Asian Space 2 Satellite Technology – IELTS Reading Answers

The space-age began with the launch of the Russian artificial satellite Sputnik in 1957 and developed further with the race to the moon between the United States and Russia. This rivalry was characterized by advanced technology and huge budgets. In this process, there were spectacular successes, some failures, but also many spin-offs.

Europe, Japan, China, and India quickly joined this space club of the superpowers. With the advent of relatively low-cost high-performance mini-satellites and launchers, the acquisition of indigenous space capabilities by smaller nations in Asia has become possible. How, in what manner, and for what purpose will these capabilities be realized?

A Rocket technology has progressed considerably since the days of ‘fire arrows’ (bamboo poles filled with gunpowder) first used in China around 500 BC, and, during the Sung Dynasty, to repel Mongol invaders at the battle of Kaifeng (Kai-fung fu) in AD 1232. These ancient rockets stand in stark contrast to the present-day Chinese rocket launch vehicles, called the ‘Long March’, intended to place a Chinese astronaut in space by 2005 and, perhaps, to achieve a Chinese moon-landing by the end of the decade.

B In the last decade, there has been a dramatic growth in space activities in Asia both in the utilization of space-based services and the production of satellites and launchers. This rapid expansion has led many commentators and analysts to predict that Asia will become a world space power. The space-age has had dramatic effects worldwide with direct developments in space technology influencing telecommunications, meteorological forecasting, earth resource and environmental monitoring, and disaster mitigation (flood, forest fires, and oil spills). Asian nations have been particularly eager to embrace these developments.

C New and innovative uses for satellites are constantly being explored with potential revolutionary effects, such as in the field of health and telemedicine, distance education, crime prevention (piracy on the high seas), food and agricultural planning and production (rice crop monitoring). Space in Asia is very much influenced by the competitive commercial space sector, the emergence of low-cost mini-satellites, and the globalization of industrial and financial markets. It is not evident how Asian space will develop in the coming decades in the face of these trends. It is, however, important to understand and assess the factors and forces that shape Asian space activities and development in determining its possible consequences for the region.

D At present, three Asian nations, Japan, China, and India, have comprehensive end-to-end space capabilities and possess a complete space infrastructure: space technology, satellite manufacturing, rockets, and spaceports. Already self-sufficient in terms of satellite design and manufacturing, South Korea is currently attempting to join their ranks with its plans to develop a launch site and spaceport. Additionally, nations in Southeast Asia as well as those bordering the Indian subcontinent (Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh), have, or are starting to develop indigenous space programmes. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has, in varying degrees, embraced space applications using foreign technology and over the past five years or so its space activities have been expanding. Southeast Asia is predicted to become the largest and fastest-growing market for commercial space products and applications, driven by telecommunications (mobile and fixed services), the Internet, and remote sensing applications. In the development of this technology, many non-technical factors, such as economics, politics, culture, and history, interact and play important roles, which in turn affect Asian technology.

E Asia and Southeast Asia, in particular, suffers from a long list of recurrent large-scale environmental problems including storms and flooding, forest fires and deforestation, and crop failures. Thus the space application that has attracted the most attention in this region is remote sensing. Remote sensing satellites equipped with instruments to take photographs of the ground at different wavelengths provide essential information for natural resource accounting, environmental management, disaster prevention and monitoring, land-use mapping, and sustainable development planning. Progress in these applications has been rapid and impressive. ASEAN members, unlike Japan, China, and India, do not have their own remote sensing satellites, however, most of its member nations have facilities to receive, process, and interpret such data from American and European satellites. In particular, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore have world-class remote sensing processing facilities and research programmes. ASEAN has plans to develop (and launch) its own satellites and in particular remote sensing satellites. Japan is regarded as the dominant space power in Asia and its record of successes and quality of technologies are equal to those of the West. In view of the technological challenges and high risks involved in space activities, a very long, and expensive, the learning curve has been followed to obtain those successes achieved. Japan’s satellite manufacturing was based on the old and traditional defense and military procurement methodologies as practiced in the US and Europe.

