The Mighty Mars Rovers: Author's Purpose and Vocabulary

What is the author’s main purpose for writing this passage?

• A. To persuade readers to send a rover to Mars

• B. To inform readers about how the Mars rovers were built and used

• C. To entertain readers with a fictional story about space travel

• 1. D. To describe the history of NASA’s moon missions

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Which detail from the passage best supports the author’s purpose?

• “The rovers could only travel about 100 feet each day.”

• "The mission was over before it had even begun.”

• “In 2004, two rovers named Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars.”

• 2. D. “They were designed to search for signs of water and study rocks and soil.”

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How does the author make the reader feel the suspense of the rover’s landing?

• By giving exact measurements of the rover’s wheels

• By describing the landing as ‘ten minutes of terror’

• By explaining the cost of the mission

• By showing pictures of the Martian surfaceBy showing pictures of the Martian surface

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Which sentence from the text shows the author’s purpose is not only to inform, but also to make the reader feel excitement?

• "NASA engineers worked in shifts around the clock."

• "With a screaming descent, the craft hurtled toward the surface."

• "Spirit and Opportunity were solar-powered.”

• “Both rovers were built in California.”

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Which of the following best describes the author’s purpose in the first two paragraphs?

• To describe how Mars got its name

• To persuade readers to become scientists

• To compare Mars to other planets

• To explain the challenges of getting to Mars

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What does international mean?

• Only related to one city or state

• A special event held for astronauts

• Something that involves more than one country

• The name of a famous Mars rover

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What does the word terrain most likely mean in this sentence?

The rover carefully moved across the rocky terrain to reach its target.

• A piece of equipment used to explore

• The surface features of an area of land

• A special type of rock found on Mars

• A tool used to collect samples

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What does the word resembled most likely mean in this sentence?

From a distance, the rover resembled a large metal insect moving slowly across the surface of Mars.

• Looked similar to

• Moved faster than

• Was larger than

• Changed into

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After months of planning, the scientists began the deployment of the rover. The word deployment means —

• removal of something from service

• act of moving equipment into position

• careful examination of data

• design of a new invention

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What does the word ailing most likely mean in this sentence?

After years of hard work on the Martian surface, the ailing rover began sending weaker signals back to Earth.

• Very powerful

• In poor health or condition

• Moving quickly

• Brand new

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