Martian Metropolis

Which quote from the selection best supports the answer to Part A?

• Of all the planets in the solar system, Mars is the most Earth-like. (paragraph 4)

• Mars has no magnetic field to protect humans from high-energy particles from the sun and other sources, called cosmic rays. (paragraph 6)

• Temporary shelters and labs will pop up all over the planet for short-term science projects. (paragraph 11)

• But travel will be hard. The most fuel-efficient trip back to Earth (using gravity to do most of the work) will take around six to eight months. (paragraph 14)

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A
Which statement expresses an idea that the author of the selection would agree with?

• People who move to Mars are unlikely to see their families again.

• Rovers can study the planet Mars better than explorers can.

• Mars and Earth have landscapes that are almost exactly the same.

• Mars explorers will need protection from radiation.

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 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

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

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.

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

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