Which of the following does the author give as a benefit of space exploration?
Critics of space exploration ask why we should spend money on distant planets while problems at home remain unsolved. The question sounds unanswerable, but its logic proves too much. Almost any expenditure that is not directly aimed at the most pressing human need could be challenged in the same way, including the arts, sport and much basic science. The relevant comparison is not between space and poverty but between space and the other things that governments do with comparable sums, many of which are far less defensible. Spending on exploration has produced technologies in materials, imaging and communication that have had uses far beyond their original purpose. This does not show that the present level of funding is right; it shows that the standard criticism does not settle the matter.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Technologies that have found uses far beyond their original purpose
- Step 1: The passage says exploration produced technologies in materials, imaging and communication with wider uses.
- Step 2: The only choice consistent with this is "Technologies that have found uses far beyond their original purpose".
Answer
Technologies that have found uses far beyond their original purpose.
Why not the others: Poverty relief, imports, sport and spending cuts are not claimed as benefits.
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