View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 11, Evening and Morning Star, Chapter 12, The Ground Melts.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. As of 1990, how many planets did the Voyager craft explore?
(a) Two.
(b) Five.
(c) Three.
(d) Four.

2. What criticism does Sagan make of NASA in Chapter 6, "The Triumph of Voyager"?
(a) It has made many engineering mistakes.
(b) It is essentially incompetent.
(c) It cannot correct its mistakes.
(d) It is unconcerned with human safety in spaceflight.

3. How likely does Sagan think it is that the records on Voyager will eventually be found?
(a) It is unlikely.
(b) It is reasonably likely.
(c) It is almost impossible.
(d) It is almost certain.

4. How old does Sagan state that "fundamentalist monotheists" believe the Earth to be?
(a) 300,000 years old.
(b) 6,000 years old.
(c) 10,000 years old.
(d) 1 million years old.

5. When probes enter the atmospheres of other planets, what color do they often see the sky to be?
(a) Red.
(b) Black.
(c) Blue.
(d) Yellow.

Short Answer Questions

1. What characteristic of the atmosphere of Venus was initially impossible to explain?

2. What concept does Sagan suggest that the image of the "pale blue dot" mocks?

3. Besides the Voyager spacecraft, what does Sagan cite as a major triumph by NASA?

4. What is Neptune's largest moon?

5. What is notable about the Sun's light in Sagan's distant picture of the Earth?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 243 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample