7. PTE Academic Reading Practice: Multiple Choice, Single Answer — Mars Exploration with Step-by-Step Strategies & Vocabulary

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August 15, 2025
PTE Academic Reading Sample Tests

PTE Academic Reading

Multiple Choice, Single Answer — Interactive Module

How to Answer “Multiple Choice, Single Answer” (PTE Reading)

This step‑by‑step guide shows you how to attack a single‑answer multiple‑choice question efficiently, using Mars exploration examples to make each move concrete and repeatable.

Goal & constraints

First, remember that you must select one correct option only, so every action should reduce doubt rather than increase it.

The passage typically contains dense, information‑rich sentences, so skimming is purposeful, not casual.

Your time budget is tight; spend roughly one minute per item on first pass, then move on to avoid opportunity cost.

Accuracy matters more than volume; one careful question solved is better than two guesses.

Expect distractors such as true‑but‑not‑relevant statements, extreme claims, or options that slightly misquote the passage.

The stem (the question) defines your reading lens; you read to answer that lens, not to understand everything.

If the stem asks about main purpose, focus on global intent; if it asks about a detail, scan surgically.

On Mars passages, distractors often exaggerate mission outcomes or confuse planned missions with accomplished ones.

Do not import outside knowledge (e.g., “I know Perseverance did X”); only the passage’s claims matter.

Finally, be ready to mark and return; forcing a choice when uncertain risks negative scoring balance later.

Mini‑example

Stem: “What is the author’s main point about Mars sample return?” Your reading lens becomes: plans vs. challenges vs. timelines vs. scientific value.

Build a quick map

Read the title or opening phrase to anchor topic and scope (e.g., “Robotic exploration of Mars since 1997”).

Read the first sentence fully; it usually sets the claim or contrast for the paragraph.

Glance at the last sentence; authors often conclude with implication, evaluation, or shift to future outlook.

Underline two to four keywords that look mission‑critical (e.g., “orbiters,” “in‑situ,” “sample caching,” “budget constraints”).

Ignore examples and dates on first skim unless the stem is about chronology.

Note any contrast markers such as “however,” “yet,” and “despite,” as these often align with correct answers.

Identify the passage type: explanatory (how), argumentative (why/should), or descriptive (what/when).

For Mars, watch for comparisons: rover vs. orbiter capabilities, remote sensing vs. sample return, or feasibility vs. ambition.

Create a one‑line mental summary: “Author argues that cautious, stepwise missions deliver cumulative insights despite delays.”

Lock that summary before touching the options; it protects you from being steered by attractive distractors.

Mini‑example

If the last line says, “Yet the most decisive advances may wait for returned samples,” expect purpose/priority answers, not purely historical ones.

Prediction shields you

Read the stem carefully and restate it in your own words to fix scope and direction.

Make a quick prediction from your skim map: the rough shape of the correct answer.

Return to the passage and scan only where evidence is likely to live (topic sentence, contrast markers, or concluding line).

Underline the sentence that most directly addresses the stem; this becomes your “evidence line.”

Check pronoun references and time markers to avoid mis‑anchoring ideas.

If the stem asks “According to the passage,” treat every option as a claim that must be explicitly supported.

For Mars content, evidence often clusters around mission outcomes, instrument limitations, and funding realities.

If no single sentence proves the claim, combine two adjacent statements only if the logic is explicit, not imagined.

Keep your prediction flexible; adjust it if your evidence line contradicts your first guess.

Only after you’ve ring‑fenced evidence should you read the options.

Mini‑example

Stem: “What limitation does the author stress about rover studies?” Evidence line: “in‑situ results remain geographically narrow.” Prediction: answer mentions limited spatial coverage, not instrument sensitivity.

Elimination with textual anchors

Read all options once to spot the one that best matches your prediction and evidence line.

Eliminate options that contradict any explicit phrase in the passage, even if they sound plausible.

Eliminate options that are true but answer a different question (scope shift).

Be suspicious of absolute terms like “always,” “prove,” or “complete,” unless the passage is equally absolute.

Watch for cause‑effect swaps (“because” vs. “resulted in”) and chronology swaps (plan vs. outcome).

Prefer options that paraphrase the passage’s logic rather than recycle one shiny word from it.

In Mars texts, a classic trap is upgrading “suggests habitability” to “confirms life,” or shifting “budget constraints delay” to “cancel.”

When two options look close, ask which one is fully supported, not merely compatible.

Re‑read your marked sentence; the correct option should survive that re‑check without needing extra assumptions.

Make a choice; indecision wastes more marks across the test than a single careful selection.

Mini‑example

Evidence: “orbiters map minerals globally, rovers verify locally.” Correct option: “Orbiters give broad leads; ground truthing is narrow but confirmatory.” Trap: “Rovers provide comprehensive global confirmation.”

Endgame discipline

Do a five‑second sanity check: does your option answer the exact stem, with the right scope and tone?

Confirm that your choice doesn’t rely on outside space knowledge or background assumptions.

If stuck between two, prefer the option that mirrors the author’s nuance (e.g., cautious optimism about Mars, not certainty).

