Barrons AP Human Geography Practice Exam 1. Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case. 1. Core-periphery models of economic development generally describe the idea that (A) the core dominates the periphery through cultural imperialism. (B) peripheries are often characterized by quaternary economic activities. (C) outsourcing is inevitable. (D) the development of core countries has been achieved at the expense of peripheral countries. (E) industrialization is a deterministic process. 2. The nineteenth century emigration of Scotch-Irish families to Chicago, as a result of communications from friends and relatives who preceded them, is an example of (A) internal migration (B) chain migration (C) net migration (D) counterurbanization (E) reluctant migration 3. Which of the following factors has contributed most to deindustrialization in the North American manufacturing belt? (A) the cumulative effects of agglomeration (B) healthcare costs (C) competition from foreign imports (D) internal migration to sunbelt states (E) the decline of labor unions 4. Which of the following types of maps use isolines to convey change over space? (A) cartograms (B) azimuthal projections (C) topographic maps (D) mental maps (E) location charts 5. A group of college students in Austin, Texas, choose to spend their spring break vacation in South Padre Island, Texas, instead of Miami Beach, Florida. This choice represents the concept of 1
Transcript
Barrons AP Human Geography Practice Exam 1.
Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case.
1. Core-periphery models of economic development generally describe the idea that
(A) the core dominates the periphery through cultural imperialism.(B) peripheries are often characterized by quaternary economic activities.(C) outsourcing is inevitable.(D) the development of core countries has been achieved at the expense of peripheral
countries.(E) industrialization is a deterministic process.
2. The nineteenth century emigration of Scotch-Irish families to Chicago, as a result of communications from friends and relatives who preceded them, is an example of
(A) internal migration(B) chain migration(C) net migration(D) counterurbanization(E) reluctant migration
3. Which of the following factors has contributed most to deindustrialization in the North American manufacturing belt?
(A) the cumulative effects of agglomeration(B) healthcare costs(C) competition from foreign imports(D) internal migration to sunbelt states(E) the decline of labor unions
4. Which of the following types of maps use isolines to convey change over space?
5. A group of college students in Austin, Texas, choose to spend their spring break vacation in South Padre Island, Texas, instead of Miami Beach, Florida. This choice represents the concept of
8. A country that has not experienced a (first-stage) demographic transition typically has which of the following?
(A) high birth rates and high death rates(B) high unemployment(C) postmodern architecture(D) ethnic enclaves(E) intervening obstacles
9. Which of the following regions has the lowest hog production per capita in the world?
(A) the American South(B) the Southern cone(C) the Middle East(D) Oceania (E) Iberia
10. Which of the following is the best example of a stateless nation?
(A) Israel(B) Kurdistan(C) Cuba(D) Kazakhstan(E) North Korea
11. Which of the following countries has a declining population?
(A) Iran(B) Saudi Arabia(C) China(D) South Africa(E) Germany
12. As the number of jobs in the basic sector of a local economy increases, what happens to the number of available jobs in the non-basic sector?
(A) stays the same(B) decreases(C) increases more rapidly than basic sector jobs(D) declines toward zero(E) there is no way to predict
13. Which of the following statements best describes the subject matter of cultural ecology?
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C4T5, 06/02/09,
Consider adding a country from a different region than Middle East – 2 middle east countries are distracters – replace Iran with the– United States or Brazil – I think US is better choice because it is a highly developed country – current choices only include one HDC – Germany – which is the correct answer.
C4T5, 06/02/09,
Change response to “migrate to less developed countries”
C4T5, 06/02/09,
C response is not always true. Suggest shortening answerwer to simply: increases -
C4T5, 06/02/09,
Available not a good word choice – jobs may very quickly and then not be available – big idea is that jobs in non-basic setcor increase.
(A) flows of energy and materials in an urban region(B) interactions between ethnicities in a stateless nation(C) human-modified natural landscapes(D) interactions between human societies and the physical environment(E) characteristics of geographic regions14. Which of the following language families has the greatest number of total speakers across the globe?
15. Furniture-makers often choose to locate near the timber that supplies the wood needed to produce the furniture because
(A) furniture is a bulk-reducing industry.(B) good timber is hard to find.(C) furniture makers are footloose firms.(D) the factory has reached a break-bulk point.(E) forests tend to have cheap land.
