semester practice test
Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Recalling Facts and Ideas
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
1. What are the two types of location that geographers use as reference points?
a. high and low
b. human and physical
c. absolute and relative
d. population and coastal
2. An area that ____ is called a formal region.
a. has boundaries determined by a common characteristic
b. includes people who speak a variety of languages
c. has different types of transportation systems
d. includes both rural and urban populations
3. Why are maps useful to geographers?
a. A great deal of statistical information can be recorded on a map.
b. Maps can show the history of a country at a glance.
c. There are many different types of maps.
d. Maps can show some information better than writing can.
4. Statistical data, such as census numbers,
a. are of little practical use to geographers.
b. are always more accurate than interviewing people in person.
c. never can be misunderstood.
d. help geographers determine which factors in a given situation are most important.
5. Geographers use history to
a. help understand the altitude of a region.
b. make predictions about the future geography of an area.
c. help determine what places looked like in the past.
d. learn about latitude and longitude in ancient times.
6. Geographic information on human activities
a. can help planners decide whether to build new schools.
b. is used only by geographers.
c. is kept in confidential government files.
d. cannot be used to interpret present-day trends
7. The ____ divides the earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
a. International Date Line
b. Prime Meridian
c. Tropic of Cancer
d. Equator
8. What is meant by the term relative location?
a. the exact spot at which a place is found on the globe
b. the location of a place in relation to other places
c. the location of a place unrelated to other places
d. the distance of a place from the Prime Meridian
9. Which of the following is not part of the grid system?
____ 10.
____ 11.
____ 12.
____ 13.
____ 14.
____ 15.
____ 16.
____ 17.
____ 18.
a. lines of longitude
b. lines of location
c. the Prime Meridian
d. the Equator
What name is given to the study of the connections between people and their physical environment?
a. people-place reaction
b. animal-location relationships
c. human-environment interaction
d. geography-location interaction
A functional region focuses on
a. a time period in a specific part of the world.
b. the distant future and how geography will change in an area.
c. a central point and the surrounding territory linked to it.
d. a system of related regions that cover large continents.
The study of ____ is called physical geography.
a. the movement of earth’s human population
b. the earth’s physical features
c. both the physical and human features of the earth
d. political, cultural, and economic factors around the world
Which of the following is a use of geography?
a. making predictions about a population’s future water needs
b. determining how an ancient civilization spread
c. deciding where to build a new highway
d. all of the above
Why would a geographer be likely to read two population density maps?
a. to find out which area has the larger supply of natural resources
b. to determine which area has the greater need for services
c. to locate the capital of each area
d. to determine the highest elevation in each area
What is another term for human geography?
a. relative location
b. physical geography
c. cultural geography
d. statistical geography
Geographers study political science to learn
a. about the economies under which different people live.
b. how to analyze the weather in an area.
c. how people in different places are governed.
d. about mapmaking.
Geographers use a grid system in order to
a. identify the precise location of any place on Earth.
b. determine the number of people living in a given area.
c. provide information for historians.
d. calculate the elevations of mountains and depths of oceans.
Migrants entering a long-established society
a. will be welcomed by everyone.
b. will have no impact on the society.
c. may transform the society’s culture.
d. will be forced to return to the place from which they came.
____ 19. When we say that a city is located at longitude 120°E, we mean that it is located
a. west of the Prime Meridian.
b. east of the Prime Meridian.
c. north of the Equator.
d. east of the Equator.
____ 20. A human geographer
a. analyzes human aspects of culture.
b. analyzes human physiology.
c. focuses study on ways in which humans and animals interact differently with their
surroundings.
d. focuses on all aspects of the environment.
____ 21. Land takes up about ____ of the earth’s surface.
a. 70 percent
b. 15 percent
c. 30 percent
d. 20 percent
____ 22. What is the highest point on the earth?
a. Mount Whitney
b. the eastern highlands of Africa
c. Mount Denali
d. Mount Everest
____ 23. Which of the following best describes the earth’s inner core?
a. liquid and extremely hot
b. solid and cool
c. liquid and cool
d. solid and extremely hot
____ 24. Accretion, a type of tectonic activity, occurs when
a. a sea plate moves over another sea plate.
b. a sea plate slowly slides under a continental plate.
c. a continental plate slides under a sea plate.
d. a continental plate splits into two parts.
____ 25. Erosion is the wearing away of Earth’s
a. inner core by tectonic activity.
b. surface by wind, glaciers, and moving water.
c. mantle by the forces of magma and gravity.
d. crust by the pull of the sun and the moon.
____ 26. The water cycle shows us that the earth’s water
a. moves around the earth and is decreasing each year.
b. moves around the earth and is increasing each year.
c. moves around the earth but maintains a consistent total amount.
d. does not move around the earth but maintains a consistent total amount.
