GEO 101
Introduction to Geography
Multiple Choice Questions
Chapters 1 - 5
  1. As geographers use the term, scale tells us

    2. a. the weight of a given commodity
    b. the intrinsic character of the object or the area studied
    c. the relationship between earth distance and map distance
    d. the length of a degree of longitude along different parallels
  2. Absolute location

    3. a. is an abstract concept unrelated to real-world circumstances
    b. is a temporary and changing characteristic of place
    c. cannot be defined with precision in a world of relative spatial relationships
    d. is a precise position on the surface of the globe
  3. The word geography is derived from Greek words meaning

    4. a. human society and the earth
    b. the cultural landscape of the earth
    c. description of the earth
    d. the measurement of the earth
  4. The relationship between the size of an area on a map and its actual size on the earth’s surface is called the

    5. a. scale
    b. key
    c. projection
    d. relative location
  5. The location of Chicago at 41 49’ N latitude and 87 37’ W longitude is an example of

    6. a. intensive location
    b. absolute location
    c. relative location
    d. remote location
  6. The location of a factory with good access to routes of transportation is an example of

    7. a. absolute location
    b. remote location
    c. relative location
    d. conformal location
  7. Which one of the following series best identifies the elements of physical geography?

    8. a. settlement patterns, farming types, boundary types
    b. land use, economic activities, population patterns
    c. terrain features, climate, mineral resources
    d. raw materials, energy sources, transportation
  8. Which one of the following best identifies the cultural landscape?

    9. a. the natural resources of the earth
    b. the natural landscape as modified by human occupance
    c. the landscape as modified by recent catastrophic events such as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes
    d. the sum total of all events that modify the earth’s surface
  9. Every map projection has some degree of distortion because

    10. a. a curved surface cannot be represented on a flat surface without distortion
    b. parallels and meridians never cross at right angles on a globe
    c. the grid system is two-dimensional but the earth is three-dimensional
    d. a sphere is a developable surface
  10. All of the following are key reference points in the grid system EXCEPT the

    11. a. North and South Poles
    b. polar circumference
    c. equator
    d. prime meridian
  11. Which one of the following correctly lists the four main properties of maps?

    12. a. area, distance, latitude, longitude
    b. equivalence, shape, latitude, longitude
    c. conformality, equivalence, direction, symbols
    d. distance, area, direction, shape
  12. Which of the following is the largest scale?

    13. a. 1:8,000
    b. 1:24,000
    c. 1:50,000
    d. 1:63,360
  13. Which of the following statements about latitude is true?

    14. a. latitude is a measure of distance and of the equator
    b. latitude lines are always parallel to each other on a globe
    c. latitude varies from 0 to 180
    d. on a globe, lines of latitude intersect parallels of longitude at right angles
  14. A map scale of 1:25,000 means that

    15. a. one inch on the map represents 25,000 feet on the earth
    b. one inch on the map represents 25,000 inches on the earth
    c. one foot on the map represents 25,000 inches on the earth
    d. one foot on the map represents 25,000 miles on the earth
  15. Which of the following statements about topographic maps is NOT correct?

    16. a. they are used by engineers, regional planners and land use analysts
    b. the contour line is the principal device used to indicate elevation
    c. they portray the terrain rather than features people have added to the natural landscape
    d. aerial photography is employed to speed up the production process
  16. A map drawn in which of the following scales would show the most detail?

    17. a. 1:500,000
    b. 1:250,000
    c. 1:63,360
    d. 1:24,000
  17. Which of the following statements about contour lines is NOT correct?

    18. a. they connect points of equal elevation above sea level
    b. they can be detected by remote sensing
    c. they are imaginary lines
    d. they are the most accurate method of representing terrain
  18. Which of the following statements about longitude is NOT correct?

    19. a. degrees of longitude range from 0 to 180
    b. it is the angular distance east or west of the prime meridian
    c. all meridians are the same length
    d. distance between adjacent degrees of longitude increases away from the equator
  19. The federal agency that makes most of the topographic maps in the United States is the

    20. a. USCGS
    b. USGS
    c. NASA
    d. Census Bureau
  20. Which of the following is NOT one of the five major components of a geographic information system?

    21. a. geographic database
    b. pixel
    c. computer hardware
    d. computer software
  21. Meridians of longitude are farthest apart at the

    22. a. equator
    b. poles
    c. International Date Line
    d. Arctic Circle
  22. What is the representative fraction scale of a map in which one inch represents one quarter of a mile on the ground?

    23. a. 1:21,120
    b. 1:15,840
    c. 1:10,560
    d. 1:2,640
  23. A geographic information system (GIS) is primarily based on the use of

    24. a. the electromagnetic spectrum
    b. remote sensing
    c. a computer
    d. a thermal scanner
  24. The earth is approximately _______ billion years old.

