FCE PRACTICE - Reading and Use of English part 6

You are going to read an article on space travel. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the
sentences (A - H) the one which fits each gap (1 - 7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

A At the same time, the SFF accepts that NASA's missions could bring other scientific benefits. 1
B Several companies already have blueprints for getting into space and back cheaply. 2
C Commercial activity such as this is what the private sector should be doing. 3
D However, its immediate priority is missions to Mars from the Moon. 4
E Here again, private companies may well prove them wrong in the very near future. 5
F This is not a matter of budgets or schedules, but of fundamental purpose and design. 6
G He sees the NASA program as a bit of a dinosaur. 7
H Another company, Kistler Aerospace, has similar plans.

'Cheap' is an important word in space technology nowadays and re-usable rockets will be a key way of controlling costs. They will deliver
things to orbit, bring stuff back to Earth and then go up again, perhaps with machinery for a space factory, or even carrying tourists.
NASA, the US government-owned space program, plans to develop such a rocket. 1____ Since this will require different technology, it is
more likely that people outside the NASA program will develop reusable rocket design.
Rick Tumlinson, co-founder of the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF), firmly believes that it is time for businesses to get involved. 2____
“25 years after the Wright brothers, people could buy a commercial plane ticket, but 25 years after landing on the Moon, we sat around
watching old astronauts on TV talking about the good old days.” However, this situation is due to change. Recently, Tumlinson was one of
only 20 guests invited to the White House to hear the President announce his plans to return to the Moon and explore Mars.
Using his high profile, Tumlinson is going to try to prove a point. Space is our destiny, he says, so why not get on with it? 3____ For
example, Rotary Rocket is working on something that would be launched like a rocket but return like a helicopter. Pioneer Rocketplane
believes there could be a billion dollar market in taking packages from one side of the planet to the other in an hour.
4____ “Our goal is to become a delivery service to low Earth orbit that will radically re-align the economics of doing business in space.
Satellites will be our parcels; our vehicles will be orbiting as efficiently as air freight carriers.'
The SFF ran a survey on the internet called 'Cheap Access to Space', where it asked American taxpayers for their opinions on the current US
space program and future priorities for space transportation. Its own
view is that it is impossible for NASA to offer an 'open frontier'. 5____ NASA is 'elitist and exclusive', whereas the SFF believes in
opportunities for everyone: “a future of endlessly expanding new choices”.
The SFF wants to see “irreversible human settlement” in space as soon as possible and maintains that this is only going to happen through
free enterprise. It is inappropriate for government-sponsored astronauts to be building buildings and driving trucks. 6____
Once space transportation becomes affordable, mass space travel will be possible. Many people believe that by 2015, space tourism will have
become a viable industry. However, US government officials don't see a future for space tourism. 7____ David Ashford, Managing Director
of Bristol Spaceplanes Limited, once said that space tourism would begin ten years after people stopped laughing at the concept. People have
already stopped laughing.

Reading and Use of English part 4

1) The teacher said we didn't need to spend too long on the exercise. WORTH
The teacher told us ____________________________________________________________________ too long on the exercise.
2) Jake couldn't carry on cycling along the road until he'd fixed his brakes. STOP
Jake had ____________________________________________________________________ his brakes before he could carry on cycling along the road.
3) The film wasn't nearly as good as the book. MUCH
The book ____________________________________________________________________ the film.
4) People can't cycle here if they don't wear helmets. ALLOWED
People aren't ____________________________________________________________________ they wear helmets.
5) Sam is too young to learn to drive. ENOUGH
Sam isn't ____________________________________________________________________ driving lessons.
6) When Bond looked in the driving mirror he realised that a grey car was tailing him. FOLLOWED
When Bond looked in the driving mirror he realised that ____________________________________________________________________ a grey car.
7) There's nothing you can force Peter to do against his will. MAKE
You can't ____________________________________________________________________ against his will.
 KEYS

A At the same time, the SFF accepts that NASA's missions could bring other scientific benefits.  NO
B Several companies already have blueprints for getting into space and back cheaply.
C Commercial activity such as this is what the private sector should be doing.
D However, its immediate priority is missions to Mars from the Moon.
E Here again, private companies may well prove them wrong in the very near future.
F This is not a matter of budgets or schedules, but of fundamental purpose and design.
G He sees the NASA program as a bit of a dinosaur.
H Another company, Kistler Aerospace, has similar plans.

