Life on Mars

Based on information in paragraphs 2 and 6 of the selection 'Life on Mars,' what can the reader conclude about life on Mars?

• Any life that existed on Mars would be in the form of microbes.

• Crops would be able to stay alive on Mars if water were actually available.

• Scientists are far from determining whether Mars ever supported life.

• People exploring Mars are unsure of how to identify living microbes.

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What is the best paraphrase of paragraph 4 of the selection "Life on Mars"?

• Rovers have been going to Mars for a couple of decades. They gather information for people on Earth by taking photographs of the red planet's surroundings and sending the photographs to NASA.

• Scientists at NASA study what rovers on Mars send to them. These devices, which have been exploring Mars since the late 1990s, collect bits of the rocky landscape to show scientists that it is difficult for life to grow on the planet.

• Machines called rovers have been sent to Mars by NASA scientists for over 20 years. Rovers help scientists by sending them pictures of Mars and information about pieces of the land so that scientists can better understand the planet.

• NASA sends rovers to Mars to collect and send information back to Earth so that

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How does the organization of the selection "Life on Mars" contribute to the author's purpose?

• By describing various findings, the author shows how research has affected scientists' beliefs about Mars.

• By offering contrasting theories, the author identifies the different kinds of life that may have existed on Mars.

• By explaining a problem related to Mars, the author reveals why sending humans to Mars is necessary.

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Who is the author most likely addressing in the selection 'Say Yes to Exploring Mars'?

• The scientific community

• Technology companies

• The American public

• Government representatives

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What is the author's main claim in the selection "Say Yes to Exploring Mars"?

• Sending astronauts to visit Mars would be worth the effort.

• Astronauts have all of the qualifications that are needed to travel to Mars.

• Going to Mars is the only way for humans to know if life exists on the planet.

• A mission to Mars will never happen if it does not take place soon.

How does the author support the primary claim made in the selection 'Say Yes to Exploring Mars'? Use 'Life on Mars' and 'Say Yes to Exploring Mars' to answer the following question.

• By mentioning that firefighting gear was originally developed for astronauts

• By providing a quotation that explains why people should act now

• By listing places that humans have already successfully explored

• By clarifying the important role of NASA in space exploration

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Which idea is found in the selection "Say Yes to Exploring Mars" but NOT in the selection "Life on Mars"?

• NASA scientists are interested in sending people to Mars.

• People might be able to go to Mars and create a breathable atmosphere.

• Scientists are excited about the discovery of frozen water on Mars.

• It would be beneficial for astronauts to visit Mars in the future.

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Use "Life on Mars" and "Say Yes to Exploring Mars" to answer the following question. Which idea is presented in BOTH selections "Life on Mars" and "Say Yes to Exploring Mars"?

• Space travel allows inventors to develop inventions that people can use on Earth.

• Humans have a natural desire to study the land that surrounds them.

• Humans would be able to gather valuable information by traveling to Mars.

• Scientists now know enough about Mars to disprove the ideas of early astronomers.

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Use "Life on Mars" and "Say Yes to Exploring Mars" to answer the following question. In what way is the presentation of information in the two selections "Life on Mars" and "Say Yes to Exploring Mars" DIFFERENT?

• "Life on Mars" explains how pictures of Mars help scientists, but "Say Yes to Exploring Mars" does not explain how scientists use pictures.

• "Life on Mars" focuses only on what experts already know about Mars, but "Say Yes to Exploring Mars" focuses on what remains to be discovered about Mars.

• "Life on Mars" describes discoveries about Mars, but "Say Yes to Exploring Mars" describes considerations for going to Mars.

• "Life on Mars" includes theories that been proposed about Mars, but "Say Yes to Exploring Mars" does not provide any theories.

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Which sentence from the selection "Say Yes to Exploring Mars" expresses a SIMILAR idea to the statement: "In addition, human space exploration could help confirm many of the findings scientists have gathered about our neighbor in space."?

• Humans have explored much of Earth, the moon, and other parts of outer space.

• Sending humans to explore Mars could help provide even more evidence of life that cannot be detected by machines.

• For example, the equipment that firefighters use is based on gear developed for astronauts.

• Mars already has some elements needed to support life, such as frozen water, carbon, and nitrogen.

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