AP Human Geography : AP Human Geography

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #911 : Ap Human Geography

It is estimated that about 870 million people are undernourished in the world. What percentage of undernourished people are in developing countries?

Possible Answers:

99%

59%

75%

63%

100%

Correct answer:

99%

Explanation:

99% of the world's undernourished people can be found in developing countries.

Example Question #911 : Ap Human Geography

Which of these descriptions provides the most accurate definition of a milkshed?

Possible Answers:

The area around a city where milk can be supplied without spoiling

The shed where the milk cows live

The storage center where dairy milk is stored before being shipped out to market

The dairy refrigerator at a grocery store

Any milk that is lost in the process of pasteurization 

Correct answer:

The area around a city where milk can be supplied without spoiling

Explanation:

A milkshed refers to an area surrounding the milk source (dairy farm) where milk is supplied without spoiling. Depending on transportation methods, the milkshed will vary in size.

Example Question #911 : Ap Human Geography

Which of the following environmental costs is least directly associated with modern industrial farming?

Possible Answers:

Increased reliance on fossil fuels for agriculture.

Increasing usage of pesticides and herbicides.

Ecosystem degradation due to substitution of monocultures for complex ecosystems.

Increased ocean acidification.

Correct answer:

Increased ocean acidification.

Explanation:

Modern industrial farming relies heavily on inputs of fossil fuels in the form of pesticides and herbicides. Furthermore, industrial farming is largely based on monocultures, which represent the simplification of complex ecosystems. The only option not directly associated with industrial farming is ocean acidification. Although ocean acidification occurs due to increased carbon dioxide concentration, this is not as direct of an impact as the other options. 

Example Question #911 : Ap Human Geography

Which of the following is not a weakness of monocultures?

Possible Answers:

Decreased genetic diversity

Increased susceptibility to pests

Ecosystem degradation

Increased effort required for harvest

Correct answer:

Increased effort required for harvest

Explanation:

Monoculture refers to the practice of growing one crop over a large area. This leads to environmental issues, increased reliance on pesticides and herbicides, and an overall decrease in genetic diversity. 

One benefit to monocultures however, is the fact that they can generally be harvested by machines. This tends to decrease the effort required to harvest them. This means that the only option that is NOT a weakness is, "Increased effort required for harvest."

Example Question #913 : Ap Human Geography

Most of the nutrients which plants depend on to grow are found in the __________.

Possible Answers:

softsoil

topsoil

endosoil

deepsoil

exosoil

Correct answer:

topsoil

Explanation:

Most of the nutrients that plants depend on to grow are found in very thin quantities in soil right by the surface. This fertile soil is called “topsoil,” and it is here where almost all crops are grown. To this author’s knowledge none of the other answer choices are real terms.

Example Question #914 : Ap Human Geography

Which of the following South American countries struck a deal whereby it agreed to preserve large sections of its rainforest in exchange for the forgiveness of hundreds of millions of dollars of debt?

Possible Answers:

Chile

Brazil

Argentina

Bolivia

Ecuador

Correct answer:

Bolivia

Explanation:

Bolivia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in South America. In the 1980s, it owed hundreds of millions of dollars to international and multinational banking organizations. In an unprecedented move the debt was forgiven in exchange for Bolivia’s guarantee that it would preserve more than a million square miles of its rainforest. This type of agreement made with Bolivia is called a “Debt-for-nature swap.”

Example Question #912 : Ap Human Geography

The practice of "slash and burn" is widely considered to be __________.

Possible Answers:

typical for tropical forests

found in high mountainous regions

a relatively new invention

not sustainable

Correct answer:

typical for tropical forests

Explanation:

Slash and burn is an agricultural technique used today in tropical forest regions with small populations and shifting cultivation agriculture. It uses little technology, and has been practiced since the Neolithic Revolution. Though the technique is not sustainable in large populations, because without the trees, the soil quality becomes too poor to support crops, the method is suitable for small farming communities. 

Example Question #4 : Environmental Issues

Which of these continents has the biggest problem with deforestation?

Possible Answers:

South America

North America

Africa

Europe

Asia

Correct answer:

South America

Explanation:

Deforestation refers to the clearing of forest or jungle to make room for agricultural or mining industries. It is a significant problem around the world, but is most pronounced in South America. The Amazon Rainforest in South America is being cleared at a rapid rate to make room for ranches, plantations, and mining industries. This presents a serious ecological problem for the entire continent.

Example Question #912 : Ap Human Geography

Which of these American Presidents created the Department of Agriculture?

Possible Answers:

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Andrew Jackson

Herbert Hoover

Abraham Lincoln

William Henry Harrison

Correct answer:

Abraham Lincoln

Explanation:

The Department of Agriculture was created in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. At the time the vast majority of Americans were engaged in farming as their primary occupation and so Lincoln called the newly created department “The People’s Department.”

Example Question #6 : Environmental Issues

Which of these areas has the lowest percentage of degraded agricultural land?

Possible Answers:

South America

Eastern Europe

Western Europe

North America

Australia and Oceania

Correct answer:

North America

Explanation:

“Degraded agricultural land” is land that was once fertile and used for growing crops, but has been made infertile by human intervention and mismanagement. It is most common in densely populated areas where large scale farming has been common for a long period of time. For this reason, North America, which is not very densely populated and has only been consistently farmed since the arrival of Europeans, has the lowest percentage of degraded agricultural land.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors