The IUC decision disappointed many people outside the astronomy community too. Furthermore, the definition that was decided upon for a planet - that it must clear the neighborhood around its orbit - doesn't technically hold up, since Earth, Mars, Neptune, and Jupiter all have asteroids as neighbors. Many astronomers believe that if electronic voting had been an option, Pluto along with two other celestial objects, would now be considered planets. Of more than 10 000 potential voters, less than 500 took part, mainly because there was no way for them to cast their vote without actually being at the conference. In fact, less than 10% of the world's astronomers voted, and most of those who were at the conference had already gone home by the last day when the vote took place. However, when I say from around the world, I don't mean worldwide. The decision on whether or not to demote Pluto was put to a final vote by astronomers from around the world at the International Astronomical Union Conference. The debate about whether or not Pluto should hold its status as a planet created such a conflict within the community of world astronomers that it has been called the Great Pluto War. What this means is that we will no longer include it as part of our solar system. While the reading notes that children will not know any differently when they grow up without Pluto in their solar system, the professor claims that the lost planet will always have a place in children's hearts as it did from the very beginning.Īs you all likely know by now, Pluto has been officially demoted to a dwarf planet. In contrast, the professor talks of petitions and special ways that citizens are honoring the beloved planet Pluto. Technically speaking, many planets have asteroids as neighbors, therefore, they do not clear their orbit.įinally, the reading implies that people will soon forget that Pluto was ever a planet. While Pluto does not, neither do other planets including Earth. According to the new definition, a planet must clear the neighborhood around its orbit. However, the professor points out that the reason Pluto was demoted was because it doesn't fit the new definition of a planet. However, the lecture refutes this idea, suggesting that the astronomy community was not fairly represented in the vote to demote Pluto to dwarf status, and that many people disagree with the decision.Īccording to the reading, Pluto was demoted due to its size. The reading suggests that the decision was generally accepted and was based on the new scientific information that has been learned since Pluto's original discovery. The decision has been wrapped in controversy ever since. Pluto lost its status as a planet in our solar system at the International Astronomical Union Conference in 2006. Summarize the points made in the lecture, explaining how they cast doubt on the points made in the reading passage. Next you will listen to part of a lecture on the same subject. As Mike Brown, the astronomer who discovered Eris, noted following the IUC's decision, "science is self-correcting." While it was a sad day for Pluto lovers, people in general have accepted the idea, and the next generation of children will grow up knowing only eight planets and thinking nothing of it. Choosing to reclassify Pluto to a dwarf planet honors the fact that science is about making new discoveries. It is now known that there are thousands of planetary objects similar to Pluto, including Eris which is slightly larger than Pluto. Though Pluto was estimated to be similar in size to Earth, it was later discovered that it was even smaller than our own moon, as well as many other moons. Pluto was originally discovered in 1930 when scientists were searching for something that was interfering with Uranus's orbit. In a vote that took place at the International Astronomical Union Conference on August 24th, 2006, Pluto lost its status as a planet in our solar system. After you have heard the lecture you will have twenty minutes to plan and write your response. Your score will depend on the quality of your writing as well as how well you answer the question. Hint: Look for three many points that are related. You will be asked a question that relates to both the text and the listening. You are permitted to take notes while you read and listen. Then you will listen to a lecture about the same topic. Here you will read a passage about an academic topic. The iBT writing section is divided into two parts: Integrated Writing and Independent Writing.
Previously, a writing test was administered as a separate test (TWE) from the paper and computer based TOEFL. This section is now a standard part of the TOEFL iBT. Learn English : English Exams : TOEFL : Practice TOEFL Practice Section 4: Writing
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