Unit One Review Questions
1. A geographic term for an explanation for why a spatial pattern occurs is
A.
spatial organization
D.
the “why of where”
B.
regionalization
E.
spatial perspective
C.
landscape distance
2. All of the following were accomplishments of Ancient Greek geographers EXCEPT
A.
relatively accurate calculations of the circumference of the globe
B.
the successful circumnavigation of the globe
C.
understanding that the earth is round
D.
foundational knowledge for cartography
E.
development of a global grid system
3. Physical geography differs from human geography in that it focuses on
A.
cartography
D.
human transformation of natural landscapes
B.
spatial organization
E.
centralized patterns
C.
the natural environment
4. Measurement of an absolute location on earth is usually expressed in terms of
A.
relative location
D.
longitude and latitude
B.
map projections
E.
situation
C.
random patterns
5. The prosperity of a city is most directly affected by its
A.
absolute location
D.
scale
B.
relative location
E.
toponym
C.
size
6. A common problem with maps based on the Mercator projection is that they most obviously distort
A.
distance between objects
B.
angles between parallels and meridians
C.
shapes of objects near the equator
D.
the overall size of the planet
E.
the size of objects close to the North and South Poles
7. A map with a large scale usually shows
A.
a large amount of land space
D.
political boundaries between countries only
B.
a small amount of land space E.
the local-global continuum
C.
physical features only of a land space
8. All of the following are physical site characteristics of a location EXCEPT:
A.
topography
D.
vegetation
B.
soil types
E.
canals
C.
climate
9. A geographer interested in functional regions would focus most carefully on
A.
places that shape cultural identity
D.
political boundaries
B.
physical geography
E.
agricultural patterns
C.
core and peripheral areas
10.
__________ argued that cultural landscapes should form the basic unit of geographic inquiry.
A.
Ptolemy
D.
Carl Sauer
B.
George Perkins Marsh
E.
W.D. Pattison
C.
Eratosthenes
11. Which of the following is comprised of an integrated system of satellites?
A.
the Global Positioning System
D.
Thematic map
B.
Remote Sensing
E.
Haptic Navigation systems
C.
Geographical Informational System
12. Which of the following is true concerning regions?
A.
They are strict functional units
B.
They are usually defined by a standard mathematical formula
C.
They are figments of the imagination
D.
They are conceptual units
E.
They all have well-defined boundaries
13. A perceptual region’s boundaries are
A. determined by a set of uniform physical or cultural characteristics across a particular area.
B. drawn around the functions that occur between a particular place and the surrounding area
C. determined by the portion of a particular area that has been modified by human activities
D. fuzzy because they allow for individual interpretation
E. designated by the inclusion of a particular cultural characteristic
14. The ratio between distance on a map and distance on the earth’s surface is called the
A.
projection
D.
azimuth
B.
resolution
E.
aggregation
C.
scale
15. Cartography is the science of
A.
demographics
D.
cognitive imagery
B.
map-making
E.
making visualizations
C.
spatial orientation
16. Which of the following is a true statement regarding time-space convergence?
A.
Places seem to all look the same
B.
Places seem to be getting closer together
C.
Places are increasingly concentrated on maintaining their histories
D.
Places are making more of an effort to converge activities to save time
E.
Places are implementing more rapid forms of transportation
17. Rap music first appeared in New York in the 1970’s. Later it spread to large cities with vibrant
AfricanAmerican populations – such as Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago, and Detroit – without
being absorbed by the smaller cities and rural areas in between. This type of spatial diffusion is called
A.
relocation potential
D.
cultural diffusion
B.
hierarchical diffusion
E.
cascade diffusion
C.
contagious diffusion
18. According to the gravity model, which two places are most likely to have a high level of interaction?
A. Two cities with very large populations but separated by the Atlantic Ocean like New York and London
B. Two cities with medium population separated by a whole continent like Grand Rapids, Michigan, and
Gulf Shores, Alabama
C. Two cities with small population that re relatively close together like Richmond and Winchester,
Kentucky
D. Two cities, one with a large population and the other with a medium population, that are very close in
distance, like Seattle and Tacoma, Washington
E. Two cities with medium populations that are relatively close to each other like Akron, Ohio, and
Springfield, Missouri
19. The spread of influenza would most likely be associated with which form of diffusion?
A.
expansion
D.
contagious
B.
hierarchical
E.
stimulus
C.
relocation
20. Who first coined the term geography?
A.