16. Which of the following does NOT act as a centripetal force for a state?
(A) patriotism(B) unitary state organization(C) sovereignty(D) linguistic homogeneity(E) sub-state nationalism
17. A pilgrim to Our Lady of Lourdes in France is most likely to be a(n):
(A) Hindu(B) Buddhist(C) Muslim(D) Catholic(E) Jew
18. Unemployment data for large urban areas in developing regions of the world is usually incomplete due to
(A) government inefficiency.(B) the fact that many people work in the informal sector.(C) the dominance of service-based economic activities.(D) slow world syndrome.(E) a lack of export processing zones.
19. Data gathered through the U.S. Census affects the political process by
(A) inciting violence among elected officials.(B) over-counting urban populations.(C) gerrymandering.(D) determining the amount of electoral votes given to each state.(E) determining which states hold the primary elections.
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C4T5, 06/02/09,
Both A and B are potentially correct answers – comments in key actually reenforce the potential of 2 answers – change A to “efficient government policies”
C4T5, 06/02/09,
Consider adding “in the world” scale of question is unclear and could unintentionally cause students to think the question is related to US or highly developed countries as opposed to less developed countries.
C4T5, 06/02/09,
Made change to Key correct answer should be B
20. Which of the following variables is spatially correlated with per capita carbon dioxide emissions?
21. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Green Revolution?
(A) development of chemicals used in agricultural production(B) technological inputs such as hybrid seeds(C) exportation of agricultural techniques from developed to developing countries(D) organic and sustainable agriculture(E) more intensive production of agricultural goods in developing regions
22. The urban region that spans from Tijuana, Mexico, to Ventura, California, is an example of
(A) a megacity(B) an edge city(C) a conurbation(D) an urban agglomeration economy(E) a metropolitan area
23. Jenny’s Grandma emigrated from Dublin to New York, and the journey took her 4 days by boat. Jenny’s brother migrated from New York to Dublin, but his journey only took 7 hours by plane. This is an example of:
24. Which of the following contributes most to hierarchical diffusion?
(A) spatial scale(B) gravitation(C) network links between specialized nodes(D) contagious contact between people(E) friction
25. The religious practices of several South American groups combine elements of Catholicism with the traditional religions of their ancestors. This is an example of a(n)
(A) polyglot(B) relocation diffusion(C) cultural lag(D) cultural syncretism(E) cultural imperialism
26. Poland is an example of a(n)
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C4T5, 06/02/09,
Should state : “friction of distance”
C4T5, 06/02/09,
Suggest changing: The urban region that spans from Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angelas, California, is an example of
C4T5, 06/02/09,
Ventura is too specific to the California region – students outside of California will be at a distinct disadvantage.
C4T5, 06/02/09,
I’m pretty sure that PPP has a spatial and positive correlation with CO2 emmissions – replace with “gender equality” – main idea of question is as income increases so does CO2 use – PPP is an indexed measure of income and is too close in corelation with GDP
(A) microstate(B) compact state(C) elongated state(D) enclave(E) perforated state
27. Today, most of the North American population lives in which of the following?
(A) farming areas(B) rural non-farming areas(C) small towns(D) central business districts of large cities(E) metropolitan areas
28. High-quality schools, cultural activities, and safe neighborhoods draw many families to the St. Louis area each year. These are all examples of
(A) local religion(B) boosterism(C) pull factors(D) heartland theory(E) domino theory
29. Suburbanization can lead to all of the following, except:
(A) inner city decay(B) improved mass transit(C) landscape homogenization(D) urban sprawl(E) loss of productive farmland
30. Services such as haircutting, grocery-stores, and veterinarians are all apart of which sector of a local economy?
31. No map is an accurate representation of the earth’s surface because
(A) the distance decay effect prevents accurate representation(B) all maps are geoids(C) a sphere cannot be projected onto a flat surface without distortion(D) all maps are mental maps(E) all maps are, to some extent, preference maps
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32. Even if a rapidly growing country institutes a strict population policy, such as 1 child per couple, the country’s population will continue to grow quite rapidly for several generations because of
33. Which of the following qualifies as a core area of the United States?
(A) the greater Peoria area(B) the Phoenix-Tucson area(C) the Seattle-Tacoma area(D) the New York-Washington D.C. area(E) the Minneapolis-St. Paul area
34. Which of the following variables is NOT taken into account in the Demographic Accounting Equation?
(A) total fertility rate(B) deaths(C) births(D) immigration(E) emigration
35. Which of the following is the BEST example of a lingua franca?
(A) German(B) Swahili(D) Cantonese (E) Afrikaans (D) Italian
36. Which of the following countries does this population pyramid most likely represent?
[Insert figure 3.19, population pyramid 1 (Kenya), but do NOT include the label of Kenya or rapid growth.]
