The Hydrosphere includes...

• A. All the air around Earth
• B. All the water at and near the surface of the Earth
• C. The Earth's crust
• D. Living organisms

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is recognizing what the hydrosphere includes: all water on Earth in every form and location. That means oceans, rivers, lakes, groundwater, glaciers and ice, as well as water vapor in the atmosphere and any moisture in soils. Water exists in liquid, solid, and gaseous states, and all of it together makes up the hydrosphere.

So, describing it as all the water at and near the surface captures the broad idea of water present on Earth and near the acting interfaces of land, air, and living things. It’s the best fit because the other options point to different Earth systems: the air belongs to the atmosphere, the crust to the lithosphere, and living organisms to the biosphere.