Question 201
MediumOriginal questionThere are only a few places in the solar system where scientists think life beyond the Earth might possibly be found. One of them is Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.
At first sight it seems an choice. Europa is a long way from the Sun, more than five times as far as the Earth is, and it is cold. It is also small, a little smaller than our own Moon. Its surface is frozen so hard that, where you could break the Earth's winter ice with an ice pick, on Europa you would need a .
What makes Europa interesting is water. Water is one of the key for life, and scientists think Europa has a great deal of it, perhaps more than twice as much as the Earth. On the surface it is solid ice. Beneath that frozen , however, many scientists believe there may be a deep ocean of liquid water.
Nobody knows whether anything lives there. But a moon with a hidden ocean is exactly the kind of place scientists want to explore when they ask whether we are alone in the universe.
Why is Europa of special interest to scientists?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The passage says Europa is one of the few places where life "might possibly be found", because it may have lots of water, including a possible ocean under the ice.
Worth noting
The passage says Europa is small and far from the Sun, so calling it the largest moon or close to the Sun contradicts it.
- Concept
- Identifying the central reason in a passage
- Typical timeTypical
- 45 s
- Your timeYours
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