(A) United States(B) Kenya(C) Denmark(D) Canada(E) Italy
37. What is true about the dependency ratio depicted in this population pyramid?
(A) dependency is a function of overpopulation(B) the economically productive members of society are supporting many children(C) a significant number of dependents include individuals over the age of 65(D) it shows a 100-year doubling time(E) the country has reached carrying capacity
38. In Central Place Theory, why are optimal market areas hexagonal?
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C4T5, 06/03/09,
I don’t love this questions – seems trivial but questions does reinforce the concept of hexagons in CPT.
C4T5, 06/03/09,
Question is too easy I can answer the questions without looking at the graph – the only unique pyramid of the group would be Kenya – only LDC country. Suggest replacing : Denmark with China – answer will still be Kenya but China will provide a third demographic choice.
C4T5, 06/03/09,
This question has major problems all of these responses can be considered core areas on the US scale - core has duality of meaning depending on the context and this does not clarify the use of the word core. NY –Washington is the most influential core area listed but all are core areas within the US.
(A) Hexagons prevent overlap or unaccounted space in market areas.(B) Hexagons are most like circles.(C) They are not hexagonal.(D) Hexagons contain multiple nuclei.(E) Hexagons illustrate the sector model.
39. Lima contains 26% of Peru’s population. As such it is a great example of a(n)
(A) world city(B) primate city(C) gateway city(D) edge city(E) city beautiful 40. Which of the following is the best example of a footloose industry?
(A) a brick and mortar firm(B) a sawmill(C) a company that sells books over the internet(D) truck farming(E) a processed food conglomerate
41. Increasingly, large corporations are locating factories in these areas to take advantage of cheaper labor and relaxed environmental and tax regulations.
43. According to the rank-size rule of urban-area distribution, a city that has a rank of four
(A) would have been the fourth city founded in the country(B) would contain four times the population of the country’s largest city(C) would have four sectors(D) would have a forty-mile hinterland(E) would contain one-quarter the population of the country’s largest city
44. The favelas found on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro were originally examples of
48. Which of the following is the best description of a country’s carrying capacity?
(A) the ability of its resource base to sustain the population(B) its land area(C) its gross national product(D) its agricultural output(E) its mineral wealth
49. Which of the following is a correct statement about most primate cities in the world?
(A) they are located in developing regions(B) they are world cities(C) they have been revitalized(D) they lack segregation(E) they were founded during the medieval period
50. Activities such as delivery, accounting and food services can all be described as
51. Which of the following features would NOT be a barrier to spatial interaction?
(A) national boundaries(B) transportation networks(C) the friction of distance (D) intervening opportunities
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C4T5, 06/03/09,
Mixed emotions on this question – pretty specific and not very geographic
(E) hazards
52. This map projection—which distorts the sizes of landmasses, particularly toward the poles—is called
[insert figure 2.1]
(A) the Robinson Projection(B) the Hierarchical Projection(C) the Polar Projection(D) the Mercator Projection(E) the Topological Projection
53. Which of the following is true of slash and burn agriculture?
(A) it has been practiced in many tropical areas for millennia(B) it is universally destructive for biological diversity(C) it occurs mainly in the cores(D) it is usually followed by transhumance(E) it is a response to high fertility rates
54. Aristotle subscribed to this view, which holds that the sophistication of a cultural group is a product of the physical geography within which it developed.
(A) neo-Malthusianism (B) environmental determinism(C) transculturationism (D) regionalism(E) cultural ecology
55. New York City and Los Angeles are 3,000 miles apart in terms of absolute distance, but they are quite connected economically and culturally. This is phenomenon is called
56. Many information technology firms choose to locate in the San Francisco Bay Area, despite the high cost of living, because it is home to many highly skilled workers. This is phenomenon is called
(A) agglomeration(B) anthropocentrism(C) human development(D) bulk reducing(E) deglomeration
57. Which of the following distinguishes folk culture from popular culture?
(A) folk cultures vary greatly over space but little over time(B) folk cultures vary greatly over time but little over space(C) folk cultures are syncretic but popular cultures are not(D) popular cultures are syncretic but folk cultures are not(E) only folk cultures have rituals and traditions
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C4T5, 06/06/09,
Suggested change : D) neither folk culture or pop culture are syncretic.
