Practice Test 41 - 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 (pre-20th century): Repeated droughts and shifting rainfall patterns in the Sahel contributed to periods of food insecurity, prompting some communities to move toward more reliable water sources and trade towns. As migrants resettled, they brought languages, farming techniques, and musical styles into new areas, while also adopting practices from host communities. These movements were not uniform; leaders and households made strategic choices about where to go and what to keep. Which historical cause of cultural diffusion best matches the excerpt?
2. A reading on boundary disputes explains that conflicts often arise from positional disputes (disagreement about the exact location of a border), territorial disputes (claims over a specific piece of land), and resource disputes (competition over resources that cross or lie near borders). Which example is most clearly a positional boundary dispute?
3. A secondary-source overview of fair trade argues that alternative trade networks attempt to reduce exploitation by shortening supply chains and improving transparency. Which action best aligns with alternative trade networks?
4. A secondary source applies central place theory to agricultural markets, noting that small towns host weekly grain buyers and basic farm-supply stores, while a few larger towns support specialized livestock auctions, cold storage, and agricultural finance. The author argues that higher-order services require larger thresholds and wider market areas, so farmers travel farther for them. Which of the following best explains the spatial pattern of agriculture described in the excerpt?
5. A 85-word secondary-source excerpt on world-systems theory emphasizes that semi-peripheral states can act as regional manufacturing hubs: they attract some investment and develop industry, yet remain dependent on core finance, technology, and markets, and may exploit peripheral labor. In a scenario, Country S assembles electronics using imported components, exports to core markets, and invests in nearby poorer states' resource extraction. Which classification best fits Country S?
6. Secondary source excerpt: The DTM predicts how population growth changes over time as birth and death rates shift. Natural increase is largest when death rates have fallen but birth rates remain high (commonly Stage 2). Growth then slows as birth rates fall (Stage 3). In later stages, low birth and death rates produce slow growth or stability (Stage 4). In a proposed Stage 5, very low fertility can lead to population decline as deaths exceed births. Based on the DTM, during which stage is the rate of natural increase typically highest?
7. Secondary-source excerpt (18th–19th c.): The enclosure movement consolidated scattered strips and common lands into fenced, privately controlled holdings. Landowners argued enclosure enabled experimentation with new rotations and livestock breeding, but many smallholders lost customary access to grazing and fuel. Which statement best captures a key geographic consequence of enclosure during the Second Agricultural Revolution?
8. In a class reading, a scholar defines sustainable development as meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The author emphasizes intergenerational responsibility and long-term resource stewardship. Which option best matches this definition?
9. A short article uses the DTM to compare countries: a low-income country with high fertility and rapidly falling mortality is described as being in Stage 2; a middle-income country with declining fertility is in Stage 3; and a highly developed country with very low fertility and an aging population is in Stage 4 or possibly Stage 5. Which pairing best matches typical DTM stage characteristics?
10. A secondary-source excerpt about development indicators states that GDP per capita is an average and can increase even when median households do not benefit, especially if growth is concentrated among elites or in capital-intensive sectors. It recommends pairing GDP per capita with distributional measures and social indicators. Which conclusion best matches this guidance?
11. Secondary source excerpt (context): Many contemporary states are multinational, meaning they contain two or more nations within one sovereign government. By contrast, a stateless nation is a nation that lacks its own sovereign state, even if its people live within (or across) existing state boundaries. These categories help explain why identity-based movements may seek autonomy, independence, or increased recognition. Question: Which pairing correctly matches the excerpt's concepts?
12. A secondary source on contemporary displacement notes that many people fleeing conflict may become asylum seekers upon arrival in another country, but recognition depends on procedures and evidence. Which statement best describes an asylum seeker in this context?
13. A secondary-source excerpt describes immigrant neighborhoods in Paris where residents adopt French civic practices (such as navigating bureaucracy and workplace norms) while maintaining home languages, foods, and religious celebrations. The excerpt argues that cultural diffusion here is better understood as selective adoption rather than total replacement. Which effect is being described?​
14. A human geography text explains that a constrictive population pyramid has a relatively narrow base and larger middle/older cohorts, often reflecting low fertility and longer life expectancy. The excerpt notes that this composition can shift planning toward pensions, health care, and labor-force replacement. Which policy response best fits a constrictive age structure?
15. A secondary source excerpt describes applying the rank-size rule to evaluate whether a national urban system is relatively balanced or dominated by one city. In Country F, the largest city is 10,000,000; the second is 1,900,000; the third is 1,200,000; and the fourth is 900,000. Which evaluation best fits the excerpt's framework?
16. A secondary source explains that some states use immigration policy as a population strategy: countries with low TFR and aging populations may recruit working-age migrants to stabilize the labor force and support pension systems. Which policy best fits this population strategy?
17. A labor and development journal reports that certification schemes for coffee and cocoa can raise farmgate prices and improve labor standards in some cases, yet compliance costs, auditing requirements, and cooperative membership rules may exclude the poorest producers. The journal also notes that price premiums fluctuate with consumer demand and retailer procurement practices, so household income gains can be unstable. Meanwhile, buyers may use certifications to manage reputational risk without substantially changing bargaining power along the supply chain. Which of the following best explains the agricultural challenge described in the excerpt?
18. Secondary source excerpt: Some versions of the DTM propose a Stage 5 in which fertility falls below replacement level and the crude birth rate drops under the crude death rate. This creates negative natural increase (natural decrease). Countries in this situation often have aging populations and may rely on immigration, pro-natalist policies, or productivity gains to offset labor shortages. Stage 5 is debated because demographic outcomes can change with policy and migration, and not all low-fertility countries experience sustained decline. Which demographic pattern most closely matches a DTM Stage 5 scenario?
19. A secondary-source overview of export-oriented development notes that governments may invest heavily in port capacity and logistics to compete in global manufacturing. Which infrastructure investment best supports this approach?
20. A secondary source compares two countries: one with strong national institutions that provide consistent public services across regions, and another where corruption and uneven service delivery lead citizens to rely on local patronage networks. The author argues that effective institutions can increase attachment to the state and reduce separatist pressures. Which is the best example of a centripetal force from the comparison?

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