Sixth Form Geography
Curriculum Support Materials
Map Interpretation
Answer Key
Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section
Education Department
2002
Suggested answers for Map Interpretation 1:
1.
2.
The settlement is a nucleated pattern, clustered around the main transport route.
(2 marks)
(i) Methodology employed to achieve the objectives:
Objective 1:
To examine the impacts of the changes in rural land use in Ho Chung
- compare the present aerial photos and maps with those taken in the past
10 or 20 years ago; OR
- carry out environmental assessment and conduct a land use survey
Objective 2:
To study the changes in the economic structure of Ho Chung
- set questionnaire to collect information about the economic situation of
the local residents.
(4 marks)
(ii) Sampling procedures:
Cluster sampling
Divide the population into different clusters. Choose some of them and pick
out some samples from the clusters and the rest will be disregarded.
It is useful because the settlements are in clusters but there is difficulty in
preparing a frame.
OR
Random sampling
In which every unit in a population has an equal chance of being selected.
Random sampling is preferred because the sampled one will not have the
chance to be selected again and this gives a more precise estimator.
(6 marks)
1
(iii) An outline of the field trip report:
The objectives and coverage
Methodology for survey and data collection
Sampling methods
Findings/Results
Analysis of findings
Conclusion
Appendix (e.g. Questionnaire, raw date, etc.)
(6 marks)
(iv) Two statistical graphs:
Population pyramids of the past and the present
Pie chart showing the relative share of land uses
2
(2 marks)
Suggested answers for Map Interpretation 2:
1.
(a) & (b)
Ng Tung River and its tributaries
07
Ng Tung River
92
Tam Shan River
Shek Sheung River
Kwan Tei River
River
Flow Direction
1:40 000
A sketch map showing Ng Tung River and its tributaries
(3 marks) + (1 mark)
3
2.
Stream length － moderately long
Drainage density － moderately high
Stream frequency － moderately high
Drainage texture － fine
Drainage pattern － dendritic
(3 marks)
3.
It is a low-lying flood plain drained by the drainage system including Ng Tung
River. There are a few residual low hills of height around 300m rising from the
plain. However, there is a higher hill bordering the plain in the SE. i.e. Lung
Shan of 360m.
(2 marks)
4.
(a) There is a certain degree of risk of flooding in times of prolonged heavy
rain.
(1 mark)
(b) After the prolonged heavy rain, there will be substantial increase in runoff.
The loops in grid squares 0492 and 0593 are evident. These loops reduce the
velocity of the river flow and thus enhance sedimentation. The risk of flooding
becomes greater. The flow discharge follows closely the seasonal rainfall regime.
In Hong Kong, most of the annual rainfall falls in summer. A drastic increase of
discharge makes the risk of flooding higher. The stream beds may be wholly or
partially exposed in dry winter season. An accumulation of rubbish and the
collapse of river banks can reduce the water-holding capacity and increase the
risk of flooding.
(4 marks)
(c) People cope with the problem through channelization or drainage
improvement work, for example, increasing the water-holding capacity and
streamlining the river channel, regulating and speeding up the flow along
straightened channels. Embankment construction also helps to prevent overspill
and flooding in times of high water in the lower reaches of the drainage system.
(3 marks)
5.
Urbanization produces extended impermeable surfaces of tarmac, tiles and
concrete, so there is a tendency of the increase in runoff in comparison with
rural areas. The urban drainage densities may be higher than those in natural
conditions because of the installation of sewers and storm drains accelerates
runoff. The greater the area that is sewered, the greater is the discharge for a
particular recurrence level. Definitely, the peak discharges are higher, time lag is
shorter and flood occurs sooner after runoff starts in basins that have been
developed and sewered.
(3 marks)
4
Suggested answers for Map Interpretation 3:
1.
102768
112796
Scale: 1:20 000
A transect showing types of land uses
from Chun Chek Estate (102768) to Fo Tan (112796)
(5 marks)
2.
A self-contained new town should consist of residential, industrial, recreational,
institutional and transport land uses. Along the transect, lower-class residential
land use is present in the form of public housing at Chun Shek Estate. Industrial
area is found at Fo Tan which provides jobs to the residents. Recreational area
and open space are present along the Shing Mun River. Institutional land use is
found at the town centre next to the railway station. The residents can enjoy the
cultural life at the Shatin Town Hall. The transport network is well-developed.
The presence of secondary roads links up different parts of the new town. The
main roads (Shing Mun Tunnel Road and Lion Road Tunnel Road) and the
railway link up the new town with the main urban area. So, it is a self-contained
(Any 6 points – 6 marks)
new town.
3.
(a) Sha Tin New Town is built in the valley. The hilly relief in the north and the
south restricts the expansion of the new town. Thus, the construction works are
either on the limited lowland of the valleys such as that at Siu Lek Yuen or along
the main valley of Shing Mun River. The development runs from north-east to
south-west.
