Test Bank For Exploring Physical Geography
Chapter 01 : The Nature of Physical Geography
1) What type of geographers concentrate on studying landforms and processes on Earth’s
surface and in the oceans and atmosphere, and how they affect life?
A) Human geographers
B) Physical geographers
C) Religious geographers
D) Historical geographers
2) Which of the following is not a feature of what physical geographers study?
A) They do not study the impacts of spatial distributions of the natural environment on
people.
B) They do not study the processes that created and changed the spatial distributions of
natural features.
C) They do not study the interconnections between different aspects of the natural
environment.
D) Physical geographers study all these.
3) Which of the following is a feature of what physical geographers study?
A) The impacts of spatial distributions of the natural environment on people.
B) The processes that created and changed the spatial distributions of natural features.
C) The interconnections between different aspects of the natural environment.
D) Physical geographers study all these.
4) Which of the following topics of study would best incorporate the holistic perspective?
A) The impact of political policies on soil erosion
B) The examination of soil grains under a microscope to identify the amount of pore
space between grains
C) The degree to which soil particles expand when they are wet and contract when they
dry out
D) The identification of the soil type from a sample collected in the field
5) Geography is
A) a natural science.
B) a social science.
C) both a natural and a social science.
D) neither a natural nor a social science.
1
,Test Bank For Exploring Physical Geography
Chapter 01 : The Nature of Physical Geography
6) The spatial perspective that distinguishes geography from other fields of study means
A) geographers use computers only after they examine maps.
B) geographers examine how the spatial features affect and are affected by non-spatial
issues.
C) geographers use field work to report results.
D) geographers do not need to follow the scientific method when they solve research
problems.
7) In looking only at the steepness of a slope, which of the following would a geographer be
able to determine about that area?
A) The ethnicity of the human settlement which may have lived on the slope
B) The type of rock that might be present to form the soil
C) How far the location is from the equator
D) The strength of the wind at the location
8) In looking at the steepness of a slope, which of the following would a geographer be able to
determine about that area?
A) the ethnicity of the human settlement which may have lived on the slope
B) the type of rock that might be present to form the soil
C) how far the location is from the equator
D) the strength of the wind at the location
9) The relationship between mountains and precipitation can be generalized by saying
A) mountaintops tend to have more precipitation in summer but less precipitation in
winter than the surrounding lowlands.
B) mountaintops tend to have more precipitation in winter but less precipitation in
summer than the surrounding lowlands.
C) mountaintops generally experience more precipitation than the surrounding lowlands.
D) mountaintops generally experience less precipitation that the surrounding lowlands.
2
,Test Bank For Exploring Physical Geography
Chapter 01 : The Nature of Physical Geography
10) The conceptual basis of geographic questions involves the notion that
A) the location of an object affects other features in the natural environment, but not the
human environment.
B) the location of an object is affected by other features in the natural environment, but
not the human environment.
C) the location of an object affects, and is affected by, other features in both the natural
and human environment.
D) the location of an object is unique and largely unaffected by other features in both the
natural and human environment.
11) Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?
A) A physical geographer measuring the time required for a plume of air pollution to
reach a town
B) A physical geographer taking a census of the number of pine trees infested with a
certain disease
C) A physical geographer monitoring the water temperature in a stream
D) A physical geographer noting the color of a soil
12) Which of the following is an example of quantitative data?
A) A physical geographer sketching the general appearance of a landscape
B) A physical geographer describing the shape of rock fragments
C) A physical geographer measuring the total rainfall from a storm
D) A physical geographer observing that the clouds are flat and blanket-like
13) A hypothesis is
A) a conclusion based on results of an investigation.
B) a proposed explanation developed before formal investigation.
C) a question developed that leads to an observation.
D) a strategy for solving a scientific problem.
14) Once a hypothesis is rejected
A) an observation cannot be made.
B) the experiment fails.
C) it can be revisited in future studies.
D) the scientific method has been violated.
3
, Test Bank For Exploring Physical Geography
Chapter 01 : The Nature of Physical Geography
15) Which of the following shows the correct order for a scientific explanation?
A) observation → question → hypotheses → predictions → results of investigation →
conclusions
B) hypotheses → question → observation → predictions → results of investigation →
conclusions
C) predictions → hypotheses → results of investigation → question → observation →
conclusions
16) The “sphere” that intersects with all the other spheres is the
A) atmosphere.
B) biosphere.
C) hydrosphere.
D) lithosphere.
17) The lithosphere refers to the
A) plastic-like interior of Earth that moves in response to heating from the interior.
B) molten lava that is ejected from volcanoes.
C) land part only of Earth.
D) solid upper part of Earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle.
18) Of Earth’s four overlapping spheres, which of the following does NOT involve material
above Earth’s surface?
A) Atmosphere
B) Lithosphere
C) Biosphere
D) Hydrosphere
19) Of Earth’s four overlapping spheres, which of the following is (are) mostly between the
lithosphere and atmosphere?