    25. a. 3.5
    b. 6.0
    c. 4.7
    d. 10 to 12
  25. An intrusive igneous rock is formed from

    26. a. lava that cools rapidly on the earth’s surface
    b. magma that cools slowly on the earth’s surface
    c. lava that cools rapidly beneath the earth’s surface
    d. magma that cools slowly beneath the earth’s surface
  26. Earthquakes result from movement associated with

    27. a. faulting
    b. carbonation
    c. glacial activity
    d. mechanical weathering
  27. A large destructive sea wave resulting from an earthquake is called a

    28. a. tidal wave
    b. Pangaea
    c. tsunami
    d. subduction
  28. The breaking up of rock by freezing and thawing is the result of

    29. a. chemical weathering
    b. gravity transfer
    c. erosion
    d. mechanical weathering
  29. The landform often formed at the mouth of a heavily silted stream is called

    30. a. a delta
    b. a spit
    c. an offshore bar
    d. a lateral moraine
  30. Which of the following is NOT one of the three classes of rock?

    31. a. tectonic
    b. metamorphic
    c. sedimentary
    d. igneous
  31. The Richter scale is a well-known measure of the magnitude of

    32. a. seismic waves
    b. tsunamis
    c. epicenters
    d. tectonic forces
  32. Which of the following groups contains processes caused only by mechanical weathering?

    33. a. frost action, root action, development of salt crystals
    b. hydrolysis, oxidation, carbonation
    c. frost action, carbonation, root action
    d. development of salt crystals, oxidation, carbonation
  33. Atolls are made up of

    34. a. coral organisms
    b. sandbars
    c. terminal moraines
    d. salt marshes
  34. Coal and petroleum occur in the group of rocks classified as

    35. a. igneous
    b. metamorphic
    c. plutonic
    d. sedimentary
  35. A tsunami is a huge destructive sea wave that occurs after

    36. a. a hurricane or typhoon
    b. an earthquake
    c. an abrupt change of temperature
    d. an increase in gravitational pull of the moon
  36. Terrain affected by an underground solution of limestone is known as

    37. a. karst topography
    b. knob and kettle topography
    c. belted topography
    d. gradational topography
  37. The elements that make up weather include

    38. a. temperature, vegetation and precipitation
    b. precipitation, temperature and wind
    c. temperature, wind and soils
    d. climate, moisture and solar energy
  38. The intensity and duration of radiation that various places on the earth receive from the sun mainly depend on

    39. a. weather conditions
    b. the angle at which the sun’s rays strike the earth
    c. earth rotation
    d. the earth surface material
  39. The temperature at any given location is NOT dependent on the

    40. a. amount of water vapor in the air
    b. degree of cloud cover
    c. nature of the surface of the earth
    d. Coriolis effect
  40. The earth’s axis is tilted about _______ away from the perpendicular.

    41. a. 67.5
    b. 45
    c. 7.5
    d. 23.5
  41. The type of cloud from which heavy rain falls is called

    42. a. cirrus
    b. cirrostratus
    c. stratus
    d. cumulonimbus
  42. The type of precipitation that is associated with hills and mountains is called

    43. a. convectional
    b. orographic
    c. frontal
    d. cyclonic
  43. The leading edge of a continental polar air mass is called

    44. a. the southern oscillation
    b. a front
    c. the windward side
    d. a pressure gradient
  44. Characteristic vegetation of the steppe climate is

    45. a. tundra
    b. deciduous forest
    c. coniferous forest
    d. grasses
  45. Characteristic features of the marine west coast climate are

    46. a. cool year round temperatures, wet summers and dry winters
    b. wet year round, warm summers and cold winters
    c. wet year round, cool summers and cool winters
    d. cool year round, dry summers and wet winters
  46. The name given to the zone to the north of the forested subarctic region is

    47. a. humid continental climate
    b. the tundra
    c. the savanna
    d. the steppe
  47. Precipitation is least reliable in

    48. a. steppes
    b. deserts
    c. rain forests
    d. savannas
  48. The term insolation refers to

    49. a. the rate of pressure change
    b. solar energy received by the earth
    c. distribution of temperature over land and water
    d. evaporation from both water surfaces and plants
  49. Rainfall is caused by

    50. a. increasing air temperature
    b. cooling of saturated air
    c. decreasing relative humidity
    d. location along a rain shadow
  50. The smallest but most violent of all storm types is the

    51. a. hurricane
    b. tycoon
    c. tornado
    d. typhoon
  51. The natural vegetation characteristic of areas that have warm temperatures and heavy rainfall evenly throughout the year is

    52. a. deciduous forest
    b. coniferous forest
    c. tropical rain forest
    d. steppe
  52. The specific place of an organism in an ecosystem is called its

    53. a. biome
    b. environment
    c. niche
    d. trophic level
  53. Water pollution is widespread because

    54. a. water has a very low tolerance to either natural or artificial contaminants
    b. once a stream or lake is polluted, there is no way to restore it to usable quality
    c. increasing world aridity limits the number of water sources that can be used for waste disposal
    d. water so easily receives the wastes of agriculture, industry and cities
  54. Air pollution

