 hours of exercise six days a week. If they don't, what happens is that their muscle begins to waste. Some of it also turns into fat. And one final problem that some astronauts experience –they find that when they get back to Earth, they can't see clearly. Scientists aren't exactly sure why this happens, but it seems that the astronauts' vision can be permanently affected.
Another challenge with living in the ISS is – you have to take everything you need with you. So space agencies like NASA are constantly improving the way they recycle things. Water, of course, is a vital resource, and every little bit counts. That means that even the sweat that the astronauts produce is recycled. I know that doesn't sound very nice – but NASA says their water is purer than anything you'd drink on Earth.
Student: So what's next? Humans are already living in space – in the space station – but now the goal is to live on the moon or Mars. For this, we need to make buildings, and the challenges for engineers and architects are even harder. It's incredibly expensive to transport materials into space, so they need to be as light as possible. The alternative is to use materials which already exist on the moon or Mars – and this does seem to be the sensible way forward. So to make buildings on the moon, for example, we could use rock, and the moon also has plenty of useful minerals. These can be made into metal, into brick…. and some engineers are also suggesting they could produce paint. So it seems everything we need for a basic building might already be on the moon. Actually there's one thing that NASA hasn't managed yet, and that's to increase the size of the windows on the ISS. They're very small – and if people were going to live in buildings on the moon, this is something NASA still has to work on.
So, even if we manage to create a network of buildings for people to live in on the moon or Mars – and grow food, and be self-sufficient – they would still need mental stimulation, and opportunities to relax and stay in touch with what was happening back on Earth. Virtual reality could be the answer. Imagine you're living on the moon but you could use virtual reality to walk around a museum and see all the exhibits. That would be incredible. And by using virtual reality, you could continue your education, by say, studying for a qualification that might be useful in your current environment, or once you're back on Earth. Now Mars is a different…