GED Geography Practice Questions, Set 2

1.The Ogallala Aquifer lies under parts of eight Great Plains states. Farmers pump its groundwater to irrigate corn, wheat, and cotton. In many areas, water is pumped out much faster than rain and snow can refill it, and water levels in wells have dropped sharply. What long-term problem does this create for the region?

1. A.Floods will grow more common there
2. B.Crops will need less water as wells get deeper
3. C.Farms may run short of water for irrigation
4. D.Rainfall will rise to replace the pumped water

2.A country earns about 70 percent of its export income from selling crude oil. It imports most of its food and manufactured goods. What is the main economic risk of depending so heavily on one resource?

1. A.A drop in world oil prices could sharply cut its income
2. B.Its oil will become renewable if it is used too slowly
3. C.It will be unable to import any goods from other nations
4. D.Its food prices will fall whenever oil prices rise

3.Quito, Ecuador, lies almost on the equator, yet its average temperature is about 58°F in every month. The city sits about 9,300 feet above sea level. Coastal cities in Ecuador at the same latitude average about 78°F. What best explains Quito’s mild temperatures?

1. A.Its high elevation, since air gets cooler at higher altitude
2. B.Its distance from the equator, which brings cold winters
3. C.Cold ocean currents that flow through the city every year
4. D.Its location in the Southern Hemisphere far from the sun

4.A thematic map shades each county in a state by its unemployment rate. Rural Hill County is shaded darkest, with a rate of 12%. Urban Metro County is shaded lightly, with a rate of 4%. Hill County has 20,000 workers in its labor force, and Metro County has 900,000. Which conclusion is supported by this information?

1. A.Hill County has more unemployed people than Metro County
2. B.Metro County has more unemployed people than Hill County
3. C.The two counties have the same number of unemployed people
4. D.The map shows the number of unemployed people in each county

5.On a flat world map, a flight from New York to London appears to curve far to the north over Canada and the North Atlantic instead of following a straight line across the map. Airlines choose this route because it is the shortest path on the round Earth. What is this kind of route called?

1. A.A prime meridian route
2. B.A latitude line route
3. C.A great-circle route
4. D.A trade wind route

6.The Mississippi River drainage basin covers all or part of more than 30 states. Rain that falls in places as far apart as Montana, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma can end up in the Gulf of Mexico. Why might geographers treat this basin as a single region?

1. A.All the water in it drains to the same river system
2. B.Every state in it has the same climate and crops
3. C.Everyone living in it speaks the same language
4. D.All the states in it share one state government

7.In 1965, Congress created the Appalachian Regional Commission to fund roads, schools, and health care in a mountain region stretching from southern New York to northern Mississippi. Parts of the region depended heavily on coal mining and had higher poverty rates than the nation as a whole. Which two traits did the government use to define this region?

1. A.Shared desert climate and dependence on cattle
2. B.Shared language and a single state government
3. C.Shared coastline and an economy based on fishing
4. D.Shared mountain landscape and shared economic problems

8.On a trail map, the scale is 1 centimeter = 5 kilometers. A bike route measures 9 centimeters on the map. A cyclist rides at an average speed of 15 kilometers per hour. About how long will the ride take?

1. A.9 hours
2. B.1.5 hours
3. C.4.5 hours
4. D.3 hours

9.A map of the United States shows each state resized according to its number of electoral votes. California and Texas look huge, while large states with few people, such as Montana and Wyoming, look tiny. What type of map is this?

1. A.A relief map
2. B.A cartogram
3. C.A road atlas
4. D.A contour map

10.About a quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea level. Over centuries, the Dutch built dikes around shallow lakes and coastal waters, then pumped the water out, first with windmills and later with electric pumps. The dried land, called polders, is now used for farms and cities. What does this example best show?

1. A.The sea level near the Netherlands has fallen sharply
2. B.People can change their environment to create usable land
3. C.Windmills were used mainly to grind grain in polders
4. D.Low-lying land must be left empty because it floods

11.Many countries have passed through stages of population change: Stage 1: high birth rate, high death rate, slow growth Stage 2: high birth rate, falling death rate, rapid growth Stage 3: falling birth rate, low death rate, slowing growth Stage 4: low birth rate, low death rate, slow growth A country has improved its clean water and vaccines, so far fewer children die, but families are still large. Which stage best fits?

1. A.Stage 1
2. B.Stage 4
3. C.Stage 2
4. D.Stage 3

12.A state energy report lists its sources of electricity: coal, natural gas, wind, solar, and hydroelectric dams. Which of these are renewable resources?

1. A.Coal, natural gas, and wind
2. B.Coal and natural gas only
3. C.Natural gas, solar power, and coal
4. D.Wind, solar, and hydroelectric

13.A climate description: Winters are long and extremely cold. Summers last only a few weeks, with average temperatures below 50°F. The ground beneath the surface stays frozen all year, so trees cannot grow, and the land is covered with mosses, grasses, and small shrubs. Where is this climate found?

1. A.Along the equator in the Amazon River basin
2. B.In the Sahara Desert of northern Africa
3. C.Along the Mediterranean coast of Europe
4. D.Far northern Alaska, Canada, and Siberia

14.A climate chart for a city in southern Africa shows warm temperatures all year. Most of the year’s rain falls from November to April, and from May to October there is almost none. Tall grasses with scattered trees cover the surrounding land. Which climate zone does this describe?

1. A.Mediterranean, with dry summers and wet winters
2. B.Tundra, with frozen ground all year
3. C.Tropical savanna, with wet and dry seasons
4. D.Tropical rainforest, with rain all year

15.A small country trains many doctors and nurses at its public universities. Each year, a large share of them move to wealthier countries where pay is several times higher. Rural clinics at home struggle to fill jobs. What is this pattern called?

1. A.A baby boom
2. B.A brain drain
3. C.Chain migration
4. D.Urban renewal

16.A county map has a scale of 1:63,360. There are 63,360 inches in one mile. A bike path measures 2.5 inches on the map. How long is the bike path?

1. A.2.5 miles
2. B.25 miles
3. C.6.3 miles
4. D.0.25 miles