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Practice Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer ID: #32977 MCS-R4
Instructions ›
Read the text and answer the multiple-choice question by selecting the correct response. Only one response is correct.
Mars Global Surveyor is the oldest of five NASA robotic devices, which is designed to find out signs that Mars once had water; and it had been taking detailed pictures of the red planet for a decade. Unfortunately, it stopped working on November 2 after it developed a motor problem. After two days of silence, ground control teams received a signal that the device had put itself into an emergency standby mode. There was no information about what had gone wrong. Since then, the mission team at NASA's laboratory in California has tried to contact the device. This week, NASA engineers are preparing for what may be their last chance to recover the spacecraft. NASA plans to use a newly arrived device to take a picture of the Surveyor to see how the failed craft is oriented to the sun for power and to Earth for communications. It is reported that the picture will be taken on Friday when the satellites are about 93 miles apart. The new high-powered camera should be able to image details of the Surveyor as small as about 10 centimeters. There is a good chance of recovering it.

The main task of Mars Global Surveyor is

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Result:

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Option 1: "to find out if there was water on Mars."

Explanation: The text states that the Mars Global Surveyor is designed to find out signs that Mars once had water, which directly aligns with the main task of the device. This is the primary purpose mentioned in the text, making it the correct answer.

Option 2: "to take pictures of the red planet."

Explanation: While the Mars Global Surveyor does take pictures of Mars, this is not its main task. The primary goal is to find signs of water, and taking pictures is a means to achieve that goal, not the main task itself.

Option 3: "to work out the problems of its motor."

Explanation: This option misrepresents the purpose of the Mars Global Surveyor. The text mentions a motor problem but does not indicate that resolving this issue is the main task of the device. Instead, the focus is on finding signs of water.

Option 4: "to find the causes of the failure in the device."

Explanation: This option is incorrect because the main task of the Mars Global Surveyor is not to investigate its own failures. The text emphasizes its purpose of searching for signs of water on Mars, not diagnosing its operational issues.

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