____ 27. A stream is a body of water that
a. is completely surrounded by land.
b. flows through land areas.
c. is fed only by rainfall.
d. must end up flowing to an ocean.
____ 28. Groundwater comes from
a. rain, melted snow, lakes, and rivers.
b. rain, aquifers, oceans, and streams.
____ 29.
____ 30.
____ 31.
____ 32.
____ 33.
____ 34.
____ 35.
____ 36.
____ 37.
____ 38.
c. oceans, rain, lakes, and rivers.
d. deserts, valleys, mountains, and oceans.
Three types of ____ are seas, gulfs, and bays.
a. oceans
b. cloud formations
c. landforms
d. bodies of water
Four major types of landforms are
a. mountains, hills, plateaus, and plains.
b. oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams.
c. geysers, hot springs, snowfields, and cliffs.
d. cities, towns, villages, and counties.
The ____ is the deepest known depression on Earth.
a. Pacific Plate
b. Dead Sea
c. Mariana Trench
d. Isthmus of Panama
____ are known as the terrestrial planets.
a. Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Mars
b. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
c. Earth, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter
d. Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus
Asteroids are found mainly between
a. Mercury and the sun.
b. Earth and the moon.
c. the orbits of Saturn and Mars.
d. the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.
What do many scientists believe about the earth’s continents?
a. They were pulled apart over a period of one or two centuries.
b. They were pushed together over millions of years.
c. They once were joined in a single massive supercontinent.
d. They look the same today as they did millions of years ago.
Cracks in the earth’s crust are called
a. moraines.
b. continental shelves.
c. plates.
d. faults.
Surrounding the inner core of the earth is
a. a liquid outer core.
b. a solid outer core.
c. the crust.
d. the mantle.
What is magma?
a. the solid rock at the earth’s core
b. part of the earth’s solid crust
c. molten rock within the earth
d. solid rock of iron and nickel
All planets except Pluto are grouped into
a. terrestrial planets and gas giant planets.
____ 39.
____ 40.
____ 41.
____ 42.
____ 43.
____ 44.
____ 45.
____ 46.
____ 47.
____ 48.
b. suns and moons.
c. terrestrial planets and outer planets.
d. free-moving planets and orbiting planets.
Physical weathering takes place when
a. large masses of rock are welded together by volcanic action.
b. large masses of rock are broken into smaller pieces.
c. chemicals slowly break down rocks over many years.
d. winds blow dirt away from rocks.
What are the three layers of the earth?
a. ground, air, and water
b. core, mantle, and crust
c. water, mantle, and crust
d. core, mantle, and air
Places located in high latitudes have
a. a very warm climate.
b. the same weather as places in other latitudes.
c. a mix of extremely hot and extremely cold weather.
d. the coldest climates on Earth.
Elevation and climate
a. are very closely related.
b. have little effect on each other.
c. are two terms for the same condition.
d. are almost impossible to measure accurately.
What are ice ages?
a. periods of time when glaciers receded to cover only the poles
b. eras during which Earth’s orbit kept the planet far from the sun
c. periods of time when glaciers covered much of the earth
d. times when human and animal life thrived in high latitudes
Which of the following climate regions has the widest temperature range?
a. arctic
b. subarctic
c. marine west coast
d. tropical
The atmosphere
a. creates the tides.
b. has no effect on heat gain or loss.
c. allows heat to escape quickly in order to cool the planet.
d. keeps heat from escaping too quickly into space.
In which months do equinoxes take place?
a. June and December
b. October and April
c. July and January
d. March and September
An oasis is a place in the desert at which
a. large cities often are found.
b. there is water and lush vegetation.
c. the temperature is hotter than in the surrounding area.
d. desert winds collide to produce sandstorms.
Because of the tilt of the earth,
____ 49.
____ 50.
____ 51.
____ 52.
____ 53.
____ 54.
____ 55.
____ 56.
____ 57.
a. not all places receive the same amount of light at one time.
b. there is a lack of light at the Equator at the winter solstice.
c. the polar areas are dark for the entire summer.
d. all of the above
Global winds that blow in fairly constant patterns are called
a. trade winds.
b. westerlies.
c. polar easterlies.
d. prevailing winds.
The earth rotates on its axis one time each
a. day.
b. week.
c. month.
d. year.
The natural vegetation of a desert is
a. fir and pine trees.
b. scattered shrubs and cacti.
c. coconut, banana, and mango trees.
d. evergreen trees and ferns.
Wind patterns are
a. caused by the moon’s pull upon the earth.
b. relatively unimportant as climate factors.
c. important factors in the earth’s climates.
d. almost impossible to determine and track.
