Prime Time 4, Coursebook

c) Listen to the second part of the interview. d) Listen again and tick the statements that are true. 1. NASA has got a vision for planetary sustainability.  2. These goals basically focus on a better future for our planet. 3. The research they do is all about climate change and natural disasters. 4. One question is how to get enough energy from our solar system. 5. By having enough energy, people have more problems with food production. 6. More research is done on getting economic growth from renewable resources. 7. The interview explains how the USA can benefit from this kind of research. Reading: Background information on planetary sustainability a) Read the paragraphs below. b) Read the paragraphs again and choose the correct heading from the green boxes for each paragraph in the text. 2.26 a82e5e 3 1. A general introduction In 1969, the Earth was first viewed in a new way: from the surface of another planet of our solar system. Planet Earth as a precious jewel in the dark sea of the universe. Since then, NASA has done research in many areas to understand Earth better. 2. In fact, there are lots of different people who contribute to the research on planetary sustainabil- ity: information scientists, computer engineers, astrobiologists, ecologists, nanotechnologists, modelers, robotics and sensor engineers, and systems engineers try to make a significant change. 3. Fossil fuels seem to have reached their limits of availabiliy, and with climate change, pollution, and the question of energy, new challenges of getting alternative and clean energy have come up. The solar system might help us to solve these problems. 4. NASA systems are also used to observe our planet, from land and ecosystem processes to the oceans and the atmosphere, because all of these systems help to find out more about Earth’s climate. All of this information can help scientists to predict certain situations and may also lead to the right response. A general introduction Different professions Clean energy Monitoring our planet 131 16 one hundred and thirty-one Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv