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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. What happens to the number of asteroids and comets in the solar system as time goes on?
(a) Its change is unknown.
(b) It diminishes.
(c) It remains about the same.
(d) It increases.

3. About how many channels does SETI search for signs of extraterrestrial communication on?
(a) Thousands.
(b) A few hundred.
(c) One hundred.
(d) Millions.

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

5. What country does Sagan believe is best suited for undertaking a terraforming effort?
(a) The European Union.
(b) Japan.
(c) China.
(d) The United States.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the plans Sagan discussed, how would nuclear weapons typically be used to stop an asteroid from colliding with the Earth?

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. Sagan suggests that ancient people did not think of the moon as which of the following?

4. What type of asteroids does Sagan suggest that men might be able to live inside of?

5. What type of Mars mission did President Reagan turn down?

Short Essay Questions

1. What promising signs does Mars have for being host to life?

2. Why does Sagan believe it is unlikely that a manned mission to Mars will be carried out in the near future?

3. What profit motivations exist in a manned mission to Mars?

4. What location in the solar system either have or are believed to have once had volcanoes?

5. What resources does Sagan believe that carbon asteroids have that make them suitable for human habitation?

6. What does Sagan believe would be necessary for the safety of the human race to be secured?

7. How could planetary tides pull a small planet apart?

8. What types of strategies are most practical for stopping an Earth-bound asteroid?

9. What would the process of "terraforming" on Mars be like?

10. Why does Sagan suggest that space exploration aids in protecting the planet?

(see the answer keys)

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