AP Human Geography : Contemporary Patterns of Industrialization & Development

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #342 : Ap Human Geography

All of the following are major oil-producing areas EXCEPT __________.

Possible Answers:

the Caspian Sea

the Gulf of Mexico

the Atlantic Ocean

the Persian Gulf

the Arctic Circle

Correct answer:

the Atlantic Ocean

Explanation:

The Atlantic Ocean is not a major oil-producing zone. Oil production is found in much higher quantities in the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic Circle, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea.

Example Question #64 : Industrialization & Economic Development

Hydroelectric power is generated by __________.

Possible Answers:

nuclear reactors

wind

fossil fuels

natural gas

water

Correct answer:

water

Explanation:

The movement of flowing water generates electricity in hydroelectric power plants. Although it was long-practiced on a small scale, hydroelectricity emerged in the twentieth century as an important alternative to the consumption of fossil fuels as a viable source of large quantities of energy.

Example Question #11 : Contemporary Patterns Of Industrialization & Development

Why are chlorofluorocarbons so controversial?

Possible Answers:

They are poisonous to human beings.

They contribute heavily to global warming.

They are poisonous to many animals.

They destroy plant life.

They affect people of different ethnicities in different ways.

Correct answer:

They contribute heavily to global warming.

Explanation:

“Chlorofluorocarbons,” or CFCs as they are often (mercifully) called, are extremely controversial because they contribute heavily to global warming. They are used in refrigeration, packaging, aerosol sprays, and fire extinguishers. When they reach the Earth’s atmosphere they react extremely detrimentally causing (by some estimates) as much if not more damage than the massive amounts of methane and carbon dioxide that we also release into the atmosphere.

Example Question #12 : Contemporary Patterns Of Industrialization & Development

In urban cities, sometimes a pollution cloud can be noticed hovering in the air. What is this urban pollution "haze" called?

Possible Answers:

Chlorofluorocarbons

Nitrogen deposition

Greenhouse gases

Ozone

Photochemical smog

Correct answer:

Photochemical smog

Explanation:

Photochemical smog is the air pollution that occurs when sunlight reacts with other pollutants in the air. Greenhouse gases and ozone are not necessarily pollutants and do not produce hazy clouds. Chlorofluorocarbons are said to make holes in the ozone, and nitrogen deposition describes atmospheric nitrogen entering the biosphere.

Example Question #5 : Pollution & Climate Change

Which of these statements is not true about nonpoint-source pollution?

Possible Answers:

Nonpoint-source pollution can generally spread over a much wider area than point-source pollution

Agriculture is the main contributor of nonpoint-source pollution

Nonpoint sources are generally harder to control than point sources

Nonpoint sources are sometimes very difficult to trace back

Pollutants from nonpoint sources are usually smaller in quantity

Correct answer:

Pollutants from nonpoint sources are usually smaller in quantity

Explanation:

Pollutants from nonpoint sources are usually greater in quantity.

Example Question #16 : Contemporary Patterns Of Industrialization & Development

What is called the land off the shores of Netherlands that had been invaded by water but has been reclaimed by creative means?

Possible Answers:

Polder

Hills

Proder

Mounts

Correct answer:

Polder

Explanation:

In the Netherlands, the water had taken over much of the land that had been used by inhabitants. However, through the use of polders, they were able to construct anyways through the use of dikes.

Example Question #12 : Contemporary Patterns Of Industrialization & Development

Which of the following is NOT a major cause of increased globalization?

Possible Answers:

A return to agricultural lifestyles

Spread of mass culture around the world

Investment in foreign markets

Advances in communication

Advances in transportation

Correct answer:

A return to agricultural lifestyles

Explanation:

"Globalization" is a broad term that describes the increased interconnectivity between different regions and countries across the globe. While different cultures had always shared ideas and economic products, the nineteenth century saw a rapid rise in globalization that has continued into the twenty first century thanks to improved transportation, communication, mass culture, and foreign investment.

Example Question #1 : Globalization

Which of the following terms is best defined as a company that does not exhibit material or market orientation?

Possible Answers:

Brick and mortar company

Flexible organization

Footloose firm

Unencumbered corporation

Conglomerate corporation

Correct answer:

Footloose firm

Explanation:

The term “footloose firms” is applied to companies that do not exhibit a market orientation or a material orientation. A company with a material orientation locates its manufacturing centers close to the source of the raw materials because the composite parts cost more to ship than the finished product; therefore, it is cost effective to be as close as possible to the source. A company with a market orientation locates its manufacturing centers close to the most profitable markets because the composite parts cost less to ship than the finished product; therefore, it is cost effective to be as close as possible to the best possible markets. A “footloose firm” is a company whose raw resources and final products are so cheap and light that they do not need to worry about these considerations.

Example Question #1 : Globalization

Which of these best describes a multinational corporation?

Possible Answers:

A company that produces expensive and specialized goods.

A company that produces cheap goods to be sold on a global market.

A company that receives significant advantages from the governments of various countries.

A company that conducts all areas of its business in one country.

A company that conducts different areas of its business in different countries.

Correct answer:

A company that conducts different areas of its business in different countries.

Explanation:

Over the last fifty years most large corporations have become multinational, or transnational, corporations. This means they conduct different areas of their business in different countries. For example a raw product might be harvested in central Africa, used to manufacture goods in China, and shipped around the world for sale. Multinational corporations often enjoy certain advantages and incentives provided by local governments, but this does not define them in the way that the correct answer does.

Example Question #13 : Contemporary Patterns Of Industrialization & Development

The Suez Canal was primarily built in order to __________.

Possible Answers:

reduce trading time and expenses between Europe and India

facilitate British control over the Middle East and the Mediterranean

improve the economic viability of Egypt as a European colony

solidify French control over the Middle East and North Africa

allow the British navy to quickly move from the Arabian Sea to the Mediterranean during the Crimean War

Correct answer:

reduce trading time and expenses between Europe and India

Explanation:

The Suez Canal was built through eastern Egypt in order to connect the Arabian Sea with the Mediterranean. This dramatically reduced the shipping cost and time required for trading between Europe and the Far East (particularly India). Previously ships had had to sail around the whole African continent, a costly and time-consuming endeavor. The Suez Canal came into British control in the 1870s and remained there until the 1950s when it came under the control of independent Egypt following the 1956 Suez Crisis.

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