Can People Live on Mars?
Can People Live on Mars?
人類能住在火星上嗎？
Introduction
Slava Turyshev from NASA studied Mars. He wanted to see if humans can change Mars to live there.
來自 NASA 的 Slava Turyshev 研究了火星，他想看看人類是否能將火星改造以供居住。
Main Body
Mars is very cold and has no air. To live there, humans need a lot of gas and oxygen. We need huge mirrors in space to make the planet warm. These mirrors must be bigger than Asia.
火星非常寒冷且沒有空氣。為了在當地生存，人類需要大量的氣體與氧氣。我們需要在太空中設置巨大的鏡子，讓該行星變暖。這些鏡子的尺寸必須比亞洲還要大。
We need a lot of gas to make air. We do not have the machines to move this gas from space to Mars. We have the materials, but we cannot move them.
我們需要大量氣體來製造空氣。但我們目前沒有能將這些氣體從太空運送到火星的機器。雖然我們擁有材料，但無法運送。
Making oxygen needs a lot of power. It needs 20 times more energy than all people on Earth use in one year. We do not have this much energy now.
製造氧氣需要大量能量。其所需能量是地球上所有人一年用電量的 20 倍。我們目前沒有這麼多能量。
Conclusion
Humans can visit Mars. But we cannot change Mars into a new home because we do not have the technology.
人類可以造訪火星，但因為我們缺乏技術，無法將火星變成新家。
Vocabulary Learning
The Power of "CAN" & "CANNOT"
In this story, the author uses one simple word to show what is possible and what is impossible. For A2 learners, mastering can is the fastest way to talk about ability.
1. The Positive (Possibility) → can
- "Humans can visit Mars."
- Meaning: It is possible. We are able to do it.
2. The Negative (Impossibility) → cannot
- "We cannot move them."
- "We cannot change Mars."
- Meaning: It is impossible. We do not have the ability.
Quick Comparison Table
| Concept | Word | Example from Text |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Yes | can | humans can change Mars |
| ❌ No | cannot | we cannot move them |
Pro Tip: In daily English, people usually say can't instead of cannot. They mean the same thing!
Vocabulary Learning
Analysis of the Technical and Energy Challenges of Terraforming Mars
將火星地球化的技術與能源挑戰分析
Introduction
A study by Slava Turyshev from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory examines whether it is actually possible to transform the environment of Mars to make it habitable for humans.
NASA 噴射推進實驗室的 Slava Turyshev 進行了一項研究，探討是否真的有可能改變火星的環境，使其適合人類居住。
Main Body
The process of making Mars habitable is divided into five main stages. These steps start with creating conditions where water can exist as a liquid and building pressurized domes for local living. The goal is to eventually reach a global atmospheric pressure that prevents human blood from boiling, and finally, to create a breathable atmosphere containing enough oxygen for humans to survive.
將火星變得宜居的過程分為五個主要階段。這些步驟首先是創造水能以液體形式存在的條件，並建造加壓圓頂供局部居住。目標是最終達到能防止人類血液沸騰的全球大氣壓力，最後創造出含有足夠氧氣供人類生存的可呼吸大氣層。
However, the study emphasizes that there is a huge gap between our current industrial abilities and what is actually needed. For example, creating a breathable atmosphere would require a massive amount of gas, similar to the mass of the moon Janus. While this material exists in the outer solar system, we do not have the technology to move such large objects. Furthermore, warming the planet would require giant orbital mirrors covering an area larger than Asia, which is currently impossible to build.
然而，研究強調我們目前的工業能力與實際需求之間存在巨大差距。例如，創造可呼吸的大氣層需要極大量的氣體，質量與雅努斯（Janus）衛星相當。雖然太陽系外圍存在此類物質，但我們缺乏搬運如此巨大天體的技術。此外，若要加熱該行星，需要建造覆蓋面積比亞洲還大的巨大軌道鏡，而這在目前是不可能實現的。
Additionally, producing enough oxygen would require a staggering amount of energy. Although there is enough ice on Mars to provide the necessary water, the energy cost is too high. The study asserts that the power needed would be about 20 times the current total annual energy consumption of Earth. Consequently, the main problem is not a lack of raw materials, but a lack of energy production and industrial capacity.
此外，生產足夠的氧氣將需要驚人的能量。雖然火星上有足夠的冰來提供所需的水，但能源成本過高。研究斷言，所需的能量約為目前地球年度總能源消耗量的 20 倍。因此，主要問題不在於缺乏原材料，而是在於缺乏能源生產與工業能力。
Conclusion
Mars is still a great place for exploration, but turning it into a habitable world is impossible with our current technology and energy limits.
火星仍然是一個絕佳的探索之地，但以我們目前的技術與能源限制，將其轉變為宜居世界是不可能的。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 From 'Simple' to 'Sophisticated': The Power of Contrast
An A2 student says: "Mars is cold. We cannot warm it because we don't have mirrors."
A B2 student says: "While there is enough ice on Mars, the energy cost is too high; consequently, terraforming is currently impossible."
⚡ The "Bridge" Mechanic: Complex Connectors
To move to B2, you must stop using only and, but, and because. You need words that show a logical relationship between two complex ideas. Look at these three patterns from the text:
1. The 'Balance' Word: While
- A2 use: I like apples but I don't like pears.
- B2 use: While there is enough ice on Mars, the energy cost is too high.
- The Trick: Use While at the start of a sentence to acknowledge one fact before introducing a more important, opposite point. It makes your argument sound professional and balanced.
2. The 'Result' Word: Consequently
- A2 use: It is too expensive, so we can't do it.
- B2 use: ...a lack of energy production. Consequently, the main problem is not raw materials.
- The Trick: Replace so with Consequently. Place it at the start of a new sentence followed by a comma. It signals a formal, logical conclusion.
3. The 'Addition' Word: Furthermore
- A2 use: Also, we need mirrors.
- B2 use: Furthermore, warming the planet would require giant orbital mirrors.
- The Trick: Use Furthermore when you are adding a stronger or more serious point to your previous argument. It builds pressure in your writing.
🛠️ Vocabulary Upgrade: Precision over Simplicity
Stop using "big" or "very." Look at how the text describes scale:
- ❌ A very big amount of gas ✅ A massive amount of gas
- ❌ A very surprising amount of energy ✅ A staggering amount of energy
B2 Tip: Use adjectives like massive and staggering to convey emotion and scale without using the word "very."
Vocabulary Learning
Analysis of the Technical and Energetic Constraints Regarding the Terraforming of Mars
關於火星地球化技術與能量限制的分析
Introduction
A study conducted by Slava Turyshev of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory examines the feasibility of transforming the Martian environment into a habitable state for human beings.
NASA 噴射推進實驗室的 Slava Turyshev 進行的一項研究，探討將火星環境轉化為人類可居住狀態的可行性。
Main Body
The transition from the current Martian state to a habitable environment is conceptualized through five incremental milestones. These progress from the establishment of the water triple point (6.1 millibars at 0°C) and the implementation of regional 'paraterraforming' via pressurized domes, to the attainment of a global pressure of 62.7 millibars to prevent blood boiling, and culminating in a breathable atmosphere of approximately 500 millibars total pressure with 210 millibars of oxygen.
從目前的火星狀態轉化為宜居環境，被構思為五個循序漸進的里程碑。這些階段從建立水三相點（0°C 時 6.1 毫巴）以及透過加壓圓頂實施區域性「局部地球化」開始，到達到 62.7 毫巴的全球壓力以防止血液沸騰，最後達到總壓力約 500 毫巴且含 210 毫巴氧氣的可呼吸大氣層。
Quantitative analysis reveals significant discrepancies between current industrial capabilities and the requirements for atmospheric modification. The addition of a single millibar of pressure necessitates approximately 3.89 × 10¹⁵ kg of gas. Achieving a breathable atmosphere would require material mass comparable to the moon Janus. While such mass exists within the outer solar system, the engineering capacity to redirect such bodies is currently nonexistent. Thermal regulation presents a parallel challenge; the required temperature increase would necessitate orbital mirrors covering approximately 70 million square kilometers, a scale exceeding the surface area of Asia.
