QUESTION 03 bookmark_border Select the correct answer Which of the following sentences from the passage best supports the author’s point that circulation of the atmosphere is vital to life on Earth? radio_button_unchecked The equatorial region is the warmest part of the earth because it receives the most direct and, therefore, strongest solar radiation. radio_button_unchecked The circulation of the atmosphere and the weather it generates is but one example of the many complex, interdependent events of nature radio_button_unchecked [The atmosphere] protects Earth from the cold of space, from harmful ultraviolet light, and from all but the largest meteors. radio_button_unchecked A static envelope of air surrounding the earth would produce an extremely hot, uninhabitable equatorial region, while the polar regions would remain inhospitably cold.

QUESTION 17 bookmark_border Select the correct answer Which of the following is the best definition of biosphere as it is used in the passage? radio_button_unchecked the protective envelope formed by the atmosphere around the living earth radio_button_unchecked that part of the earth and its atmosphere in which life can exist radio_button_unchecked the living things on Earth whose existence is made possible by circulation of the atmosphere radio_button_unchecked the circulation of the atmosphere’s contribution to life on Earth

Comprehension (Question 03) Directions: Read the passage and answer the following questions. The atmosphere forms a gaseous, protective envelope around Earth. It protects the planet from the cold of space, from harmful ultraviolet light, and from all but the largest meteors. After traveling over 93 million miles, solar energy strikes the atmosphere and Earth’s surface, warming the planet and creating what is known as the biosphere, the region of Earth capable of sustaining life. Solar radiation in combination with the planet’s rotation causes the atmosphere to circulate. Atmospheric circulation is one important reason that life on Earth can exist at higher latitudes because equatorial heat is transported poleward, moderating the climate. The equatorial region is the warmest part of the earth because it receives the most direct and, therefore, strongest solar radiation. The plane in which the earth revolves around the sun is called the ecliptic. Earth’s axis is inclined 23.5° with respect to the ecliptic. This inclined axis is responsible for our changing seasons because, as seen from the earth, the sun oscillates back and forth across the equator in an annual cycle. On or about June 21 each year, the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer, 23.5° north latitude. This is the northernmost point where the sun can be directly overhead. On or about December 21 of each year, the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn, 23.5° south latitude. This is the southernmost point at which the sun can be directly overhead. The polar regions are the coldest parts of the earth because they receive the least direct and, therefore, the weakest solar radiation. Here solar radiation strikes at a very oblique angle and thus spreads the same amount of energy over a greater area than in the equatorial regions. A static envelope of air surrounding the earth would produce an extremely hot, uninhabitable equatorial region, while the polar regions would remain inhospitably cold. The transport of water vapor in the atmosphere is an important mechanism by which heat energy is redistributed poleward. When water evaporates into the air and becomes water vapor, it absorbs energy. At the equator, air saturated with water vapor rises high into the atmosphere where winds aloft carry it poleward. As this moist air approaches the polar regions, it cools and sinks back to earth. At some point, the water vapor condenses out of the air as rain or snow, releasing energy in the process. The now-dry polar air flows back toward the equator to repeat the convection cycle. In this way, heat energy absorbed at the equator is deposited at the poles and the temperature gradient between these regions is reduced. The circulation of the atmosphere and the weather it generates is but one example of the many complex, interdependent events of nature. The web of life depends on the proper functioning of these natural mechanisms for its continued existence. Global warming, the hole in the atmosphere’s ozone l

Directions for questions 4 and 5: Each of the following questions have a paragraph from which a sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the para in the most appropriate way._____ Ice – in the form of sea ice, glaciers, ice caps and snow ice, – reflects some of the sun’s heat, cooling the planet. In contrast, the dark surfaces of the open sea and snow-free ground absorb heat. As ice disappears, the earth retains more of the sun’s heat and as the earth warms up more ice melts, through this feed-back process, declining ice strengthens global warming.Ice holds large fresh water supplies and is a vital part of the ecosystem.Melting ice is the cause of prime concern today.The impacts of melting ice will reach far beyond the Arctic, affecting global climate and biodiversity.Ice plays a critical role in shaping our planet’s environment.

Identify whether the following statement is true or false. The Earth is protected from most radiation coming from the Sun and other stars just by the ozone layer in its atmosphere

Why is the equatorial regions the warmest on the Earth surface?Group of answer choicesinclination of the Earth's axis23 1/2 degreesstrong windshigh sunlight anglelow sunlight angle