(3 marks)
5
(b) Land is mainly obtained by reclamation of the valley of the Shing Mun
River. Some land is gained by hill-cutting such as that at Fo Tan. The last way is
by the resumption of farmland e.g. Tai Wai.
(3 marks)
(c) Reclamation of river valley straightens the river course. Reclamation may
also upset the marine ecosystem. Hill-cutting reduces the amount of woodland
and hill slope stabilization is important to prevent slope failure.
(3 marks)
6
Suggested answers for Map Interpretation 4:
1.
There is a significant relationship between density of the settlement and its
distance from the main road. The further away is from the main road, the less
dense the settlement is. In the Yuen Long town centre, settlement is clustered
together in the Castle Peak Road, thus giving rise to nucleated settlement pattern.
It shows clearly that people like to live near to main transport routes for easy
accessibility.
There are many roads running from north to south and from east to west. It is the
most densely populated area in Yuen Long. In the north of Yuen Long Town,
Yeung Uk Tsuen, Lam Uk Tsuen and Tung Tau Tsuen are all villages located
along the secondary road.
Accessibility is important to most people. Journey-to-school, journey-to-work
and journey-to-shop are very common. It is expensive to own a private car in
Hong Kong. Therefore, accessibility is always one of the most important factors
of choosing a living place.
The retirement group, the very young children, the elderly and those who
practise agricultural activities may not need to live very near to the main road
because the frequency of travelling is relatively fewer. In these cases, the
statement is not so valid.
(6 marks)
2.
Yuen Long New Town
Shap Pa Heung
The density
of settlement
High density because of
high accessibility
Low density because it is
less accessible
Settlement
pattern
Planned, nucleated
Not planned, some linear
and some dispersed pattern
Transport
network
Dense network
Main road connecting with
other districts
Less dense network
Footpaths are mostly found
Land uses
Mainly residential,
commercial and industrial
land uses
Mainly agricultural land use,
some residential and
commercial landuses
Special
functions
Recreational: football field
Church
Fire station
Police station
Church and temple
(6 marks)
7
3.
4.
Extensive and cheap flat land, allowing further expansion
Far away from residential area, reducing the degree of pollution
Accessible to the urban area
(3 marks)
Tin Shui Wai lies 2-3 km Northwest of Yuen Long town centre. The land is
obtained by filling fish ponds. Rural decay occurred in Tin Shui Wai. The
importance of agricultural activities declines drastically. The site is chosen for
new town development as extensive flatland is available and can be obtained at
a relatively low cost. Land acquisition is not a great problem.
Yet, good transport network must be developed to reduce its friction of distance.
To many people, Tin Shui Wai is rather remote from most urban centres in Hong
Kong.
Yuen Long town is the largest settlement, while Tin Shui Wai New Town is the
second largest compared with other smaller settlements in the region. Tin Shui
Wai New Town is less accessible than Yuen Long town but more accessible than
those smaller settlements. It is well-linked by a number of roads such as Ping Ha
Road and Long Tin Road.
(5 marks)
8
Suggested answer for Map Interpretation 5:
1.
(a) (i) Yes
(ii) No
(2 marks)
(b) The settlement was established on a levelled knoll more than 60m above the
reclaimed land. Not only can it enjoy fresh air, it can also avoid the air and noise
pollution from the railway and highway about 100m away.
It also possesses good view － Ma On Shan to the east, Penfold Park
(124797) to the south, Sha Tin Hoi to the northeast, streams, farmland,
woodland (1180) and Grassy Hill (082811) to the west. The sewage treatment
works (132806) and the race course (1279) at the sea front will not block the
view.
Fo Tan is not visible from the site. It is blocked by a spur running down
from Kau To Shan (109808). The noise, air and visual pollution affecting this
settlement is reduced to a minimum.
There is no lower-income residential zones nearby. Instead it is near a
tertiary institution, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (125820), so it enjoys
a higher prestige.
A secondary road (124803) acts as the link with major communication lines.
Accessibility is high. Its proximity to the race course (1279) is also an attraction
to many people who like to live near their place for recreation.
(6 marks)
2.
(a) The government increased space by cutting slope and levelling the valley
floor. Water and electricity supplies were provided. A dense network of
secondary roads, crossing one another at right angles, was built. The bus
terminal also attracted more labour from nearby lower-income residential area.
River channel draining into this area was straightened and widened to increase
the speed of runoff. Flatted factory buildings were also constructed. (5 marks)
9
(b) Fo Tan is near to some major settlements in Sha Tin. Labour supply is
available.
