Weather and Seasons — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. What unit is commonly used to measure temperature in the United States?
A) Meters
B) Pounds
C) Fahrenheit
D) Liters
The United States uses degrees Fahrenheit, where water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees, while most other countries use Celsius.
2. Which place would most likely have hot weather all year long?
A) A tropical rainforest near the equator
B) A mountain covered in snow
C) A town in the far north
D) A desert at the South Pole
Places near the equator get strong, direct sunlight every day of the year, which keeps tropical rainforests warm and steamy in every season.
3. What happens to water when the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit?
A) It evaporates quickly.
B) It freezes into ice.
C) It becomes very hot.
D) It turns into vapor.
32 degrees Fahrenheit is water's freezing point, so once the temperature drops below that, the liquid water hardens into solid ice.
4. Why is it usually warmer in summer than in winter?
A) The sun is closer to Earth in summer.
B) There are more clouds in winter.
C) Earth's tilt lets sunlight hit more directly in summer.
D) Wind blows heat away in winter.
Earth is tilted on its axis, so during summer your part of Earth leans toward the sun and the rays hit it more directly, bringing more heat and longer days.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Climate describes the usual weather in a place over a long period of time.
Weather is what is happening today, but climate is the pattern of weather a place has over many years, like "hot and dry" or "cold and snowy."
2. Deserts are very hot during the day but can be cold at night.
Deserts have dry air and few clouds, so the daytime heat escapes back into space quickly after sunset, making nights surprisingly cold.
3. The number on a thermometer goes up when the air gets warmer.
Heat causes the liquid inside a thermometer to expand and rise up the tube, so a higher number always means the air around it is warmer.
4. Places near the North Pole and South Pole have a very cold climate.
The poles are far from the equator, so sunlight there hits the ground at a slanted angle and brings little warmth, leaving those regions covered in ice and snow.
5. The equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth.
The equator is the imaginary line that runs around the widest part of Earth and divides it into the Northern and Southern halves, called hemispheres.