Next stop: Mars - PAU inglés 2004 Andalucía resuelto

>Exámenes selectividad inglés resueltos Andalucía

People have been walking on the surface of Mars for more than a century, in fantasy. Now, however, the possibility is so real that many people think the question is not whether humans will go to Mars, but when they will go, how they will get there and who will go first.

Although there is growing agreement that reaching Mars will be some kind of multinational effort, a prosperous nation, like the United States, seems capable of such an achievement by itself. For the US it is a political priority. The cost of the project has been estimated at $60 billion, about double the price of the Apollo Moon project.

Of all the other planets in the solar system, Mars is the most like Earth. With about half the Earth's diameter, with one-third of the gravity and only one percent of the atmosphere, space vehicles have found that Mars hides an important amount of water under its surface and in its frozen poles. While Venus is closer, with an average temperature of about 850 degrees, it is hostile.

From the presence of water and a relatively moderate climate comes another powerful attraction. The fascination with Mars centres around the issue of life. Mars is key to answering that critical question:

Is there life somewhere other than on Earth?

 SOLUCIONES

I. READING COMPREHENSION

Answer questions 1-2 according to the information given in the text. Use your own words.

1) Is reaching Mars only a scientific challenge? Why?

• No, at least for the USA, it is a political priority. The reason is that the country which achieves this will gain a very good reputation and will be considered as an extremely powerful country.

2) What is the most interesting reason for exploring Mars?

• The most interesting reason for exploring this planet is that it may provide an answer to the question of life in the Universe. Mars is the most likely planet to have living beings, apart from the Earth, because it has water and a mild climate.

Are these statements true or false? Justify your answers with words or phrases from the text.

3) Mankind has actually set foot on Mars.

• FALSE. People have been walking on the surface of Mars for more than a century, in fantasy (line 1) … the possibility is so real (line 2)

4) Reaching Mars can cost as much as reaching the moon.

• FALSE. …about double the price of the Apollo Moon project (lines 6-7)

5) Mars is the same size as the Earth.

• FALSE. With about half the Earth's diameter. (lines 8-9)

6) Venus’s climate is gentle.

• FALSE. While Venus is closer, with an average temperature of about 850 degrees, it is hostile. (line 11)

 

II. USE OF ENGLISH

7) Find in the text the word which has the following definition:

“a plan for work or activity of any kind” (noun)

• project (line 1)

8) Find in the text one opposite for FRIENDLY (adjective)

• hostile (line 11)

9) Give a noun with the same root as POLITICAL (adjective)

• politician, politics

10) Give one synonym for PROSPEROUS (line 5) (adjective)

• rich, wealthy

11) Join the following sentences using a relative pronoun. Make changes if necessary

A dog was sent into space in 1957. Its name was Laika.

• A dog, whose name was Laika, was sent to space in 1957.

12) Turn the following sentence into the passive voice

We are going to invite Dr Livingstone to participate in the project.

• Dr. Livingstone is going to be invited to participate in the project. 

13) Rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning. Begin as indicated.

African countries are too poor to build a space station.

• African countries aren’t  rich/ wealthy enough to build a space station. 

14) Use the words in the boxes to make a meaningful sentence. Use all and only the words in the boxes without changing their form.   

useless    space    people    exploration    consider    many

• Many people consider space exploration useless.

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