Reading
1b Read the text below and check your answers.
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 (CO2), 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.