Practice Reading: Space Travel and Health

B. This involvement of NASA and ESA underscores the growing concern that the feasibility of travel to other planets, and beyond, is no longer constrained by engineering challenges but by the physiological limits of the human body. The discovery of water ice on Mars eliminates the need to design spacecraft that can carry vast amounts of water for long journeys. However, without adequate protection and medical care, the harsh space environment would severely impact the crew.

C. The most noticeable physical changes experienced in zero gravity are mostly benign and sometimes amusing. Without Earth's gravity pulling fluids downwards, they accumulate higher in the body, leading to what is jokingly called 'puffy face' and the contrasting 'chicken legs' syndrome where the lower limbs become thinner.

D. Far more serious are the invisible consequences after prolonged periods in space. Without gravity, the body's skeletal system weakens as it no longer needs to support weight, releasing excess calcium into the bloodstream. This calcium overload can strain the kidneys, potentially causing renal failure. Muscles atrophy from lack of use, the heart weakens, and the lungs lose capacity. The digestive and immune systems also suffer, and increased exposure to solar and cosmic radiation heightens the risk of cancer.

E. Furthermore, a variety of medical challenges can arise in case of accidents or serious illnesses millions of kilometers away from Earth. The limited space inside a spacecraft makes it impossible to include all the equipment found in a hospital's emergency room, much of which wouldn't function properly in space anyway. Basic necessities like intravenous drips rely on gravity to function, and traditional resuscitation techniques become ineffective without sufficient gravitational force. The only viable solution appears to be the development of extremely compact medical tools and 'smart' devices capable of diagnosing and treating internal injuries using ultrasound, despite the astronomical costs involved in their design and production.

F. Such concerns have prompted some to question the ethics of investing vast sums of money to aid a few individuals who knowingly risk their health in outer space, especially when there is so much to address closer to home. However, it's now evident that every challenge in space travel corresponds to a similar challenge on Earth, benefiting from the knowledge and skills gained through space biomedical research. For example, the difficulties of treating astronauts in space have driven advancements in telemedicine, enabling surgeons to communicate with patients in remote locations around the globe. Similarly, technologies developed for purifying wastewater aboard spacecraft could assist emergency teams in filtering contaminated water during natural disasters like floods and earthquakes. Likewise, miniature monitoring devices originally designed to save weight in space capsules will eventually become compact monitors for patients on Earth, enhancing comfort and mobility.

G. However, a significant obstacle remains in studying the effects of space travel: how to conduct research without the enormous expense of actual space missions. One established method is to simulate zero-gravity conditions underwater, though space biomedicine centers are exploring alternative approaches. In one experiment, researchers investigate bone loss resulting from prolonged weightlessness by having volunteers remain bedridden for three months. The center is confident of finding willing participants for this twelve-week study, all in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.

Questions 1-5

Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs A-G. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-E and G from the list of headings below. Write the correct member (i-x) in boxes 1—5 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i. Addressing emergencies in space

ii. The potential of space biomedicine to benefit terrestrial patients

iii. Reasons behind the frequency of accidents in outer space

iv. Definition and scope of space biomedicine

v. Psychological challenges faced by astronauts

vi. Simulating space biomedical research on Earth

vii. The physiological impact of space travel on the human body

viii. The origins of space biomedicine

ix. Observable effects of space travel on human physiology

x. The imperative need for space biomedicine today

Example Paragraph A Answer iv

               Paragraph B Answer ii 

1 Paragraph B

2 Paragraph C

3 Paragraph D

4 Paragraph E

5 Paragraph G

Questions 6-7

Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

6. Where, apart from Earth, can space travelers find water? 6 ….

7. What happens to human legs during space travel? 7…

Questions 8-12

Do the following statements agree with the writer’s views in Reading Passage? Write

YES if the statement aligns with the author's viewpoint

NO, if the statement contradicts the author's viewpoint

NOT GIVEN if there is no information about this in the text

8 The obstacles to going far into space are now medical, not technological.

9 Astronauts cannot survive more than two years in space.

10 It is morally wrong to spend so much money on space biomedicine.

11 Some kinds of surgery are more successful when performed in space.

12 Space biomedical research can only be done in space.

Questions 13-14

Complete the table below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer

Responses

1. x (Đoạn B, “Without the necessary protection and medical treatment, however, their bodies would be devastated by the unremittingly hostile environment of space.”)

2. ix (Đoạn C, “The most obvious physical changes undergone by people in zero gravity…”

3. vii (Đoạn D, “ With no gravity, there is less need for a sturdy skeleton to support the body, with the result that the bones weaken, releasing calcium into the bloodstream.”)

4. i (Đoạn E, “a wide range of medical difficulties can arise in the case of an accident or serious illness when the patient is millions of kilometers from Earth.”)

5. vi (Đoạn G, “To simulate conditions in zero gravity, one tried and tested method is to work underwater, but the space biomedicine centers are also looking at other ideas.)

6. (ON/FROM) MARS (Đoạn B, “The discovery of ice on Mars,…)

7. THEY BECOME THINNER (Đoạn C, “together with the contrasting ‘chicken legs’ syndrome as the lower limbs become thinner.”)

8. YES (Đoạn B, “…there is now no necessity to design and develop a spacecraft large and powerful enough to transport the vast amounts of water …Without the necessary protection and medical treatment, however, their bodies would be devastated by the unremittingly hostile environment of space. → Không còn là vấn đề về kỹ thuật, mà quan trọng là phải có hỗ trợ y tế)

9. NOT GIVEN (Không có thông tin)

10. NO

11. NOT GIVEN (Không có thông tin)

12. NO (Đoạn G, “To simulate conditions in zero gravity, one tried and tested method is to work underwater”)

13. COMMUNICATE WITH PATIENTS (Đoạn F, “which in turn has brought about developments that enable surgeons to communicate with patients in inaccessible parts of the world.”)