Unit 1: Practice Exam Questions
Unit 1: Practice Exam Questions
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17. Which of the following statements is most correct regarding the origins of geography?
(A) Geography was invented as a science in the late 18th century.
(B) Physical geography has been studied since ancient times, but human geography was first
studied in the 20th century.
(C) Geography owes its existence to the Renaissance period in Western Europe.
(D) Humans have practiced geography at least since the time of ancient Greek civilization.
(E) Human geography was not practiced until powerful computers capable of mapping detailed
information were invented.
18. According to the surviving evidence, the first person to write the word geography was
(A) Aristotle.
(B) Eratosthenes.
(C) Strabo.
(D) Thales of Miletus.
(E) Thucydides.
19. The International Date Line is measured approximately from
(A) 0° latitude.
(B) 0° longitude.
(C) 90° latitude.
(D) 180°longitude.
(E) 90° longitude.
20. You see the coordinates 5°E longitude, 10°N latitude. You do not need to look at a map in order to
deduce that this location is
(A) near both the equator and the prime meridian.
(B) near the equator but quite far from the prime meridian.
(C) near the International Date Line as well as the North Pole.
(D) near the International Date Line and the prime meridian.
(E) near both the equator and the International Date Line.
21. If NASA sends a space probe into orbit around Mars, and that probe transmits images of the Martian
surface back to Earth, we could say that
(A) the space probe is gathering surface data, but it cannot be described as engaging in remote
sensing because this is an operation that, by definition, can only be accomplished from Earth
orbit.
(B) the space probe is generating data for GPS.
(C) the space probe is engaging in remote sensing, although it is gathering data from a planet other
than Earth.
(D) the probe is engaging in aerial photography, although it is taking its "pictures" from outer
space.
(E) the USGS has programmed the space probe to mimic the work of Earth satellites.
22. Site identifies a place by its
(A) location relative to other objects and places.
(B) mathematical location on Earth's surface.
(C) nominal location.
(D) unique physical characteristics.
(E) primary dimensions.
23. Situation identifies a place by its
(A) location relative to other objects or places.
(B) mathematical location on Earth's surface.
(C) nominal location.
(D) unique, internal physical and cultural characteristics.
(E) primary dimensions.
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24. The state of Texas is best considered a formal region because
(A) only one language is spoken in most of the cities of the region.
(B) the same state laws apply everywhere in the region.
(C) the climate is the same everywhere in the region.
(D) transportation systems converge in the major highways of the region.
(E) it is a part of the United States.
25. The South is established as a vernacular region of the United States by
(A) climate, low educational attainment, cotton production, and the prevalence of talk radio
stations.
(B) climate, low high-school graduation rates, and the Roman Catholic and Baptist churches.
(C) low high school graduation rates, climate, cotton and corn (maize) production, and abuses of
the rights of voters and minorities.
(D) high cotton production, high church attendance, the prevalence of right-wing talk radio stations,
and limits placed on the civil rights of ethnic and racial minorities.
(E) climate, low educational attainment, cotton production, and the prevalence of Baptist churches.
26. The historic diffusion of HIV/AIDS in the United States is an example of which type of diffusion?
(A) contagious
(B) hierarchical
(C) relocation
(D) stimulus
(E) geospatial
27. The study of how humans and the environment interact is called
(A) environmental determinism.
(B) cultural ecology.
(C) cultural diffusion.
(D) cultural possibilism.
(E) natural science.
28. The first iPhone was sold in the US in 2007 for a price of $599. As a result, its use was initially limited to
those who could afford the high cost. This new technology spread first among those able to afford the
initial cost and additional data plans from AT&T. What type of diffusion is this?
(A) relocation diffusion
(B) contagious diffusion
(C) stimulus diffusion
(D) economic diffusion
(E) hierarchical diffusion
29. McDonalds spread to more than 100 countries worldwide. However, each restaurant adapts to local
cultures and customs. Indian Hindus do not eat beef, so in McDonalds in India, they serve veggie burgers
because it is culturally acceptable. The idea of McDonalds burgers was acceptable, but not in its original
form. What type of diffusion is this?
(A) relocation diffusion
(B) contagious diffusion
(C) stimulus diffusion
(D) economic diffusion
(E) hierarchical diffusion
30. The art and science of making maps is
(A) cardemography.
(B) cartography.
(C) topography.
(D) geomorphology.
(E) geography.
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Answer Key
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Q A Right Wrong Explanation
Relative to lines of latitude near the equator, lines of latitude near the poles are
9 C shorter. This is the case because the overall circumference of the earth is
smaller near the poles than at its center, near the equator.
The effect of new technologies like the Internet (or historically, trains) is that
they reduce the relative distance in time traveled between places as opposed to
the absolute distance, which remains a constant length. The trick is to think
10 D that your “relatives” come to visit you and thus reduce the time and distance
between you and them, whereas you “absolutely” can’t change the distance in
road mils from their house to your home. Use process of elimination to
eliminate (A) and (B).