F In recent years there have been fundamental changes in the way satellites are designed and built to drastically reduce costs. The emergence of ‘small satellites’ and their quick adoption by Asian countries as a way to develop low-cost satellite technology and rapidly establish a space capability has given these countries the possibility to shorten their learning curve by a decade or more. The global increase of technology transfer mechanisms and use of readily available commercial technology to replace costly space and military-standard components may very well result in a highly competitive Asian satellite manufacturing industry.

G The laws of physics are the same in Tokyo as in Toulouse, and the principles of electronics and mechanics know no political or cultural boundaries. However, no such immutability applies to engineer practices and management; they are very much influenced by education, culture, and history. These factors, in turn, have an effect on costs, lead times, product designs and, eventually, international sales. Many Asian nations are sending their engineers to be trained in the West. Highly experienced, they return to work in the growing Asian space industry. Will this acquisition of technical expertise, coupled perhaps with the world-renowned Japanese manufacturing and management techniques, be applied to build world-class satellites and reduce costs?

Questions

Questions 1-5

i. Western countries provide essential assistance

ii. Unbalanced development for an essential space technology

iii. Innovative application compelled by competition

iv. An ancient invention which is related to the future

v. Military purpose of the satellite

vi. Rockets for application in ancient China

vii. Space development in Asia in the past

viii. Non-technology factors counts

1 competitive edge gained by more economically feasible satellite

2  Paragraph A

3  Paragraph B

4 Paragraph C

4 Paragraph D    Example: Current space technology development in Asia

5  Paragraph E

6 Paragraph F

Questions 6-9

A Because it helps administrate the crops.

B Because there are some unapproachable areas.

C Because the economic level in that area is low.

D Because there are influences from some other social factors.

E Because it can be used in non-peaceful purpose.

F Because disasters such as bush fires happened in Southeast Asia.

6 Why is remote-photographic technology used to resolve environmental problems?

7 Why is satellite technology used in the medicine area?

8 Why Asian countries’ satellite technology is limited for development?

9 Why is satellite technology deployed in an agricultural area?

Questions 10-13

10 Ancient China had already deployed rockets as a military purpose as early as 500 years ago.

11 Space technology has enhanced the literacy of Asia.

12 Photos taken by satellites with certain technology help predict some natural catastrophes prevention and surveillance.

13 Commercial competition constitutes a boosting factor to Asian technology.

Explanation

1 Answer: iv – An ancient invention which is related to the future

Question type:  Matching headings

Answer location: Paragraph A, lines 3 – 4

Answer explanation: The first ‘fire arrows’ were used in China around 500 BC, which were different from the later evolved modern Chinese rocket launch vehicles, called the ‘Long March’, which are meant for placing Chinese astronauts in space by 2005 and maybe even achieve a Chinese moon-landing by the end of the decade. Since this paragraph traces the evolution of the ancient Chinese rockets to the real modern rockets made by China, this is the appropriate answer to the question.

2 Answer: vii – Space development in Asia in the past

Question type:  Matching headings

Answer location: Paragraph B, lines 2 – 4

Answer explanation:   In the past ten years, space activities in Asia have witnessed a dramatic growth both in the usage of space-based services and the production of spacecraft and space technology. This growth has led experts to predict Asia as a potential leader in space technology in the future and Asian nations have rapidly embraced such development. Since the paragraph traces the development of space technology in Asia in the past decade, this is the appropriate answer for this paragraph.

3 Answer: iii – Innovative application compelled by competition

Question type:  Matching headings

Answer location:  Paragraph C, lines 1 and 4

Answer explanation: This paragraph talks about innovative applications that can revolutionize the different fields of service such as health and telemedicine, distance education, crime prevention (piracy on the high seas), food and agricultural planning and production (rice crop monitoring). Moreover, it is also stated that space in Asia is very much influenced by the competitive commercial space sector, which is influencing innovation. Hence, iii (Innovative application compelled by competition) is the appropriate answer.

4 Answer: ii – Unbalanced development for an essential space technology

Question type:  Matching headings

Answer location: Paragraph E, lines 13 and 14

Answer explanation: The paragraph talks about the problems and challenges in developing space technology and it also talks about overcoming those challenges. Apart from that it also discusses that all ASEAN members, unlike Japan, China, and India, do not have their own remote sensing satellites. As most of its member nations have facilities to receive, process, and interpret such data from American and European satellites and some are left out, the appropriate answer is ii (Unbalanced development for an essential space technology).