A) Atmosphere
B) Lithosphere
C) Biosphere
D) Hydrosphere
E) Both the biosphere and hydrosphere
4
Chapter 01 : The Nature of Physical Geography
1) What type of geographers concentrate on studying landforms and processes on Earth’s
surface and in the oceans and atmosphere, and how they affect life?
A) Human geographers
B) Physical geographers
C) Religious geographers
D) Historical geographers
2) Which of the following is not a feature of what physical geographers study?
A) They do not study the impacts of spatial distributions of the natural environment on
people.
B) They do not study the processes that created and changed the spatial distributions of
natural features.
C) They do not study the interconnections between different aspects of the natural
environment.
D) Physical geographers study all these.
3) Which of the following is a feature of what physical geographers study?
A) The impacts of spatial distributions of the natural environment on people.
B) The processes that created and changed the spatial distributions of natural features.
C) The interconnections between different aspects of the natural environment.
D) Physical geographers study all these.
4) Which of the following topics of study would best incorporate the holistic perspective?
A) The impact of political policies on soil erosion
B) The examination of soil grains under a microscope to identify the amount of pore
space between grains
C) The degree to which soil particles expand when they are wet and contract when they
dry out
D) The identification of the soil type from a sample collected in the field
5) Geography is
A) a natural science.
B) a social science.
C) both a natural and a social science.
D) neither a natural nor a social science.
1
,Test Bank For Exploring Physical Geography
Chapter 01 : The Nature of Physical Geography
6) The spatial perspective that distinguishes geography from other fields of study means
A) geographers use computers only after they examine maps.
B) geographers examine how the spatial features affect and are affected by non-spatial
issues.
C) geographers use field work to report results.
D) geographers do not need to follow the scientific method when they solve research
problems.
7) In looking only at the steepness of a slope, which of the following would a geographer be
able to determine about that area?
A) The ethnicity of the human settlement which may have lived on the slope
B) The type of rock that might be present to form the soil
C) How far the location is from the equator
D) The strength of the wind at the location
8) In looking at the steepness of a slope, which of the following would a geographer be able to
determine about that area?
A) the ethnicity of the human settlement which may have lived on the slope
B) the type of rock that might be present to form the soil
C) how far the location is from the equator
D) the strength of the wind at the location
9) The relationship between mountains and precipitation can be generalized by saying
A) mountaintops tend to have more precipitation in summer but less precipitation in
winter than the surrounding lowlands.
B) mountaintops tend to have more precipitation in winter but less precipitation in
summer than the surrounding lowlands.
C) mountaintops generally experience more precipitation than the surrounding lowlands.
D) mountaintops generally experience less precipitation that the surrounding lowlands.
2
,Test Bank For Exploring Physical Geography
Chapter 01 : The Nature of Physical Geography
10) The conceptual basis of geographic questions involves the notion that
A) the location of an object affects other features in the natural environment, but not the
human environment.
B) the location of an object is affected by other features in the natural environment, but
not the human environment.
C) the location of an object affects, and is affected by, other features in both the natural
and human environment.
D) the location of an object is unique and largely unaffected by other features in both the
natural and human environment.
11) Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?
A) A physical geographer measuring the time required for a plume of air pollution to
reach a town
B) A physical geographer taking a census of the number of pine trees infested with a
certain disease
C) A physical geographer monitoring the water temperature in a stream
D) A physical geographer noting the color of a soil
12) Which of the following is an example of quantitative data?
A) A physical geographer sketching the general appearance of a landscape
B) A physical geographer describing the shape of rock fragments
C) A physical geographer measuring the total rainfall from a storm
D) A physical geographer observing that the clouds are flat and blanket-like
13) A hypothesis is
A) a conclusion based on results of an investigation.
B) a proposed explanation developed before formal investigation.
C) a question developed that leads to an observation.
D) a strategy for solving a scientific problem.
14) Once a hypothesis is rejected
A) an observation cannot be made.
B) the experiment fails.
C) it can be revisited in future studies.
D) the scientific method has been violated.
3
, Test Bank For Exploring Physical Geography
Chapter 01 : The Nature of Physical Geography
15) Which of the following shows the correct order for a scientific explanation?
A) observation → question → hypotheses → predictions → results of investigation →
conclusions
B) hypotheses → question → observation → predictions → results of investigation →
conclusions
C) predictions → hypotheses → results of investigation → question → observation →
conclusions
16) The “sphere” that intersects with all the other spheres is the
A) atmosphere.
B) biosphere.
C) hydrosphere.
D) lithosphere.
17) The lithosphere refers to the
A) plastic-like interior of Earth that moves in response to heating from the interior.
B) molten lava that is ejected from volcanoes.
C) land part only of Earth.
D) solid upper part of Earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle.
18) Of Earth’s four overlapping spheres, which of the following does NOT involve material
above Earth’s surface?
A) Atmosphere
B) Lithosphere
C) Biosphere
D) Hydrosphere
19) Of Earth’s four overlapping spheres, which of the following is (are) mostly between the
lithosphere and atmosphere?
A) Atmosphere
B) Lithosphere
C) Biosphere
D) Hydrosphere
E) Both the biosphere and hydrosphere
4