The site of Fo Tan is higher than the major settlement of Sha Tin New
Town. It is almost enclosed and isolated by spurs. Moreover, it is on the
downwind side of the prevailing easterlies while the main settlement is located
to its east and south. The air pollutants can thus be quickly dispersed by winds to
less populated area. On the other hand, the straightened and widened stream
channel, together with sewage treatment works, helps to reduce the adverse
effect of water pollution.
The site is highly accessible. It is near to the Kowloon-Canton Railway and
the Tolo Highway. They are directly and indirectly connected to China and local
port terminals, so they can facilitate the flows of raw materials and finished
goods in and out of Fo Tan.
The labour input is also reliable. The lower-income group living in the
public housing estates of Sha Tin is a source of labour supply. Labour from
Kowloon can also be drawn from the south by the main road network through
tunnels.
(7 marks)
10
Suggested answer for Map Interpretation 6:
1.
Legend:
stream
Woodland
Bare Surface
Grassland
Corps
Scale: 1:20 000
A sketch map showing the distribution of vegetation cover
(6 marks)
2.
Woodland is found in the northern part of the grid square. It is concentrated in
the valleys, and at the confluence of the stream distributaries.
This is because valleys and the stream confluence collect water and soil brought
down by mass movement, erosion and other hillslope processes. The supply of
moisture and nutrient is more abundant, compared with the spurs which are
more exposed. The rate of evaporation is higher at the spur. Moisture are lost
rapidly from the soil. Finer particles are also removed, leaving a thin layer of
coarse, unconsolidated and infertile soil. This is unfavourable to the growth of
trees.
The valleys in the southern part of the grid square are open for mining. The
slopes are thus steepened and deprived of any fine soil and vegetation.
(7 marks)
11
3.
The natural vegetation in the southern part is removed for the purpose of mining
(165801). Slopes are excavated and cleared for waste dumping and transportation.
As a result, interception storage is absent. Most precipitation falls directly on the
steep and bare ground surface. Speed of surface runoff is fast. Infiltration,
together with subsurface runoff, is thus reduced. Water quickly runs downslope
and the loss through evapotranspiration is minimized.
On the lower slopes in the eastern part, natural vegetation is cleared and replaced
by selected species as arable farming (161804) is practised there. As denser
woodland is replaced by crops, interception and evapotranspiration are reduced.
Water is used to irrigate the crops, thus increasing infiltration rate while surface
storage decreases. Subsurface runoff is reduced as the infiltrated water is
absorbed by the roots.
(7 marks)
12
Suggested answer for Map Interpretation 7:
1.
-
the presence of reclaimed land
prevailing winds carrying away the air pollutants from the urban area
far away from the dense settlement, thus reducing the impact of pollution
good accessibility by sea
(3 marks)
3. (a) - reclamation at the river mouth of Tuen Mun River was carried out to get
more land for development
- many housing projects have been completed, such as Yuet Wu Villa in the
south, Leung King and Tin King in the north
-
more infrastructure can be seen to foster the development, such as
extension of main roads, the construction of Light Railway Transit
- the old town centre (Tuen Mun Kau Hui) has turned into a planned built-up
area
- more recreational facilities are provided e.g. Butterfly Beach Park, Golf
Course, to cater for the needs of the residents
- many cottage areas in grid squares 0477 and 0577 have been cleared for
development
(6 marks)
(b) i.
ii.
Landslide
(1 mark)
- closely spaced contours show steep gradient of the hillslope,
facilitates slip movement
- little vegetation, bare rock exposed to intensive weathering, thick
layers of screes formed
- little vegetation, intensive surface runoff, removes top soil
(2 marks)
13
2.
04
(a) & (b)
05
81
80
79
Legend:
Built-up area
Woodland cover
Recreational area
Village
78
Excavated site
Light Transit Railway
Main road
(8 marks)
77
A Sketch Map
14
Suggested answer for Map Interpretation 8:
1.
A sketch map showing the land uses of Tsim Sha Tsui
(8 marks)
15
2.
An oblique aerial photo can show a more realistic picture of the area because it
can show the real objects quite clearly; show the height of buildings; show the
shadows of objects to reveal their real shape / texture of objects, e.g. vegetation,
water body, road surface; show 3-dimensional objects
Map can show exact distance and area because it is drawn to scale / gives more
details such as place names / no place is shaded by buildings / easier to find way
(4 marks)
3.
Most of the hotels are built along the coast because of:
Panoramic sea view / famous night scenery in Hong Kong attract tourists / land
is obtained from reclamation / Tsim Sha Tsui East is more newly developed and
spacious
(4 marks)
4.
A very crowded CBD locates at the heart of TST / most buildings are very tall
and have been built for a certain period of time / more modern and new
commercial buildings are found at the coastal location / mixed commercial and
residential zone locates at more inner area / urban land expands outward
(4 marks)
16
Printed by the Printing Department
(Printed on paper made from woodpulp derived from renewable forests)
17