Question

from remarks at the national aeronautics and space administration
january 14, 2004
1
two centuries ago, meriwether lewis and william clark left st. louis to
explore the new lands acquired in the louisiana purchase. they made that
journey in the spirit of discovery, to learn the potential of vast new
territory and to chart a way for others to follow. america has ventured forth
into space for the same reasons. we have undertaken space travel because the
desire to explore and understand is part of our character.
2
and that quest has brought tangible benefits that improve our lives in
countless ways. the exploration of space has led to advances in weather
forecasting, in communications, in computing, search and rescue technology,
robotics, and electronics. our investment in space exploration helped to create
our satellite telecommunications network and the global positioning system.
medical technologies that help prolong life, such as the imaging processing
used in cat scanners and mri machines, trace their origins to technology
engineered for the use in space. . .
3
yet, for all these successes, much remains for us to explore and to learn. in
the past 30 years, no human being has set foot on another world or ventured
farther upward into space than 386 miles, roughly the distance from
washington, dc, to boston, massachusetts. america has not developed a new
vehicle to advance human exploration in space in nearly a quarter - century. it is
time for america to take the next steps.
select the two claims that most fully develop the
speaker’s argument in the passage.

1. america \ventured forth into space for the same

reasons\ as the explorers lewis and clark.
(paragraph 1)

1. americans undertook exploring space \because

the desire to explore and understand is part of
our character.\ (paragraph 1)

1. exploring space \brought tangible benefits that

improve our lives in countless ways.\
(paragraph 2)

1. despite the successes brought by exploring

space, \much remains for us to explore and to
learn.\ (paragraph 3)

1. after nearly a quarter - century, it’s time for

america to take the next steps\ with a new
novel (paragraph 3)

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

1. Option 1: The passage draws a parallel between Lewis/Clark’s exploration and space exploration but doesn’t focus on “same reasons” as its main argument. Eliminate.
2. Option 2: Paragraph 1 states “we have undertaken space travel because the desire to explore and understand is part of our character” – this is a claim, but not the most developed.
3. Option 3: Paragraph 2 details how space exploration “brought tangible benefits that improve our lives in countless ways” (e.g., robotics, medical tech, satellite networks). This claim is supported with specific examples, showing thorough development.
4. Option 4: Paragraph 3 mentions “much remains for us to explore” but provides no detailed support (unlike Option 3’s examples).
5. Option 5: Paragraph 3’s “time for America to take the next steps” is a call to action, not a claim developed with evidence.

Answer:

1. Exploring space "brought tangible benefits that improve our lives in countless ways." (Paragraph 2)
2. Americans undertook exploring space "because the desire to explore and understand is part of our character." (Paragraph 1)

(Note: The two claims most fully developed are Option 3 (with concrete examples) and Option 2 (with the character - based reasoning, though Option 3 has more detailed support. However, following the task to select two, these are the strongest.)