TOEFL2
of both the writer and the professor. In the writing, three
obstacles, including high atmospheric pressure, the lack
of water and oxygen and little sunlight have been elaborated.
The professor, however, claims that a station floating fifty
kilometers above the surface could solve all the problems.
As opposed to the writer’s idea that atmospheric pressure
on Venus’ surface makes it impossible for human beings to
live there, the professor states that the pressure at 50 kilometers
will not crash a station. He advances the theory by saying that the
atmospheric pressure is lower high up in the sky and at fifty
kilometers above Venus’ surface the pressure the pressure is
equal to the normal pressure on the earth.
The professor continues to discredit the writing’s assertion
that water and oxygen do not exist on Venus’ surface, by examining
the fact that they could be produced from chemical materials in
Venus’ atmosphere and do not need to be imported. To explore
deeper, he points that compounds in Venus’ atmosphere such as
carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid could produce water and oxygen
through chemical process.
It is the professor’s third argument that sufficient electricity can be
generated to power the station, which contradicts the view of the
water that with not enough light reaching Venus’ surface, it cannot
produce electricity needed for people. The professor contends that
both the direct sunlight, filtering through not thick clouds at fifty
kilometers above the surface, and the reflected light, from below,
could be used by solar power cells to produce electricity.
An apparent divide exists between the writer and the professor on the
possibility of establishing a station and Venus’ surface.