UNIT 12: LIFE

ON OTHER PLANETS

LESSON 5: SKILLS 1

1. Mars is called the Red Planet because of its reddish surface. There

have been many explorations to Mars by humans since the mid-20th
century. Scientists hope that we can find another planet to accommodate
human life.

2. There are major reasons why the climate on Mars is unsuitable for

human life. Temperatures on Mars can be as low as -87 degrees Celsius
and rarely get above 0 degrees Celsius. But the bigger problem is the
lack of oxygen. 95% of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide (C02), and this is
poisonous to breathe. Moreover, there is no water on Mars even though
scientists have found traces of it.

3. However, as early as the mid-19th century, scientists discovered that
Mars had some similarities to Earth. A day on Mars is 24 hours, 39
minutes and 35 seconds, almost the same as a day on Earth. Mars also
experiences seasons just as Earth does. However, the seasons are
twice as long because a year on Mars lasts about twice as long as an
Earth year.

poisonous
twice
experiences
traces
surface
climate
accommodate

1–C

2–B

3–A

It is also called the Red Planet.

The lowest temperature is -87 degrees Celsius and
the highest may be a bit higher than zero.
Because 95% of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide.

A day on Mars is a bit longer.
It is twice as long as a year on Earth.

Pair

Pair

New human: What kind of food did the
human say she ate?
New Martian: She said that she ate rice,
bread, meat and fruit and vegetables.
New human: Yes, that's right!

Pair

1. Learn by heart the new words.
2. Speak with your friends
3. Prepare for the next lesson.