TPO40 integrated writing. The reading and listening materials have a debate on a permanent human presence on Venus.

TPO40 integrated writing. The reading and listening materials have a debate on a permanent human presence on Venus.

The reading and listening materials have a debate on a permanent human presence on Venus. The passage believes that this proposal is impossible since conditions on Venus are so extreme and inhospitable, which is contradicted by the following lecture. The lecture claims that it will be possible if people establish a station floating 50km over the surface.

To begin with, the author thinks that the atmospheric pressure at Venus’ surface is too great for human to live. However, the professor refutes that the atmospheric pressure becomes lower with the altitude becomes higher. The atmospheric pressure on the station which floats at an altitude of 50km is equal to the atmospheric pressure on the earth surface, thus there is no need to worry that human will be crushed.

Moreover, the passage states that Venus’ surface lacks water and there is little oxygen or water vapor in the planet’s atmosphere. However, the professor views this issue from an opposite angle. He believes that since there is plenty of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, people can use it to generate oxygen or water through an chemical process. Then importing such things from Earth will not be necessary.

Finally, the writer argues that lack power is also a big problem since only a little light can get through thick clouds and a dense layer of carbon dioxide. By contrast, accordance with the professor, this claim doesn’t hold water. He points that the station is above thick clouds so the light can reach it. What’s more, the station can even use reflected light to generate electricity.