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

2. How well does Sagan say his typical audience handles the practical details of a Mars mission?
(a) They are meticulous thinkers on the subject.
(b) They are uninterested in the details.
(c) They are well-connected and able to deal with the details.
(d) They are hopelessly incapable of dealing with them.

3. What fuel source might be viable within asteroids?
(a) Methane.
(b) Bacteria byproducts.
(c) Hexane.
(d) Organic solids.

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

5. Which of the following planets is NOT known to have a ring system?
(a) Saturn.
(b) Venus.
(c) Jupiter.
(d) Uranus.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Sagan say that Mars is a more desirable target for human exploration than the moon?

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

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

4. Which of the following is NOT a major resource on Mars that makes it viable for "terraforming"?

5. What did Steven Hawking worry about with regard to black holes?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What is unusual about the surface of Venus?

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

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

7. What is unusual about the ring systems of the planets in our solar system?

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

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

10. What major environmental catastrophes does Sagan warn against in Chapter 14, "Exploring Other Worlds and Protecting One"?

(see the answer keys)

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