C4T5, 06/03/09,
The differences between systemic connectivity and topological space are very subtle – topological space is a mathematical measurements of systemic connectivity. I would change one of these distractors to “contagious diffusion” Personally I would change topological space but either would work.
58. Johnny has a large garden where he grows a significant portion of his family’s fruits and vegetables. Johnny is practicing
(A) organic agriculture(B) subsistence agriculture(C) the green revolution(D) vegecide(E) swidden agriculture
59. Assuming a world population of 6.8 billion and an annual growth rate of 2%, how many people will be added to the world’s population in the next year?
60. A politician who redraws a voting district with convoluted boundary line in order to improve her party’s prospects in the next election, is said to have
(A) filibustered (B) gerrymandered(C) broken the law(D) created relic boundaries(E) engaged in territorial organization
61. In North America, which of the following frequently consumed items results from plantation agriculture?
62. The import substitution schemes implemented by developing countries in the 1970s were designed to help them transition out of which sector of the economy?
63. The initial spread of HIV between large cosmopolitan cities (e.g. Miami, San Francisco, New York) exemplifies which type of diffusion?
(A) longitudinal(B) stimulus(C) hierarchical
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(D) contagious(E) relocation
64. This cartogram displays which of the following variables?
[insert figure 2.6]
(A) relative area(B) world population(C) human development(D) proportional symbols(E) national integration
65. Which of the following U.S. cities conforms to the multiple-nuclei model of city structure?
(A) Los Angeles(B) Chicago(C) San Francisco(D) Washington, D.C.be (E) New Orleans
66. Dramatic improvements in transportation and communications technology over the last several decades have led to which of the following geographic observations?
(A) increase in relative location(B) decrease in locational hazards(C) decrease in hierarchical diffusion(D) a new coordinate system(E) decrease in the friction of distance
67. Which of the following is important in determining national fertility rates?
(A) evangelism(B) carrying capacity(C) gentrification(D) women’s empowerment(E) land tenure
68. Which of the following is being portrayed on the above map?
[Insert figure 6.10]
(A) the core-periphery model(B) the economic core region of China(C) the Asian hinterland(D) a megacity(E) a rust belt
69. A U.S. county is an example of which of the following region types?
(A) functional region
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C4T5, 06/07/09,
Can’t see map so I cannot comment on
C4T5, 06/07/09,
Suggested change: Which of the following factors is most significant in explaining national fertility rates?
C4T5, 06/07/09,
Questions needs to be replaced: Elements of the Multipl nuclei model can be found in numerous cities in the United States. It tends to be a phase in a cities development: model was created in 1945 and the results of the areas of specialization within urban areas were developing – I found reference in texts supporting evidence that 4 of the 5 cities are used to illustrate multiple nuclei concepts,
(B) thematic region(C) bureaucratic region(D) administrative region(E) vernacular region
70. Lines of latitude
(A) meet at the poles(B) are parallel (C) are referred to as meridians(D) intersect from time to time(E) define the international dateline
71. In which of the following countries would you expect to find the lowest rate of population growth?
(A) Algeria(B) Austria(C) Brazil(D) Indonesia (E) the United States
72. Neocolonialism is essentially synonymous with which economic development philosophy?
(A) sustainability theory(B) dependency theory(C) regionalization theory(D) Marxism (E) Rostow’s stages of development model
73. You have two maps. One shows population density by state, other shows population density by county, and the two reveal entirely different patterns. This is an example of
(A) preference(B) map projection(C) scale of inquiry (D) a mental map(E) visualization
74. Economic activities that involve the transformation of raw materials into value-added manufactured goods are called
I like question but this distractor needs to change – dependency theory was the Marxist criticism of modernization theory – so having Marxism could create issues. Substitute with modernization theory
75. When factories choose to locate near a major port where raw materials are shipped, their location decision is most likely influenced by
(A) economic enclaves(B) an effort to minimize break of bulk costs(C) centripetal forces(D) spatially fixed costs(E) greenwashing
FREE RESPONSE QUESTIONS:
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1. The two maps above depict the second and third largest cities in the United States: Los Angeles and Chicago.
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A) Describe how the two cities differ in terms of their spatial organization.B) Which models of urban spatial organization would you use to describe these two cities? Why?C) Explain two ways in which the experience of living and working in these two cities might differ as a
consequence of their spatial organization.
2. Global population growth is often cited a cause of environmental problems, such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
A) Provide one argument in support of this thesis and one argument against it.B) People who want to enact government regulations to slow population growth are often said to be neo-
Malthusians. What does this mean?C) Describe the concept of carrying capacity. Why do you think it is such a controversial concept when
applied to human populations?
