Learning Objective: This is a reading and comprehension and conversation class. At the end of the session, the participants are expected to be able to practice reading properly, enhance comprehension and recall and answer the questions about the article.


Story Proper

NASA is looking for people to go to Mars, and never come back. This appealing career is for people who want a permanent change of scenery and planet. It is part of an ambitious new project to colonize Mars called the Hundred Years Starship. Settlers would travel to the Red Planet and live there forever. NASA says it would be too expensive to bring humans back to Earth. The space agency can afford, however, to send supplies to the astronaut pioneers. NASA has started the project with a modest $1.6 million, but hopes to attract investment from space-loving billionaires. Google founder Larry Page told NASA he’d be interested if they could get the cost of a one-way ticket down from $10 billion to $2 billion.

The journey to Mars could take just four months. Settling on the planet would be extremely hazardous, especially the freezing temperatures and carbon dioxide atmosphere. Many scientists think colonizing space is essential. Stephen Hawking believes we must move to other planets to survive as a species. He said: “Once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe.” Dirk Schulze-Makuch and Paul Davies call it a “desirable goal” and part of our desire to explore saying: “It would require not only major international cooperation, but a return to the exploration spirit and risk-taking [character] of the great period of Earth exploration, from Columbus to Amundsen.”


Acttivity Proper


1. MARS: Talk to other students about Living on Mars.


2. CHAT: Decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.
never come back / appealing / career / colonize / settlers / forever / astronauts / cost / journey / hazardous / freezing temperatures / essential / cooperation / spirit / risks

Have a chat about the topics you liked.

3. LIVING ON MARS: What would it be like to live on Mars forever?


Good things/Bad things

a. Food
b. Hobbies
c. Friends
d. Love
e. Daily routine
f. Excitement


4. MARTIAN LIFE: Students A strongly believe it’d be great to leave earth and live on Mars; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Who do you agree with?


5. LEAVING EARTH: What would you miss most?


shopping
restaurants
nature
our atmosphere
family and friends
your town
travel
parks


"Online activities, the mp3 and printable handouts are available for this lesson at http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com"