Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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You live in the
a. | stratosphere | c. | troposphere | b. | mesosphere | d. | ionosphere. |
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2.
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The solar system includes
a. | asteroids | c. | the planets | b. | the sun | d. | all of these |
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3.
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Evidence today indicates that the age of our solar system is about
a. | 1 billion years. | c. | 7 billion years. | b. | 5 billion years. | d. | 3 billion
years. |
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4.
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The stratopause separates the stratosphere from the
a. | thermosphere | c. | ionosphere. | b. | troposphere | d. | mesosphere |
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5.
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Chunks of rock in a belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupter are called
a. | asteroids | c. | meteors | b. | comets | d. | meteorites |
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6.
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Galaxies that are moving away from Earth have light spectra characteristic
of
a. | a blue shift. | c. | the sun. | b. | a red shift. | d. | a black hole. |
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7.
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According to astronomers, most stars are actually paired stars called
a. | novas. | c. | binaries. | b. | nebulae | d. | galaxies. |
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8.
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The percent of the Earth’s surface covered by water is
approximately
a. | 71 percent | c. | 29 percent | b. | 97 percent | d. | 3 percent |
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9.
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What percent of the Earth’s crust is covered by ocean water?
a. | 71 percent | c. | 97 percent | b. | 61 percent | d. | 50 percent |
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10.
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The distance from the Earth to the moon is about
a. | 3940 | c. | 384 km | b. | 38,400 | d. | 384,000 |
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11.
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The Earth’s diameter is about 12,756 km. If the moon’s diameter is
about one fourth that of the Earth, the moon’s diameter is about
a. | 6952 km | c. | 1594 m | b. | 3476 km | d. | 10,428 km. |
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12.
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A star that will live the longest has a starting mass that is
a. | small. | c. | medium sized. | b. | large. | d. | extra large. |
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13.
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The moons of planets are called
a. | comets | c. | asteroids | b. | satellites | d. | protoplanets |
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14.
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There is no weather on the moon because
a. | one side of the moon is always without sunlight. | c. | there is too much
sun. | b. | there is no atmosphere. | d. | there are only moderate traces of water present. |
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15.
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The correct order of atmospheric layers from the Earth to outer space is
a. | troposphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere. | c. | stratosphere, troposphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere. | b. | mesosphere, troposphere, thermosphere,
stratosphere. | d. | troposphere,
stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere. |
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16.
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A planet whose rotation is retrograde is
a. | Mars | c. | Venus | b. | Jupiter | d. | Mercury. |
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17.
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Before the Earth had an ozone layer, the only existing creatures were
a. | microscopic organisms that live far below the ocean surface. | c. | dinosaurs that
thrived in huge swamps | b. | small reptiles that lived under rocky
areas. | d. | insect like animals
that occupied the upper 10 ft of the ocean waters |
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18.
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A flat-topped seamount is called a(an)
a. | guyot | c. | midocean ridge | b. | atoll | d. | upwelling |
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19.
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Which of the following planets is referred to as an inner planet of our solar
system?
a. | Jupiter | c. | Saturn | b. | Mercury | d. | Pluto |
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20.
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The coldest region of our atmosphere can be found in the
a. | mesosphere | c. | stratosphere | b. | troposphere | d. | thermosphere |
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21.
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The big bang theory is based on the assumption that
a. | our present universe is the result of the expansion of matter from a single
point. | c. | galaxies near the edge of our universe are moving toward the center of the
universe. | b. | the center of our universe was originally cold and dense. | d. | Once stars formed, matter moved toward the
center of the universe. |
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22.
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Our atmosphere contains approximately what percent of oxygen?
a. | 21 percent | c. | 62 percent | b. | 78 percent | d. | 13 percent |
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23.
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The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram does not provide information about a
star’s
a. | surface temperature | c. | distance from
Earth. | b. | brightness. | d. | color |
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24.
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Satellites that reenter our atmosphere burn up because
a. | fuels onboard ignite and set the satellite ablaze. | c. | the rubbing of the atmosphere
against the satellite causes the satellite to burn. | b. | stored energy onboard the satellite is released
causing the satellite to burn. | d. | the troposphere is exceedingly hot and causes the satellite to
burn. |
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25.
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Which of the following is not a type of solar storm?
a. | corona | c. | solar flare | b. | sunspot | d. | prominence. |
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26.