3. All map projections are distorted representations of the Earth’s surface.
A) Why is this the case?B) Name two map projections, and describe the distortions they each produce.C) The Robinson projection is commonly used in publications such as National Geographic. Explain why
a publisher might want to use the Robinson projection for general purposes.
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Responses to Multiple Choice Questions
1. D The economic core countries, during colonization, exported massive amount of raw materials from their colonies in peripheral countries. This economic relationship, according to this model, largely persisted after decolonization.
2. B Chain migration describes the spatial pattern of migratory movement between two nodes that results from friends and relatives establishing a community, both socially and economically, in a new area.
3. C Foreign imports of manufactured goods that can be produced with cheaper labor and less expensive regulations overseas has lead to the demise of many manufacturing facilities in North America.
4. C Isolines do a good job conveying gradual change in a variable over space. As such isolines are typically used to show elevation changes in topographic maps.
5. A Both South Padre and Miami Beach offer similar amenities for college students on spring break; for the Texas students South Padre’s closer location makes it a likelier choice for their spring break destination.
6. E Lower order goods are everyday items that nearly everyone uses regularly, such as milk, bread, and gasoline, which are readily available in small towns despite the small market area.
7. C Strawberries have a short shelf life, are difficult to transport given their fragile nature, but comparatively expensive. Growing them near the market minimizes transportation costs, while higher profits, comparatively, makes up for the higher cost of land.
8. A Before a country’s population transitions into stable growth, it goes through 4 stages, the first of which is characterized by both high birth and death rates.
9. C The Middle East contains strong concentrations of followers of Islam and Judaism. Neither religion, when followed devoutly, allow for the consumption of pork.
10. B The Kurdish ethnic group, which is mostly concentrated in the Middle East along the Turkey/Iraqi border, does not have political autonomy.
11. E Germany, like many countries in Western Europe, has below replacement level fertility. As such their population, in terms of total numbers, is in decline.
12. C Service jobs support those employed in the basic sector of a local economy. As the number of people employed in the basic sector of an economy increases, a greater number of services (e.g. delivery, accounting, maintenance etc.) are required to support those basic industries.
13. D Cultural ecologists are interested in the relationship between societies and their surrounding natural environments.
14. E B While Mandarin Chinese (Sino-Tibetan) has the highest number of primary speakers worldwide, English, from the Indo-European family, has the greatest number of speakers when people who speak it as a second language are taken into account.
15. A The weight of the wood is much higher than the weight of the furniture, thus the furniture-making factory locates close to the factory to minimize weight-based transportation costs.
16. E Substate nationalism often leads to secessionist movements or movements promoting some level of political autonomy.
17. D Our Lady of Lourdes is a popular pilgrimage destination in Western Europe, a region where Catholicism is the most popular religion.
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C4T5, 06/02/09,
B is the correct answer based on the comments to question
18. B In urban areas in developing countries, a large number of individuals make a living in the informal sector, occupations which are not formally registered with the local government.
19. D Electoral votes are distributed according to population. By providing fairly regular population counts, the decennial Census determines redistribution of electoral seats according to population shifts.
20. D Countries with high GDPs are typically also highly industrialized and highly urbanized, the energy required for both leads to massive amounts of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
21. D The Green Revolution entailed intentional diffusion of agricultural technologies and products from developed to developing countries. Much of what was introduced was not suitable to both local environments and local techniques.
22. C This corridor exemplifies an area of continuous urban development as such it is called a conurbation.
23. E Improvements in both transportation and communication technologies in the last several decades have, in effect, shrunk the relative distance between places.
24. C Hierarchical diffusion describes spread of something through major nodes with high specialized interactivity (e.g. economic transactions between London, New York, and Tokyo).
25. D A cultural syncretism describes the process of two or more beliefs, languages or other cultural traditions combining and form new traditions with elements of the parent groups.
26. B Poland’s relatively round shape makes it spatially compact.27. E Metropolitan areas contain both the central business district and the suburban
areas of a large urban complex. The majority of Americans currently live in suburbs of large metropolitan areas.
28. C Pull factors are those that draw individuals to particular destinations when making migration decisions.
29. B Suburbanization is dependent on the automobile and has been one of the biggest culprits in the demise of mass transit systems in many urban areas.
30. D Basic activities form the economic base of an area through generation of income from “exports” or goods sold outside of the area’s boundaries. Non-basic activities are essentially service activities that rarely generate new income, but rather keep money circulating through an area or region.