5 Answer: ix – competitive edge gained by more economically feasible satellite

Question type:  Matching headings

Answer location: Paragraph F, lines 3 and 7

Answer explanation: The development of space technology has recently undergone a fundamental change in Asian countries who have been working to reduce costs through developing low-cost space technology which has enabled these countries to shorten their learning curve by a decade or more. Since this paragraph traces the competitive edge gained by production of cost – effective space technology hence, this is the appropriate answer to the question.

6 Answer: F

Question type:  Matching paragraph information

Answer location: Paragraph E, lines 1 – 7

Answer explanation: It is stated that Asia and Southeast Asia suffers from a long list of recurrent large-scale environmental problems including storms and flooding, forest fires, etc. In these cases, remote sensing satellites provide essential information for natural resource accounting, environmental management, disaster prevention, etc and progress in these applications has been rapid and impressive. Therefore, as remote sensing has been used in Asian countries to provide solutions to natural disasters, the answer is F.

7 Answer: B

Question type:  Matching paragraph information

Answer location: Paragraph C, lines 1-2

Answer explanation: It is mentioned that unexplored or areas that cannot be directly approached by humans like the field of health and telemedicine, distance education, crime prevention (piracy on the high seas), food and agricultural planning and production (rice crop monitoring) are constantly being explored with potential revolutionary effects by satellite technology. hence, B is the appropriate answer.

8 Answer: D

Question type:  Matching paragraph information

Answer location: Paragraph D, lines 12-15 & Paragraph G, lines 2-5

Answer explanation: At the end of Paragraph D it is mentioned that in the development of this technology, many non-technical factors, such as economics, politics, culture, and history, interact and play important roles, which in turn affect Asian technology. Furthermore, in Paragraph G, it is stated that engineer practices and management, which are required for the development of satellites, are very much influenced by education, culture, and history. These factors, in turn, have an effect on costs, lead times, product designs and, eventually, international sales. In short, social factors like education, culture, politics, etc. affects the limited development of satellite technology in many Asian countries. Hence, D is the appropriate answer.

9 Answer: A

Question type:  Matching paragraph information

Answer location: Paragraph C, lines 3-4 & Paragraph E, lines 4-7

Answer explanation: In Paragraph C, it is stated that new and innovative uses for satellites are constantly being explored with potential revolutionary effects, such as in the field of health and telemedicine, distance education, crime prevention (piracy on the high seas), food and agricultural planning and production (rice crop monitoring). Moreover, in Paragraph E, it is also noted that in Asian countries which face environmental disasters, remote sensing satellites provide essential information for natural resource accounting, environmental management, disaster prevention and monitoring, land-use mapping, and sustainable development planning. As this technology helps in developing as well as protecting the yields, option A is the appropriate answer.

10 Answer: False

Question type:  True/False/Not given

Answer location: Paragraph A, lines 1-4

Answer explanation: The Chinese used ‘fire arrows’ which were bamboo poles filled with gunpowder in 500 BC and later during the Mongol invasion in AD 1232, these were also used to repel the invaders during the Battle of Kaifeng. However, the modern rockets were not created or used in those days hence, the answer is false.

11 Answer: Not given

Question type:  True/False/Not given

Answer location: N/A

Answer explanation: The information is not provided in the passage. Hence, the answer is not given.

12 Answer: True

Question type:  True/False/Not given

Answer location: Paragraph E, lines 4-8

Answer explanation: These lines state that remote sensing satellites equipped with instruments to take photographs of the ground at different wavelengths provide essential information for natural resource accounting, disaster prevention and monitoring,etc. Hence, the answer is true.

13 Answer: True

Question type:  True/False/Not given

Answer location: Paragraph F, lines 3-7

Answer explanation: It is mentioned that the global increase of technology transfer mechanisms and use of readily available commercial technology to replace costly space and military-standard components may very well result in a highly competitive Asian satellite manufacturing industry. In short, the competition of developing countries and making low-cost satellites brought more economically stable satellites is mentioned hence, the answer is true.