Fossils on the Moon by Charlie
With the list of unexplored places on Earth growing smaller and smaller every day, the odds of us finding new evidence pointing to our planet’s origins decreases. Surprisingly we could look to the stars to learn more. The Moon is lifeless, and probably always will be. However, this very deadness makes it extremely important in our search for the origin of Earth. It is possible that the Moon’s surface holds an unprecedented fossil record of life on Earth or from our surrounding planets. The oldest evidence of life on Earth dates back to 3.5 billion years ago. There is a strong possibility that we could find evidence of life on the Moon coming from Earth dating back much further than this. Because the Moon has no atmosphere and no plate tectonics, anything that lands there stays in pristine condition. The last time we visited the Moon was 1972. Now we are all focused on our next major objective, Mars, but are we skipping over a key to our past? We have only visited a small fraction of the Moon, and we have already dismissed it as lifeless and dead. There is so much potential for what we could find if we go back.
Part A: Which statement best summarizes the central idea of the text?
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5 points
A The Moon does not have any life, but that does not make it less important.
B The Moon should not be forgotten.
C The Moon may be helpful in learning about Earth’s past.
D The Moon should be our focus and not Mars.
Part B: Which detail from the text best supports your answer in part A?
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10 points
A With the list of unexplored places on Earth growing smaller and smaller every day
B Moon is lifeless, and probably always will be.
C It is possible that the Moon’s surface holds an unprecedented fossil record of life on Earth