The seasons result from
a. the moon’s revolution and its tilt in relation to the earth.
b. the earth’s rotation and its tilt in relation to the sun.
c. the earth’s revolution and its tilt in relation to the sun.
d. the movement of the continents due to continental drift.
Which of the following affect temperatures on the earth?
a. the earth’s position in relation to the sun
b. the phases of the moon
c. tidal ebb and flow as influenced by the sun
d. the number of hours in a calendar day
Prevailing winds blow ____ because of the Coriolis effect.
a. in a straight line
b. in a complete circle
c. backward
d. diagonally
What are the two kinds of tropical climates?
a. tropical rain forest and tropical desert
b. tropical rain forest and tropical Mediterranean
c. tropical marine west coast and savanna
d. tropical savanna and tropical rain forest
The ____ is the northernmost point on the earth to receive the sun’s direct rays.
a. Tropic of Capricorn
b. Equator
c. Tropic of Cancer
d. North Pole
____ 58. The earth’s polar areas lie in the
a. mid-latitudes.
b. high latitudes.
c. major latitudes.
d. low latitudes.
____ 59. The earth’s atmosphere
a. thins as elevation increases.
b. thins as elevation decreases.
c. stays the same at all elevations.
d. thickens during solar equinoxes.
____ 60. The ____ causes day and night.
a. revolution of the earth
b. rotation of the earth
c. orbit of the earth
d. earth’s gravity
____ 61. Renewable resources are those that
a. can be used up over time.
b. can be replaced.
c. are of very little value.
d. can be made usable only through modern technology.
____ 62. What is an embargo?
a. a tax on profits
b. an agreement to stop taxing goods and services
c. a ban on trade by one country with another
d. an export tax that is put in place to stimulate the economy
____ 63. Subsistence farming means
a. growing only enough food for local use.
b. growing food to sell in markets worldwide.
c. working on a farm that is owned by a major corporation.
d. having a constant surplus of food.
____ 64. When the death rate is higher than the birthrate, ____ exists.
a. zero population growth
b. doubling time
c. population density
d. negative population growth
____ 65. Cities and their surrounding areas are known as
a. urban towns.
b. city regions.
c. metropolitan areas.
d. suburbs.
____ 66. Every culture creates a social system by
a. treating each person equally.
b. treating its members as if they had to earn privileges.
c. organizing its members into smaller groups.
d. organizing its members into one large group.
____ 67. At the end of the 1900s, the world experienced the ____ Revolution.
a. Industrial
b. Agricultural
c. Green
____ 68.
____ 69.
____ 70.
____ 71.
____ 72.
____ 73.
____ 74.
____ 75.
____ 76.
____ 77.
d. Information
Which statement about a unitary system of government is accurate?
a. Key powers are held by the national government.
b. Power is shared equally between the people and the government.
c. The national government is made up of many small, self-governing states.
d. The government allows the people to make most political decisions.
What is a tariff?
a. a tax imposed on imported goods
b. a tax imposed on excess merchandise
c. a plan under which governments give money to private businesses
d. a necessary part of a free-trade agreement
A monarchy is a form of government in which
a. the government is run by the people.
b. a king or queen has chief control of the state.
c. an elected parliament makes all the laws.
d. there are no laws.
Culture hearths are places where
a. people first discovered fire.
b. the youngest civilizations began.
c. early centers of civilization influenced their surroundings.
d. the Information Revolution first took place.
Why must countries trade with each other?
a. Each country wants to make other countries happy.
b. Natural resources are distributed evenly throughout the world.
c. Natural resources are distributed unevenly among countries.
d. Otherwise, countries would accumulate too many goods.
What are two major factors that aided the development of complex social systems?
a. hunting and gathering
b. trade and increased wealth
c. decreasing population and disease
d. the invention of the saw and the rise of forestry
Communism is a command economy with
a. very strict controls.
b. few or no controls.
c. decision-making power in the hands of individual businesses.
d. a very strong free-enterprise system.
An absolute monarch is one who
a. shares power with his or her subjects.
b. has no real power at all.
c. is elected by the vote of the people.
d. has unlimited rule of the people.
Farmers who raise crops to sell in the market
a. are called subsistence farmers.
b. are called commercial farmers.
c. rarely have food beyond what they themselves can eat.
d. rarely can feed themselves because they sell everything.
Which statement about the world’s population is accurate?
a. It is evenly distributed.
b. It is decreasing.
____ 78.
____ 79.
____ 80.
____ 81.
____ 82.
____ 83.
____ 84.
____ 85.
____ 86.
____ 87.
c. It is unevenly distributed.
d. It is increasing, but at a slower rate than during the 1800s.
