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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How well does Sagan say his typical audience handles the practical details of a Mars mission?

2. What is the primary way that humans add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

3. Sagan says that the moon was once understood as a symbol of which of the following?

4. In what year did humans visit the moon for the last time?

5. How far out does the solar corona die out?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. What does Sagan want to see on Mars?

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mars is Earth's nearest neighbor and the best candidate for human exploration and settlement.

1) Explain some of the characteristics of the planet Mars, including those that make it a good candidate for human colonization.

2) Discuss the indicators on Mars that suggest to Sagan that life could be found on the planet.

3) Describe the process that Sagan discusses which would be necessary to terraform Mars.

Essay Topic 2

Volcanoes are quite common and relatively active on Earth, and can be observed on solid planetary bodies throughout the solar system.

1) Describe the process of volcanism in general, its causes, and its impact on the environment.

2) Discuss the function and nature of volcanoes on Earth and how they interact with the upper atmosphere and eject particles into space.

3) Describe some of the known active or dormant volcano system observed on other planets and moons.

Essay Topic 3

The geocentric theory of the solar system stated that the sun, the moon, and the planets orbit around the Earth. This world-view was formally endorsed for more than fifteen hundred years, but was eventually shattered by the heliocentric theory.

1) Explain the geocentric theory, including the details of its layout for the solar system and how it accounted for some of the abnormalities in the orbits of the planets.

2) Discuss the origin of this theory and how it came to be embraced by scholars and religious leaders alike.

3) Describe some of the shortcomings of this theory, according to Sagan's arguments.

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