Sun as a Star

According to the passage, the Sun seems brighter and bigger to us than other starts because it ... 

• produces a lot of energy
• is the star closest to us
• grows brighter and bigger each year
• is made up of very hot gases

Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that the Sun produces a huge amount of energy?

• "Most scientists think that the Sun and solar system formed about 5 billion years ago."
• "The diameter of the Sun is nearly 865,000 miles (1.4 million km)."
• "The temperature of the Sun's surface is about 10,000 degrees F."
• "How much energy a planet gets from the Sun depends on its position in the solar system."

Based on information in the passage, what would most likely happen if the Sun's energy greatly increased?

• Earth would be unable to support life.
• Earth would move closer to the Sun. 
• Earth would cool off slightly. 
• Earth would not stay in orbit with the Sun. 

Which word means the opposite of "core" as it is used in paragraph 3?

• Outside
• Inside
• Cold
• Hot

Which of these ideas from the passage is represented in the diagram?

• The time it takes the Sun's energy to reach Earth
• the gases that make up the Sun
• the orbit of the planets around the Sun
• the temperature of the Sun's surface

From the passage and the diagram, which planet can the reader conclude is the coldest planet in the solar system?

• Mercury 
• Mars 
• Jupiter 
• Neptune

Which best states the main idea of the passage?

• "Earth's position keeps it warm enough so that most of the water on the planet is in liquid form, not frozen, but not so hot that the water boils off into gas."
• "You would need more that 100 Earths to cover the length of the Sun's diameter."
• "The powerful energy of the Sun provides Earth and the other planets in our solar system with light and heat."
• "Some groups of ancient people build temples to worship the Sun."