Cultures are defined by language, religion,
a. social groups, favorite sports, and prevailing winds.
b. and the desire to separate from all other people.
c. government, natural resources, and bodies of water.
d. social groups, government, and economic activities.
Some of the factors that change cultures are
a. trade, migration, and war.
b. geology and the need for people to stay in one place.
c. a never-changing water supply and the amount of rainfall.
d. living in a totally isolated place and not traveling.
An ethnic group is made up of people who
a. have only their race in common.
b. have a common language, history, and place of origin.
c. come from different places but have similar traditions.
d. put aside their differences to work toward a common goal.
The Grand Banks is located in
a. Canada.
b. Alaska.
c. Maine.
d. Florida.
What kind of climate is shared by northern California, Oregon, and the state of Washington?
a. tropical
b. maritime coast
c. marine west coast
d. steppe and tundra
The Pacific Ranges were formed by
a. volcanic activity.
b. recent glacier deposits.
c. the collision of tectonic plates.
d. the Great Divide.
Tall ____ are common native plants of the Great Plains.
a. deciduous trees
b. cacti
c. conifers
d. grasses
Rainstorms that form over the Pacific Ocean rarely reach
a. the Mojave Desert.
b. the Coast Range.
c. the Sierra Nevada.
d. San Francisco, California.
Summers generally are ____ in the eastern United States.
a. cold
b. cool and rainy
c. hot and dry
d. hot and muggy
The ____ run through the state of West Virginia.
a. Rocky Mountains
____ 88.
____ 89.
____ 90.
____ 91.
____ 92.
____ 93.
____ 94.
____ 95.
____ 96.
____ 97.
b. Appalachian Mountains
c. Cascade Mountains
d. Sierra Nevada
Because of a combination of cool summers and bitterly cold winters, few plants grow in a ____ climate.
a. timberline
b. subarctic
c. subtropical
d. tundra
No trees grow in cold climates
a. below the timberline.
b. above the timberline.
c. below the fault line.
d. above the Great Lakes.
What part did glaciers play in forming the Great Lakes?
a. Glaciers melted in upstream rivers and streams.
b. Glaciers forced the earth’s crust upward.
c. Glaciers carved basins out of bedrock.
d. Glaciers froze the topsoil.
What kind of climate does Hawaii have?
a. subtropical
b. tropical
c. marine west coast
d. desert
Both Georgia and North Carolina have ____ climates.
a. subtropical
b. tropical
c. marine west coast
d. desert
Moist winds from the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic
a. bring rain and snow to the Great Plains.
b. form supercells along the East Coast.
c. usually dissipate at sea.
d. create muggy summer weather in Washington, D.C.
Along the ____, the land of the high Piedmont drops to the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain.
a. steppe
b. Continental Divide
c. timberline
d. fall line
Some areas with a marine west coast climate can have more than ____ inches ( ____ cm) of rain each year.
a. 10; 25.4
b. 40; 102
c. 60; 152
d. 100; 254
In which type of North American landform are rich coal and mineral deposits generally found?
a. volcanoes
b. mountain ranges
c. plains
d. deserts
Climate regions vary with changes in elevation and
____ 98.
____ 99.
____ 100.
____ 101.
____ 102.
____ 103.
____ 104.
____ 105.
____ 106.
a. latitude.
b. longitude.
c. soil condition.
d. geographical features.
A tornado develops out of a
a. rain shadow.
b. supercell.
c. blizzard.
d. hurricane.
Which of the following is not included in the Pacific Ranges?
a. Mount McKinley
b. the Sierra Nevada
c. the Cascade Range
d. the Canadian Shield
Two-thirds of Canada experiences temperatures that average
a. 270°F (257°C).
b. below 0°F (218°C).
c. 50°F (10°C).
d. more than 100°F (38°C).
Because ____, the population of North America has continued to grow.
a. native populations throughout the continent thrive
b. immigrants find freedom and economic opportunity in the United States and Canada
c. the continent’s abundant forests provide resources for housing
d. the trade surplus is growing
Population clusters in Canada and the United States are located
a. in the warmest regions.
b. in regions with abundant mineral deposits.
c. along the coasts and inland waterways.
d. along the Great Lakes.
The government of Canada unites provinces and territories as one
a. dominion.
b. confederacy.
c. loyalist system.
d. bilingual system.
A large number of the early colonists of Canada were
a. political refugees from Europe.
b. Loyalists who left the American colonies.
c. Spanish explorers.
d. Native Americans who had been educated by missionaries.
