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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. In what year did humans visit the moon for the last time?
(a) 1969.
(b) 1975.
(c) 1979.
(d) 1972.

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

3. Where was NASA's first SETI facility located?
(a) The Nevada salt flats.
(b) The Mojave desert.
(c) The Sierra Nevada mountain range.
(d) The Appalachian mountain range.

4. When did a "disrupted" comet famously fall into Jupiter?
(a) 1982.
(b) 2000.
(c) 1994.
(d) 1964.

5. Which of the following characteristics of Venus is LEAST similar to Earth's?
(a) Gravitation.
(b) Orbit.
(c) Mass.
(d) Size.

Short Answer Questions

1. Sagan estimates that intelligent life might arise on average in one out of how many stars?

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. What does Martian soil seem to contain?

4. What is the primary distinguishing feature that SETI looks for to identify a communication from an intelligent source?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Venus different from Earth?

2. What does Sagan conclude about the morality of terraforming and planetary colonization?

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

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

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

6. What does Sagan believe black holes have to offer?

7. What is unusual about the surface of Venus?

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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