Astronomy current events question: modeling Venus' past habitable climate?

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2016
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Rob Garner, "NASA Climate Modeling Suggests Venus May Have Been Habitable" (August 11, 2016)
nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-climate-modeling-suggests-venus-may-have-been-habitable

NASA researchers theorize Venus may have had habitable temperatures, according to computer models developed for:
(A) artificial intelligence.
(B) analyzing solar flares.
(C) simulating life forms.
(D) predicting Earth's climate.
(E) finding underground water sources.

Correct answer: (D)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 5 students
(D) : 17 students
(E) : 5 students