The correct answer is<span> The phases of the moon are caused by the Earth casting a shadow on the moon.
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The moon's size does not vary based on it's phase, it's just what is visible that varies which occurs due to the shadow of the Earth and the way that the Moon orbits the Earth.
Answer:
Why have you been gone for a long time anyway?
If this is an excerpt from a story, I wouldn’t be of much help. But from a layman's perspective, it seems like the character is attempting to please the failed humorist or he or she would have been frank. This in turn may have triggered a chain reaction, prompting the humorist to continue with his jokes which would have further affected the character. He or she is also giving the former a false sense of happiness and appreciation.
This passage may not affect the whole story in a remarkably discernible manner, but it definitely proves the character's penchant for politeness. And that may be be a deciding factor in his or her further decisions that ultimately define the plot of the story.
