View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. What was the name of the second mission that sent probes into the atmosphere of Venus?
(a) Brahe.
(b) Kepler.
(c) Mariner.
(d) Hubble.

3. According to Sagan, what was the major advantage of the attitude of the government towards the Apollo project?
(a) There was plenty of funding for space.
(b) Computers advanced in power rapidly.
(c) New propulsion systems were developed.
(d) Rocket science progressed quickly.

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

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What happens to the number of asteroids and comets in the solar system as time goes on?

2. Which of the following characteristics of Venus is LEAST similar to Earth's?

3. What type of missions does Sagan recommend in order to prepare to deal with Earth-bound asteroids?

4. It is believed that some of Saturn's rings may eventually form into what?

5. Where was NASA's first SETI facility located?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How well can an asteroid's path be calculated?

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

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

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

7. What does Sagan say that it is probably the fate of humanity to "live in the dark"?

8. Why does Sagan believe that America sent men to the moon?

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

10. What is the purpose of SETI and how does it operate?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 692 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample