SAT OwlQuestion bank / Central Ideas and Details
When NASA launched the two Voyager spacecraft in 1977, each carried a gold-plated copper record. The records hold greetings in 55 languages, natural sounds such as thunder and birdsong, and music ranging from Bach to Chuck Berry. The committee that chose the contents, led by astronomer Carl Sagan, knew that the chance of either record ever being found was extremely small. They hoped, however, that any beings who did find one would learn something about the people who had sent it.
According to the text, what did the committee hope the records would do?
Help NASA track the Voyager spacecraft
Teach any beings who found them something about the people who sent them
Preserve rare recordings for future generations on Earth
Make the spacecraft easier for other beings to find
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
The last sentence states the committee's hope directly: that any beings who found a record "would learn something about the people who had sent it." That is choice B.
Choice C sounds like a reasonable goal for a record, but the text never mentions preserving recordings for people on Earth.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. The text does not mention using the records for navigation or tracking purposes. The records are intended for communication, not for locating the spacecraft.
- C. The passage states the records are for beings who find them in space, not for preserving audio for people on Earth. This choice misidentifies the intended audience.
- D. The text says the chance of the records being found is small. It does not suggest the records were designed to make the spacecraft easier to locate.
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