31. C It is impossible to accurately transform something 3-dimensional into something 2-dimensional as such all flat maps are distorted in some way.
32. A Because of the large number of young people is countries with rapidly growing populations, even if a strict population policy is implemented, that policy operates on a very large population base.
33. D The New York-Washington D.C. area contains the greatest concentration of both political and economic decision-making power.
34. A The demographic accounting equation provides a population total, as such it only takes into account additions to population through birth or immigration, or subtractions through death or emigration.
35. B Even though Swahili is the native language for the Swahili tribe, it has become the language of trade for most of East Africa, and is the only one of four languages officially used by the African Union.
36. B Population pyramids with wide bases indicate rapid population growth, a trend dominant in most of Africa.
Marginal explanation – ok but does not explain why organic and sustainable development is not correct answer
37. B The dependency ratio describes the relationship between economically productive members of society, generally those between the ages of 16-65, and those that depend on them, individuals above and below those age brackets.
38. A The hexagon is the only shape that perfectly distributes a plain into evenly divided market areas, whose size depends on the order of the commodities offered.
39. B Primate cities contain a disproportionate amount of a country’s population. This pattern often emerges in states that were either former colonies or current or former monarchies.
40. C Footloose industries can locate anywhere costs of production and shipping do not vary over space. With current delivery options, the price to ship most everyday goods, such as books, varies only by weight not by distance.
41. B Export processing zones are essentially overseas manufacturing free zones, typically in the developing world where labor is cheaper and regulations are few.
42. B Absolute location is a precise measure of location, typically using latitude and longitude coordinates.
43. E According to the rank size rule, a city’s population is 1/nth the largest city’s population where n is the city’s rank within a urban population hierarchy within a country.
44. B Urban areas in developing regions of the world have experienced extremely rapid rates of urbanization over the last several decades. As people stream into the city looking for work, they build informal housing on the outskirts, or squatter settlements. In different places, these areas go by different names. CHANGE QUESTION ON TEST
45. D Arid environments become increasingly desertified within increasing human activity. As population grows in the Middle East, continued pressure on the limited water resources, causes greater proportions of the landscape to essentially dry up and turn into desert.
46. B Functional regions are defined by the spatial interaction between a node and the area serviced by that node, for example the spatial circulation pattern of a particular newspaper.
47. B Yuppies, or young urban professionals, enjoy the amenities of a revitalized downtown and typically the income to afford higher real estate prices in gentrified districts.
48. A Carrying capacity, as its name implies, describes a population that a local resource base is able to sustain.
49. A Primate cities often result from colonization; former colonies often concentrated all economic and administrative activities in one area, a pattern persisting after decolonization.
50. D Ancillary services include all the various subordinate activities necessary for a industry to operate, but are often not included within their direct employment base.
51. B Transportation networks facilitate interaction over space.52. D The Mercator projection is a cylindrical projection, meaning that sizes of
landmasses are mostly correct near the equator; towards both poles landmass’ areas become tremendously distorted.
53. A Slash and burn provides nutrients to soil in tropical areas which typically have poor soil. Societies that have evolved near the equator have been employing this technique since ancient history.
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54. B According to environmental determinism, the characteristics of the local environment determine level of sophistication within a society, such that, according to this view, temperate climates produce the most advanced civilizations.
55. A Topological space essentially describes the level of connectedness between two locations; New York and L.A. are extremely connected, both economically and culturally, to one another despite the physical distance between them.
56. A Agglomeration describes the benefits of locating an industry near to similar industries; the benefits include a clustered labor pool, specialized services, knowledge spillovers, and in this case access to top-notch universities and their graduates, among other things.
57. A Pop culture is constantly changing and looks pretty much the same wherever you go whereas folk cultures look very different from each other, but traditions and practices stay the same over time.
58. B Subsistence agriculture describes production of food for consumption by you, your family, and possibly members of your community.
59. E 6.8 billion * 0.02 = 136,000,000.60. B Named after Governor Eldridge Gerry in Boston ? [need details], gerrymandering
involves drawing political boundaries such that a particular person or party is favored or disfavored.
61. C Bananas are grown on large plantations, which mostly exist in equatorial regions.62. B Import substitution involved developing countries increasing their manufacturing
base such that they would no longer need to import manufactured goods from overseas.
63. C AIDS spread first to major metropolitan areas where both large population sizes and significant inflow/outflow of people facilitated the spread of the disease.
