Final answer:
Summer and winter are not caused by the Earth moving farther away from the sun; this statement is true. Seasons occur due to Earth's axial tilt, which affects the length of days and the angle at which the sun's rays hit the Earth, leading to temperature differences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that summer and winter are not caused by the Earth moving farther away from the sun is true. Rather, the seasons are caused by two main factors related to Earth's 23.5° axial tilt. First, during summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the tilt causes this hemisphere to lean towards the sun, leading to increased solar radiation and higher temperatures. Second, the length of day is longer, which means more daylight hours for the sun to warm the Earth. Conversely, in winter, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, resulting in shorter days and less direct sunlight, hence cooler temperatures.
Additionally, the angle of the sun's rays plays a significant role; during summer, the sun's rays strike more vertically, leading to concentrated heating on the ground. In winter, the sun's rays are more spread out due to the low angle of the sun, leading to less effective heating. These two factors — axial tilt affecting day length and sun angle — are the reasons for seasonal temperature differences, not Earth's distance from the sun.