定量分析顯示，目前的工業能力與大氣改造的需求之間存在巨大差距。增加單個毫巴的壓力需要約 3.89 × 10¹⁵ 公斤的氣體。要達到可呼吸大氣層，所需的物質質量將與衛星 Janus 相當。雖然外太陽系存在此類質量，但目前尚不具備重新導向此類天體的工程能力。溫度調節同樣是一項挑戰；所需的升溫需要覆蓋約 7,000 萬平方公里的軌道鏡，其規模超過了亞洲的表面積。
Regarding chemical composition, the production of 8.2 × 10¹⁷ kg of oxygen via electrolysis would require six cubic meters of water per square meter of Martian surface. Although the study indicates that 20% of Mars's surface ice is sufficient to meet this requirement, the energetic cost is prohibitive. The process would demand 1.2 × 10²⁵ joules, which, over a millennium, equates to a sustained output of 380 terawatts—approximately 20 times the current total annual global energy consumption. Consequently, the primary barrier is not a lack of raw materials, but a deficit in energy production and industrial scale.
關於化學成分，透過電解產生 8.2 × 10¹⁷ 公斤氧氣，火星表面每平方公尺需要 6 立方公尺的水。雖然研究指出火星表面 20% 的冰足以滿足此需求，但能量成本極高。此過程將需要 1.2 × 10²⁵ 焦耳，若分攤至一千年，相當於持續輸出 380 兆瓦——約為目前全球年度總能源消耗的 20 倍。因此，主要障礙並非缺乏原材料，而是能源生產與工業規模的不足。
Conclusion
Mars remains a viable site for exploration, though its conversion into a habitable world is precluded by current technological and energetic limitations.
火星仍然是一個可行的探索地點，但由於目前的技術與能量限制，將其轉化為宜居世界仍不可行。
Vocabulary Learning
The Architecture of 'Academic Impersonality'
To bridge the gap from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond simple 'formal language' and master Syntactic Erasure. In the provided text, the author achieves a high-level academic register not just through vocabulary, but by systematically removing the human agent from the prose to emphasize the inevitability of the data.
⚡ The Linguistic Pivot: Nominalization vs. Verbal Action
Observe the transition from an action to a conceptual state. A B2 student might write: "We cannot terraform Mars because we don't have enough energy."
The C2 text transforms this into:
"...its conversion into a habitable world is precluded by current technological and energetic limitations."
Analysis:
- Nominalization: "Conversion" replaces "converting."
- The Passive Shift: By using precluded, the author shifts the focus from the people failing to the limitations acting as a barrier. This creates an aura of objective truth rather than a subjective opinion.
🧩 High-Precision Collocations
C2 mastery is found in the "tightness" of word pairings. The text utilizes specific clusters that signal scholarly authority:
- "Significant discrepancies": Rather than "big differences."
- "Prohibitive cost": A specialized term where 'prohibitive' doesn't just mean expensive, but so expensive that it prevents the action from happening.
- "Sustained output": A technical collocation essential for discussing energy over time.
🛠️ Structural Sophistication: The 'Incremental' Lead-in
Note the use of the phrase "conceptualized through five incremental milestones." This is a classic C2 strategy: Categorical Framing. Before presenting the data, the author establishes the logical framework (incremental milestones), which primes the reader to accept the complex numbers that follow. It transforms a list of facts into a structured argument.
C2 Takeaway: To ascend to the highest level, stop describing what happens and start describing the conditions under which things are possible. Shift your focus from agents (who does it) to constraints (what allows or prevents it).