64. B Cartograms shrink or expand a polygon, in this case countries, to show their proportion of whatever it is that is being represented. Areas of high population, such as China and India, are noticeably larger on this map.
65. A Los Angeles, a city largely developed after the automobile, contains several “cities” within the city that have their own downtowns/central business districts.
66. E Because of both rapid transportation and information technologies it is much easier to interact with other connected places across the globe.
67. D As women’s education levels and status and role in their societies increases, the less likely they are to have large families.
68. B The east coast of China, with its temperate climate, access to major rivers and access to the ocean, contains the most economically productive provinces within China.
69. D Administrative regions have boundary lines that are determined and agreed upon by governing bodies, as is the case with U.S. counties.
70. B Lines of latitude, also called “parallels”, are named as such because they run parallel to the equator, thus they never intersect.
71. B Many countries in Western Europe are currently experiencing negative population growth, meaning fertility rates are below replacement level.
72. B Dependency theory basically posits that a dependent relationship exists between former colonies and their former colonizers. Former colonies continue to supply raw materials to the former colonies and in return rely on them for manufactured goods.
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C4T5, 06/07/09,
Add reference to shrinking the costs and effect of distance
C4T5, 06/06/09,
Okay but Needs some improvement – I would suggest adding some of the similar vocab from the question – use primary and secondary sector in explanation to increase comprehension – but still use manufacturing to create a connection.
73. C The scale of inquiry determines the level of detail at which you can explore a particular phenomenon. At the county level, you are likely to get a much greater sense of variability over space compared to the state level.
74. B Secondary economic activities transform primary goods (raw materials) into value-added products.
75. B Break of bulk describes the process of transferring materials or goods from one transportation type to another, e.g. from cargo ships to trains. As this transfer can be costly, most firms seek to minimize this expense.
EXPLANATIONS FOR THE FREE RESPONSE QUESTIONS:
1. The two maps above depict the second and third largest cities in the United States: Los Angeles and Chicago.
A) Describe how the two cities differ in terms of their spatial organization.B) Which models of urban spatial organization would you use to describe these two
cities? Why?C) Explain two ways in which the experience of living and working in these two
cities might differ as a consequence of their spatial organization.
Feedback
The response to this question, as in all free response questions, must address all of the question components. The student must first provide a comparison of the spatial layouts of Chicago and Los Angeles; readers will likely look for how transportation played a role in the layout of each of the cities.
For each of the two cities, the correct model should be identified; in the case of Los Angeles it would be the multiple nuclei model and in the case of Chicago, the concentric
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C4T5, 06/07/09,
I like the maps – they show some good patterns Your rubric or response does not include the possibility of the influence of the lake or ocean on the patterns of the roads. I would specify the models that you want students to discuss Students could identify multiple models for each city.– Edge city or galactic city could be used as well as sector model + plus the models you mention in the response. I like C but the new development of the edge cities in Chicago is very highway dependent and similar to LA -
C4T5, 06/07/09,
Number of answers for test A- 13 – 17% B – 28 – 36% C – 13- 17% D – 14 – 19% E – 7 – 9% B is definitely your preferred answer
zone model. In addition to identifying the models, the response should include a description of why each city conforms to each of the two models.
Finally, a student should address what these differences in spatial layout mean in terms of day to day living. Again, the readers will likely be looking for the role of transportation in daily living in each city as well as living arrangements.
Student Answer
Los Angeles is a sprawling suburban metropolis without a strong central core in the form of a large downtown area. Its businesses and neighborhoods are spread out across a large geographic region, and it contains numerous “nodes” of business, educational, and cultural activity. This is because Los Angeles developed from a collection of much smaller communities that eventually grew together. By the time Los Angeles began to see its greatest population growth, during the 1950s, the city had developed a transportation system built around freeways and the automobile. Los Angeles is frequently cited as an example of the multiple nuclei model of urban spatial organization.
Chicago experienced much of its development in the 19th century, several decades before Los Angeles. It developed with a strong central core, which became even stronger after the city was rebuilt following several fires. Chicago’s suburbs emanate outward from the central business district, called “The Loop.” Rents decrease as one moves outward, and living conditions become less congested. Chicago is, therefore, an example of the concentric model of urban spatial organization.
These aspects of Chicago and Los Angeles have clear implications for the lives and lifestyles of the people who live and work there. Many Angelinos (residents of LA) live in single story, single family homes with yards and garages, while many Chicagoans live in apartments or in homes that lack spacious yards. Yet, Angelinos pay for their extra space. In Los Angeles many people live far from their places of work, and must commute by automobile each day to reach their destinations. In Chicago many people live close enough to their workplaces to walk, and the city boasts some of the best public transportation in the country, and many people use it for their daily commutes.
