Listening practice test 2, Grades 10–12 — question 18 of 27
Listen to part of a lesson in a science class. Then answer the questions.
A Science Lesson
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Mr. Morales: Let's talk about thunder. A bolt of lightning heats the air around it to a temperature several times hotter than the surface of the sun, in a tiny fraction of a second. That air expands so fast that it pushes on the air around it and sends out a huge wave of sound. That sound is thunder.
Mr. Morales: Light and sound start at the same moment, but they don't arrive at the same moment. Light reaches your eyes almost instantly. Sound is much slower. It takes about five seconds to travel one mile. That's why you see the flash first and hear the rumble later.
Mr. Morales: You can use that delay. When you see lightning, count the seconds until you hear thunder, then divide by five. That tells you about how many miles away the strike was.
Mr. Morales: But here's the rule I really want you to remember. If you can hear thunder at all, you are close enough to be struck by lightning, so go inside right away. Don't wait for the rain to start.
Choose the best answer.
A student sees lightning and hears thunder fifteen seconds later. Based on the lesson, what should the student conclude?
You can move on without answering. Unanswered questions are counted as wrong.