Geography 1

June 2013

… Europe’s waterways were also a blessing. Itsrivers flowed gently into sheltered, navigablebays. The Rhine is a wide, slow-moving river thatcan be used as a highway for goods and people.The Mediterranean is calm, almost a lake, withmany big ports. Compare this to Africa. Despitebeing the second-largest continent, Africa has theshortest coastline, much of which is too shallow to build major ports. Most of its big rivers—fastmoving, dramatic, vertiginous [dizzying]—are not navigable. Add to that the tropical heat and propensity [tendency] for disease and food spoilage, and you have a compelling geographic explanation for African underdevelopment— surely not the only factor, but a significant one.… — Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World, W. W. Norton & Company, 2008

1 Which conclusion about the geography of thesecontinents is best supported by this passage?(1) Europe and Africa have the same climate.(2) Europe and Africa have many deep majorports.(3) Waterways are a geographic blessing in bothEurope and Africa.(4) River systems have helped development inEurope and hindered it in Africa.

Aug 2013

1 • Use a variety of evidence• Analyze primary documents• Compare societies and regionsThese actions help historians reconstruct a recordof a society by(1) focusing on traditional interpretations(2) making use of multiple perspectives(3) separating history from science(4) relying on a single argument

2 What would a geographer conducting research bemost likely to do?(1) use carbon-14 to determine the age ofartifacts(2) analyze the reasons women vote for certaincandidates(3) observe the effects of wind patterns onregional trade(4) design a survey to determine the onlinespending habits of young people

4 Which geographic factor contributed to theformation of independent city-states in ancientGreece?(1) tropical rainforests(2) fertile farmland(3) navigable rivers(4) mountainous topography

Jan 2013

2 Which body of water is located between Southwest Asia and Southeast Asia?(1) Pacific Ocean (3) Indian Ocean(2) Caribbean Sea (4) Black Sea

3 Which river system is found in Mesopotamia?(1) Nile River(2) Yellow River(3) Tigris and Euphrates rivers(4) Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers

Aug 2012

1 What does a topographic map show?(1) climate regions (3) patterns of trade(2) ethnic distributions (4) physical features

Jan2012

8 The Thar Desert, Ganges River, and DeccanPlateau are all geographic features of(1) Japan (3) India(2) China (4) Indonesia

Jan 2012

47 Which concept is most closely associated with this map of Asia?(1) nonalignment (3) colonization(2) urbanization (4) cultural diffusion

Aug 2011

1 • Keeping field notes from excavation sites• Analyzing radiocarbon dating test results• Examining and cataloging artifactsWhich social scientist directly engages in theseactivities?(1) political scientist (3) historian(2) archaeologist (4) sociologis

5 Which geographic feature has helped isolateChina?(1) Andes Mountains(2) Kalahari Desert(3) Himalaya Mountains(4) Great Rift Valley

June 2011Base your answers to questions 1 and 2 on the map below and on your knowledge of social studies.

1 This map illustrates the relationship between(1) religion and government(2) ironworking and trans-Saharan trade(3) humans and environment(4) monsoons and flooding

2 Which process is shown on this map?(1) nationalization (3) urbanization(2) cultural diffusion (4) social stratification

4 Knowing the latitude of a location would be mosthelpful in determining(1) language (3) population(2) temperature (4) time

Base your answer to question 6 on the passagebelow and on your knowledge of social studies.

…The girl and two other children were left on aMountain top to succumb [fall victim] to the coldas offerings to the gods, according to thearchaeologists who found the mummifiedremains in Argentina in 1999….— “Frozen Inca Mummy Goes On Display,” National Geographic News,September 11, 20076 This passage best illustrates the role ofarchaeologists in(1) interpreting evidence(2) challenging customs(3) classifying artifacts(4) planning expeditions

39 The southern edge of the Sahara is expanding ina process called(1) annexation (3) desertification(2) conservation (4) desalination

Jan 2011

Geneticists are tracing the movements of peoplein prehistoric Europe using our DNA as a timemachine. . . . — Joe Palca, “Tracing Human Migration Through DNA,” NPR Weekend Edition Saturday, August 11, 20071 This passage suggests that modern science can beused to(1) aid historical analysis(2) show the development of a point of view(3) explain ancient medical practices(4) predict future events

2 Why is Southeast Asia considered a crossroads?(1) Large deposits of oil are available.(2) A number of trade routes intersect.(3) A single culture is dominant.(4) Rivers serve as highways.

6 Which name identifies the region locatedbetween the Tigris and Euphrates rivers?(1) Cape of Good Hope (3) Mesopotamia(2) Sinai Peninsula (4) Horn of Africa

15 One similarity between the Nile River valley andsavanna lands in Africa is that they both(1) served as major barriers to the movement ofpeople and goods(2) provided necessary resources for settlement(3) are located on the western side of thecontinent(4) had little effect on the lives of the people wholived in these regions

aug 2010

1 • Analyzing the design of a Shang bronze pot• Deciphering the writing on the Rosetta Stone• Examining the fabric of a Japanese kimonoThese actions are most often performed by(1) a political scientist (3) a sociologist(2) a geographer (4) an archaeologist

2 The term monsoons can be defined as(1) seasonal winds(2) sand deposits(3) ocean currents(4) mountain avalanches

4 Which geographic feature served as a barrier thatprotected ancient China and was used as aninvasion route by the Aryans into ancient India?(1) deserts (3) mountains(2) rivers (4) plateaus

Base your answer to question 38 on the passagebelow and on your knowledge of social studies.. . . Traditionally, [African] farmers cleared land,grew crops for a few harvests, then let the fieldslie fallow for 10 or 15 years to rejuvenate as theymoved on to clear more land, the study reports.But as they try to feed a rapidly growingpopulation, the farmers instead grow crop aftercrop, sapping the soil’s fertility.“Nothing grows, so the topsoil is blown awayby the wind and washed away by the rains,” saidAmit H. Roy, president of the InternationalFertilizer Development Center, a nonprofitagricultural aid organization, which produced thestudy. “It goes into the river system, silting them,and out to the oceans.”. . .— Celia Dugger, “Overfarming African Landis Worsening Hunger Crisis”38 Which problem in sub-Saharan Africa is beingdescribed in this passage?(1) global warming (3) urbanization(2) acid rain (4) desertification

Jun 2010

2 Which title best completes the partial outline below?

(1) Geographic Features of Japan(2) Environmental Challenges in Mongolia(3) Economic Issues Facing Saudi Arabia(4) Factors Affecting British Industrialization

12 Based on the information provided by this map, which statement about urban areasbetween 650 and 1500 is accurate?(1) Most urbanization occurred in the Southern Hemisphere.(2) Most urbanization is associated with a tropical climate.(3) Most urban areas were located in Europe.(4) Most urban areas developed near waterways.

Jan 2010

2 A geographic similarity between Italy and India isthat both of these countries are located(1) on peninsulas(2) on archipelagos(3) between two oceans(4) south of the equator

4 The Indus and Huang He (Yellow) rivers are bothclosely associated with(1) border disputes(2) sacred biblical sites(3) cradles of early civilization(4) oil discoveries

8 Which geographic factor has often made Korea akey region for those seeking to control East Asia?(1) long coastline (3) mountains(2) location (4) climate