The Mighty Mars Rovers

1.) What made it difficult for Steve and his team to control Spirit on Mars?

• The rover’s radio signals took ten minutes to get from Mars to Earth.

• The rover’s wheels got stuck on a rock called Adirondack.

• The rover’s airbags did not move into the right position.

• The rover’s batteries were running low.

2.) The passage says that scientists would learn about the dust and rocks of Mars once Spirit had finished analyzing them. What is the meaning of the word analyzing as it is used here?

• examining

• gathering

• returning

• finding

3.) What is the main idea of the section titled “Naming Names”?

• Scientists had difficulty keeping track of features on Mars because each thing had more than one name.

• Scientists came up with many names to keep track of different features on Mars.

• Most of the features on Mars are named after the people who discovered them.

• Many features on Mars are very similar to familiar features on Earth.

4.) What important discovery did Opportunity make within just a few weeks?

• ice under the soil of Mars

• blueberries growing in the soil on Mars

• evidence of water on the surface of Mars

• remains of a volcano within a crater on Mars

5.) In August 2012, a third rover landed on Mars and began to search for signs of life. What is the name of this rover?

• Odyssey

• Columbia

• Steve

• Curiosity