Practice Test 7 - 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 (language policy and resistance): The excerpt describes a minority region where residents campaign for bilingual road signs, local-language broadcasting, and schooling in their heritage language. The goal is to slow the shift toward the national language and maintain cultural identity. Which term best describes this effort?
2. Secondary-source excerpt: A comparative population study states that crude birth rate (CBR) is births per 1,000 population per year, while total fertility rate (TFR) is the lifetime average number of children per woman. The study describes how a country can have a relatively low TFR but a moderate CBR if it has a youthful age structure with many people in childbearing ages. Which statement best reflects this relationship between CBR and TFR?
3. A 85-word excerpt discusses how an expansive pyramid can transition toward a more stationary shape if fertility declines and child survival improves. The author cautions that this transition changes the timing of service demand, shifting from heavy investment in basic schooling toward job creation and higher education as large youth cohorts age. Which statement best captures this dynamic nature of population composition?
4. A secondary source explains that arithmetic density measures overall population pressure on land, while physiological density better indicates pressure on agricultural resources because it uses arable land in the denominator. A student claims: "Country Z's arithmetic density is high, so its farmland must be overcrowded." Which response best corrects the student using the source's distinction?
5. A 95-word excerpt contrasts Peru and Japan. It reports that Lima contains a disproportionate share of Peru's population and high-order services, while Japan's major cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo) form a more distributed network despite Tokyo's large size. The author argues the key issue is whether the largest city is disproportionately dominant relative to the rest of the hierarchy. Which concept is most directly being used to analyze Peru's urban system?
6. Secondary source excerpt: Urban geographers argue that a small set of world cities function as command centers for the global economy. In places such as New York, London, and Tokyo, corporate headquarters, major stock exchanges, and international institutions cluster together, allowing firms to coordinate investment, production, and information across multiple continents. The influence of these cities is less about their population size than their capacity to control global flows of capital and decision-making. Which statement best reflects the excerpt's main claim about cities and globalization?
7. A comparative geography text highlights regional variation: in some parts of West Africa, women commonly cultivate their own market gardens and trade produce, while in some pastoral regions, women's agricultural work centers more on milk processing and household provisioning rather than field cropping. The author stresses that women's roles shift with ecology, livelihood system, and local norms. Which of the following best describes women's role in the agricultural system described?
8. Secondary-source excerpt (internal city structure): In the Burgess model, distance from the CBD often correlates with changes in housing age, density, and socioeconomic status, reflecting competition for accessible land during early industrialization. The model's logic assumes the CBD is the most accessible point and that land values generally decline outward. Later developments (like beltways and suburban office parks) can weaken this pattern, but the model remains a baseline for understanding classic industrial-era urban form. According to the Burgess model, which sequence from the CBD outward is most consistent?
9. A secondary-source briefing on air pollution states that while a city has reduced visible smog from factories, ozone levels remain high in summer due to vehicle emissions and heat-driven photochemical reactions. The briefing notes that commuters from peripheral areas spend more time on congested highways, increasing exposure and emissions. It argues for integrating transportation planning with air-quality goals. Which policy most directly follows from this briefing?
10. A textbook excerpt states: "Geometric boundaries are defined using mathematical lines; they are often easiest to map but may split communities because they do not reflect cultural patterns." Which option is the best example of a geometric boundary?
11. A secondary source excerpt frames preservation vs. change in cultural landscapes as a tension between protecting heritage (historic districts, sacred sites) and accommodating growth (housing, transit). It notes that preservation policies can reflect power—protecting elite aesthetics while displacing lower-income residents through rising costs. Which policy outcome best reflects this tension and the excerpt's emphasis on power?
12. A secondary source excerpt explains that the informal economy (unregistered work such as street vending or cash-based services) can be substantial in some countries, making GDP and tax records underestimate actual economic activity. Which implication follows from this point?
13. A secondary source on world-systems theory notes that semi-peripheral states often have diversified economies: they may export manufactured goods to peripheral neighbors while still relying on core capital, patents, or high-end services. A country assembles smartphones for export using imported components, hosts regional banks, and also exports some agricultural commodities. Which classification best fits world-systems theory?
14. A sustainability review of City G states that the city's electricity demand is highest during late-afternoon heat, when offices, transit systems, and households all draw power simultaneously. The review argues that peak shaving can reduce the need for new fossil-fuel peaker plants. Which action best supports energy consumption management in this context?
15. Secondary source excerpt (self-determination and independence movements): In several multinational states, minority regions have pursued greater autonomy or independence by mobilizing around language rights, fiscal control, and historical narratives. Referendums and negotiations have sometimes occurred, but central governments may declare such votes unconstitutional and resist secession. International recognition is often uncertain, making the success of these movements dependent on domestic institutions, external support, and the willingness of other states to acknowledge a new sovereign entity. Which option best identifies the political process highlighted in the excerpt?
16. A nonprofit downloads an online "global slum map" and uses it to allocate funding within a large city. The map was produced by combining crowd-sourced points, outdated aerial imagery, and a model trained on neighborhoods that were mostly in one region of the world. Which concern is most relevant when using this secondary spatial dataset for local decision-making?
17. A demographic atlas describes Country D's population pyramid as having a narrow base, a wider middle (ages 35–59), and a relatively large 65+ segment. The atlas notes that such structures often reflect low fertility and longer life expectancy, with implications for labor supply and pension systems. Which interpretation is most accurate?
18. A secondary source excerpt notes that in a federal system, the constitution divides authority between a national government and subnational units (such as states or provinces), each with some powers that cannot be removed unilaterally by the other. By contrast, in a unitary system, most governing authority is held at the national level, and local governments primarily exercise powers delegated by the center. Based on this description, which policy change most clearly illustrates a unitary system in practice?
19. A secondary source explains why many dire Malthusian predictions have not materialized in some places: the Green Revolution, global trade, and demographic transition increased food supply and reduced fertility growth rates. Which explanation best fits this argument?
20. In an AP Human Geography class, a student writes the following secondary-source excerpt: "Culture is a learned system of shared behaviors, beliefs, and values that people use to make sense of the world. It also includes material objects—such as clothing, tools, and buildings—that reflect those ideas. Because culture is learned and shared, it is passed through social interaction rather than inherited biologically." Which statement best reflects the excerpt's definition of culture?

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