Rate the following essay on its writing, argument, and language skills:
If you could, would you want to live on a different planet? Well according to the author, studying a different planet such as Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers it presents. In the article "The Challenge of Exploring Venus," the author supports his or her idea well and has many examples to back himself up. The author talks about the similarites Venus has to Earth, the dangers of Venus, and what scientists are doing to make going to Venus a possibility.

Despite the dangers of studing Venus, there are many reasons why it is a worthy pursuit. The author states in the article,"Often reffered to as Earth's "twin," Venus is the closest planet to Earth in terms of density and size, and occasionally the closest in distance too." This shows that even though Venus is dangerous, there are similarites that make it worth while to study, if that means one day having another planet similar to Earth.

In the article, there are many dangers of Venus. According to the text, "A thick atmosphere of almost 97 percent carbon dioxide blankets Venus. Even more challenging are the clouds of highly corrosive sulfuric acid in Venus's atmosphere." This shows the challenges of studying Venus because the percent of carbon dioxide and high corrosive sulfuric acid are too much for humans or even some spacecrafts. Another danger is the temperature. Venus averages a surface temperature of over 800 degrees Fahrenheit. That is beyond temperatures at which we humans can withstand. To show the severity of the atmospheric pressure, the author states, "These conditions are far more extreme than anything humans encounter on Earth; such an environment would crush even a submarine accustomed to diving to the deepest parts of our oceans and would liquefy many metals." These dangers may seem like it isn't a worthy pursuit but the author goes on to describe just why and how scientist should pursue Venus. The article states that long ago Venus was probably covered largely with oceans and could have supported various forms of life, just like Earth. To add on to that, today, Venus still has some features that are analogous to those on Earth. This is a good example to support that the author supports his or her claim because it is describing what was and is still good about Venus. The top example that supports the authors claim is what the scientists have already done to begin the search of Venus. According to the article, "NASA's possible solution to the hostile conditions on the surface of Venus would allow scientists to float above the fray. Imagine a blimp-like vehicle hovering 30 or so miles above the roiling Venusian landscape." This supports the author's claim because despite the dangers of Venus, the scientists have found a way to study Venus at a more suitable, safer way. Maybe not as efficient, but it saves the lives of the astronaunts.

In conclusion, the author supports his or her claim well because of all the evidence and examples that are used in the text. Stating the similarites of Earth show that it is worth while to study Venus when the outcome could possibly be a planet that is like a second Earth. Describing the dangers of Venus but then talking about how the scientists can get around those dangers supports the author's claim because the readers see that even though Venus is dangerous, there are still valuable ways to study it, meaning that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit.

Score: 5