The largest annual ranges of temperatures are found:

At polar latitudes over land
At polar latitudes over water
At middle latitudes near large bodies of water
At the Equator E. In the Northern Central Plains of the United States

The correct answer is: A. At polar latitudes over land.

The annual range of temperature is the difference between the average temperature of the warmest month and the average temperature of the coldest month. The annual range of temperature is largest at polar latitudes over land because the land heats up and cools down more quickly than the water. This is because water has a higher heat capacity than land, which means that it takes more energy to change the temperature of water than it does to change the temperature of land.

At polar latitudes, the sun is low in the sky for most of the year, which means that there is less solar radiation reaching the surface. This results in lower temperatures. In the summer, the sun is higher in the sky and there is more solar radiation reaching the surface, which results in higher temperatures. The difference between the summer and winter temperatures is therefore greater at polar latitudes than at other latitudes.

The annual range of temperature is also greater over land than over water because land has a lower albedo than water. Albedo is the fraction of solar radiation that is reflected back to space. Land has a lower albedo than water because it is covered in vegetation, which reflects less sunlight than water. This means that more solar radiation is absorbed by land than by water, which results in higher temperatures.

The annual range of temperature is smallest at the Equator because the sun is directly overhead at the Equator for most of the year. This means that there is more solar radiation reaching the surface, which results in higher temperatures. The difference between the summer and winter temperatures is therefore smaller at the Equator than at other latitudes.

The annual range of temperature is also smaller near large bodies of water because water has a moderating effect on temperature. Water has a higher heat capacity than land, which means that it takes more energy to change the temperature of water than it does to change the temperature of land. This means that the temperature of water changes more slowly than the temperature of land. As a result, the annual range of temperature is smaller near large bodies of water than in other areas.