I Submit that Impact of Solid Bodies is the Most Fundamental of All Interstellar Processes

Reading Passage Question

I submit that impact of solid bodies is the most fundamental of all interstellar processes that have taken place on the terrestrial planets: without impact, Earth, Mars, Venus, and Mercury would not exist.

Simply put, the collision of smaller objects is the process by which the terrestrial planets were born. On the surface, that the geological record of the earliest history of impacts on the terrestrial planets has been lost, is troubling. As the process is self-erasing, to a certain extent, the earliest record would have been lost even if processes of melting and internal evolution of the planets had not occurred. But much of the record of the last stages of accretion of the planets is preserved, especially on the moon, Mercury, and Mars. In fact, the last stage of accretion is still going on, albeit at a very slow rate.

This is fortunate, because we can study many aspects of the processes of planetary birth by investigating the nature of small bodies that still exist, the dynamics of their orbital evolution, and the effects that they produce when they ultimately collide with a planet. If impact and accretion were not still occurring, it would be hard to come to grips with a number of difficult problems of planetary origin and early evolution.

“I submit that impact of solid bodies is the most fundamental of all interstellar processes” - this is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 3 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. present evidence that argues against a common misconception in the formation of planets
2. undermine a claim regarding the role accretion plays in planetary evolution
3. argue for the importance of using existing planetary conditions to understand prior cosmic occurrences
4. underscore the importance of an astronomical process and describe ways in which we can understand this process
5. discuss how, unless immediate action is taken, astronomers will squander an opportunity to better understand planetary formation

2. It can be most reasonably inferred that which of the following accounts for the lack of a geological record concerning the history of impacts on the planets?

1. the violence of the initial impact
2. an outcome that is not self-erasing
3. a process of change in planets themselves
4. the absence of proof relating to a hypothetical collision
5. the ongoing process of accretion

3. The author suggests that at least some of “a number of difficult problems...”can be understood by

1. extrapolating from observable phenomenon
2. anticipating the result of the collision of small bodies
3. studying the rate of accretion on planets
4. observing the internal process of planets
5. discounting the dynamics of how orbits change over time

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