Vocabulary Questions
What does the word commissary mean as it is used in the text?
It’s all gray and brown and blue, like the bouncy balls with swirly colors that Grandma buys me at the commissary.
a. Park
b. Store
c. Carnival
d. School
b. Store
Which argument would the author MOST LIKELY agree with?
a. Humanity should leave Earth to inhabit Mars.
b. Scientists should stop studying space to focus on the Earth.
c. We should work on repairing our planet as we explore space.
d. Everything on Earth is fine and we should not be exploring Mars.
c. We should work on repairing our planet as we explore space.
Which of the following poetic techniques would BEST emphasize the force of the explosions on Terra?
a. Alliteration because the repetition of sounds would call attention to the explosions.
b. Metaphor because comparing the explosions to another big thing would emphasize the size of the explosions.
c. Allusion because referencing another large explosion would help the audience understand the scale.
d. Hyperbole because exaggerating would show how destructive the explosions were.
d. Hyperbole because exaggerating would show how destructive the explosions were.
Which detail is introduced FIRST in “Let’s Not Use Mars as a Backup Planet”?
a. Earth is one of billions of planets in the galaxy.
b. The Kepler telescope’s data tells scientists the planet's sizes.
c. 2014 was the hottest year on record.
d. Glaciers and sea ice are disappearing.
a. Earth is one of billions of planets in the galaxy.
Why does the narrator want to learn about the ancient Egyptians?
a. She wants to know about where her grandma grew up.
b. She is interested to know more about Earth.
c. She wants to impress her grandmother by asking about her home.
d. She thinks they are mysterious and magical.
d. She thinks they are mysterious and magical.
What does surmount mean as it is used in the text?
If we truly believe in our ability to bend the hostile environments of Mars for human habitation, then we should be able to surmount the far easier task of preserving the habitability of the Earth.
a. Overcome
b. Stop
c. Believe
d. Succumb
a. Overcome
What evidence is most relevant to the claim that Mars is not a suitable backup planet for humans?
a. We’re at a tipping point in human history, a species poised between gaining the stars and losing the planet we call home.
b. Consider the extent to which we have not colonized the deserts of our own planet, places that are lush by comparison with Mars.
c. It is hubris to believe that interplanetary colonization alone will save us from ourselves, but planetary preservation and interplanetary exploration can work together.
d. Indeed, it’s possible that Mars was habitable in the past, and in part, this is why we study Mars so much.
b. Consider the extent to which we have not colonized the deserts of our own planet, places that are lush by comparison with Mars.
“Big Finish” is MOST thematically similar to works by which of the following American authors?
a. Stephen King, known for his horror novels exploring good and evil.
b. Robert A. Heinline, known for his science fiction works promoting critical thinking.
c. William Faulkner, known for his emotional and complex style.
d. Harper Lee, known for her work exploring morality and society.
b. Robert A. Heinline, known for his science fiction works promoting critical thinking.
What shared element in “Big Finish” and “Let’s Not Use Mars as a Backup Planet” shows how leaving Earth for another planet is viewed from different perspectives?
a. Both talk about how inhospitable Mars is.
b. Both include a description of the effects of traveling to mars.
c. Both mention that Earth was becoming more dangerous.
d. Both mention how Mars is farther from the Sun than Earth is.
c. Both mention that Earth was becoming more dangerous.
How does the relationship between the narrator and her grandmother advance the plot?
a. The narrator is closest with her grandmother and feels connected to her, and the grandmother takes comfort in her granddaughter as she mourns her home.
b. The narrator would rather play with her cousins than talk to her grandmother.
c. The grandmother is too busy talking to the rest of the family to spend time with the narrator and this makes the narrator upset.
d. The narrator is uninterested in Terra, but her grandmother insists on teaching her about the past.
a. The narrator is closest with her grandmother and feels connected to her, and the grandmother takes comfort in her granddaughter as she mourns her home.
The prefix inter means “between.”
Based on its word parts, what is the meaning of interplanetary in this sentence from paragraph 8?
"As much as I love interplanetary exploration, I deeply disagree with this idea."
a. Travel
b. Surface
c. Outer space
d. Terrestrial
c. Outer space
What additional evidence would MOST LIKELY be considered irrelevant to the passage’s claims?
a. Venus is an uninhabitable planet close to Earth.
b. More efforts have been made to advance space travel in recent years.
c. Global warming has caused massive amounts of greenhouse gases and environmental damage.
d. Water was discovered on Mars but it is permafrost.
a. Venus is an uninhabitable planet close to Earth.
How does the author’s use of vivid and specific vocabulary—such as “fostered that advancement,” “planetary preservation,” and “habitability”—help clearly convey the tone of the text?
a. It creates a sad tone.
b. It creates a mysterious tone.
c. It creates a scientific tone.
d. It creates a fearful tone.
c. It creates a scientific tone.
How does the author develop the idea that Mars is not a suitable planet for people to move to?
a. The author explains spacecraft companies are offering the possibility of living on Mars.
b. The author explains that we have sent rovers to Mars to search for origins of life.
c. The author explains that the goals of interplanetary exploration and planetary preservation are not opposed to one another.
d. The author explains that even inhospitable places on Earth are lush compared to Mars.
d. The author explains that even inhospitable places on Earth are lush compared to Mars.