What name was given to the network of safe houses that assisted people escaping slavery in the 1800s?
a. the Transcontinental Railroad
b. the Underground Railroad
c. the Bill of Rights
d. the Freedom Trail
Canada and the United States differ in their
a. population density.
b. climate.
c. government health programs.
d. all of the above
____ 107. Which statement about the socioeconomic status of North Americans is accurate?
a. It is about the same as that of Latin Americans.
b. It is dangerously low.
c. It is among the world’s highest.
d. It is lower than that of most Europeans.
____ 108. The French-speaking province of ____ is interested in gaining independence from Canada.
a. Nunavut
b. Quebec
c. Alberta
d. Montreal
____ 109. For at least ____, people have lived in almost every part of North America.
a. 10,000 years
b. 100,000 years
c. 20,000 years
d. 40,000 years
____ 110. In the 1800s ____ opened up the western United States to immigration and business.
a. the Transcontinental Railroad
b. the Underground Railroad
c. Route 66
d. cattle farming
____ 111. Most people of the United States and Canada are _____ or their descendants.
a. immigrants
b. republicans
c. suburbs
d. Native Americans
____ 112. What did America’s inland and coastal waterways provide during the 1700s and 1800s?
I. shipping and trade routes
II. resources for the fishing industry
III. transportation for growing cities
a. II
b. I and III
c. III
d. I, II, and III
____ 113. Enslaved African Americans were ____ when they escaped to Canada.
a. protected
b. hunted
c. returned to the South
d. jailed
____ 114. After 1776 the American colonies ruled themselves under
a. industrialization.
b. a dominion.
c. a republic.
d. the British monarchy.
____ 115. Which statement about health care in the United States is not true?
a. Some Americans cannot afford to buy health insurance.
b. The federal government does not pay for any health care services.
c. The switch to managed health care plans is part of a cost-control effort.
d. Americans with disabilities do not have to do without health insurance.
____ 116. Two cultural elements that are uniquely American are
____ 117.
____ 118.
____ 119.
____ 120.
____ 121.
____ 122.
____ 123.
____ 124.
____ 125.
a. the Group of Seven and abstraction.
b. skyscrapers and jazz.
c. literature and classical music.
d. realistic painting and sculpture.
The governments of both the United States and Canada have a
a. constitution.
b. Supreme Court.
c. cabinet.
d. all of the above
Great mineral resources, technological inventions, and immigrants in need of work contributed greatly to the
a. industrialization of American cities.
b. growth of small farms.
c. rise of the United States as a world power.
d. Bill of Rights.
Which nation sold to the United States the largest tract of land west of the Mississippi?
a. Spain
b. England
c. France
d. Russia
Most people in the United States
a. would like to emigrate to another country.
b. enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world.
c. are worse off, economically, than most Europeans.
d. have barely enough to eat.
North American economies are based increasingly on
a. heavy industry.
b. fisheries.
c. timber harvesting.
d. high-tech industries.
Today’s farmers are not as tightly bound by geography and climate as they were in the past because of
a. advances in farming technology.
b. strict pollution controls.
c. a decrease in farming throughout North America.
d. a rise in trade deficits.
What name is given to a system of trade in which individuals can operate and profit from business?
a. communism
b. free market economy
c. surplus
d. monopoly
Water pollution in the United States and Canada is caused by
a. acid rain.
b. runoff from agricultural chemicals.
c. industrial wastes.
d. all of the above
Canada and the United States are ____ largest trading partners.
a. Europe’s
b. Germany’s
c. each other’s
d. Japan’s
____ 126. In 2001, traces of ____ in mail raised safety concerns in the United States.
a. anthrax
b. arsenic
c. radiation
d. pollen
____ 127. Clear-cutting causes flooding and
a. smog.
b. acid rain.
c. thermal pollution.
d. erosion.
____ 128. Which of the following result from acid rain?
I. corrosion of buildings
II. destruction of forests
III. increase of fish populations
a. II and III
b. I and III
c. I and II
d. I, II, and III
____ 129. Since the 1970s the United States and Canada have reduced ____ around Lake Erie.
a. unregulated boat traffic
b. overgrowth of destructive algae
c. noise pollution
d. illegal immigration
____ 130. The United States is a leading exporter of
a. oil and natural gas.
b. rice products.
c. beef and grain.
d. cranberries and raspberries.
____ 131. Farms in North America have seen ____ in the past 50 years.
a. increased competition in the form of imported agricultural products
b. a decrease in production
c. increases in size but decreases in numbers of workers
d. an increase in the overall agricultural work force
____ 132. Canadians and Americans enjoy sophisticated systems of
a. transportation.
b. communication.
c. education.
d. all of the above
____ 133. Which countries are included in NAFTA?
a. Canada and the United States
b. Canada, the United States, and Mexico
c. Canada, the United States, and Europe
d. the United States and Mexico
____ 134. Carbon monoxide emissions from cars and factories combine with water vapor to create
a. groundwater.
b. problems only for the immediate surroundings.
c. smog that eventually will blow away.
d. acid rain.
____ 135. In ____, affordable health care is a problem for many people.
____ 136.
____ 137.
____ 138.
____ 139.
____ 140.
____ 141.
____ 142.
____ 143.
____ 144.
a. the United States
b. Canada
c. both Canada and the United States
d. Sweden
North American manufacturing has been transformed by
a. recent discoveries of mineral deposits.
b. robots and computer automation.
c. a dramatic increase in the work force because of immigration.
d. agricultural technology.
What is the largest export business of Canada and the United States?
a. corn used in the manufacture of sugar products
b. oil and natural gas
c. fruits and vegetables
d. transportation equipment and machinery
Many cities whose heavy industries have closed have
a. retooled their factories for use in a new industry.
b. become ghost towns.
c. sought financial assistance from the federal government.
d. closed their schools and health care facilities.
What does the United States give poorer countries in exchange for raw materials?
a. minerals and timber
b. a health care system
c. technology and economic help
d. expensive automobiles
Prices in a market economy are based on
a. rules established by the federal government.
b. what companies want to charge and what people will pay.
c. rules established by the various state governments.
d. what manufacturers decide to charge for their products.
The mountains on the western edge of South America are the
a. Sierra Madre.
b. Rocky Mountains.
c. Andes.
d. Western Highlands.
Parallel mountain ranges are called
a. cordilleras.
b. altiplanos.
c. estuaries.
d. tierra caliente.
Latin America includes Middle America, the Caribbean, and
a. Mexico.
b. El Salvador.
c. Cuba.
d. South America.
The three highlands climate zones are determined by
a. rainfall.
b. elevation.
c. distance from the Equator.
d. longitude.
____ 145. The Atacama Desert is one of the ____ places in the world.
a. wettest
b. coldest
c. driest
d. most-populated
____ 146. The pampas consist primarily of
a. grasslands.
b. forests.
c. deserts.
d. rain forests.
____ 147. A(n) ____ is a place where a tide meets a river current.
a. escarpment
b. coast
c. estuary
d. cordillera
____ 148. The Mato Grosso Plateau is part of the ____ of South America.
a. mountains
b. highlands
c. valleys
d. water systems
____ 149. The area surrounding Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela contains rich deposits of
a. gold.
b. silver.
c. tin.
d. oil.
____ 150. The tropical climate of the Amazon Basin results from its location and
a. altitude.
b. rainfall.
c. the tides.
d. prevailing wind patterns.
____ 151. Patagonia is at the southern end of
a. the Caribbean.
b. South America.
c. Middle America.
d. Brazil.
____ 152. Latin America includes
a. the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada.
b. South America and the Caribbean.
c. Middle America, the Caribbean, and South America.
d. Mexico and the United States.
____ 153. The ____ River is the Western Hemisphere’s longest river.
a. Rio Grande
b. Amazon
c. Paraná
d. Uruguay
____ 154. Fertile soil attracts people to the
a. Mato Grosso Plateau.
b. Sierra Madre.
c. Mexican Plateau.
____ 155.
____ 156.
____ 157.
____ 158.
____ 159.
____ 160.
____ 161.
____ 162.
____ 163.
____ 164.
d. Atacama Desert.
A steppe climate has
a. cold summers and rainy winters.
b. hot summers, cool winters, and light rainfall.
c. cool summers, cold winters, and heavy rainfall.
d. hot summers, warm winters, and almost no rainfall.
Located in the Andes, Lake Titicaca is
a. the world’s highest navigable lake.
b. South America’s largest lake.
c. Latin America’s smallest lake.
d. an inlet from the Caribbean Sea.
The Amazon Basin contains the world’s largest
a. water supply.
b. rain forest.
c. mountain.
d. lake.
The Río de la Plata is a large ____ where three rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean.
a. dam
b. llano
c. estuary
d. highlands
The largest lake in Central America is Lake
a. Nicaragua.
b. Maracaibo.
c. Titicaca.
d. Patagonia.
The rain shadow effect in Chile has produced the
a. tierra fría.
b. Amazon Basin.
c. Central Highlands.
d. Atacama Desert.
Jai alai is a popular ____ in Latin America.
a. musical style
b. art form
c. sport
d. dance
Mosaics are designs made by
a. painting wax onto fabric and then dyeing the cloth.
b. setting small colored stones or tiles into mortar.
c. wrapping hard-boiled eggs in paper and other materials.
d. carving images out of large stones.
The Europeans who claimed parts of the Americas for Spain were called
a. chinampas.
b. caudillos.
c. viceroys.
d. conquistadors.
