Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered...
Đề bài
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 17 to 21.
Humanity’s fascination with the cosmos has driven remarkable technological achievements over the past century. The launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union in 1957 marked the beginning of the space age, triggering an intense rivalry between superpowers. (17) _______. This unprecedented competition accelerated innovation at a pace never seen before in human history. Scientists and engineers worked tirelessly to develop more sophisticated spacecraft capable of carrying humans beyond Earth’s atmosphere. By 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit our planet, demonstrating that human space travel was indeed possible. (18) _______.The subsequent moon landing in 1969 represented perhaps the most iconic moment in space exploration, watched by millions worldwide. (19) _______. Today, international cooperation has replaced Cold War competition, with multiple nations contributing to shared research stations and missions. Private companies have also entered the arena, developing reusable rockets that dramatically reduce launch costs. (20) _______. Meanwhile, robotic probes continue venturing deeper into our solar system, sending back invaluable data about distant worlds. (21) _______. These ongoing efforts promise to unlock mysteries about planetary formation, the potential for extraterrestrial life, and humanity’s future among the stars.
(Adapted from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/history-space-exploration/)
Question 17. A. Various academics maintain that, if there had not been this political tension, extraterrestrial research would have evolved significantly more gradually
B. Numerous scholars argue that, had this international rivalry been absent, spaceflight development would have progressed substantially less rapidly
C. Many historians contend that, without this intense geopolitical competition, space exploration would have advanced considerably more slowly
D. Several experts assert that, if this strategic contest had not existed, cosmic exploration would have proceeded markedly more deliberately