Question 39 - Writing Practice Test for the PRAXIS Test

(1) The Moon has long been a source of wonder for mankind. (2) Ancient peoples used the Moon as a sort of calendar and time keeper, tracking the passage of time through its phases. (3) The Moon determined the right time to plant and harvest crops and was the basis for many religious ceremonies, because of its mysterious, mystical existence. (4) Mythology about the Moon abounds. (5) Ancient Greeks and some early Hindus thought the Moon was the home of the dead or the place where the souls of the dead waited to be reborn. (6) Early Romans believed Luna, goddess of the Moon, rode her chariot across the night sky.

(7) As it turns out, the Moon isn’t as magical as many of those myths led people to believe. (8) In fact, the Moon shares some similarities with Earth. (9) For one, it is made up of multiple layers. (10) At its center is a heavy, dense, metallic core made mostly of iron and some nickel, surrounded by a liquid outer core. (11) Then there is a mantle layer and the outer crust, just like Earth. (12) Another similarity is that evidence of water has been found on the Moon, which leads scientists to wonder about whether ancient life forms might also be present. (13) A third similarity is that the Moon experiences “moonquakes,” much like an earthquake here on Earth. (14) It turns out that the Moon’s interior core is cooling and the moon is shrinking. (15) As it starts to shrink, its brittle crust breaks, forming “thrust faults” and causes moonquakes measuring about 2 to 5 on the Richter scale.

(16) Although the Moon has been viewed as everything from a god to a potential future home for humanity to a hunk of cheese, continued study of it yields new results and offers new questions about our moon.