Analysis of the Student’s Response
This response would definitely receive full points as it addressed each of the question components in a very organized and comprehensive manner.
2. Global population growth is often cited a cause of environmental problems, such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
A) Provide one argument in support of this thesis and one argument against it.B) People who want to enact government regulations to slow population growth are
often said to be neo-Malthusians. What does this mean?C) Describe the concept of carrying capacity. Why do you think it is such a
controversial concept when applied to human populations?
Feedback
The readers will likely have a rubric that contains several possible arguments for both the pros and cons of population growth; as such your response is somewhat open-ended.
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C4T5, 06/07/09,
Note: I’ve never seen an AP HG essay ask for an opinion – I’m not sure that carrying capacity is controversial
C4T5, 06/07/09,
Could this also explain modern Chicago – edge city
However, there will be limited possibilities, meaning you must present an established argument for each side and must clearly explain each position.
Secondly, you must clearly define the term “Neo-Malthusian” and describe what it means in terms of population control.
Finally, you must discuss the concept of carrying capacity. Again, this portion of the question is somewhat open-ended, but the readers will have limited possibilities that they will accept as viable responses.
Student Response
People in developed countries often cite global population growth as a cause of environmental problems because they believe that natural resources and ecological systems become stressed when more and more people use them. Yet, government representatives and scholars from developing countries with rapidly growing populations often argue that consumption, not population, is the primary cause of environmental problems. They blame the wealthier countries, which consume a much larger portion of the Earth’s resources, for pressuring ecosystems and squandering resources.
The term neo-Malthusian refers to people who generally believe in the ideas of Thomas Malthus as articulated in his Essay on the Principle of Population (1798). Malthus argued that overpopulation causes the decline of natural resources, conflict between humans, and even such calamities as starvation and warfare. Yet, it is inevitable because population growth will inevitably outpace increases in food production that determine the Earth’s carrying capacity.
Carrying capacity is a controversial concept, however, because there is no way to measure it or even define it. Carrying capacity is always changing as a result of resource consumption, technological advancement and other factors. Moreover, it is not the total supply of food that limits human population. The famines that Malthus described are always the result of a many factors that include political repression and the uneven distribution of wealth, land, and natural resources—not just global food supply.
Analysis of the Student’s Response
This is definitely a sophisticated response that would likely earn all 9 points for the question. The student comprehensively addressed each component of the question using well articulated arguments to discuss the main points.
4. All map projections are distorted representations of the Earth’s surface.
A) Why is this the case?B) Name two map projections, and describe the distortions they each produce.C) The Robinson projection is commonly used in publications such as National
Geographic. Explain why a publisher might want to use the Robinson projection for general purposes.
Feedback
Your response must essentially define the term “projection” and talk about why projections never completely accurately represent the earth’s surface. In your response, you must choose two different map projections; it would be recommended to choose two different types of map projections (e.g. equal area compared to conformal) and discuss what each
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C4T5, 06/07/09,
You give an answer to B in C
C4T5, 06/07/09,
Should be #3
C4T5, 06/07/09,
Where are the 9 points – Is this based on the AP US history model?
projection type preserves and distorts. Finally, you must discuss the Robinson projection as a compromise projection and the benefits of having a projection type that preserves nothing in favor of being aesthetically pleasing.
Student’s Response
All maps are distorted representations of the Earth’s surface because the Earth is a flat sphere, or geoid, and as a three dimensional object it cannot be perfectly represented on a two dimensional map. As a result, all map projections distort either shape, size, distance, or direction of features on the Earth’s surface. There is no one best type of projection; all have their pluses and minuses, and all are compromises.
The Mercator projection preserves accurate compass direction, but distorts the areas of the landmasses relative to each other. The Peters projection retains the accurate size of landmasses but distorts their shape. The Robinson projection is popular because it attempts to balance all four projection errors. It does not maintain accurate distance, size, shape, or direction, but it minimizes errors in all four. It is also aesthetically pleasing, which is why publishers often prefer to use it for basic global maps.
Analysis of the Student’s Response
This student obviously has a solid knowledge of map projections as the response was answered comprehensively, accurately, and concisely. This response is a reader’s dream!
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C4T5, 06/07/09,
All FRQ’s need a rubric – what are the possible answers that are acceptable and how many points is each section worth?
