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World Geography Common Assessment
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1. Country 2 represents the population distribution of
A.
?
a developed country
B.
?
a country in Africa
C.
?
a developing country
D.
?
a country in Asia
2. In which area of the world can one expect to find the most active earthquakes
and volcanoes?
A.
?
Mediterranean Sea
B.
?
Mid Atlantic Ocean
C.
?
Caribbean Sea
D.
?
The Pacific Rim
3. The regions of the world that are the most developed are regions
A.
?
2, 5, 6, 7
B.
?
3, 4, 6, 7
C.
?
1, 2, 5, 6
D.
?
1, 4, 7, 9
4. The Amazon Rainforest is located in region
A.
?
2
B.
?
3
C.
?
1
D.
?
9
5. Traditional agriculture or subsistence farming depends on
A.
?
pesticides
B.
?
human labor
C.
?
fertilizers
D.
?
machinery
E.
6. What is an important reason (at least theoretically) that countries join
international organizations like the United Nations?
A.
? Citizens want their countries to join as many international
organizations as possible.
B.
? Countries who do not join usually lose their independence and
sovereignty.
C.
?
Many of the world's problems involve more than one country.
D.
?
Such organizations force countries to join.
7. The varying widths of the lines on the map most probably indicate the
A.
?
volume of trade
B.
?
strength of ocean currents
C.
?
type of trade
D.
?
type of transportation used
8. What important international product is represented on this map?
A.
?
oil
B.
?
diamonds
C.
?
wheat
D.
?
textiles
9. The region of the world that has the largest coniferous forest is
A.
?
6
B.
?
8
C.
?
2
D.
?
3
10. People in developed countries generally
A.
?
have shortages of food
B.
?
have poor medical care
C.
?
are traditional farmers
D.
?
are technologically advanced
11. What would a scientist probably study to predict where acid rain would fall?
A.
?
mass-transit systems that serve major cities
B.
?
the location of sewage-treatment plants
C.
?
the atomic structures of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen
D.
?
wind patterns that prevail over major manufacturing areas
12. This map would be most useful to a
A.
?
pilot flying from Canada to Scandinavia
B.
?
person sailing in tropical seas
C.
?
pilot flying from Europe to South America
D.
?
person sailing to Antarctica
13. Under which of the following circumstances would you be most likely to find
snow in equatorial regions?
A.
?
in areas at high latitudes
B.
?
in areas below sea level
C.
?
in areas at high elevations
D.
?
in winter
14. The population pattern or map that shows where most of the people in the
world live is
A.
?
economic disparity
B.
?
population distribution
C.
?
economic distribution
D.
?
population diffusion
15. Country 2 represents a country whose population is
A.
?
growing
B.
?
staying the same
C.
?
shrinking
D.
?
doubling in 20 years
16. What religion is practiced by most people in India?
A.
?
Buddhism
B.
?
Christianity
C.
?
Confucianism
D.
?
Hinduism
E.
17. The population distribution of the world shows that
A.
?
the continents are evenly populated
B.
?
the world's population has leveled off
C.
?
the continents are not evenly populated
D.
?
the world's population is decreasing
18. The world's largest ocean is the
A.
?
Atlantic
B.
?
Indian
C.
?
Arctic
D.
?
Pacific
19. Which nation is most likely to have a shipping port?
A.
?
Nation A
B.
?
Nation D
C.
?
Nation C
D.
?
Nation B
20. Switzerland is located in the middle of which mountain range?
A.
?
Alps
B.
?
Andes
C.
?
Pyrenees
D.
?
Urals
21. What percentage of the TOTAL population of Country 1 is age 70 or over?
A.
?
1.0%
B.
?
1.2%
C.
?
3.0%
D.
?
2.2%
22. What direction is the grassland from the coalfield?
A.
?
Southeast
B.
?
Southwest
C.
?
Northwest
D.
?
Northeast
23. The Great Barrier Reef is located near number
A.
?
5
B.
?
3
C.
?
9
D.
?
6
24. Latitude on this map is represented by
A.
?
convergent lines
B.
?
circles
C.
?
shaded areas
D.
?
straight lines
25. In order to grow food in the desert, farmers would need to
A.
?
cut down trees
B.
?
herd animals
C.
?
build new houses
D.
?
irrigate the land
26. The latitude belt on the map that is in region B is the
A.
