ACTIVITY 5 Follow the rules and techniques and summarise the following passage. Artificial environments Living in space was once an idea confined to science fiction. It is now close to becoming a reality as new developments are made in space technology. One experiment in particular is likely to provide more of the information needed to set up a new settlement in Space, particularly on Mars. This is the Biosphere Il project, in the desert north of Tucson, Arizona in the USA. Biosphere Il consists of two linked glass and steel structures which are totally sealed from the outside world. One of these glass houses contains several tropical habitats in miniature - a rainforest, a small desert, even a 7.5 metre deep ocean with tides and a coral reef. The other glass house is used for growing food and keeping animals. Eight researchers have been living in Biosphere Il since December. They will live in their sealed environment for two years, growing their own food and recycling their waste products. The aim of the experiment is partly to try to understand better how the ecosystems of the earth work. But it will also help scientists to plan how the first settlers in Space will support themselves, as it would be far too difficult and expensive to supply a Space colony with food and fuel from Earth. It will be important for Space settlers to be able to purify their air and water and grow their own food, becoming self-sufficient as quickly as possible. (English in Context)