Use partial evidence weighting: if only one option ties to your underlined sentence, it likely wins.

Avoid changing answers without fresh textual reason; first instincts anchored to evidence are usually better.

Log timing: if you cross 75–90 seconds, select your best evidence‑based option and move.

Mark the question if your test interface allows; you can revisit with a fresh mind later.

Mentally record the trap you fell for (e.g., “absolute term,” “scope shift”) to avoid repeating it.

Reset attention before the next item; carry‑over doubt harms accuracy more than a single uncertain guess.

Trust the method: lens → evidence → option surgery → verify → move.

Speed drill

Practice with a 60‑second cap: 15s skim, 10s stem & prediction, 20s evidence, 15s options. This forces crisp decisions on Mars passages with heavy technical vocabulary.

Task — Read the passage and choose the best answer

Use the standard timer or set your own. When time ends, the question locks automatically.

Standard Timer

Default duration: 01:30 (recommended for one MCQ item).

01:30

Custom Timer

Min Sec

01:30

Apply updates the custom duration. Starting the custom timer pauses the standard one.

Passage

Over the past two decades, Mars exploration has shifted from broad orbital reconnaissance to targeted, ground-based investigations. Orbiters first mapped minerals hinting at past water, narrowing sites to ancient lakebeds and deltas. Rovers then performed in-situ analyses, revealing fine-grained sediments, organics, and seasonal methane variations, while confirming that habitable environments once existed. Yet each rover samples only a tiny area, limiting geological context. Consequently, agencies now emphasise sample return: caching carefully selected cores for transport to Earth’s laboratories, where precise dating and biosignature tests are feasible. The author argues that this phased strategy trades speed for reliability, reserving decisive breakthroughs for returned samples.

Question

Which statement best captures the author’s main point?

Sample Answer & Detailed Rationale

Correct option

Question focus

Main point / author’s overall claim

1) The stem asks for the author’s main point, so we prioritise the passage’s central argument over any single fact.

2) The opening establishes a shift from broad orbital surveys to targeted, ground‑based investigations, signalling a phased strategy.

3) The second move credits orbiters with mapping minerals suggesting past water, which frames rovers as follow‑up investigators rather than replacements.

4) The rovers’ role is specified as in‑situ analysis that confirms former habitability indicators such as fine‑grained sediments and organics.

5) A key limitation appears next: each rover samples only a tiny area, creating restricted geological context.

6) That limitation directly motivates the strategic pivot to sample return, not a retreat from exploration.

7) The passage emphasises “caching carefully selected cores” for transport to Earth’s laboratories, where superior tests are possible.

8) Earth‑based analysis enables precise dating and biosignature work that rovers cannot match in scope or sensitivity.

9) The connective “Consequently” explicitly links rover limitations to the prioritisation of sample return.

10) The concluding claim states that the strategy “trades speed for reliability,” reserving decisive breakthroughs for returned samples.

11) Therefore, the main point is not that orbiters or rovers alone are sufficient, but that their sequence culminates in sample return for decisive results.

12) Option C paraphrases this logic: sample return is prioritised because rovers’ narrow coverage constrains firm conclusions.

13) Option A is wrong because the text never says orbiters can confirm life; it mentions minerals and water hints, not proof.

14) Option B is wrong because rovers did not become tools for global mapping; orbiters keep the global remit while rovers verify locally.

15) Option D is wrong because the author does not argue to slow exploration; the pace is reframed as “trading speed for reliability,” not pausing.

16) The rhetorical structure—progress, limitation, consequence—supports a purpose answer favouring strategic prioritisation.

17) Tone cues (“emphasise,” “feasible,” “decisive breakthroughs”) convey cautious optimism anchored in method, not speculation.

18) Scope alignment also favours C: it captures the whole passage arc rather than isolating one tool or outcome.

19) Temporal alignment supports C as well: past mapping → current in‑situ findings → future‑leaning sample return.

20) Thus, C uniquely reflects the author’s thesis and survives evidence checks, while A, B, and D contradict or overreach the text.

Textual anchors (from the passage)

“Rovers then performed in‑situ analyses… Yet each rover samples only a tiny area…”
“Consequently, agencies now emphasise sample return…”
“This phased strategy trades speed for reliability… decisive breakthroughs for returned samples.”

A — Incorrect. The passage credits orbiters with mapping minerals that hint at past water, but it never says orbiters can confirm life; that leap exceeds the text.

B — Incorrect. Rovers do not replace orbiters for global mapping; the text distinguishes global leads (orbiters) from local verification (rovers).

C — Correct. It mirrors the reasoning chain: narrow rover coverage → limited context → agencies prioritise sample return for decisive tests.

D — Incorrect. The author does not recommend slowing exploration; instead, they justify a deliberate, reliability‑focused phase culminating in sample return.

Locate contrast markers (“Yet,” “However,” “Consequently”) and track their cause‑effect chain.
Build a one‑line thesis from the first/last sentences plus any explicit consequence clause.
Prefer options that capture the whole arc (problem → response → outcome) rather than a single detail.
Reject options that claim proof when the passage states possibility, hints, or feasibility.

