1. The central idea of this passage is primarily concerned with
A. how solar activity can affect the climate on Earth.
B. the history of methods used by astronomers to study the sun.
C. scientists' current understanding of sunspots and solar flares.
D. the 11-year cycle of solar flare activity.
2. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A. Lines 5-10 ("Scientists … high temperature")
B. Lines 14-17 ("Galileo … years")
C. Lines 50-52 ("Sunspots do not … 1715")
D. Lines 58-60 ("Scientists mostly agree … temperatures")
3. The author refers to the enhanced auroras resulting from solar flares mostly to
A. provide contrast with the negative effects of solar flares described.
B. illustrate the powerful effects of solar flares on Earth's atmosphere.
C. suggest that solar flares might cause more damage than previously believed.
D. give an example of how the solar flares affect Earth's climate.
4. Which choice best describes what scientists currently understand about how solar flare activity affects the Earth?
A. Low solar flare activity can cause lower temperatures on Earth.
B. High solar flare activity can lead to disruptions of communication on Earth.
C. Low solar flare activity can cause an enhancement of the auroras on Earth.
D. High solar flare activity can lead to increased severe weather on Earth.
5. Which of the following pieces of evidence would most strengthen the author's line of reasoning?
A. Details added to paragraph 1 about features other than sunspots on the sun's surface and how they affect Earth
B. Information added to paragraph 2 about how astronomers Galileo and Schwabe made their observations
C. Examples in paragraph 3 of problems caused by disruption to communication caused by solar flares
D. Examples in paragraph 5 of other periods in history during which the sun exhibited a decrease in observed sunspot activity