Original Project
Weather and Climate II: Seasonal Differences
Item CL052002: The air is colder in the winter than in the summer at a particular town because the sunlight shining on the town is less intense and the sun shines for fewer hours in the winter than in the summer.
The air in a town is very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer. Which of the following statements explains this difference in temperature?
- The air is colder in the winter because the sunlight shining on the town is less intense and the sun shines for fewer hours in the winter than in the summer.
- The air is colder in the winter because the sunlight shining on the town is less intense in the winter. The amount of time that the sun shines on the town is the same in the summer and winter.
- The air is colder in the winter because the sun shines on the town for less time in the winter. The intensity of the sunlight shining on the town is the same in the summer and winter.
- Both the intensity of the sunlight shining on the town and the amount of time the sun shines on the town are same in the summer and winter. The differences in temperature are caused by other factors.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 5969 |
6–8 n = 3231 |
9–12 n = 2715 |
Male n = 2907 |
Female n = 2869 |
English n = 5068 |
Other n = 625 |
||
| A. | The air is colder in the winter because the sunlight shining on the town is less intense and the sun shines for fewer hours in the winter than in the summer. | 50% | 48% | 52% | 50% | 50% | 50% | 43% |
| B. | The air is colder in the winter because the sunlight shining on the town is less intense in the winter. The amount of time that the sun shines on the town is the same in the summer and winter. | 18% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| C. | The air is colder in the winter because the sun shines on the town for less time in the winter. The intensity of the sunlight shining on the town is the same in the summer and winter. | 18% | 19% | 17% | 18% | 18% | 18% | 22% |
| D. | Both the intensity of the sunlight shining on the town and the amount of time the sun shines on the town are same in the summer and winter. The differences in temperature are caused by other factors. | 15% | 16% | 14% | 14% | 15% | 15% | 17% |