    55. a. is caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels
    b. is not a significant problem in developing countries
    c. first occurred as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the use of fossil fuels by factories
    d. may have serious consequences for human health but rarely affects plant life
  55. The biosphere is composed of

    56. a. the atmosphere, surface and subsurface water and the earth’s upper crust
    b. the atmosphere, the living organic world and the absorbable minerals of the earth’s crust
    c. water, phosphorus and carbon
    d. solar energy, the earth’s crust and living organisms
  56. All of the following statements about decomposers are true EXCEPT that they

    57. a. feed on the remains of other organisms
    b. break down radioactive wastes
    c. release nutrients for reuse in the food chain
    d. play an essential part in the cycle of life
  57. Which of the following does NOT place growing demands on water supplies?

    58. a. hydrologic cycle
    b. urbanization
    c. industrialization
    d. agriculture
  58. Which of the following factors does NOT affect the type and degree of air pollution found at a given place?

    59. a. wind patterns
    b. ozone layer
    c. topography
    d. level of industrialization
  59. Which of the following is NOT a means of reducing the impact of solid waste on the environment?

    60. a. reducing the volume of waste that is generated
    b. halting irresponsible dumping
    c. increasing the production of toxic residues
    d. reusing the resources the waste contains
  60. Zebra mussels in the Great Lakes are an example of

    61. a. the deliberate elimination of presumed destructive species
    b. the inadvertent introduction of a new species that caused unforeseen ecological disruption
    c. an endangered species
    d. animals whose habitats, particularly coastal marshes, have been disrupted by residential and industrial development
  61. Which of the following statements about solid waste is NOT true?

    62. a. the amount of waste has remained at about the same level in recent years
    b. society has always been faced with the problems of discarding materials that are no longer needed
    c. much municipal waste is hazardous because it contains toxic chemicals
    d. every method of disposing of such waste has an impact on the environment
  62. Human impact upon land surfaces

    63. a. is so minor it may be ignored in the study of human/environmental relationships
    b. involves a variety of actions, including excavation, construction, extraction and dumping
    c. is more widespread and potentially damaging than air or water pollution
    d. could largely be solved by incineration of garbage and recycling of metals and glass
  63. Discharging emissions from very tall smokestacks

    64. a. is rarely used in the U.S. because of high costs
    b. is favored by the EPA
    c. prevents secondary pollutants from forming
    d. increases the risk of acid deposition
  64. All of the following statements about the greenhouse effect are true EXCEPT that it

    65. a. occurs when there is a low level of carbon dioxide in the air
    b. is caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the accumulation of other gases in the air
    c. could result in a global warming trend
    d. slows down the reradiation of heat from earth back into space
  65. Human introduction and extinctions of plant and animal species

    66. a. have reduced to insignificance the floral and faunal differences between continents
    b. may result in unforeseen alterations to the original natural environment and to the economic potential of an area
    c. are, in relation to the immense natural diversity of plant and animal life, insignificant and easily matched by naturally occurring changes
    d. are the immediate cause of locally serious desertification and salinization problems
  66. The most common method of disposing of municipal solid waste in the United States is

    67. a. by incineration
    b. in open dumps
    c. by recycling
    d. in sanitary landfills
  67. Which of the following statements about sanitary landfills is correct?

    68. a. most landfills produce leachate liquids that contaminate the groundwater
    b. municipal landfills are easy to site, compared to recycling plants
    c. landfill capacity had kept pace with population growth
    d. many landfills have been closed because of concern over air pollution
  68. Which of the following would NOT be an example of how people have disrupted wildlife habitats?

    69. a. using a tidal marsh as a landfill
    b. erecting fences to protect cattle
    c. killing elephants for their ivory tusks
    d. burning a forest to plant crops
  69. In the food chain, the only organisms that produce their own food are

    70. a. carnivores
    b. herbivores
    c. bacteria
    d. plants
  70. The hydrologic cycle involves

    71. a. evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
    b. decimation, concentration, and precipitation
    c. transpiration, vaporization, and decimation
    d. vaporization, perturbation, and declination
  71. In the United States the area that receives the greatest amount of acid rain is

    72. a. California
    b. Florida
    c. the Rocky Mountains
    d. the Appalachians
  72. The chief factor contributing to acid rain is

    73. a. burning fossil fuels
    b. use of nuclear energy
    c. cloud seeding
    d. ozone emissions
  73. Which atmosphere condition is needed for photochemical reactions?

    74. a. high wind velocity
    b. bright sunlight
    c. heavy rainfall
    d. calm air
  74. What gas in the stratosphere prevents dangerous intensities of ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth’s surface?

    75. a. ozone
    b. hydrogen
    c. argon
    d. nitrogen
  75. Which one of the following occurrences is most typical after the clearing of a tropical rain forest?

    76. a. high crop yields are maintained for many decades
    b. biotic diversity is increased
    c. soils soon lose their fertility
    d. the natural environment is permanently improved