Martian Metropolis

Read this sentence from paragraph 5 of the selection.

"Even if Mars’s atmosphere were thicker, we wouldn’t be able to breathe it."

+The word atmosphere is created from two Greek roots, atmos and sphere.

What is the best definition of the word atmosphere as it is used in this sentence?

• Vaporous ball

• Atomic planet

• Invisible rock

• Thin vapor

In paragraph 6, the term DNA is capitalized because it is —

• the name of a specific disease

• an initialism, a type of abbreviation

• alliteration, a kind of figurative language

• the name of an internal organ

In which version of the sentence is each word capitalized correctly?

• “The Mars Curiosity rover was sent by Nasa to the Red Planet on November 26, 2011,” said brown University Researcher Jay Dickson.

• “The Mars Curiosity Rover was sent by NASA to the red planet on November 26, 2011,” said Brown university researcher Jay Dickson.

• “The Mars Curiosity rover was sent by NASA to the Red Planet on November 26, 2011,” said Brown University researcher Jay Dickson.

• “The Mars Curiosity Rover was sent by Nasa to the red planet on November 26, 2011,” said Brown university Researcher Jay Dickson.

Paragraphs 7–9 of the selection, titled “Living Off the Land,” discuss what Mars’s residents
must do to establish a successful colony. What is the structure of these three paragraphs?

• Problem and solution

• Cause and effect

• Compare and contrast

• Question and answer

Read the origin of the word geothermal.

From the Greek geo- (“earth”) and thermē (“heat”)

Using these clues, choose the best meaning of geothermal as it is used in paragraph 9 of
the selection.

• Energy generated from human waste

• Warmth received from the heat of the sun

• Heat transported from one planet to another

• Power obtained from the internal heat of a planet

Read paragraph 12 of the selection. Which phrase best describes the way this paragraph
is organized?

• Cause and effect

• Time order

• Problem-solution

• Compare and contrast

Read the sentence from paragraph 5.

The Martian day (called a “sol”) is about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day; a Martian year is 668.6 sols.

For which two reasons is this sentence significant to the selection?

• It hints at the author’s bias toward life on Mars.

• It helps build a picture of what life would be like on Mars.

• It reveals an important fact about life on Earth.

• It makes an important comparison between Earth and Mars.

• It shows how much better life would be on Mars.

Which two individuals from this list would be most likely to volunteer to be Mars colonists?

• A scientist who compares the atmospheres of planets

• A chef who specializes in preparing seafood dishes

• A spaceship pilot who enjoys frequent trips

• A recent college graduate who is ready for adventure

• A medical doctor who likes hiking in the mountains

Which two ideas are supported by the information in paragraphs 7–9?

• Plastic will be a popular material on Mars.

• People living on Mars will have to recycle.

• Homes on Mars will be made of wood and glass.

• Electricity on Mars will be generated mainly from gas.

• Martians will eat mainly the food they can grow.

Label the events in the order in which they would most likely occur. The first event will be labeled 1, and the last event will be labeled 5.

• Colonists travel through space.

• Colonists live below ground.

• Colonists grow their own food.

• Colonists make glass to block radiation.

• Colonists live above ground.