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The longest day of the year occurs at the
a. | vernal equinox | c. | autumnal equinox | b. | winter solstice | d. | summer solstice |
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27.
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As you go higher in the troposphere
a. | the air gets thicker | c. | air temperature decreases | b. | temperature
increases | d. | gases present
increase in density |
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28.
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The reason mountain climbers wear oxygen masks is that
a. | at this height, free oxygen in the air freezes. | c. | high-altitude air is rich in ice
crystals that they cannot breathe | b. | the air is unclean. | d. | the air contains much less oxygen at this
altitude |
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29.
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In the nitrogen cycle,
a. | nitrogen gas is used directly by trees to make protein. | c. | plants release
nitrogen as nitrates. | b. | animals release nitrogen directly into the
atmosphere. | d. | bacteria
combine with other chemicals to make nitrates. |
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30.
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The escape velocity of a rocket depends on the
a. | temperature of the planet. | c. | mass of the
rocket. | b. | mass of the planet. | d. | distance to the destination. |
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31.
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A chunk of ice, dust, and gas from the Oort cloud that moves aroun the sun is
called a(an)
a. | asteroid | c. | comet | b. | meteroid | d. | planet |
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32.
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A part of an ocean that is nearly surrounded by land is a(an)
a. | river | c. | island | b. | sea | d. | canyon |
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33.
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The law that states that an object’s motion will not change unless it is
acted upon by an outside force is called the law of
a. | inertia | c. | elliptical motion | b. | gravity | d. | force |
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34.
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Black holes result from the death of
a. | super-massive stars. | c. | protostars | b. | medium-sized stars | d. | white dwarfs. |
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35.
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Fusion within an aging red giant star causes
a. | matter in the star to spread out so that the star becomes a massive
star. | c. | the outer hydrogen shell of the star to collapse. | b. | the temperature in
the core of the star to rise. | d. | helium atoms fuse into hydrogen atoms. |
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36.
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Which of the following illustrates a blue shift?
a. | an approaching star | c. | light from distant galaxies. | b. | a galaxy racing
toward the edge of the universe. | d. | an open universe. |
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37.
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Ozone is a form of
a. | hydrogen | c. | carbon dioxide. | b. | nitrogen | d. | oxygen |
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38.
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How long does it take light from a quasar 6 billion light years away to reach
Earth?
a. | 6 billion years. | c. | 6 million years | b. | 6 years | d. | 6 minutes |
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39.
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Earth has four seasons due to its
a. | hydrosphere | c. | magnetism | b. | tilted axis and revolution | d. | rotation |
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40.
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The period of Earth’s rotation is equal to
a. | 29.8 kilometers per second | c. | 365 days | b. | 58 degrees
Celsius. | d. | 24
hours. |
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41.
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Spring tides occur when
a. | the moon is in last-quarter phase | c. | the moon is in first-quarter
phase | b. | the sun and moon are in line with the Earth | d. | the sun and moon are at right angles to the
Earth |
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42.
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During respiration
a. | carbon dioxide is joined with food to make free oxygen. | c. | carbon dioxide is
used directly from the atmosphere. | b. | oxygen and food products are combined to
release energy. | d. | oxygen is
given off as a waste product. |
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43.
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The “northern lights” is another name for the
a. | Van Allen belts | c. | penumbra | b. | lunar eclipse | d. | Aurora borealis |
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44.
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An ocean is different from a sea because
a. | the water in an ocean is salty and sea water is not. | c. | seas are smaller than
oceans. | b. | animals in the sea are completely different. | d. | oceans are located higher than
seas. |
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45.
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A band of colors formed when white light passes through a prism is called
a
a. | spectrum. | c. | lens | b. | photograph. | d. | ray. |
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46.
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People in the umbra cast by the moon will see a
a. | total solar eclipse | c. | total lunar eclipse | b. | partial lunar eclipse | d. | partial solar
eclipse |
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47.
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In our atmosphere, the mesosphere
a. | may reach temperatures as high as 2000° C. | c. | separates the stratosphere from the
troposphere | b. | has the warmest temperature of all atmospheric zones | d. | protects us from
meteoroids |
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48.
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At perigee in its orbit, the moon is
a. | closest to the sun. | c. | nearest the Earth | b. | farthest from the Earth. | d. | Farthest from the
sun. |
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49.
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Our protective Van Allen radiation belts are contained within the
a. | magnetosphere | c. | ionosphere. | b. | stratosphere | d. | thermosphere |
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50.
