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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the major result of the Cretaceous-Tertiary Collision?
(a) An ice age.
(b) Environmental shifts.
(c) The destruction of most plant life on the Earth.
(d) Mass extinction.

2. What characteristic of the atmosphere of Venus was initially impossible to explain?
(a) Its high winds.
(b) Its composition.
(c) Its heat.
(d) Its dark spots.

3. Which of the following is NOT a major resource on Mars that makes it viable for "terraforming"?
(a) Carbon dioxide.
(b) Water.
(c) Calcium deposits.
(d) Sunlight.

4. The primary discipline that Sagan argues nations benefit from by investing in space exploration is called which of the following?
(a) Planetary science.
(b) Atmospheric metrics.
(c) Interstellar surveying.
(d) Gestalt geosurveying.

5. What does Sagan believe about weapons of mass destruction?
(a) They must never used in anger.
(b) They should be tightly controlled.
(c) They are a necessary evil.
(d) They must be destroyed.

6. What is the main component of the atmosphere of Venus?
(a) Hydrogen.
(b) Sulfuric acid.
(c) Phosphate.
(d) Quicklime gas.

7. When did NASA's SETI program go online?
(a) 1996.
(b) 1984.
(c) 1978.
(d) 1992.

8. What moon was found to have volcanoes?
(a) Terpsichore.
(b) Persephone.
(c) Io.
(d) Europa.

9. What does Sagan say the rings of Saturn composed of?
(a) Chunks of destroyed planets.
(b) Frozen methane clouds.
(c) Tiny ice worlds.
(d) Discs of stone.

10. How old are the terrain features generated by Venus' volcanoes?
(a) 4 billion years.
(b) 2 billion years.
(c) 1 billion years.
(d) 500 million years.

11. What types of information does SETI analyze?
(a) Magnetic waves.
(b) Gravitational waves.
(c) Cosmic rays.
(d) Radio waves.

12. Which of the following is NOT one of the missions that observed Venus using radar telescopes?
(a) Venera.
(b) Pioneer.
(c) Magellan.
(d) Vesta.

13. What was the name of the mission that sent the first probes to Venus?
(a) Lyka.
(b) Venera.
(c) Sojourner.
(d) Oracle.

14. What type of missions does Sagan recommend in order to prepare to deal with Earth-bound asteroids?
(a) Asteroid landings.
(b) Extra-planetary manned missions.
(c) Meteor landings.
(d) Spacewalks.

15. What is the shape of the galaxy closest to the Milky Way?
(a) Disc.
(b) Cluster.
(c) Spiral.
(d) Globular.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the farthest orbital location that humans have ventured to since the last time men went to the moon?

2. At the time this book was written, about how many asteroids were known to have paths that take them close to the Earth?

3. When was Venus first explored by a space probe?

4. Which of the following planets is NOT known to have a ring system?

5. Sagan cautions that the beliefs he endorses could lead to an overabundance of what?

(see the answer keys)

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