A ____ is artwork that is painted directly onto a wall.
a. mural
b. mariachi
____ 165.
____ 166.
____ 167.
____ 168.
____ 169.
____ 170.
____ 171.
____ 172.
____ 173.
____ 174.
c. jai alai
d. mola
When did most Latin American countries gain their independence?
a. the 1600s
b. the mid-1700s
c. the 1800s
d. the early 1900s
What is the best-known festival in all of Latin America?
a. Bolívar Day
b. Carnival
c. Cinco de Mayo
d. Thanksgiving
The blending of beliefs and practices from different religions is called
a. patois.
b. samba.
c. syncretism.
d. Protestantism.
What was the official religion of the Spanish colonists?
a. Catholicism
b. Judaism
c. Santería
d. Protestantism
What is quipu?
a. a tool that the Aztec used for farming
b. a type of house in which several generations of Inca could live
c. a type of grazing animal that the Maya used for wool and food
d. a set of knotted cords that the Inca used for keeping accounts
The indigenous Latin American empires were
a. Maya, Inca, and Spanish.
b. Maya, Aztec, and Inca.
c. Mexican, Haitian, and Brazilian.
d. Aztec, Spanish, and Toltec.
Who was Simón Bolívar?
a. a painter who lived in Bolivia
b. a Spanish colonial leader in Venezuela
c. a Mexican revolutionary leader
d. a Venezuelan revolutionary leader
Aztec farmers grew maize and beans on
a. chinampas.
b. quipu.
c. terraced fields.
d. coastal deserts.
Which statement about South America’s population is accurate?
a. The greatest concentration is in the interior highlands.
b. The greatest concentration is in the coastal areas.
c. Most South Americans have moved from the coasts to the inland mountains.
d. Most of South America’s population lives in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.
When did the Maya dominate southern Mexico?
a. from a.d. 100 to a.d. 300
____ 175.
____ 176.
____ 177.
____ 178.
____ 179.
____ 180.
____ 181.
____ 182.
____ 183.
____ 184.
b. from a.d. 250 to a.d. 900
c. from a.d. 500 to a.d. 1300
d. from 500 b.c. to a.d. 250
was the first Latin American country to gain its independence.
a. Mexico
b. Brazil
c. Cuba
d. Haiti
Diego Rivera was a well-known Mexican
a. revolutionary leader.
b. painter.
c. writer.
d. musician.
According to the Aztec, ____ was the “food of the gods.”
a. the tomato
b. corn
c. chocolate
d. coffee
Africans first came to Latin America as
a. willing workers in search of better jobs.
b. conquerors looking for new sources of wealth.
c. tourists and missionaries.
d. enslaved workers brought by Europeans.
Where was the Aztec city of Tenochititlán located?
a. halfway between the Mayan and Incan capitals
b. on what today is Mexico City
c. in northern Brazil, on the banks of the Amazon River
d. on the eastern coast of Mexico
Most of Latin America’s present-day Native Americans live in
a. Mexico.
b. Central America.
c. Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru.
d. all of the above
Some Latin America countries need debt relief
a. from other countries to carry out economic programs.
b. because such a large segment of their population is poor.
c. because their economies are doing so well.
d. but have too good a credit rating with international banks.
Minifundia are farms
a. that provide cash crops in great quantities.
b. whose small plots of land feed rural families.
c. that are always planted in one crop.
d. where crops are grown for a small but highly profitable market.
Personal computers in Latin America are
a. in great demand and found in most places.
b. slow to gain acceptance over current technology.
c. the major form of communication in that region.
d. too expensive for most people to own.
The term reforestation refers to planting new trees
____ 185.
____ 186.
____ 187.
____ 188.
____ 189.
____ 190.
____ 191.
____ 192.
____ 193.
a. where forest lands have been stripped and cleared.
b. in old-growth forests that have never been cut.
c. in public lands that have been reclaimed for forestry.
d. during the winter months when the rains are light.
When ranchers plant grass on burned rain forest lands, the grass
a. thrives and provides feed for decades.
b. gives way to new rain forests within five years.
c. dries up within about four years.
d. survives for only one season.
____ has limited industrial growth in Latin America.
a. Physical geography
b. Political instability
c. Ties to more developed regions
d. all of the above
Maquiladoras benefit foreign corporations by allowing them to
a. hire high-cost labor.
b. hire low-cost labor.
c. produce taxable exports.
d. produce duty-free imports.