How is the theme developed through the narrator's relationship with her family and the way they act surrounding the big finish?
a. The narrator sees the destruction of Terra; she learns that we have to let go of the past.
b. The narrator sees her family’s reaction to the big finish. She learns that the past holds heavy connections.
c. The narrator struggles to connect with her sisters; she learns that family isn’t everything.
d. The narrator sees how the family interacts with each other. She learns that sometimes families can disagree but still love each other.
b. The narrator sees her family’s reaction to the big finish. She learns that the past holds heavy connections.
Which word in the sentence from paragraph 9 can be used to determine the inferred meaning of the word inhospitable?
"If we can understand how to create and maintain habitable spaces out of hostile, inhospitable spaces here on Earth, perhaps we can meet the needs of both preserving our own environment and moving beyond it."
a. Maintain
b. Spaces
c. Preserving
d. Hostile
d. Hostile
How does the use of the phrase tipping point affect the overall meaning of the passage?
"We’re at a tipping point in human history, a species poised between gaining the stars and losing the planet we call home."
a. It highlights the importance of choosing to leave Earth.
b. It expresses that humanity is at a point of making a big decision about the future.
c. It suggests that the Earth is about to fall over.
d. It implies that humans were meant to explore space.
b. It expresses that humanity is at a point of making a big decision about the future.
How does the author's purpose shape his or her perspective on the efforts to colonize Mars in paragraph 8?
a. The author explains that while they enjoy the idea of space exploration they do not believe that Mars will save humanity.
b. The author thinks that there are many good reasons to explore mars and that we should go.
c. The author believes that the way to save earth is by promoting recycling and reducing waste.
d. The author concludes that interplanetary exploration and Earth's preservation can exist together.
a. The author explains that while they enjoy the idea of space exploration they do not believe that Mars will save humanity.
Which sentence from the passage states what the environment on Mars is like?
a. There are many excellent reasons to go to Mars, but for anyone to tell you that Mars will be there to back up humanity is like the captain of the Titanic telling you that the real party is happening later on the lifeboats.
b. Mars is small and rocky, and though it’s a bit far from the Sun, it might be considered a potentially habitable world if found by a mission like Kepler.
c. Our rovers, like Curiosity, crawl across its surface, scratching for clues as to the origins of life as we know it.
d. Even in the driest, highest places on Earth, the air is sweet and thick with oxygen exhaled from thousands of miles away by our rainforests.
b. Mars is small and rocky, and though it’s a bit far from the Sun, it might be considered a potentially habitable world if found by a mission like Kepler.
One theme from this passage could be “connecting with the past.” Which sentence from the story best shapes this theme?
a. “They knew that would happen, but we had to go anyway, all of us, because it wasn’t safe to stay on Terra anymore.”
b. “I walk over to her and pull on her arm; I ask, “Why are you crying?” She doesn’t answer, but she picks me up and cuddles me.”
c. “The lady is talking about how things used to be on Terra, but when the numbers get to ten she is quiet.”
d. “I hear the hum with my ears and feel it with my heart too, coming from Grandma’s heart and going into my heart.”
c. “The lady is talking about how things used to be on Terra, but when the numbers get to ten she is quiet.”
Which BEST describes the effect of the word hubris on the tone of the passage?
"It is hubris to believe that interplanetary colonization alone will save us from ourselves, but planetary preservation and interplanetary exploration can work together."
a. It sets a casual and aloof tone
b. It sets a serious and important tone
c. It sets an informative and excited tone
d. It sets a somber and understated tone
b. It sets a serious and important tone
What is the primary rhetorical appeal used in "Let's Not Use Mars as a Backup Planet"
a. Logos
b. Pathos
c. Ethos
d. No Rhetorical Appeals Used
a. Logos
What does the phrase thick with MOST LIKELY mean in paragraph 7 of the text?
"Even in the driest, highest places on Earth, the air is sweet and thick with oxygen exhaled from thousands of miles away by our rainforests."
a. Solid or Wide
b. In the middle of
c. Abundant or plentiful
d. The focus of
c. Abundant or plentiful
How does the inclusion of information about Fermi’s paradox add to the text and reveal about the potential dangers of losing sight of our own planet?
a. It explains that Mars is not a suitable place for humans to move to.
b. It shows that we have not found signs of alien life yet.
c. It claims that if we can figure out how to make inhospitable places on Earth hospitable then we are more likely to be able to do so in space.
d. It posits that any other advanced life forms may have lost sight of their planet and that is why we have not met any aliens.
d. It posits that any other advanced life forms may have lost sight of their planet and that is why we have not met any aliens.
How does the author develop the suspense of the big finish?
a. By using flashbacks to Terra to show how it used to be.
b. By using multiple perspectives of each character experiencing the event.
c. By showing the emotions of the family leading up to the event through the narrator’s eyes.
d. By using an unexpected plot twist to show what is actually happening to Terra.
c. By showing the emotions of the family leading up to the event through the narrator’s eyes.