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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 13, The Gift of Apollo, Chapter 14, Exploring Other Worlds and Protecting This One.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the state of the knowledge and belief about life on other planets at the time the book was written?
(a) Scientists expected to find life on most of the planets and moons.
(b) It was believed there was abundant life on Mars.
(c) No signs of life were known to exist.
(d) Most believed life on other planets was impossible.

2. In Chapter 5 Sagan asks the reader to imagine that they are which of the following?
(a) A time traveler.
(b) An alien.
(c) An ant.
(d) An ancient person.

3. Which of the following is one of the "great demotions" that Sagan cites?
(a) There may have been life on Mars.
(b) The Earth is 6 billion years old.
(c) There are planets orbiting other stars.
(d) Light and magnetism are the same thing.

4. Uranus has an unusual field around it of what type?
(a) Radiation.
(b) Magnetism.
(c) Photons.
(d) Gamma rays.

5. What hazard threatened the Voyager craft in Sagan's plan to take a distant picture of Earth?
(a) Cosmic rays.
(b) Space dust.
(c) Micrometeorites.
(d) The Sun's rays.

Short Answer Questions

1. What unusual source of energy do the Voyager spacecraft take advantage of?

2. What scientist is well-known for writing about the differences between species of animals?

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

4. According to Sagan, how profitable is it for a nation to invest in space exploration?

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

(see the answer key)

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