Academic Writing - Task 2 (Model Answer)

Some people think that it is wrong for humans to search for new worlds in space when we have so many problems on our own planet. Others believe such searches help mankind to develop.

The space race began with the USA and Russia competing against each other to send shuttles into space to look for new life forms, research existing planets and to search for other galaxies. Since then, other nations have also become interested in outer space.

Exploring space is extremely expensive and countries willing to do so spend millions on this project. These funds could be used to tackle existing issues on our planet such as hunger, poverty, unemployment, education and pollution. It’s not only about the money, valuable energy and resources are being used up too. The brains behind space exploration could be better used to solve existing problems on earth. It is better to untangle the mess we have created on earth before venturing into space.

On the other hand, humans have always been interested in exploring new destinations. Their curiosity has led explorers to seek out unknown and unfamiliar territories. Finding out about new worlds in space will be beneficial to mankind in terms of gaining knowledge and eliminating doubts and uncertainties they may have. Discoveries might also be useful particularly if natural resources are found or if there is potential for humans to inhabit places other than earth.

To sum up, I believe humans destroy every new territory they discover and are likely to do the same with new worlds in space. Rather than continuing the path of destruction, our focus should be on solving current problems. Too much time and money is being spent on space adventures.

Question taken from Direct to IELTS Student's Book p.74