Text 1: Astronomer Chen argues that the discovery of water ice on the Moon's south pole transforms lunar exploration. The ice could be melted for drinking water, split into oxygen for breathing, or used to produce rocket fuel — all without the cost of launching supplies from Earth. Chen concludes that a permanent lunar base is now economically feasible.
Text 2: Engineer Roy is more cautious. She agrees that lunar ice is a promising resource, but notes that the ice is mixed with regolith in permanently shadowed craters where temperatures hover near minus 240 degrees Celsius. Extracting and processing it, she argues, will require technologies that do not yet exist and may take decades to develop.
How would Roy (Text 2) most likely respond to Chen's conclusion in Text 1?
- A
She would deny that water ice exists at the lunar south pole.
- B
She would claim the ice is too contaminated to be useful for any purpose.
- Ccheck_circle
She would argue that the resource exists but extracting it remains a major technical challenge.
- D
She would agree that a permanent lunar base is now economically feasible.
Explanation
Roy accepts that the ice exists and is promising but emphasizes the technological barriers to extraction. C captures her qualified position. A overstates her agreement; B contradicts her; D misrepresents her concern as contamination rather than extraction difficulty.