Key Vocabulary from the Passage

Each item includes pronunciation, grammar patterns, definitions, examples, synonyms, and common learner pitfalls.

Part of speech: noun (uncountable or countable)

Pattern: reconnaissance + of/into

Definition: The preliminary surveying or research of an area, often for gathering information before a detailed investigation.

Example: "Orbital reconnaissance of Mars identified ancient lakebeds." (Here it means initial mapping to guide later missions.)

Synonym: survey

Common mistakes: Learners sometimes confuse it with "recognition"; pronunciation stress is on the second syllable in BrE.

Part of speech: adjective/adverb

Pattern: in-situ + noun / analyse sth in-situ

Definition: Performed in the original place; on-site rather than removed for external examination.

Example: "Rovers conducted in-situ chemical analyses of Martian soil." (Means tests done directly on Mars.)

Synonym: on-site

Common mistakes: Often misspelled without the hyphen; in English it is treated as Latin and not pluralised.

Part of speech: noun (plural, scientific context)

Pattern: detect/find organics in/on

Definition: Organic chemical compounds containing carbon, potentially linked to life processes.

Example: "The rover detected organics in the sediment layers." (Refers to carbon-based molecules, not necessarily life.)

Synonym: carbon compounds

Common mistakes: Learners may confuse with “organic food”; here it’s a scientific term unrelated to agriculture.

Part of speech: adjective

Pattern: be habitable for + noun

Definition: Suitable or fit to be lived in.

Example: "Evidence suggested Mars was once habitable for microbes." (Meaning conditions could have supported life.)

Synonym: liveable

Common mistakes: Confused with “inhabitable” (which can mean habitable or not habitable, depending on usage).

Part of speech: noun (countable/uncountable)

Pattern: in context; provide context for

Definition: The circumstances or background that help explain an event or finding.

Example: "Limited rover coverage reduces the geological context of its findings." (Meaning broader surroundings are unknown.)

Synonym: background

Common mistakes: Learners sometimes use it to mean “text” alone; it’s broader and includes situation.

Part of speech: noun (uncountable); verb (present participle)

Pattern: cache + noun

Definition: Storing something in a hidden or protected place for future use.

Example: "The rover is caching rock cores for later retrieval." (Means storing samples for a future mission.)

Synonym: storing

Common mistakes: Pronounced “cash-ing,” not “kay-ching”; unrelated to money transactions.

Part of speech: adjective

Pattern: be feasible to + verb / be feasible for + noun

Definition: Possible and practical to do easily or conveniently.

Example: "Biosignature analysis is only feasible in Earth laboratories." (Meaning it can realistically be done.)

Synonym: possible

Common mistakes: Learners sometimes confuse with “possible” but feasible also implies practicality, not just possibility.

Part of speech: adjective

Pattern: phased approach/strategy

Definition: Carried out in planned stages or steps over a period of time.

Example: "The agency follows a phased strategy to explore Mars systematically." (Means step-by-step, stage-by-stage.)

Synonym: staged

Common mistakes: Not to be confused with “fazed” (meaning disturbed or bothered).

Part of speech: noun (countable)

Pattern: breakthrough in + noun

Definition: A sudden, significant advance in knowledge or ability.

Example: "Returned samples may lead to a breakthrough in Mars biology." (Major progress or discovery.)

Synonym: advance

Common mistakes: Sometimes used for minor progress; in academic use it refers to a big step forward.

Part of speech: noun (uncountable)

Pattern: reliability of + noun

Definition: The quality of being dependable, accurate, and consistent over time.

Example: "Sample return increases the reliability of geological dating." (Meaning results can be trusted.)

Synonym: dependability

Common mistakes: Learners sometimes confuse with “responsibility” (duty); reliability is about trustworthiness of performance or results.

Key Phrases & Expressions from the Passage

These expressions are taken directly from the passage and are essential for understanding and paraphrasing its ideas.

Part of speech: adverbial phrase

Pattern: over the past/last + number + decades/years

Definition: Referring to a period extending from a point in the past up to the present.

Example: "Over the past two decades, Mars exploration has evolved dramatically." (Indicates ongoing change up to now.)

Synonym: in the last twenty years

Common mistakes: Learners sometimes drop 'over' or use past simple incorrectly instead of present perfect.

Part of speech: phrasal verb pattern

Pattern: shift from + noun/verb-ing + to + noun/verb-ing

Definition: To change focus, activity, or method from one thing to another.

Example: "Exploration shifted from broad surveys to targeted investigations." (Shows a change in approach.)

Synonym: moved from... to...

Common mistakes: Forgetting 'from' or 'to', or mixing verb forms (e.g., from explore to targeting).

Part of speech: verb phrase (present participle)

Pattern: hint at + noun

Definition: Suggesting or implying something indirectly.

Example: "Minerals hinting at past water were detected." (Implies evidence without direct proof.)

Synonym: suggesting

Common mistakes: Learners may confuse with 'hint to', which is incorrect in this context.