<p>Passage 1</p>
<p>The bias against life on Venus is rooted in human presumption. From our limited observation of life on Earth we infer that liquid water, preferably lots of it, is essential for life everywhere. So, when searching for extraterrestrial life, we obsess over "rivulets" on Mars' face - apparently carved by ancient gushes of water - and delight in hints of permafrost just underneath the planet's surface. (By comparison, Venus isn't even that interesting to look at: A boring cue ball for backyard astronomers.) Attention and then funding follow the water: More space landers will depart for Mars, and serious plans for further missions hover in the future.</p>
<p>Passage 2</p>
<p>Is there life on Venus? Could there be life on Venus? The standard answers are "No" and "NO!" Venus is usually dismissed in a paragraph or two before an extensive discussion of the prospects for life on Mars and other planets. This thinking presupposes knowledge of the universal nature of life and the general characteristics of inhabited planets - knowledge that we do not yet possess. Life is usually assumed to require organic molecules dissolved in liquid water. Discussions of other habitable places in the universe exclusively focus on planets with climates and atmospheric conditions that are "just right" for us. Venus, with its 850-900 degree Fahrenheit surface temperatures, is obviously sterile. Or is it?</p>
<ol>
<li>On which points do the authors agree?
a) Earth is not the only planet in the universe where life exists.
b) Life is more likely to be discovered on Venus than on Mars.
c) People consider the possibility of life on Venus from too narrow a perspective.
d) Humans have a natural inclination to explore other planets.
e) Earth-based observation of Venus has given astronomers a false impression.</li>
</ol>
<p>I chose E, after narrowing it down to C and E.</p>
<p>Miss Dove’s rules were as fixed as the signs of the zodiac. And they were known. Miss Dove rehearsed them at the beginning of each school year, stating them as calmly and dispassionately as if she were describing the atmospheric effects of the Gulf Stream. The penalties for infractions of the rules were also known. If a student’s posture was incorrect, he had to go and sit for a while upon a stool wihtout a backrest. If a page in his notebook was untidy, he had to copy it over. If he emitted an uncovered cough, he was expected to rise immediately and fling open a window, no matter how cold the weather, so that a blast of fresh air could protect his fellows from the contamination of his germs. ANd if he felt obliged to disturb the class routine by leaving the room for a drink of water (Miss Dove loftily ignored any other necessity), he did so to an accompaniment of silence. Miss Doive ( line 17)would look at him - that was all - following his departure and greeting his return with her perfectly expressionless gaze, and the whole class would sit idle and motionless until he was back in the fold again. It was easier - even if one had eaten salt fish for breakfast - to remain and suffer.</p>
<p>Q1. In line 17, the narrator inserts the phrase “that was all” in order to emphasize that
a) the infraction was not a serious one
b) a spoken reproach was unnecessary
c) the student openly acknowledged wrongdoing
d) only one offense had been committed
e) even a single offence brought punishment</p>
<p>I ruled out a, c and d. Though I chose b in the end, I am not very certain about the reasoning. How to tell if “that was all” was to convey that Miss Dove speaking would be superfluous.</p>
<p>Q2. The primary purpose of the passage is to
a) analyze a commonplace problem
b) criticize a type of teacher
c) analyse a particular lifestyle
d) present a character sketch
e) describe a childhood memory</p>
<p>Though I chose d, I thought e was a bit close.</p>
<p>for the first one: (c)</p>
<p>why? because the authors who are scientists don’t themselves know if the impression is right or wrong, they’re just criticizing the method</p>
<p>i agree with iamanapp on the first one.</p>
<p>Second Passage
Q1 - B. Because a spoken reproach was unnecessary for the students to feel the uneasy, expressionless, and watching mood of the teacher. </p>
<p>E is not correct because they didn’t receive a punishment. You might be inclined to believe they received one because the students thought it was better “to remain and suffer” but no punishment was dealt.</p>
<p>Q2 - D. Ruling out A, B, and C and left with D and E, we know it is indeed a character sketch of a teacher. No where does it indicate that this is a childhood memory.</p>
<p>^I agree with both of you.
What exactly is a character sketch? I chose it because all the other answers were 100% wrong and this one seem very likely.</p>
<p>^ A character sketch is the portrayal of a particular characteristic of an individual. In this case, the strictness with which Ms. Dove teaches.</p>