Simply put, the old scientific ideology or paradigm of environmental
determinism was that “nature shapes culture.” The idea that physical
geography – the combination of landforms, plants, soils, animals, oceans,
11 A
climate, and weather – was different everywhere and resulted in different
human adaptations to nature. Thus, cultures were different from place to place
as a result.
Hierarchical diffusion describes the spread of an innovation through specific
nodes, which are not usually located close together in space, but exhibit strong
12 B links to one another in a network. For example, fashion trends tend to diffuse
hierarchically between major fashion nodes (e.g. Paris, London, Milan) before
spreading contagiously to surrounding areas.
Generalization, as it sounds, involves generalizing information or smoothing
over details. As a map scale decreases, meaning going from a larger scale map
to a smaller scale map, one sees a greater extent of land. For example, the
larger scale map may have shown al of Boston, but with a decrease in map
13 C
scale, the reader can now see all of Massachusetts. The allowance of greater
geographic extent necessarily means that details will be lost. Going back to the
example, by decreasing the map scale, the reader can no longer see the details
of Boston.
Perceptual regions are determined by commonly perceived characteristics of
particular places on Earth’s surface. Different individuals have different ideas
14 D
about where these characteristics begin and end. Thus the boundaries are
necessarily fuzzy.
Geographic scale refers to a scale of analysis. It looks at phenomena through a
15 B
hierarchy of scale such as neighborhoods, city, state, and nation.
The Mercator projection accurately preserves compass direction. However,
because the lines of longitude do not meet at the poles in the Mercator
16 A
projection as they do on the globe, area is distorted, with increasing inaccuracy
at high latitudes.
The ancient Greeks were among the first to use geography to explore new
17 D trade routes to distant lands. Maps were used mostly as reference tools, to
navigate.
Eratosthenes was the first person to record use of the word “geography.” He
18 B
studied in Alexandria, Egypt and is known as the “father of geography.”
The International Date Line follows 180° longitude. If you cross this line
moving eastward, you move the clock back 24 hours. If you cross this line
moving westward, you move the clock forward 24 hours. For the most part, the
19 D
International Date Line follows the 180° meridian; however, there are several
small islands that have moved their time zones to make for better economic
relations.
Both the equator and prime meridian measure positions beginning at 0°. Any
20 A number near 0°E/W must be very close to the prime meridian. Any number
near 0°N/S must be very close to the equator.
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Q A Right Wrong Explanation
Remote sensing involves any acquisition of data from a satellite technology.
This type of satellite can scan the surface of any planet and transmit the digital
21 C form to receiving stations on Earth’s surface. The satellite sensors detect
radiation being reflected from the surface and transform it into a grid
containing many rows of pixels.
Site describes the physical character of a place. It can include features like
climate, water sources, topography, soil, vegetation, latitude, and elevation.
22 D
Any physical (land) feature that makes a location unique is describing the site.
Some of the best site factors for settlement include river-crossings and hilltops.
Situation is the location of a place relative to other places. It is helpful in
finding an unfamiliar place by comparing its location to a familiar one. This is
23 A
often how we give directions when speaking with people. We use landmarks to
direct people to where they are going.
A formal region is an area with a uniform, measurable set of characteristics.
Formal regions often have distinct and visible boundaries. For example, Texas
24 B is a formal region because within its state’s boundaries, everyone follows the
same laws. Citizens all pay taxes to the same government and are subject to the
same traffic laws. These characteristics are easy to identify and measure.
A vernacular region is a much more informal region. These regions usually
reflect cultural values or beliefs in an area. The South is characterized by a
unique set of common environmental, cultural, and economic features that set
25 E
it apart from the rest of the United States. High cotton production, low
graduation rates, associations with the Confederacy, Baptist religion, and a
warm climate make the South very unique.
Relocation diffusion is the spread of an idea or trait by through the physical
movement of people from one place to another. The spread of AIDS requires
26 C
human-to-human contact, and therefore, spreads through the movement of
people who carry the virus.
Cultural ecology is concerned with how humans interact with their
27 B environment. It is a study that dates back 200 years, when scientists began
traveling the globe to observe how people lived in different environments.
Hierarchical diffusion spreads through certain nodes of authority or power
before reaching the general population. In the case of the iPhone, high costs for
28 E a new gadget deterred most low- and middle-class consumers from purchasing
the product initially. After costs lowered, along with the risk of investing in a
new technology, the device began to spread more contagiously.
Stimulus diffusion is the spread of only a small piece of an idea or trait. In the
case of McDonalds, the idea of the restaurant chain has spread globally;
29 C
however, each culture adopts only pieces of the McDonald’s menu. They
supplement more American menu items with their own local food preferences.
Cartography is the art and science of mapmaking. Maps can be used as
30 B reference tools to navigate and as communication tools to depict the
distribution of human activities and physical features.