Lightning is a streak of electricity that occurs in every thunderstorm. You see lightning before you hear thunder because light travels faster than sound. Lightning is caused when the negative charge of electricity in the rain clouds meets the positive charge of electricity in the falling raindrops. Most lightning occurs from cloud-to-cloud, but some lightning occurs from cloud-to-ground, where it can start fires, melt metal, or be deadly to people. Although 90% of people survive lightning strikes, they can cause major internal injuries, burns, and hearing loss. 240,000 people are struck by lightning or are injured as a result of lightning every year.

Thunder is caused by the rapid expansion of air and temperature inside and around a lightning strike. Such an expansion of air is known as a sonic shock wave. Did you know you can calculate the distance of lightning from its thunder? Thunder occurs after lightning because the light travels much more quickly than sound. In normal circumstances, lightning is 0.2 miles distant from a given location for every second that passes between the lightning and its thunder. Thus, if you see lightning in the sky and hear thunder five seconds later, the lightning is about one mile from your location.

Lightning occurs....
1. in some thunderstorms.
2. in every thunderstorm.
3. in most thunderstorms.
4. in a few thunderstorms.
Why do you see lightning before you hear thunder?
1. Because lightning comes before thunder
2. Because thunder causes lightning
3. Because lightning causes thunder
4. Because light travels faster than sound
Most lightning....
1. occurs from cloud to ground.
2. occurs between clouds.
3. occurs from ground to cloud.
4. melts metal.
What can you infer from this sentence?

Although 90% of people survive lightning strikes, they can cause major internal injuries, burns, and hearing loss.
1. Lightning can cause major burns
2. Lightning is not that dangerous
3. Although most people survive lightning strikes, some do not
Which of the following is NOT a possible outcome of lightning?
1. death
2. injury
3. burns
4. electricity
Which of the following IS NOT true about thunder?
1. You hear thunder after lightning because light travels faster than sound.
2. Thunder occurs because of the rapid expansion of air and temperature inside and around a lightning strike.
3. If you see lightning and hear thunder five seconds later, the lightning is five miles away.
4. Air expansion that results in thunder is called a sonic shock wave.
What do the paragraphs have in common?
1. They describe specific instances of lightning and thunder
2. They describe why lightning and thunder occur
3. They describe the discovery of lightning and thunder
4. They describe lightning and thunder in popular culture
What is a major difference between the two paragraphs?
1. The first paragraph describes an effect and the second does not
2. The second describes an effect and the first does not
3. The first paragraph describes a cause and the second does not
4. The second paragraph describes a cause and the first does not
What word could be a synonym for circumstances as used in the following sentence:

In normal circumstances, lightning is 0.2 miles distant from a given location for every second that passes between the lightning and its thunder.
1. situations
2. averages
3. problems
4. ways
Which of the following sentences contains an approximation?
1. Thus, if you see lightning in the sky and hear thunder five seconds later, the lightning is about one mile from your location.
2. You see lightning before you hear thunder because light travels faster than sound.
3. Such an expansion of air is known as a sonic shock wave.
4. Did you know you can calculate the distance of lightning from its thunder?