Integrated Writing
In the reading, the idea of traveling to Mars is introduced. It is known as an impossible plan as there is not enough food, water, oxygen supply, zero gravity and the strong space radiation from the sun. However, the professor thinks that the plan is possible as the three problems mentioned in the reading can be solved.
Firstly, the reading thinks that it takes a long time to travel from Earth to Mars, thus the astronauts need lots of food, water and oxygen supply which is too much for the spaceship to carry. However, the professor introduces the hydroponics technology, which allows plants to grow in water instead of soil. That can be used to grow crops in the spaceship as it does not need any soil. In addition, the plants can produce oxygen and absorb Carbon Dioxide, which is also beneficial for the spaceship.
Secondly, the reading states that spending long time in a zero gravity environment for more than two years can have medical problems on the astronauts, and traveling to Mars is definitely more than two years. The professor, on the other hand, found that astronauts are trained to live in zero gravity environment that they have ways to deal with the problem, for instance, exercising oftenly and decrease muscle mouse.
Thirdly, the reading says that there is a strong space radiation from the sun in the spaceship. However, the professor thinks that the sun's radiation is not strong all the time. For most of the time it will not hurt the astronaut and when it is too high, astronauts can use some spacial instruments and go into shades provided by lighter, smaller shields.
As a conclusion, the reading thinks that it is impossible to travel to Mars, however the professor thinks it is possible as there are solutions to all the three problems in the reading.
Independent Writing
As the time changes, people started to know the importance of learning history and some universities requires student to learn it. To a large extent, I agree that university students should be required to take history courses no matter what their field of study is.
Undoubtedly, history could be annoying for lots of university students and definitely do not want to take it. Learning history is, to most of the them that hate history, a long process of reading lots of historical information that is not related to our lives and write essays. They probably thinks that history is boring and useless to learn in. However, not all history are unrelated to their lives. For example, when they learn how slavery ends they will know why there are people with different races in the university. When they learn about the inventions of medicines they will know why nowadays less people die from those sickness. In fact, history are close to their lives and could be very beneficial to them.
Firstly, history helps us to not make the mistakes other people had made before. For instance, when they learn about the geocentric theory, they will remember that sun is in the center of solar system forever. In addition, they will learn from people that blindly believing in the geocentric theory to not to always follow the crowd. Analyze, think about things before believing it.
Secondly, history helps us to develop a skill to analyze. Research is a very important process in history. Students will read a lot of articles when researching about a topic, and there will be lots of understanding of things of other people in the articles they read. To have their own understanding of things, they need to read lots of articles, knowing the different attitude of people towards one thing, then develop their own understanding. This requires a high skills in analyzing things which is useful to students studying other fields and is even useful in their lives.
As a conclusion, due to the above reasons, I agree that university students should be required to take history courses no matter what their fields of study is to a large extent.