'Cheap' is an important word in space technology nowadays and re-usable rockets will be a key way of controlling costs. They will deliver
things to orbit, bring stuff back to Earth and then go up again, perhaps with machinery for a space factory, or even carrying tourists.
NASA, the US government-owned space program, plans to develop such a rocket. (1) However, its immediate priority is missions to
Mars from the Moon. Since this will require different technology, it is more likely that people outside the NASA program will develop re-
usable rocket design.
Rick Tumlinson, co-founder of the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF), firmly believes that it is time for businesses to get involved. (2) He
sees the NASA program as a bit of a dinosaur. “25 years after the Wright brothers, people could buy a commercial plane ticket, but 25
years after landing on the Moon, we sat around watching old astronauts on TV talking about the good old days.” However, this situation is
due to change. Recently, Tumlinson was one of only 20 guests invited to the White House to hear the President announce his plans to
return to the Moon and explore Mars.
Using his high profile, Tumlinson is going to try to prove a point. Space is our destiny, he says, so why not get on with it? (3) Several
companies already have blueprints for getting into space and back cheaply.
For example, Rotary Rocket is working on something that would be launched like a rocket but return like a helicopter. Pioneer Rocketplane
believes there could be a billion dollar market in taking packages from one side of the planet to the other in an hour.
(4) Another company, Kistler Aerospace, has similar plans. “Our goal is to become a delivery service to low Earth orbit that will
radically re-align the economics of doing business in space. Satellites will be our parcels; our vehicles will be orbiting as efficiently as air
freight carriers.'
The SFF ran a survey on the internet called 'Cheap Access to Space', where it asked American taxpayers for their opinions on the current
US space program and future priorities for space transportation. Its own
view is that it is impossible for NASA to offer an 'open frontier'. (5) This is not a matter of budgets or schedules, but of fundamental
purpose and design. NASA is 'elitist and exclusive', whereas the SFF believes in opportunities for everyone: “a future of endlessly
expanding new choices”.
The SFF wants to see “irreversible human settlement” in space as soon as possible and maintains that this is only going to happen through
free enterprise. It is inappropriate for government-sponsored astronauts to be building buildings and driving trucks. (6) Commercial
activity such as this is what the private sector should be doing.
Once space transportation becomes affordable, mass space travel will be possible. Many people believe that by 2015, space tourism will
have become a viable industry. However, US government officials don't see a future for space tourism. (7) Here again, private companies
may well prove them wrong in the very near future. David Ashford, Managing Director of Bristol Spaceplanes Limited, once said that
space tourism would begin ten years after people stopped laughing at the concept. People have already stopped laughing.

1) The teacher said we didn't need to spend too long on the exercise. WORTH
The teacher told us IT WAS NOT WORTH SPENDING too long on the exercise.
2) Jake couldn't carry on cycling along the road until he'd fixed his brakes. STOP
Jake had TO STOP TO FIX / AND FIX his brakes before he could carry on cycling along the road.
3) The film wasn't nearly as good as the book. MUCH
The book WAS MUCH BETTER THAN the film.
4) People can't cycle here if they don't wear helmets. ALLOWED
People aren't ALLOWED TO CYCLE HERE UNLESS they wear helmets.
5) Sam is too young to learn to drive. ENOUGH
Sam isn't OLD ENOUGH TO TAKE / TO HAVE / FOR driving lessons.
6) When Bond looked in the driving mirror he realised that a grey car was tailing him. FOLLOWED
When Bond looked in the driving mirror he realised that __HE WAS BEING FOLLOWED BY_ a grey car.
7) There's nothing you can force Peter to do against his will. MAKE
You can't _MAKE PETER DO ANYTHING / THINGS_ against his will.