Article 1

The Case for Mars

By Alexander Fisher

A mission to Mars should be the next step for NASA. There are many reasons why going to Mars is important. First, Mars is the most likely planet for us to colonize. No matter how expensive, we need to work on getting there as soon as possible. Furthermore, the technology that we would need to develop to send humans to Mars would directly benefit our economy here on Earth. Just look at the money-making products that have already resulted from NASA’s space efforts: invisible braces, water filters, cordless vacuums, to name just a few.

Although we have already sent robots to Mars, robots can’t take the place of humans when it comes to studying the planet. A robot may break down. Also, it takes robots much longer to cover the same amount of ground than it would a human. Think how much faster we could learn about the planet if we sent humans to work alongside the robots!

Finally, claims that there will be significant health problems for people who travel to Mars are wrong. Studies have shown that radiation levels on Mars are not lethal to humans. Sure, we would have to live in a dome at first, but over time, we could use science to change the atmosphere and make it possible to go outside, just like on Earth! The choice is clear. We need to go to Mars now!

Article 2

Mars—A Waste of Time and Money

By Juniper Springs

While it might be fun to imagine traveling to Mars one day, now is not the time to go. For one thing, it is too dangerous. The atmosphere of the planet is more carbon dioxide than oxygen, and it’s very cold. While there are claims that the radiation levels on the planet are not lethal to humans, that does not mean they aren’t dangerous. We don’t yet know what the long-term health effects will be. As of now, we do not have a solution to this problem. It is foolish to think a dome would be able to protect us from all of the radiation.

It would also be impossible to build one large enough to house as many people as would want to go. Also, going to Mars will be expensive. Why spend money traveling to a planet that is so dangerous and far away? That money could be better spent on addressing problems here on Earth.

Furthermore, it is unwise to think any inventions that come about as a result of our race to Mars would make up for the cost of getting there. We are already able to send robots to Mars. It won’t be long until our technology is so advanced that a robot will be able to do the same tasks as a human. It is not necessary to go to Mars right now.

Passage: mrs. smith’s sixth-grade class filed onto the grassy field behind the middle school after lunch. as she exited the building, chelsea looked around for her closest friend, brittany. she spotted her by the swings, talking to their classmate brian. 2 “brian thinks he’s the fastest person in mrs. smith’s class,” brittany told her when she had joined them. it was obvious that brittany didn’t agree with brian. 3 “i guarantee i can beat anyone in this class to a race,” brian said, tugging on the scarlet baseball cap that he wore each and every day. “in fact, i bet i can run faster than the seventh, eighth, and even ninth graders, too! ” 4chelsea rolled her eyes, but wasn’t astonished by his declaration. brian was typically overconfident; he was always challenging other students and expecting to win. according to brian, he was so talented that he could hit more home runs than children on the baseball team and even could repeatedly make more baskets than the boys and girls on the basketball team. 5 “who dares to challenge me? ” brian shouted, directing his question to every student on the playground. the students looked around, but no one volunteered. 6 “i’ll race you,” chelsea said, breaking the awkward silence. she knew she wasn’t the fastest person on the playground, but if she possessed the determination necessary to win, perhaps she could complete the race first. 7 “first person around the field wins,” said brian, stretching his legs and jumping up and down to ready himself for the race. 8they approached the starting line, and brittany counted to three. 9 “see you at the finish line! ” brian exclaimed and left chelsea in the dust. 10brian soon disappeared around the first turn. chelsea took a deep breath and continued to run at a quick pace. the sun was warm and she soon grew tired, but she didn’t stop. ahead, brian approached the finish line and as he began to celebrate, she watched him trip over a small mound of dirt and fall to the ground. 11as chelsea reached the finish line, she noticed that brian was still seated on the ground, rubbing his injured knee. instead of running past him and winning the race, chelsea stooped down to him stand. he leaned on her shoulder, and they completed the race together. 12 “you could've won,” brian said as their friends came out to congratulate them. 13chelsea smiled. “friends are more important than winning,” she said. 14brian smiled at her. “my thoughts exactly,” he said question: which action in the story advance the plot the most? a) when chelsea accepts brian's challenge to race him b) when chelsea rolled her eyes at irritation at brian's pride c) when chelsea reached the finish line and brian finish the race d) when brittany told chelsea that brian thinks he's the fastest in the class