Plato
D.
Zheng He
B.
Aristotle
E.
Socrates
C.
Eratosthenes
21. What geographical feature usually distinguishes time zones?
A.
5 degrees of latitude
D.
15 degrees of longitude
B.
5 degrees of longitude
E.
30 degrees of longitude
C.
15 degrees of latitude
22. What is the term for the phenomenon that the farther a feature moves from a hearth, the less dominant
it is?
A.
Central place
D.
Distance decay
B.
Concentric circle
E.
Sequent occupance
C.
Regional analysis
23. Who is the explorer who may have discovered the United States almost 75 years before Christopher
Columbus
saw the New World?
A.
Zheng He
D.
Plato
B.
Ponce de Leon
E.
Marco Polo
C.
Magellen
24. Which of the following would have the smallest map scale?
A. Map of Asia
D. Map of Nashville, Tennessee
B. Map of Kentucky
E. Map or 6th Avenue, New York City
C. Map of the world
25. Louisville, Kentucky, is located in a valley and is built on the Ohio River. Its street patterns follow
the orientation of the river. These features refer more directly to Louisville’s
A.
situation
D.
site
B.
relative distance
E.
absolute location
C.
gentrification
26. Distortion can be defined as
A.
the error in accuracy that occurs in all maps
B.
a technique for giving each location on the earth a corresponding place on a flat surface
C.
a mathematical formula for translating cultural understandings of rivers
D.
a spherical, scaled model of the earth
E.
the process of calculating map scale
27. Human geography is best defined as the study of
A.
where and why human activities are located where they are
B.
where and why natural forces occur as they do
C.
populations and birth rates
D.
human conflicts
E.
the earth’s impacts on humans
28. The set of processes that are increasing interactions, deepening relationships and heightening
interdependence regardless of national boundaries are called __________ processes.
A.
spatial
C.
ecological
B.
nationalizing
D.
globalization
29. Geographer Carl O. Sauer is most closely connected with:
A.
natural landscape
C.
regional geography
B.
cultural landscape
D.
location theory
30. The coordinates of absolute location are useful mainly in determining exact:
A.
distance
C.
distance and directions
B.
directions
D.
elevations
31. A good example of a formal region would be a:
A.
region surrounding a manufacturing complex
B.
city and its surrounding region
C.
region of similar language
D.
region showing the migration to a central location
32. A good example of a functional region would be:
A. a city and its surrounding region
C. region where farming practices are the same
B. region where everyone speaks French
D. region of a similar climate
33. The notion that cultural factors are the product of environmental conditions (e.g. the ancient Greek
idea that
Europeans were fierce and brutish because of the cold climate), is an example of:
A.
environmental prejudice
C.
environmental determinism
B.
modern environmental psychology
D.
environmental possibilism
34. Every map projection has some degree of distortion because
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 of latitude and longitude cannot be accurately measured.
D.
a sphere is a developable surface.
35. Density and dispersion are independent statements about the location of things within a defined area.
They are different in that
A. density is the number of items in the area and dispersion describes their proximity.
B. dispersion reports the mobility or changeability of items in an area and density reports their degree of
permanence.
C. density is a perceived relationship of things in space and dispersion is the mathematical relationship of
spatial data.
D. dispersion is a spatial statement valid for functional regions and density has meaning only for formal
regions.
36. Geography as a discipline
A. originated in ancient Greek interest in the physical structure of the earth and in the nature and activities
of different people.
B. developed as an outgrowth of the "Age of Discovery" beginning in the 15th century.
C. developed out of a tradition of cave painting and storytelling.
D. was developed in response to a national need to map and describe the American West.
37. The cultural landscape
A.
summarizes the nonmaterial aspects of society
B.
is equivalent to a culture realm or a single-trait social region
C.
represents the a real extent of a hearth region
D.
is the earth’s surface as modified by human action
38. Kentucky, Canada, the Ohio River Valley, a German-speaking region, and Northern Ireland are all
classified as
A.
functional regions
D.
heterogeneous cultures
B.
formal regions
E.
shatter belts
C.
perceptual regions
39. Lines of longitude
A.
never meet
D.
intersect at the poles
B.
begin at the equator
E.
contain the two tropics
C.
are referred to as parallels
40. Geographers call the physical gap or distance between two objects
A.
location
D.
pattern
B.
scale
E.
space
C.
place