reading comprehension & essay page 131

[yx33]

This is the passage about life on Mars. In question #6, It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following characteristics of a planet would imply that it might support life?

Choice C(A size roughly approximating that of Earth) is considered a correct choice. Explanation given is that passage has suggested that physical aspects of a planet that prove it similar to Earth imply that it could support life. But the "proof sentences" given by this Explanation only mentions "proximity," "likeness," "length of day," and "axial tilt." In other words, the passage mentions some physical aspects but nothing about "size" in particular. Doesn't this answer and explanation over-generalized the passage's claims?

[tommywallach]

Hey Yx,

I agree that this is a tough one, because it requires a bit of science understanding. Length of day would be affected by the size of a planet, given that a day represents how long it takes for the planet to turn once on its axis. So if length of day is relevant, than so would be the size of the planet (i.e. a planet roughly the same size as Earth would be more likely to have a similar length of day -- not definitively, of course, but more likely).

I agree though that it's a slightly unfair question, given the switch. I'll look into it.

-t