Life on Mars? Reading Answers

Jul 14, 2025

Life on Mars? Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Life on Mars? Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the question set, you have to state whether the statement is yes, no or not given according to the passage. In the next question set, choose the correct letter. In the last question set, complete the summary using a word A-I.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognise essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practising these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1 LIFE ON MARS?

Terraforming may sound like something out of science fiction, but some believe it is possible to turn that fiction into fact.

As plans are slowly being drawn up for the first manned mission to Mars, many space travel sceptics are asking one vital question: why go there? Mars is a barren, desolate planet, and with its thin atmosphere and bitterly cold climate, it would appear to be completely unsuitable for human life. Above all, it is a very distant place, and getting there would be an enormous challenge. However, the planet might just hold the key to long-term human survival. With the Earth's population currently at more than seven billion and climbing, we may eventually be forced to look elsewhere in the solar system for somewhere to live. It is just possible that, contrary to photographic evidence, Mars may be more promising than it appears.

Today, Mars is a viciously cold, dry place. However, it does have some things in common with our own planet. For example, it has a daily rotation rate of 24 hours 37 minutes, compared with 23 hours 56 minutes on Earth. It also has an axial tilt of 24 degrees, which is just half a degree more than Earth's, and a gravitational pull one-third of Earth's. Furthermore, it holds many of the elements that are required to support life, including carbon and oxygen (in the form of carbon dioxide), nitrogen, and frozen water at its polar ice caps. In fact, if you were to travel back in time several billions years, you would notice some remarkable parallels between the atmosphere on Earth then and Mars today. Back then, Earth was also a lifeless planet; until photosynthetic bacteria developed and began to produce enough oxygen to allow for the development of animal and plant life, our atmosphere also consisted entirely of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

It comes as no surprise to learn, therefore, that some scientists believe the same process which turned Earth's atmosphere from mostly carbon dioxide into breathable air could be repeated on Mars, but by using technology rather than by letting nature and evolution take its natural course. Terraforming, as this process is known, would initially create a greenhouse effect that would heat the planet, which in turn would create other conditions necessary to provide a suitable living environment for plants and animals. However, it would be a highly challenging undertaking, and the process of terraforming the entire planet into an Earth-like habitat could still take many thousands of years.

Three terraforming methods have been suggested, with the first already under development, albeit for a different purpose. At present, the American space agency NASA is working on a system that will use large mirrors to capture the sun's radiation. This radiation will be used to propel spacecraft through space, removing the need for heavy and expensive rocket fuel. With a few changes, it might be possible to use similar mirrors to reflect the sun's radiation and heat the surface of Mars. Aimed at the planet from a distance of two hundred thousand miles, these enormous mirrors would raise the surface temperature by a few degrees. If they were concentrated on the polar ice caps, they would provide enough heat to melt the polar ice caps and release the carbon dioxide that is believed to be trapped there. Gradually, as the temperature rose, greenhouse gases would be released, and this would create a form of Martian global warming, the first stage in making the planet sustainable for life. The second method would be to set up greenhouse gas 'factories' in order to raise the temperature of the planet. It is generally accepted that greenhouse gases produced by heavy industry are raising the Earth's temperature. Therefore, by building hundreds of greenhouse-gas-emitting factories on Mars, a similar effect could be achieved. Carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases would be pumped into the Martian atmosphere. The same factories would then produce oxygen by mimicking the natural process of plant photosynthesis: they would inhale the carbon dioxide they produce, and then emit oxygen. The process could be accelerated by 'sowing the planet's surface with photosynthetic bacteria, which would increase the rate at which oxygen is produced. Eventually, there would be enough oxygen on the planet for humans to breathe using only special apparatus similar to that used by mountain climbers.

The third, and by far the most extreme, method has been proposed by space scientists Robert Zubrin and Christopher McKay. They believe that it would be possible to produce greenhouse gases and water by finding large, ammonia-bearing asteroids at the planet. Each asteroid miles per hour. At this speed, it would take each asteroid about ten years to reach its destination. The energy produced by one asteroid slamming into Mars' surface, say Zubrin and McKay, would raise the temperature of the planet by three degrees Celsius and melt about one thousand billion tons of ice at the polar caps. They believe it would take many of these asteroids, and at least fifty years, in order to create a temperate climate and enough water to cover a quarter of the planet's surface.

Terraforming Mars, if it is ever attempted, will be neither cheap nor easy. And it certainly won't be quick: although optimists like Zubrin and McKay say it could be achieved in five or six decades, the reality is that terraforming is more likely to take hundreds or even thousands

of years. Furthermore, it will stretch human ingenuity to its limits, and will require levels of will and commitment that have rarely been seen before. The challenge of developing a habitable environment and bringing life to the cold, dry world of Mars is fraught with challenges,

but it might just be one that saves the human race.

Questions 27-31

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the Reading passage?

YES if the statement agrees with the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

27. Pictures of Mars suggest it might make a good place for people to settle.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: It is just possible that, contrary to photographic evidence, Mars may be more promising than it appears

Keywords: photographic evidence, Mars

Keyword Location: Para 1, Line 8

Explanation: According to the text, the pictures obtained from Mars imply that it is not a suitable place for people to settle down.

28. Modern Mars and ancient Earth looked remarkably similar.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: No information in the text to given about the similarities between ancient Earth and modern Mars.

29. One method of terraforming could involve adapting technology that is already under development.

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: With a few changes, it might be possible to use similar mirrors to reflect the sun's radiation and heat the surface of Mars.

Keywords: changes, mirrors, sun's radiation

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 4

Explanation: According to the text, one method of terraforming the Mars Terrain, which involves adapting technology to make it suitable for humans to live on it, is already in progress in the American space agency, NASA.

30. Greenhouse gas factories would provide enough oxygen for people to breathe

without special equipment.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: Eventually, there would be enough oxygen on the planet for humans to breathe using only special apparatus similar to that used by mountain climbers.

Keywords: oxygen, humans, special apparatus

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 20-21

Explanation: According to the text, the greenhouse gas factories will not be able to produce enough oxygen on the planet Mars for humans to breathe without the use of a special Apparatus similar to the ones that mountain climbers used on Earth.

31. Terraforming Mars would be an extreme test of human skill and intelligence.

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: Furthermore, it will stretch human ingenuity to its limits,

Keywords: stretch, ingenuity

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 4

Explanation: According to the text, the Terraforming of Mars will test the human skills and Inventiveness to the extreme

Questions 32-35

Choose the correct letter.

32. Which one of these factors suggests that Mars might be a good place for people to settle?

A. It is not too far from Earth.

B. It has no other life forms living there.

C. It has a cool, dry climate.

D. It has some similarities with Earth.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: some remarkable parallels between the atmosphere on Earth then and Mars today.

Keywords: parallels, Earth

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 7-8

Explanation: According to the text, Mars might be a good place for humans to settle due to its remarkably similar atmosphere to the Earth's back in time

33. The first step in terraforming Mars would be to

A. make the planet warmer.

B. create a breathable atmosphere.

C. find a suitable source of water.

D. create a habitat for living organisms.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: With a few changes, it might be possible to use similar mirrors to reflect the sun's radiation and heat the surface of Mars.

Keywords: sun's radiation, heat

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 4

Explanation: According to the text, the first and the form of step in the terraforming of Mars would be to increase the planet's temperature.

34. Special factories on Mars could be used to

A. control the level of greenhouse gases.

B. absorb excess levels of carbon dioxide.

C. produce oxygen in a manner similar to plants.

D. help grow essential bacteria.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: The same factories would then produce oxygen by mimicking the natural process of plant photosynthesis

Keywords: produce, mimicking, plant photosynthesis

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 16-17

Explanation: According to the text, the greenhouse factories would be able to produce oxygen similarly to the plants' photosynthesis process.

35. What is the writer's main purpose in the passage?

A. To explain why we need to terraform Mars.

B. To illustrate the three processes required to terraform a planet like Mars.

C. To consider how and why Mars might be terraformed.

D. To demonstrate how straightforward it would be to terraform a planet.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: Terraforming Mars, if it is ever attempted, will be neither cheap nor easy. And it certainly won't be quick:

Keywords: Terraforming Mars, attempted

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 1

Explanation: The main purpose of the writer in writing the passage is to take consideration on how and why Mars might need to be terraformed.

Questions 36-40

Complete the summary using a word A-I.

One method of terraforming Mars would be to 36………….. asteroids at the planet.

Answer: I

Supporting statement: The energy produced by one asteroid slamming into Mars' surface,

Keywords: energy, asteroid

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 5

Explanation: One of the methods of terraforming might be by slamming the Mars surface with an asteroid to start a similar process that made Earth, the only planet possible to sustain life.

Rockets attached to an enormous asteroid would propel it towards Mars, taking ten

37……….. the enormous distances years to required.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: Each asteroid miles per hour. At this speed, it would take each asteroid about ten years to reach its destination.

Keywords: per hour, ten years

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 4

Explanation: According to the text, it will take only about 10 years for a rocket attached to an asteroid to reach Mars.

The asteroid would 38………. force and 39……….. the planet with incredible enough energy to

Answer: B

Supporting statement: The energy produced by one asteroid slamming into Mars' surface, ,say Zubrin and McKay, would raise the temperature of the planet by three degrees Celsius

Keywords: slamming, temperature

Keyword Location: Para 5, Lines 5-6

Explanation: According to the text, the force created by the asteroid's impact would increase the planet's temperature by 3 degrees Celsius.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: The energy produced by one asteroid slamming into Mars' surface, say Zubrin and McKay, would raise the temperature of the planet by three degrees Celsius

Keywords: Zubrin and McKay, three degrees

Keyword Location: Para 5, Lines 5-6

Explanation: According to the text, the hit from the asteroid will produce enough energy to kick-start the terraforming process.

40………….. the planet's temperature. The result would be a temperate climate and lots of water from melting ice caps.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: would raise the temperature of the planet by three degrees Celsius and melt about one thousand billion tons of ice at the polar caps.

Keywords: planet, thousand billion

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 6

Explanation: According to the text, the hit from the asteroid would increase the planet's temperature, which would cause the melting of 1000 billion tons of ice at the polar cap on the planet.

A. cover

B. create

C. hit

D. increase

E. land

F. drive

G. power

H. rise

I. shoot

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