Exam format
Content of the Unified State Exam
Reading part
Parts:
- Matching headings and texts
- Matching parts of sentences (gapped text)
- Multiple choice questions
Total points: 14
Time: 30 mins
Exam tip
Exam advice
Multiple Choice Questions
- Read the whole text to get the general meaning.
- Look through the questions, then return to the text and underline the sentences relevant to the question.
- Compare the information in the text to the options and choose the closest possible one.
- Remember about "distractors" which are the elements which are the same as in the text, but they aren't true according to the text. They may be contained in the three wrong answers.
Read the article and choose the best option out of the four given
Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Peculiarities of space exploration
When a spacecraft is launched and astronauts go into outer space, there is a lot of preparation involved in the process. The people on the space shuttles are only allowed a little over three pounds of food per day which is not so much. The food is precooked therefore it will be ready to eat. If humans want to explore space in the future, there must be ways to bring food with them. There could be ways to grow food on spacecrafts.
There is an assumption that growing food in space will help humans survive in both space travel and when they colonise planets. Fresh food is crucial for the physical health of people in space, and it is also believed to be beneficial for their mental health as well as to ensure their well-being. Therefore, in order to stimulate life conditions while in space, there are some plants already being grown in space stations. Being able to sustain plants on other planets is another issue for people if the planet has no life, such as, for example, Mars. Humans will need to promote innovation to create conditions in which they could grow plants if they cannot plant them on the planet itself.
Nowadays we are beginning the age of space tourism which was once just a dream. In 2021, a few selected people who were not astronauts went into space as tourists. The tickets cost over two hundred thousand dollars, and while this is very expensive now, the cost is predicted to be lower in the future. Everyone or almost everyone will probably be able to become a space tourist in the distant future and possibly be able to tour the moon or Mars while on holiday. Just imagine some holidaymakers boarding a spacecraft which is like a common cruise ship, but it will be floating around the Earth for a seven-day voyage.
Humans have always striven to explore space because they still do not know exactly what is out there. We all want to discover the mysteries of the universe and find things we have never seen before. Some people know it will be dangerous and life-threatening, which makes them attracted to the adventure of exploring space. Very few places in space are safe and can sustain life. The first explorers of the planets, which no human has ever set foot on, will run the risk of never returning back home to Earth. However, it was the same for the first explorers of Earth hundreds of years ago. Humans adapted and became accustomed to the risks; it could be the same for the humans who will live in space in the future.
For humans to live on other planets, they need to find the right living conditions so they can survive. Many planets are too hot and potentially toxic, while others lack a protective layer that saves living organisms from the effects of radiation, which leads to the death of organisms. The temperature on Earth is comfortable for human life, because it is not too close or far from the Sun. Also, the Earth is protected from cosmic radiation by the ozone layer.
People will need to look for other planets and decide where to explore and set up a future colony or space station. It would not make sense to pick a planet that is too hot or toxic with poisonous air. Humans certainly have a better chance on an Earthlike planet.
According to the author, nowadays astronauts ...
cannot afford to eat much daily.
pre-cook food on their own before the flight.
do not want to bring any food with them.
go into outer space without any food supplies.
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The fact that scientists are trying to grow food in space stations proves that…
eating fresh food is the only way to survive in space.
it is impossible to stimulate life conditions in space.
fresh products are highly important for people in space.
this can prevent people from carrying on space exploration.
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What does the author say people will have to do to grow food in space?
To try to grow food on the planet itself again.
To create suitable conditions for food growing.
To develop computer technologies.
To try to grow only sustainable food.
[ ]
This in "while this is very expensive now" (paragraph 3) refers to …
Becoming a tourist.
Working as an astronaut.
Going on holidays.
Paying for a space tour.
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Which of the following does the author say about space travellers?
They won't travel to the planets people have not been to.
They will refuse to come back home after the end of the trip.
Their flights to unknown planets will be dangerous.
Their plans will be similar to those which were in the past.
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Which of the following is NOT true about living conditions on different planets, according to the author?
The ozone layer can save humans from heat from the Sun.
Radiation is fatal for humans and other living creatures.
Human survival depends on the living conditions on the planet.
The temperature on Earth isn't too hot for humans living there.
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People of the future are more likely to survive ...
if they colonise the farthest planet from Earth.
on a planet with living conditions similar to Earth.
if they have special equipment to breathe in toxic air.
on a planet where there is a space station already set up.
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