?
low belt
B.
?
high belt
C.
?
middle belt
27. The source of the Red River and the Charles River can be found in the
A.
?
desert
B.
?
mountains
C.
?
grassland
D.
?
oil fields
28. What is an important reason that skyscrapers were built in American cities?
A.
?
Skyscrapers allowed tenants to create a closer community.
B.
?
Citizens wanted to be safe from street crimes.
C.
?
Construction companies liked the really high buildings.
D.
? Skyscrapers allowed people to use small amounts of land more
efficiently.
29. What is the approximate distance between the mouth of the Red River and
the mouth of the Charles River?
A.
?
100 miles
B.
?
300 miles
C.
?
400 miles
D.
?
200 miles
30. Major oil-producing nations joined together to form the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as a means of
A.
?
increasing their control of markets and prices for their product
B.
?
limiting access of other nations to solar power
C.
?
promoting the production of high-quality fossil fuels
D.
? improving communication and transportation among developing
nations
31. The dotted line running across the map represents
A.
?
contour line
B.
?
fault line
C.
?
river
D.
?
major highway
32. Which of the following people would probably have the greatest choice of
places to live?
A.
?
cattle rancher
B.
?
nurse
C.
?
miner
D.
?
oil refinery technician
33. The number 2 on the map shows
A.
?
the Missouri River
B.
?
the Colorado River
C.
?
the Columbia River
D.
?
the Mississippi River
E.
34. The region described in this table is
A.
?
Africa
B.
?
Australia
C.
?
South America
D.
?
North America
35. The largest quantities of the product represented in the map is exported from
which region of the world?
A.
?
East Asia
B.
?
South Asia
C.
?
Southwest Asia
D.
?
Sub-Saharan Africa
36. The number 4 on the map shows
A.
?
the Columbia River
B.
?
the Rio Grande River
C.
?
the Colorado river
D.
?
the St. Lawrence River
37. Quebec, Canada can be considered a cultural region because of its
A.
?
climate
B.
?
language
C.
?
landforms
D.
?
economy
38. Florida is an example of
A.
?
an island
B.
?
a penninsula
C.
?
an isthmus
D.
?
a plateau
39. The region of the world that has the most oil is
A.
?
1
B.
?
2
C.
?
6
D.
?
5
40. This map is a
A.
?
polar projection
B.
?
interrupted projection
C.
?
Robinson projection
D.
?
Mercator projection
41. Most of the people in the world are members of which religion?
A.
?
Christianity
B.
?
Hinduism
C.
?
Islam
D.
?
Judaism
42. The region of the world where the most people live is
A.
?
4
B.
?
1
C.
?
5
D.
?
6
43. Europe experiences a mild climate for its latitude belt because
A.
?
the Equinox determines the weather for 12 months
B.
?
the North Atlantic Drift brings warm water to the region
C.
?
it is located in the tropics
D.
?
it is located at sea level
44. Which is the main reason that many early peoples settled in river valleys?
A.
? River valleys were easier to defend from attack than were highland
regions.
B.
? River valleys were fertile because floodwaters left rich soil on the
banks.
C.
?
River valleys tended to be cooler than highland regions.
D.
?
River valleys were virtually free of danger from wild animals.
45. Which two nations are most likely to have a conflict over natural resources?
A.
?
Nation A and Nation D
B.
?
Nation C and Nation D
C.
?
Nation A and Nation B
D.
?
Nation B and Nation C
46. What contributes to the greenhouse effect?
A.
?
Soil erosion
B.
?
Destroying the forest by the slash and burn technique
C.
?
Water erosion
D.
?
Burning fuels such as oil, coal, and gas
47. The intensity of this earthquake would be measured in terms of
A.
?
isotherms
B.
?
barometric pressure
C.
?
the Richter scale
D.
?
the Celsius scale
48. Country 1 represents the population distribution of
A.
?
a developed country
B.
?
a country in Europe
C.
?
a country in North America
D.
?
a developing country
49. Which of the four oceans would have the least amount of sea traffic?
A.
?
Indian
B.
?
Arctic
C.
?
Pacific
D.
?
Atlantic
50. On a map, the smaller the scale of miles the
A.
?
less detail will be shown on the map
B.
?
more detail will be shown on the map
C.
?
shorter the distance between two points
D.
?
longer the distance between two points
51. Which of the following is a nation of people without a country?
A.