Many rural migrants in Latin America are forced to live in ____ when they reach the city.
a. apartments
b. shelters
c. shantytowns
d. minifundia
Latin American governments use satellite imaging to help
a. prevent earthquakes.
b. forecast hurricanes.
c. prevent storms.
d. all of the above
____ in Brazil’s interior has led to the clearing of the rain forests.
a. Building roads
b. Building settlements
c. Mining for iron, copper, and tin
d. all of the above
Ciudad Juárez has many maquiladoras, or
a. locally-owned factories.
b. foreign-owned factories.
c. transportation centers.
d. shipping docks.
NAFTA reduced trade restrictions among which countries?
a. Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina
b. Mexico, the United States, and Panama
c. Mexico, island nations of the Caribbean, and Bolivia
d. Canada, the United States, and Mexico
Which of the following is a major challenge in Latin America today?
a. increasing private funding for educational facilities
b. distributing goods and services more efficiently
c. getting at least a few farms mechanized
d. slowing down travel times between large cities
____ 194. Hurricane Mitch destroyed
a. about 90 percent of the banana crop in Honduras.
b. about 90 percent of the apple crop in Honduras.
c. approximately 120,000 homes in Peru.
d. most of the beaches along the coastline of Brazil.
____ 195. Service industries, such as banking, communications, or retail sales,
a. have decreased in Latin America during recent decades.
b. are not available in most of Latin America.
c. have increased in Latin America during recent decades.
d. are the most important economic activity in Latin America.
____ 196. What are latifundia?
a. a form of Internet communication
b. large textile-manufacturing factories
c. small plots of land often farmed by families
d. large, mechanized farms
____ 197. To finance industrial development, many countries in Latin America have had to
a. fire all their workers.
b. borrow funds from foreign sources.
c. lend funds to foreign sources.
d. set up farms where the industries could build factories.
____ 198. Few Latin Americans
a. have telephones in their own homes.
b. eat in restaurants of any kind.
c. own the houses in which they live.
d. have strong family ties.
____ 199. In 2000 São Paulo ranked as the world’s ____ city.
a. largest
b. second-largest
c. fourth-largest
d. fastest-growing
____ 200. Mexico City’s pollution can be so bad that
a. people are unable to start their cars.
b. children are not allowed outside.
c. sports teams have extra practices.
d. power plants enact rolling blackouts.
semester practice test
Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
C
A
D
D
C
A
D
B
B
C
C
B
D
B
C
C
A
C
B
A
C
D
D
B
B
C
B
A
D
A
C
B
D
C
D
A
C
A
B
B
D
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
A
C
E
C
A
A
E
A
E
A
C
A
C
A
A
A
E
C
E
A
E
E
A
C
A
C
A
A
A
E
E
E
A
A
C
E
A
A
C
C
A
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
A
C
B
D
D
B
A
D
A
B
C
C
A
D
D
C
B
A
B
B
C
A
D
C
C
D
A
A
B
C
C
B
A
D
B
C
D
A
B
A
C
C
D
A
D
B
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
E
E
A
A
A
A
A
A
E
E
A
C
A
C
A
C
A
A
E
A
C
A
C
A
A
E
A
C
A
A
E
C
A
A
A
C
A
C
A
A
A
C
A
A
A
A
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
119.
120.
121.
122.
123.
124.
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
D
B
C
B
A
A
D
D
B
A
B
D
B
B
C
A
B
B
D
C
B
A
A
A
D
A
C
B
B
D
A
C
B
D
A
B
D
C
A
D
C
B
C
C
D
B
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
A
A
C
E
A
C
C
A
A
A
E
C
A
C
A
A
A
A
C
A
E
A
A
A
A
A
A
C
C
A
A
E
A
A
A
A
C
A
A
A
A
A
E
A
A
E
134.
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
140.
141.
142.
143.
144.
145.
146.
147.
148.
149.
150.
151.
152.
153.
154.
155.
156.
157.
158.
159.
160.
161.
162.
163.
164.
165.
166.
167.
168.
169.
170.
171.
172.
173.
174.
175.
176.
177.
178.
179.
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
D
A
B
D
A
C
B
C
A
D
B
C
A
C
B
D
D
B
C
B
C
B
A
B
C
A
D
C
B
D
A
C
B
C
A
D
B
D
A
B
B
D
B
C
D
B
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
A
A
A
A
C
A
A
A
A
E
A
A
A
E
A
A
A
A
E
E
A
A
C
A
C
A
A
A
A
A
A
C
A
C
E
A
A
A
A
A
C
A
A
E
A
A
180.
181.
182.
183.
184.
185.
186.
187.
188.
189.
190.
191.
192.
193.
194.
195.
196.
197.
198.
199.
200.
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
ANS:
D
A
B
D
A
C
D
B
C
B
D
B
D
B
A
C
D
B
A
C
B
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
DIF:
C
A
A
E
A
A
C
C
A
A
A
A
E
C
E
A
A
A
A
C
A