NES Elementary Subtest 1 Exam Questions with Complete Solutions

NES Elementary Subtest 1 Exam Questions with Complete Solutions Absolute Location - ANSWER Specific position on Earth's surface by using such identifiers as latitude and longitude: "Santa Barbara, CA is 34° North latitude and 119° West longitude." Relative Location - ANSWER Locates a place in terms of its direction or distance from one place to another. For example, "Salt Lake City is southeast of the Great Salt Lake" or "Beachside Santa Barbara is the hub of a large coastal California county lying northwest of Los Angeles, just off Highway 101." Physical characteristics of Earth - ANSWER Include such features as rivers, lakes, mountains, wildlife, soil, precipitation, beaches, and the like. Human characteristics of Earth - ANSWER Deal with the changes that people have made to the environment. Region - ANSWER An area on Earth's surface whose characteristics make it different from other areas. Geographers use the concept of _____ to divide the world into manageable units for study. Regions can be defined according to types of land, climate, or characteristics of people. Physical Geography - ANSWER The study of the landscapes, surface processes, and climate of Earth. Studies the dynamics of the four spheres of our planet (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere). Human Geography - ANSWER The study of ways in which human populations interact with each other and with the physical environment. This type of geography examines such topics as the spread of ideas and beliefs through cultural diffusion, the effects of different models of population distribution and urban development, and the framework of beliefs and traditions that shape a culture's relationship to its environment. The four spheres of physical geography - ANSWER The lithosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the biosphere. Lithosphere - ANSWER Solid and broken rock that has been sculpted into landforms at or near Earth's surface, as well as the thin layer of soil covering Earth's surface. Hydrosphere - ANSWER Includes water in all of its forms (liquid, solid, and gas): oceans, lakes, rivers, ice, groundwater, and water within the atmosphere. Atmosphere - ANSWER Gaseous envelope that encircles Earth and serves as a reservoir for heat and moisture. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a given time in a specific location. Biosphere - ANSWER Includes all life forms and all areas at or near Earth's surface that are capable of sustaining life: e.g., the tropical rainforests of Africa, the deserts of southern California, the grasslands of Argentina, fish in the ocean, birds in the air, and people. Archipelago - ANSWER A group or chain of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean, such as the islands around Japan and the Hawaiian Islands. Bay - ANSWER A body of salt water that extends into the land, such as San Francisco Bay, Hudson Bay, and the Bay of Bengal. Canyon - ANSWER A narrow, deep opening in Earth's surface with steep cliff walls, cut into the ground by running water. Examples include the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon along the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, China. Cape - ANSWER A point of land extending into a body of water, usually the sea, such as Cape Cod or the Cape of Good Hope. Continent - ANSWER One of Earth's seven largest land masses. The seven continents are North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Antarctica, Africa, and Australia. Delta - ANSWER A fan shaped deposit of sediment at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Examples include the Nile River Delta and Mississippi River Delta. Desert - ANSWER A region with less rainfall than required to support the growth of plants and animals (less than 10-inches per year). Deserts take up 33% of Earth's land surface. Examples include the Sahara Desert and Gobi Desert. Gulf - ANSWER A large bay that is partially surrounded by land. Examples include the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Tonkin. Island - ANSWER Area of land surrounded by water, such as Singapore and Greenland. Isthmus - ANSWER A narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses, usually with water on two sides. Examples include the Isthmus of Panama and Isthmus of Suez. Lake - ANSWER A body of fresh or salt water that is surrounded by land. Examples include the Great Salt Lake and Lake Victoria. Mountain ranges - ANSWER High, steeply sloped areas that usually have sharp or rounded ridges. Examples include The Himalayas, the Andes, and the Rockies. Peninsula - ANSWER A body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides but is connected to a mainland area. Examples include Florida and the Iberian Peninsula. Plateau - ANSWER An elevated, level expanse of land. An example is the Tibetan Plateau, the largest and highest plateau in the world. Prairie - ANSWER A broad, nearly level stretch of land. Examples include the Great Plains of the United States and Canada. River - ANSWER A body of water that flows over land toward an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. Examples include the Nile River and the Amazon River. Sea - ANSWER A large body of salt water connected to an ocean that may be partly or completely surrounded by land. Examples include the Baltic Sea and the Caribbean Sea. Straight - ANSWER A narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water. Examples include the Strait of Gibraltar and the Strait of Magellan. Tectonic plates - ANSWER Earth is made up of a dozen or so major plates and several minor plates that are constantly on the move. These plates fit together like pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. Valley - ANSWER A low area between hills and mountains. Examples include the Shenandoah Valley and the Valley of the Kings in Egypt