Practice Test 28 - AP Human Geography

20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.

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1. Secondary source excerpt: Remote-sensing analyses of peri-urban zones show that high-quality farmland near expanding cities is frequently converted to housing, logistics centers, and transportation corridors. Scholars note that this conversion can raise regional food prices and lengthen supply chains, yet it also reflects demand for affordable housing and employment access. Compensation mechanisms, zoning, and agricultural easements vary widely, and the burden often falls on tenant farmers and farmworkers with limited political influence. The outcome is shaped by land markets, governance, and metropolitan growth trajectories. The excerpt best illustrates which of the following challenges to contemporary agriculture?
2. A city releases an interactive online map showing eviction filings by neighborhood. Community groups say the map helped them see concentrated displacement pressure and communicate urgency to policymakers. Which choice best explains how data visualization and communication strengthen the power of geographic data?
3. A secondary-source overview contrasts "push" and "pull" factors: forced migration is dominated by severe push factors like violence or persecution, while voluntary migration is more influenced by pull factors like jobs, education, or family reunification. Which pairing best fits this framework?
4. A planning textbook excerpt on compact development and transit-oriented design notes that reducing parking minimums near frequent transit can lower development costs and encourage transit use. It warns that if transit service is infrequent or unreliable, reduced parking may burden residents who still need cars. Which policy best follows the textbook's conditional recommendation?
5. Secondary source excerpt (about 105 words): Separatist movements challenge sovereignty by disputing who has legitimate authority over territory. In Catalonia, some political groups argue that a distinct language, history, and economy justify independence from Spain. National governments typically reject secession because it threatens territorial integrity and can encourage similar demands elsewhere. Even when separatist referendums are held, disputes over legality and recognition often follow, creating political instability and competing claims to governance. These conflicts reveal that sovereignty is not only about borders but also about contested identities and the right to self-determination. Which choice best explains the sovereignty challenge emphasized?
6. Secondary source excerpt (about 100 words): Urban geographers argue that a small number of world cities function as command centers for globalization. Headquarters, stock exchanges, and major media firms cluster in places like New York, London, and Tokyo, where decisions about investment, production, and information are coordinated across multiple countries. These cities do not simply grow because they are large; rather, they become powerful because they concentrate institutions that manage global flows of capital and expertise. As a result, their influence extends far beyond their national borders. Which statement best reflects the excerpt's main claim about the relationship between cities and globalization?
7. A city energy memo reports that City J's commercial buildings consume a large share of electricity due to constant lighting and HVAC operation, even when occupancy is low. The memo notes that simple operational changes can cut demand quickly, while deeper retrofits take longer. Which measure most directly addresses the energy consumption issue described?
8. A secondary source on green infrastructure describes how urban forests, bioswales, and green roofs can reduce stormwater runoff, lower urban heat-island effects, and improve air quality. The source cautions that benefits are uneven when tree canopy and park investments concentrate in wealthier neighborhoods, leaving hotter, flood-prone areas underserved. Which action most directly addresses the equity concern while maintaining the environmental goals?
9. A secondary source on fisheries-agriculture livelihoods in coastal Bangladesh notes that women often repair nets, dry fish, and manage homestead gardens, while men go out on boats and handle wholesale sales. The author argues that women's work is crucial to household nutrition and local markets. Which of the following best describes women's role in the agricultural system described?
10. A secondary-source summary of commodity dependence notes that countries exporting agricultural commodities can be vulnerable to climate shocks as well as price shocks. Which scenario best demonstrates this compounded vulnerability?
11. Secondary source excerpt (about 85 words): Political boundaries can be used to regulate labor mobility. Seasonal worker programs, temporary visas, and employer sponsorship systems allow some migrants to cross legally for specific jobs while limiting long-term settlement. At the same time, patrols and penalties may be increased to discourage unauthorized entry outside these channels. Such policies illustrate that border control is not simply about closing a boundary; it is about structuring who may cross, for how long, and under what conditions. These rules also affect remittances and regional labor markets. Which option best identifies the boundary function emphasized in the excerpt?
12. Secondary source excerpt (analyzing landscapes to understand culture): Cultural landscape analysis treats everyday spaces as evidence. By examining what is built, what is preserved, and what is excluded, geographers infer cultural values and social priorities. A student studies a city where waterfront parks are well-funded but low-income neighborhoods lack sidewalks and reliable transit. Which interpretation best applies the excerpt's approach?
13. After Poland joined the EU, many young Polish construction workers moved to Ireland for higher wages. In Poland, some small towns reported fewer working-age adults, while Ireland's building sector expanded quickly and wages for low-skilled local workers stagnated in some areas. Which option best describes the labor-market impact at the destination?
14. A secondary source excerpt describes push-pull migration during a civil conflict: threats from armed groups and state repression push households to leave, while nearby countries pull migrants with relative safety, access to asylum procedures, and existing diaspora support. The excerpt notes that destinations are often selected because they offer both safety and practical support. Which option best matches the excerpt's push-pull logic?
15. A secondary-source report on borderlands describes a region where two language groups overlap, intermarriage is common, and many residents are bilingual. The report argues that cultural identity there is situational and that the boundary between groups is better understood as a transition zone than a line. Which option best captures the interaction between cultural patterns in this case?
16. In a lecture, a teacher explains that sustainable development is commonly described through three interconnected "pillars": environmental protection, economic viability, and social equity. Which choice correctly identifies these three pillars as a set?
17. A secondary-source excerpt contrasts two neighboring farming households. One prioritizes diverse crops and small livestock to meet most food needs, selling a portion when prices are favorable. The other specializes in a single high-value crop grown under contract for a processor, purchasing most household food from stores. The author cautions that "subsistence" and "commercial" describe tendencies in production goals and market integration, not mutually exclusive categories, because many farms combine household provisioning with sales. Which of the following best distinguishes the agricultural systems described in the excerpt?
18. Secondary-source excerpt (Factors explaining regional specialization—markets, technology, and policy): In two neighboring valleys with similar rainfall and soils, one area concentrates on apples and wine grapes, while the other focuses on feed corn and poultry. The divergence is linked to processing investments, cooperative marketing, extension services, and zoning that protects farmland near cold-storage facilities. Growers respond to consumer trends and retailer standards, and they use irrigation scheduling and varietal trials to manage weather variability. Over time, path dependence emerges as infrastructure and expertise accumulate in distinct supply chains. Which of the following best explains the agricultural specialization in the region described?
19. Region/type: Commercial agriculture—mixed crop-livestock. A regional planning report describes farms that rotate corn, soybeans, and small grains with hay and pasture to support cattle and hog operations. Producers market both feed and animals through cooperatives and commodity buyers, and they invest in machinery, storage bins, and nutrient-management plans. Crop residues and manure are managed to reduce purchased fertilizer costs, while crop insurance, input prices, and meatpacking capacity influence which enterprises expand. The system is portrayed as flexible and responsive to policy and market signals. The agricultural pattern described is most characteristic of which of the following regions?
20. A textbook excerpt describes the von Thünen model's concentric land-use rings around a single market: land uses with higher perishability and higher transport costs locate nearer the city, while less perishable, lower transport-cost uses locate farther away, creating a predictable sequence of rings. According to the von Thünen model, which of the following best explains the agricultural pattern described?

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