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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What reason did Iraq give for invading Kuwait just before the first Gulf War?
(a) Iraq claimed that Kuwait was invading Iraqi airspace.
(b) Iraq claimed Kuwait was drilling into Iraq's underground oil reservoirs.
(c) Iraq claimed that Kuwait was diverting Iraq's water supply.
(d) Iraq claimed that Kuwait had invaded Iraq.

2. How many mass extinctions have occurred during Earth's history?
(a) Hundreds.
(b) Three.
(c) None.
(d) One.

3. How do scientists measure the movement of North America each year?
(a) In inches.
(b) In yards.
(c) In miles.
(d) In feet.

4. How many countries are there in the world?
(a) Nearly 300.
(b) Nearly 400.
(c) Nearly 200.
(d) Nearly 100.

5. Why does de Blij feel that Americans are unprepared to evaluate global warming?
(a) Because they do not take classes in geography.
(b) Because they do not pay attention to current events.
(c) Because they do not understand geologic history.
(d) Because they do not know enough about science.

6. How long has it been since Harvard University offered a geography class to its students?
(a) More than 10 years.
(b) More than 50 years.
(c) More than 100 years.
(d) More than 20 years.

7. Which of the following factors has the greatest effect on population growth?
(a) The status of women.
(b) Religious faith.
(c) Government policies.
(d) Climate.

8. As the world's population increases, where does de Blij say the increase in population will go to live?
(a) To urban areas.
(b) To more temperate regions.
(c) To developed countries.
(d) To undeveloped countries.

9. Why has the United States been so slow to convert maps to the metric system?
(a) The Ordinance of 1785 required land to be laid out in township squares measured in feet.
(b) Geographers prefer not to use the metric system in maps until it is used for other things too.
(c) The metric system is not as efficient for mapmaking as the English system of measurement.
(d) U.S. geographers are not accustomed to the metric system and prefer not to use it.

10. In which of the following countries is the population decreasing?
(a) Albania.
(b) Russia.
(c) Mexico.
(d) Saudi Arabia.

11. Which of the following revolutions occurred during the time period in which the nation-state was becoming popular?
(a) The Technological Revolution.
(b) The Cultural Revolution.
(c) The Russian Revolution.
(d) The Industrial Revolution.

12. How do geographers look at the world, according to de Blij?
(a) Temporally.
(b) Spatially.
(c) Structurally.
(d) Chronologically.

13. Why does de Blij feel that Americans have an obligation to be well informed?
(a) Because part of being well educated is understanding geography.
(b) Because Americans have economic ties to many other countries.
(c) Because the decisions made by Americans affect the entire planet.
(d) Because it is important to be a good citizen.

14. When does de Blij say that geography began to decline in the United States?
(a) When Americans became less willing to travel after 9/11.
(b) When people began to watch television instead of reading books for entertainment.
(c) When political boundaries began to change so fast that it was hard to keep maps up-to-date.
(d) When professional educators decided to combine history, government, and geography into social studies.

15. What technological development revolutionized cartography?
(a) The invention of the compass.
(b) The invention of the airplane.
(c) The invention of the printing press.
(d) The invention of the ruler.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who formulated a grid that is still used to make map projections of the world?

2. How did the volcano explosion in Sumatra affect life on Earth?

3. What other world does geography traditionally deal with, in addition to the human world?

4. Why is geography different from other disciplines, according to de Blij?

5. How long have people been making maps?

(see the answer keys)

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