?
Kurdistan
B.
?
Turkmenistan
C.
?
Iraq
D.
?
Iran
52. Which nations are most likely to be landlocked?
A.
?
Nation C and Nation D
B.
?
Nation A and Nation B
C.
?
Nation B and Nation C
D.
?
Nation D and Nation A
53. as you travel higher in the mountains, the climate generally becomes
A. warmer and wetter
B. warmer and drier
C. cooler and wetter
D. cooler and drier
54.In general, the ocean affects the climate of places on the coast by making
A. the summers cooler and the winters warmer
B. the summers warmer and the winters cooler
C. both the summers and the winters cooler
D. both the summers and the winters warmer
55. The areas of the world that have a Mediterranean climate are
A. rainy in the winter and dry in the summer B. dry in the winter and rainy in the
summer C. rainy all year long D. hot and dry all year long
56. A westerly wind is one that A. blows toward the west
C. could change toward the west D. is dry and cold.
B. comes from the west
57. Monsoons are A. seasonal rains that occur in Asia B.seasonal storms much like
hurricanes C. season reversals of wind D. violent windstorms much like tornadoes.\
58. Tropical rain forests are A. jungles of thorny bushes and low trees, B. most
commonly found about 20 to 30 degrees away from the equator C. not really forests at
all because they do not have many trees D. forests growing where it is wet and warm all
year long.
59.. The number of continents on the earth is A. five B. 4 C. seven D. eight
60. A plateau is a A. rugged and mountainous area B. flat place near sea level C. flat
area that stands above the surrounding landscape D. landform that has no rivers nearby.
61. The tallest mountains in the world are the A. Andes B. Alps C. Himilayas D.
Rockies
62.Which of the following best describes the water cycle? A. water can exist naturally in
three states-solid, liquid, gas. B. rainwater evaporated from the sea runs off the land
back to the sea, c. water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees. D. groundwater
and springs flow in cycles.
63. The continental drift theory can be used to explain A. wind patterns over the
continental United States B. how the continents have changed position on the earth over
geologic time C. migration routes used by ancient peoples D. the direction and
depth ocean currents.
64. Nearly 70 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by A. saltwater
C. land D. ice
B. fresh water
65. Rivers in general A. create the valleys they flow through B. do not create valleys
but flow into them because they are low areas C. are not found in any of the desert
regions of the world D. contain the same amount of water all year long.
66. A map scale of 1/500 means that A. one inch on the map would equal 500 feet on
the earth B. 500 miles on the earth would equal one foot on the map C. one mile on
the earth would equal 500 inches on the map D. one unit of any length on the map
equals 500 of the same units on the earth.
67. The most accurate representation of the earth for showing true compass directions
and the true shape and relative size of features, such as the continents, is a A. map
showing the greatest amount of detail possible B. world globe C. mercator projection
world map D. polar projection map
68. The differences in weather between summer and winter are mostly controlled by A.
the sun’s being closer to the earth in July than in December B. changes in the angle of
the sun’s rays over the year C. changes in the tilt of the earth’s axis. D. changes in the
temperature of the sun’s surface
69. If it is one pm on Monday and you are telephoning someone in the next time zone to
the east, the time where the other person is would be A. One PM on Monday B. noon
on Monday C. Two PM on Monday D. One PM on Tuesday.
70. Which of the following is true? A. Longitude measures degrees north and south of
the Prime Meridian B. latitude measures degrees north and south of the equator C.
longitude measures degrees north and south of the equator D. Latitude measures degrees
east and west of the prime meridian.
71.If you were located at 15 degrees south and 15 degrees east and you traveled 30
degrees north and 30 degrees west your new location would be A. 15N and 15W B.
45s and 45E C. 15N and 45 D. the north pole.
72. The developing world (Third World) includes A. Zaire, Bolivia, Pakistan and
Indonesia B. Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden C. Czech Republic,
Poland, Hungary, Russia D. The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia.
73. Nomads are A. rockets used to put satellites in orbit B. people from the city of
Nome, Alaska C. people who must travel and move their homes to make a living D.
the tribal name for a Stone Age people living in Borneo
74. Public transportation in most US cities is difficult to provide because A. most
people live within walking distance of where they work B. many people have moved to
outlyng areas of low population density C. all buses and commuter trains have to be
imported from overseas D. there are too many traffic jams on urban highways and
streets.
