A student makes a comment that throughout human history, Earth has had a fairly constant existence and so there is no reason to think that Earth will change radically in the future. Which of the following statements best evaluates this student's thinking?
A) The student's thinking is flawed because human history is very short and does not cover the length of time needed to observe extensive change on the planet.
B) The student's thinking is flawed because we cannot make predictions about the future.
C) The student's thinking is accurate because we know about conditions on Earth from human historical records dating back more than 2000 years.
D) The student's thinking is accurate because the stability we observe around us today is an indicator of stability in the future.
A
What pattern emerged from the long history of changes described in the tutorial?
A) A pattern of environmental change followed by continental drift
B) A pattern of environmental change followed by extinction or proliferation of life
C) A pattern of extinction or proliferation of life followed by environmental change
D) A pattern of extinction or proliferation of life followed by continental drift
B
Of the following scenarios, which would provide the best analogy for describing continental drift?
A) Stretching a wide elastic band
B) Shrinking an inflated balloon in a freezer
C) Sliding tiles on a number puzzle
D) Expanding a partially inflated balloon in an oven
C
Which of the following statements describes a difference between the continents on Earth as scientists think they existed 540 million years ago and their existence today?
A) The continents were influenced by underlying convection currents in the mantle 540 million years ago; today this factor is no longer an influence.
B) The continents were located mainly in the Southern Hemisphere 540 million years ago; today they are distributed throughout both hemispheres.
C) The continents were moving 540 million years ago; today they no longer move.
D) The continents were devoid of life 540 million years ago; today they are full of living organisms.
B
