Practice Test 88 - AP Human Geography

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

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1. A national statistical office notes that the crude birth rate (CBR) is calculated as births per 1,000 total population per year, and the crude death rate (CDR) is deaths per 1,000 total population per year. In 2010, Country S had CBR 40 and CDR 25; by 2025, CBR fell to 22 and CDR fell to 8. Secondary sources link this pattern to the demographic transition, where death rates often drop before birth rates, then birth rates decline later. Which statement best characterizes the likely shift in Country S's stage over time?
2. A secondary source on Caribbean banana plantations notes that formal payroll jobs (spraying, transport, supervision) were disproportionately held by men, while women were concentrated in lower-paid packing-house tasks and informal work such as preparing food for workers. The author links this to gendered hiring practices. Which of the following best describes women's role in the agricultural system described?
3. Secondary-source excerpt: A UN-style profile notes that life expectancy at birth summarizes the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if current mortality patterns persist. In the state of Eloria, life expectancy rose from 62 years in 1990 to 74 years in 2020 as deaths from infectious diseases fell and access to chronic-disease treatment improved. The profile cautions that life expectancy is not a direct measure of fertility. Which statement most accurately interprets Eloria's rising life expectancy?
4. A secondary source describes how high-income consumers demand inexpensive out-of-season vegetables, encouraging large-scale production in lower-wage regions. Produce is harvested by seasonal labor, shipped to core markets, and sold with higher markups than what growers receive. Which of the following best explains the global agricultural pattern described in the excerpt?
5. A secondary-source excerpt about Island Z reports that 85% of residents live in one coastal megacity, while mountainous interiors have few settlements. The author argues that concentrating people and industry in one place intensifies environmental stress locally, even if the island's overall population is not growing rapidly. Which consequence best aligns with the excerpt?
6. A secondary-source excerpt applies the rank-size rule to evaluate an urban system: if the largest city is 10 million, the expected size of the fifth-largest is about $\frac{10}{5}=2$ million. In Country Q, the fifth-largest city is 0.8 million. Which interpretation best matches the excerpt's use of the model?
7. Secondary source excerpt: Electoral district boundaries within states can strongly influence political outcomes. Through gerrymandering, mapmakers may "pack" opposing voters into a small number of districts or "crack" them across many districts, reducing their representation. Because district lines determine who votes together, boundary design can shift legislative seats without changing overall vote totals. Gerrymandering can therefore weaken electoral competitiveness and contribute to perceptions of unfairness in democratic systems. Which choice best describes how gerrymandering affects representation?
8. A secondary source describes the Green Revolution as a technological package introduced in the mid-20th century that combined high-yield varieties (HYVs) of wheat and rice with irrigation, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and mechanization. The excerpt notes that yields rose most where farmers could reliably access credit, water, and purchased inputs, while places lacking infrastructure or capital adopted the package unevenly. Which of the following best explains the Green Revolution pattern described in the excerpt?
9. Secondary source excerpt: States experiencing strong centrifugal forces may respond with either accommodation or coercion. Accommodation includes decentralization, power-sharing, or recognizing regional languages; coercion includes emergency laws and military crackdowns. Coercive responses can sometimes suppress unrest temporarily, but they may also deepen grievances and accelerate fragmentation if groups feel excluded from political participation. Which response-and-effect pairing best matches the excerpt's warning about coercion?
10. A secondary source excerpt argues that cultural landscapes are dynamic: migration, economic restructuring, and policy shifts can rapidly alter land use and the built environment. It emphasizes that change can layer new meanings onto older forms rather than simply replacing them. Which example best demonstrates this dynamic quality?
11. Secondary-source excerpt embedded for context (water supply, 104 words): Urban water-security literature describes how growing demand, aging pipes, and climate variability strain municipal systems. When surface reservoirs decline during droughts, utilities may increase groundwater pumping, risking subsidence and long-term depletion. Intermittent service in peripheral neighborhoods can also raise contamination risks as pressure drops allow intrusion into cracked mains. Researchers highlight that the challenge is not only physical scarcity but also governance: pricing, leakage control, watershed protection, and equitable distribution across formal and informal areas must be coordinated to reduce losses and ensure reliable access. Which option best captures the excerpt's framing of urban water-supply challenges?
12. A teacher asks students to pick a projection for a poster comparing the land area of Russia and Brazil. The class has learned that Mercator exaggerates high latitudes, Robinson is a compromise, and equal-area projections preserve area. Which choice best supports making a fair area comparison between these two countries?
13. A secondary-source excerpt describes how states project territorial power through militarized border infrastructure—fences, surveillance, patrol roads—and argues that these material features work with legal rules to shape migration routes and economic exchange. Which choice best represents the excerpt's view of how states control territory?
14. A secondary source on unintended consequences states that when fertility falls for long periods (TFR around 1.3–1.6), societies may experience population aging, increasing the old-age dependency ratio and straining pensions and healthcare systems. Which outcome best aligns with this unintended consequence of sustained low fertility (even in places trying pro-natalist policies)?
15. Secondary-source excerpt (context): A public-health campaign promotes a new reusable water bottle style. It appears first among students at the most prestigious universities and among high-profile athletes, then later becomes popular at community colleges and local workplaces. Adoption follows status and institutional influence rather than simple distance from the origin. Which diffusion type best describes this pattern?
16. Secondary source excerpt (global economy change—economic restructuring and job losses, 75–125 words): When a major employer closes a plant, the impact spreads beyond the displaced workers. Local suppliers lose contracts, restaurants see fewer customers, and municipal budgets shrink as property and income tax revenues fall. Retraining programs may help some workers transition into new sectors, but older employees can face long-term unemployment or wage cuts when reemployed. Families may relocate, accelerating school enrollment declines and housing vacancies. These ripple effects demonstrate how global competition and corporate reorganization can reshape an entire regional economy. Which concept is most directly emphasized?​
17. A secondary-source analysis of demographic change reports that many young adults have emigrated from rural Bulgaria to Germany and the Netherlands. The analysis states that origin communities face shrinking school enrollments and a higher old-age dependency ratio, while destination regions gain working-age residents who can help support pension systems. Which statement best reflects the demographic impacts on origin and destination?
18. A 100-word secondary-source excerpt on democracy vs. authoritarianism explains that elections alone do not define democracy; meaningful competition, civil liberties, and institutional checks matter. It adds that some regimes hold elections but restrict media, harass opposition, and undermine judicial independence, producing an "electoral authoritarian" pattern. Which description best fits the excerpt's point about elections and regime type?
19. A student says, "A reference map is for finding where things are, and a thematic map is for understanding how a particular variable changes from place to place." Which example most directly supports the student's distinction?
20. Secondary source excerpt (commodity dependence in developing countries, ~100 words): When a state relies heavily on one export commodity, foreign exchange earnings and public budgets can track global price cycles. During booms, governments may expand spending and borrow against future revenues; during busts, they may face currency depreciation and difficulty servicing debt. This cycle can intensify inequality if boom-era gains concentrate among elites and if austerity reduces social programs. Some countries attempt stabilization funds or diversification, but these require strong institutions and long-term planning. Which scenario best exemplifies the boom-bust dynamic described?

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