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According to modern theorists, Mars is located on the outer edge of More than 99 per cent of all the species that have ever lived on
the habitable zone, and life may exist in one part of the Solar System. our planet are extinct now. This is mainly because of the constant
Mars borders a region known as the expanded habitable zone shuffle of ecological and evolutionary change, but additionally,
where condensed greenhouse gases will support liquid water on its many species have vanished in a geological snap during mass
surface at sufficient atmospheric pressure. According to the data, the extinctions. For some time, as opposed to reality, new life forms
water on the Martian surface is much saltier and much more acidic
than necessary for life. Despite all these negativities, it cannot be were believed to flourish in the aftermath of those ecological
said that there are no organisms on Mars or that they have never disasters. However, what the fossil records tell us about the
lived. It is also known as the red planet as it has a red appearance nature of life on Earth does not support the traditional view.
due to iron oxide. It rotates on its axis in 24.6 hours (a very close The very concept of extinction is relatively recent. Despite the
rotation time to Earth). It takes 687 days to complete its orbit around fact that humans both caused and witnessed extinction, one of
th
the Sun. Its mass is 1/10 of the Earth's. Of course, snowfall can the examples of which is 'Dodo', many naturalists doubted that
also be seen on Mars, but it is a little different from the snow we extinction was still possible. It was not until the late 1700s that
know. Since Mars is so cold compared to Earth, the existing water
is almost completely frozen, trapped in the soil and glaciers. The extinction was accepted as an inescapable facet of nature when
water vapour in the atmosphere is not dense enough to form clouds a young French anatomist named Georges Cuvier, focusing on
and cause precipitation. According to the findings, the Red Planet reading animal bodies to understand the organisation of nature,
was once home to lakes, rivers, and even a large ocean. However, convincingly argued that species could go extinct, and already had
all of this surface water evaporated, along with most of the Martian been long before humanity.
atmosphere, about 3.5 billion years ago.
7. As we learn from the passage, water on the surface of Mars 10. Which of the following statements is true according to the
_______. passage?
A) disappeared billions of years ago mysteriously A) The cause of the extinction of all species is mainly evolutionary
B) is too salty and acidic for living beings to live change.
C) may be trapped in Mars' outer crust B) Extinction was accepted as an avoidable feature of nature
D) is located on the outer edge of the habitable zone before the 1700s.
C) Cuvier convinced everyone that species could go extinct long
E) is trapped in minerals
before humanity.
D) Dodo is one of the examples whose extinction people led to
and witnessed.
E) Most of the species that have ever lived vanished in a geological
snap.

8. Which of the following cannot be said about Mars according 11. What is the topic argued in this passage?
to the passage? A) Doomed to extinction
A) Because of its crimson colour caused by iron oxide, it is also B) Geological snaps
known as the red planet. C) Mass extinctions
B) It rotates on its axis in more than 24 hours. D) Ecological disasters
C) The atmosphere's water vapour isn't thick enough to generate E) New life forms
clouds and precipitation.
D) Mars is warmer than Earth.
E) According to the results, there were once lakes, rivers, and
perhaps a massive ocean on Mars.

9. Which one is true about Mars according to the passage? 12. According to the passage, the traditional view supports the
A) Regardless of the drawbacks, it is impossible to say that there idea that _______.
are no species on Mars or that they have never existed. A) the concept of extinction has always been inevitable
B) It takes Mars to complete its orbit around the Sun three times B) new life forms are the result of ecological and evolutionary
longer than Earth. change
C) Mars has two moons although scientists are suspicious of the C) ecological disasters resulting in mass extinctions cause new
existence of some others. species to form
D) NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has discovered previously D) extinction of species is possible according to the fossil records
unknown organic molecules on the Red Planet. E) Dodo is an animal species coming into existence after an
E) It is named after Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology. ecological disaster

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