"Saturn: Some Essential Ingredients for Life" by Sarah Kaplan If you were going to cook up life on another world, Titan is the place to do it. Saturn’s largest moon is rich with carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen - elements required by all living organisms on Earth. It has two types of wet ingredients - an ocean of water underground and lakes of liquid methane on the surface. And it’s flush with energy - just one of those methane lakes could power every U.S. home for 300 years. Researchers have now detected two more potentially important ingredients for making aliens: a compound that can form a membrane like the kind that envelops cells, and long chains of carbon atoms that may be “universal drivers” for the chemistry that precedes life. It’s as though scientists have walked into a cosmic kitchen and found the oven has been preheated to 350 degrees and the flour and eggs are mixed together, said Sarah Hörst, a professor of planetary science at Johns Hopkins University. “But you weren't there when they got mixed, so you don’t know what they got mixed up to do. You don’t know what will happen when you bake it,” she said. The Washington Post © 2017 The Washington Post. All rights reserved. Used under license. Question Use the passage to answer the question. Analyze the use of the word Titan in the passage. In 3–5 sentences, explain its denotation and connotation and tell why the name is appropriate for Saturn’s moon.

Question

First, note that your response should be 3 to 5 sentences long and should include text evidence from the passage to support your response and explain why your reasoning is logical and valid. Use the template below to help answer the question.

Based on the article, the denotative meaning of the word Titan is_______________, and the connotative meaning is________________. The name is appropriate for Saturn’s moon because _________________.

For example, in the passage it says that “_______________”.

This shows that, ___________________.

In conclusion, ____________________.

Answer 1

Based on the article, the denotative meaning of the word Titan is Saturn's largest moon, while the connotative meaning is that of a grand, powerful entity associated with strength and potential. The name is appropriate for Saturn’s moon because it implies that Titan possesses significant qualities that could foster the development of life. For example, in the passage it says that Titan is “rich with carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen - elements required by all living organisms on Earth.”

This shows that Titan has the essential ingredients that could support the emergence of life, emphasizing its vast potential. In conclusion, the name Titan not only reflects its size and importance within the Saturnian system but also underscores the idea that it is a promising candidate for extraterrestrial life due to its unique chemical composition and environmental conditions.