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The Earth’s magnetosphere is constantly being reshaped by the
a. | North Pole | c. | aurora | b. | solar wind | d. | moon |
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51.
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The time it takes for a planet to make one complete trip around the sun is its
period of
a. | rotation. | c. | day. | b. | revolution. | d. | orbit. |
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52.
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We are protected from most of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun
because
a. | the water vapor present in the thermosphere blots it out. | c. | our atmosphere is
rich in ammonia, methane and water. | b. | ultraviolet radiation first encounters the
troposphere as it approaches the Earth. | d. | ozone absorbs it in the stratosphere. |
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53.
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The number of days it takes the moon to pass from the full-moon phase to the
new-moon phase is
a. | 29.5 days | c. | 7 days | b. | 14.75 days | d. | 31 days |
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54.
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Astronomers believe that our solar system began as a
a. | neutron star. | c. | nebula | b. | white dwarf. | d. | black hole |
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55.
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The orbits of the planets are
a. | elliptical | c. | circular | b. | completely irregular | d. | linear |
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56.
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The main factor that shapes the life and eventual death of a star is its
a. | color | c. | diameter | b. | temperature | d. | mass |
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57.
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The ionosphere is important to communications networks on the Earth
because
a. | signals bounce off the ionosphere back to Earth. | c. | TV stations use the exosphere for
transmissions | b. | communications signals pass right through the ionosphere as they pass to outer
space. | d. | the ionosphere
contains vast quantities of helium that strengthen the power of communication
signals. |
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58.
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The deepest spot known on the Earth is found in the
a. | Indian Ocean | c. | Mariana Trench | b. | Mid-Atlantic Ridge | d. | Mediterranean
Sea |
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59.
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Parallax is a method used to determine a star’s
a. | brightness. | c. | distance from Earth. | b. | temperature | d. | composition. |
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60.
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In mid-July, days would be the shortest in
a. | the United States | c. | Africa | b. | the Arctic | d. | the Antarctic |
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61.
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Organisms that live on the ocean floor are called
a. | plankton | c. | swimming organisms | b. | benthos | d. | nekton |
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62.
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Evidence that supports the big-bang theory of the origin of the universe
includes the fact that galaxies
a. | exert a force on other galaxies in space. | c. | are speeding away from the center
of the universe. | b. | are collected at the center of the universe. | d. | give off
radiation. |
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63.
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Ocean temperatures are lowest in the
a. | thermocline | c. | neritic zone | b. | surface zone | d. | deep zone |
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64.
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Living things use nitrogen for
a. | drinking | c. | making carbohydrates. | b. | making
protein | d. | breathing |
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65.
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In a reaction engine such as a rocket,
a. | the sun’s gravitational pull causes the rocket to shoot forward. | c. | Earth’s
magnetic field causes the rocket to shoot forward. | b. | the rearward blast of exploding gases causes
the rocket to shoot forward. | d. | explosion of gunpowder causes the rocket to shoot
forward. |
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66.
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Masses of flowing water that carry sediments down the continental slope are
called
a. | turbidity currents | c. | surface currents | b. | deep currents | d. | longshore
currents |
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67.
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A stream of water that flows parallel to a coast is called a(an)
a. | rip current. | c. | upwelling | b. | deep current | d. | longshore
current |
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True/False
Indicate whether the
sentence or statement is true or false.
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68.
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The troposphere is the layer of the atosphere nearest the Earth.
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69.
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The word stellar means star-like.
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70.
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As the altitude in the atmosphere increases, air becomes colder and less
dense.
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71.
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The most abundant salt in ocean water is sodium chloride.
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72.
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Midocean ridges are caused by the flow and cooling of molten material from
deep within the Earth.
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73.
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Neap tides can occur when there is a new moon.
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74.
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“Shooting stars” that reach the surface of Earth are known as
meteorites.
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75.
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Plants remove carbon dioxide from our atmosphere as they decay.
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76.
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The elements iron and nickel make up the Earth’s core.
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77.
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All objects in our universe are moving.
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78.
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The atmospheres of Earth and Mars are composed mostly of hydrogen and
helium.
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79.
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The hottest main-sequence stars shine with an orange or red light.
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80.
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In the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day of the year occurs at the winter
solstice.
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81.
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The continental slope and continental shelf together make up the continental
rise.
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82.
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Astronomers agree that all of the galaxies are moving away from each other at
the same speed.
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