75. Subsistence farming means that farmers A. can only grow enough to feed their
own families B. work for plantation owners C. make a good living from selling
their crops D. receive subsidies from the government.
76. When people migrate to a new region, they usually a. abandon their previous
lifestyle and culture immediately B. try to retain their previous life style and culture C.
change their religion D. return to the place that they left.
77. The most important product exported from the Middle East to the United States is A.
wheat B. cotton C. machine tools D. petroleum
78. One reason why many people are hungry or starving on the earth is that in many
places A. population increases faster than food supply B. people don’t live in the
rural villages where food is plentiful C. people don’t try hard enough to grow their own
food.
79. Globalization and modern worldwide communication and transportation links have
affected old world cultures by making them A. more different from each other B. more
modern C. more isolated D. identical
80. Trade between nations and regions is necessary because A. it makes trading partners
equal in terms of wealth B. people who sell goods overseas need to make money, C. all
nations should be on friendly terms with each other D. few nations can supply
everything their people need.
81. A region is defined as A. an area where everyone speaks the same language B.
another word for country or state C. an area that shares some common features D. a
continental landmass.
82. Modern geographers are most interested in A. knowing the capital cities of all the
nations of the world. B. collecting old maps C. studying imaginary places D. studying
the location of things and why they have that location.
83. Two countries that share a common, dominant language are A. Italy and Morocco
B. India and Thailand C. Mexico and Brazil D. Brazil and Portugal
84. When it is winter in the United States, in
it is
A.
B.
C.
D.
Australia
also winter
spring
summer
fall
85. The economic system based on free market and private
ownership is known as
A.
B.
C.
D.
communism
socialism
monarchy
capitalism
86. The EU is:
A. an organization of oil producing countries
B. the new economic council started by the Clinton
administration
C. an economic (and increasingly political) union of
European countries
D. the abbreviation for the former Soviet Union
87. Probably the major, root, societal problem in Latin
America is
A. the question of how to develop the vast reserves of oil
being found in the Amazon basin
B. the drug abuse rampant in many countries
C.
D.
the huge gap separating the very rich and the very poor
societal problems no longer exist
88. An economic system that is a mixture of government
control and free enterprise is known as
A.
B.
C.
D.
socialism
capitalism
communism
authoritarianism
89. A person who studies human population (age, sex, race
etc.) is known as a(n)
A. cartographer
B. stenographer
C. populist
D. demographer
90. The two most populous countries in the world in
descending order are:
A.
B.
C.
D.
US, Japan
China, India
Mexico, China
Monaco, the Vatican
91. An authoritarian (dictatorship) form of government
with the state controlling the economy is known as
A.
B.
C.
D.
communism
democracy
socialism
capitalism
92. All of the following are examples of pull factors of
migration except:
A.
B.
C.
D.
high paying jobs
freedom
discrimination
good quality housing
93. If Penelope is unable to read, write or do basic math,
Penelope is
A.
B.
C.
D.
illiterate
authoritarian
autonomous
literate
94. All of the following would help an individual make an
educated guess regarding a place’s climate EXCEPT:
A.
B.
C.
D.
longitude
landforms
location on landmass
latitude
95. All of the following are examples of nonrenewable
resources EXCEPT:
A.
B.
C.
D.
corn
aluminum
copper
oil
96. A piece of land that extends from a continent and is
mostly surrounded by water is known as a
A.
B.
C.
D.
peninsula
island
bluff
isthmus
97. All of the following would be examples of an
archipelago EXCEPT:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Japan
Hawaii
Bahamas
Panama
98. A narrow piece of land that connects two large land
masses is known as a:
A.
B.
C.
D.
strait
isthmus
bay
sound
99.
The population of the world is presently
A.
B.
C.
D.
270
6.5
646
1.6
million
billion
million
billion
100.The population of the United States is
A.
B.
C.
D.
6 billion
100 million
305 million
2 billion
101. Hubbert’s Peak also known as peak oil is
A.
B.
C.
D.
the tallest mountain in Antarctica
when the production of oil starts to decline while
demand rises.
an economic principle dealing with poverty in the
developing world.
Related to Huber’s Maximum which deals with traveling
and underwear.
Some questions on this test was developed by Eleanor Joyce.
Images from U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education
Statistics. http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/geography/