READING COMPREHENSION

Tips for Reading comprehension

1. Read the questions first.
2. Read the paragraph and make
mental summary.
3. Read editorials of ET/Economist to
gain deeper and faster
understanding.

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 Io and Europa, the inner two of Jupiter’s four largest
moons, are about the size of Earth’s moon and are
composed mostly or entirely of rock and metal.
Ganymede and Callisto are larger and roughly half ice.
Thus, these four moons are somewhat analogous to the
planets of the solar system, in which the rock- and
metal-rich inner planets are distinct from the much
larger gas- and ice-rich outer planets. Jupiter’s moons
are, however, more “systematic”: many of their
properties vary continuously with distance from Jupiter.
For example, Io is ice-free, Europa has a surface shell of
ice, and while Ganymede and Callisto are both ice-rich,
outermost Callisto has more.

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This compositional gradient has geological parallels. Io
is extremely geologically active, Europa seems to be
active on a more modest scale, and Ganymede has
undergone bouts of activity in its geological past. Only
Callisto reveals no geological activity. In similar fashion,
Callisto’s surface is very heavily cratered from the
impact of comets and asteroids; Ganymede, like Earth’s
moon, is heavily cratered in parts; Europa is very lightly
cratered; and no craters have been detected on Io,
even though Jupiter’s gravity attracts comets and
asteroids passing near it, substantially increasing the
bombardment rate of the inner moons compared to
that of the outer ones. But because of Io’s high degree
of geological activity, its surface undergoes more-or-
less continuous volcanic resurfacing.

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 Questions

1. According to the passage, the difference in the

amount of cratering on Callisto’s and Io’s
respective surfaces can probably be explained by
the difference between these two moons with
respect to which of the following factors?
(A) Size
(B) Ice content
(C) The rate of bombardment by comets and
asteroids
(D) The influence of Jupiter’s other moons
(E) The level of geological activity
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2.Which of the following best describes the purpose of
the second paragraph of the passage?
(A) To provide further evidence of the systematic
variation in the characteristics of Jupiter’s four largest
moons
(B) To present a comprehensive theory to explain the
systematic variation in the characteristics of Jupiter’s
four largest moons
(C) To explain the significance of the systematic variation
in the characteristics of Jupiter’s four largest moons
(D) To introduce facts that contradict conventional
assumptions about Jupiter’s four largest moons
(E) To contrast the characteristics of Jupiter’s four largest
moons with the characteristics of the
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3.The author’s reference to Jupiter’s gravity in line
25 serves primarily to
(A) indicate why the absence of craters on Io’s
surface is surprising
(B) explain the presence of craters on the surface of
Jupiter’s four largest moons
(C) provide an explanation for the lack of geological
activity on Callisto
(D) contrast Jupiter’s characteristics with the
characteristics of its four largest moons
(E) illustrate the similarity between Jupiter’s four
largest moons and the planets of the solar system
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