Page 104 - Grasp English C1+ (Workbook)

10 Stargazıng

Is faster-than-light travel possible?

Although it is not currently possible for shuttles Though it was originally a fictional idea, in 1994,
to travel faster than the speed of light, NASA is a Mexican theoretical physicist developed the
investigating the possibility of warp drive technology. Alcubierre Drive – a theoretical model which would
If successful, ships could travel a distance in 4 weeks allow for faster-than-light travel. However, this would
which nowadays would take them 80,000 years. require an inordinate amount of energy to work;
The idea of warping space in order to travel great but in 2010, a NASA scientist adapted the plans for
distances was a popular concept in Star Trek, a Alcubierre’s drive and calculated a way for it to use
science fiction series which first aired in the mid-1960s. less energy.
Theoretically, you use a warp drive to manipulate This development has led NASA to continue research
gravity and compress the space ahead of you, into the possibility of FTL travel; however, while it may
meaning that you can travel a longer distance in a be theoretically possible, it is thought to be virtually
shorter time. impossible to put into practice.

C. Answer the questions.
1. How likely is warp travel to become a reality in the
next fifty years?
2. How would warping space affect travel times?
3. How would a warp drive theoretically work?
4. Why was the Alcubierre Drive an unfeasible
option?
5. What did NASA work out in 2010?

D. Find the following words in the text.

a. a verb meaning to make something smaller
b. an adjective meaning huge or excessive
c. a noun meaning an idea
d. a verb meaning to be shown on TV
e. an adverb relating to hypothesis rather than practice
f. a noun meaning a description of a process

E. Choose one of the following questions and write an informative essay (180–220 words).

• What are lunar phases?
• What is Halley’s Comet?
• Who was the first woman in space?

102