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Writing_Yachting and Space Exploration

III. Listening_3

Step 1. Listen to the mini-lecture (or read the transcript) and then answer the questions.

Listening + Questions — 8-12 minutes on average

Attention! You will not see the questions in advance, so, take down as many facts and details as possible!
You will have about 8 minutes to answers the questions. You will see them one by one.

Click here to show/hide the transcript

 
You've got: 08:00

Questions:

1. What is the main focus of the lecture?




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2. Why would detecting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in an exoplanet’s atmosphere be significant, according to the lecture?




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3. According to the professor, what would a Dyson sphere most likely look like to our telescopes?




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4. What has happened to previous candidates for Dyson spheres?




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5. Why might lasers serve as possible technosignatures?




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6. According to the lecture, which TWO signs would most strongly indicate potential technosignatures?

"Максимальный балл за этот вопрос — 2. Выберите ДВА варианта:






Total Questions: 7

Correct Answers: 0

Incorrect Answers: 0

 

II. Letter Filling and Reading

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph

Reading section. Module 1.

(Questions 1–20)

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph.

Reading section. Module 1.

(Questions 1–10)

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph.

If alien starships were to maneu in Earth’s atmosphere, they would need to manage airflow, heating, and stability at once. A craft moving at extreme speed would face intense frictional he , so it might rely on a protective plasma sheath or a field that diverts air molecules before they collide with the hull.

Instead of using wings, such a ship could generate lift through controlled pressure gradients, perhaps by shaping a magnetic envelope around the vehicle. By adjusting that envelope, the craft could “bite” into surrounding air and pivot without conventional control surfaces, allowing sudden turn while maintaining an apparently smooth trajectory. To observers, the motion might seem impossible because the forces are distributed across the field rather than concentrated at a tail or rudder.

For low-speed hovering, propulsion might involve directing ionized air downward, creating a silent cushion without visible exhaust. However, any rapid change in direction would still require careful damping; otherwise the ship could induce violent turbulence and shock waves. A sophisticated guidance system could continuously sense local wind shear and instantly r ce its thrust vectors to keep the craft steady.

Taken together, these ideas suggest that atmospheric flight for an advanced starship would depend less on brute force and more on fine control of the air itself. If the surrounding medium can be manipulated—electrically, magnetically, or through an unknown interaction—then even abrupt accelerations could become phys plausible within the rules of fluid dynamics.

 

Total Questions: 0

Incorrect Answers: 0

Reading in Daily Life

Read a social media post.

Olivia Parker

Thinking of spending more time on the water this summer? Harborview Yacht Club is now welcoming new members and visitors. Located just outside the city center, the club offers easy access to the bay and modern marina facilities.

Members can enjoy sailing lessons for all skill levels, from beginners to experienced sailors, as well as regular weekend regattas and social events. The club is especially popular for its friendly instructors and well-maintained fleet of boats.

If you’re not ready to commit to full membership, day passes are available, giving access to the clubhouse, showers, and waterfront café. Spaces for lessons and boat rentals are limited, so early booking is strongly recommended.


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16. What is the main purpose of the post?




 

 

17. Why is Harborview Yacht Club popular among members?




 

 

 

 

18. Why are readers advised to book lessons or rentals early?




 

 

 

Total Questions: 0

Incorrect Answers: 0

TOEFL Repeating Tasks Practice

Play the audio file below and repeat each phrase withing each sentence during the pause after it

1. Step 1. Read the text below

Reading + Test Time — 18 minutes

 
You've got: 18:00

Read the passage.

In the middle of the 20th century, physicist Enrico Fermi famously asked a disarmingly simple question during a discussion about extraterrestrial life: if the universe is so old and so vast, and if technological civilizations are even moderately likely to emerge, where is everybody? The tension between the apparent statistical plausibility of intelligent life and the stubborn absence of clear evidence is now known as the Fermi paradox.

Several lines of reasoning sharpen this puzzle. Our galaxy contains an enormous number of stars, many of which host planets, including worlds that may resemble Earth in temperature and composition. Over billions of years, a single civilization with the capability to travel between stars—or even to spread indirectly through long-lived probes—could, in principle, influence large regions of the Milky Way. Yet, despite decades of searching, we observe no unambiguous signals, artifacts, or astronomical engineering that would decisively indicate an advanced technological presence.

Proposed resolutions range from the mundane to the unsettling. Some suggest that our methods are poorly matched to how other civilizations communicate, or that advanced societies quickly transition to technologies that are difficult to detect. Others propose that intelligent life is rare because one or more evolutionary steps are exceptionally improbable. A related idea, the “Great Filter,” holds that there may be a severe barrier somewhere along the path from simple life to long-lived, spacefaring intelligence—leaving us uncertain whether that barrier lies behind us or still ahead.

16. What is the main idea of the passage?





 

17. Why is Fermi’s question “Where is everybody?” mentioned?





 

18. What does the passage suggest about the lack of evidence for extraterrestrial civilizations?





 

19. The word “unambiguous” in the passage is closest in meaning to:





 

20. Why does the author mention the “Great Filter”?




 

Total Questions: 0

Incorrect Answers: 0


Click here to show/hide explanations

Click here to show/hide an old format TOEFL reading test on search for life on other planets

Click here to show/hide an old format TOEFL integrated writing task on search for extraterrestrial life

 

Writing_Yachting and Space Exploration