Deck 3: North America

Question 1

Which North American region is the transition zone between nearby flat lowlands and steep mountain slopes?

A) the West
B) the Atlantic coastline
C) the Appalachian Highlands
D) the Gulf Coast
E) the Piedmont

Answer 1

E

Question 2

A major oil spill in April, 2010, caused damage to this body of water.

A) Lake Superior
B) Lake Michigan
C) Lake Erie
D) The Gulf of Mexico
E) The Mississippi River

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is a source of water pollution in North America?

A) mining operations
B) industry
C) municipal sewage
D) industry and municipal sewage
E) industry and municipal sewage, and mining operations

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) Canada is slightly smaller in land area than the United States, and its population is only about 10% that of the United States.
B) Canada is slightly smaller in land area than the United States, and its population is only about 20% that of the United States.
C) Canada is slightly larger in land area than the United States, but its population is only about 20% that of the United States.
D) Canada is slightly larger in land area than the United States, but its population is only about 10% that of the United States.
E) The United States and Canada have almost exactly the same land area, but the population of the United States is double that of Canada.

Question 5

In what region of the United States is the Piedmont located?

A) New England
B) the Southeast
C) the Midwest
D) the Intermountain West
E) the Pacific Northwest

Question 6

What city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005?

A) Dallas, Texas
B) Miami, Florida
C) Columbia, South Carolina
D) Myrtle Beach, Virginia
E) New Orleans, Louisiana

Question 7

What type of pollution is the greatest cause of acid rain?

A) industrial and auto emissions
B) agricultural pollutants
C) municipal waste
D) the generation of hydroelectric power
E) El Niño

Question 8

What waterway opened up the Great Lakes to improved global trade connections?

A) St. Lawrence Seaway
B) Mississippi River
C) Rio Grande
D) Colorado River
E) Columbia River

Question 9

Wheat, cattle, and horses are common sights in North America today. Why?

A) They migrated to North America from South America.
B) Native Americans brought them to the region when they arrived 12,000 years ago.
C) These species are indigenous to the region.
D) Europeans brought them to the region.
E) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 10

Which North American region lies west and north of the Piedmont and is an internally complex zone of higher and rougher country reaching altitudes of 3,000-6,000 feet?

A) the Appalachian Highlands
B) the West
C) the Atlantic coastline
D) the Ozark Mountains
E) the Gulf Coast

Question 11

Which North American region is complex, and is made up of drowned river valleys, bays, swamps, and low barrier islands?

A) the West
B) the Piedmont
C) the Appalachian Highlands
D) the Atlantic coastline
E) the Gulf Coast

Question 12

Which North American region features mountain-building, alpine glaciation, and erosion?

A) the Atlantic coastline
B) the Piedmont
C) the West
D) the Appalachian Highlands
E) the Gulf Coast

Question 13

Beneath which part of the United States is its largest aquifer, the Ogallala Aquifer, located?

A) the Pacific Northwest
B) New England
C) the Gulf Coast
D) the West Coast
E) the Great Plains

Question 14

What is the major trend in agriculture in North America in recent years?

A) There are fewer farms, but they are larger in size.
B) There are more farms and they are larger in size.
C) There are fewer farms, and they are smaller in size.
D) There are more farms, but they are larger in size.
E) There has been no change.

Question 15

What areas of North America would be most vulnerable to climate change?

A) the Midwest
B) desert regions
C) the Great Lakes region
D) high latitude and alpine environments
E) its urban areas

Question 16

What percentage of water in North America is used for manufacturing and energy production, agriculture, and home and business?

A) 40% for manufacturing and energy production; 45% for agriculture; 15% for home and business
B) 45% for manufacturing and energy production; 15% for agriculture; 40% for home and business
C) 15% for manufacturing and energy production; 40% for agriculture; 45% for home and business
D) 45% for manufacturing and energy production; 40% for agriculture; 15% for home and business
E) 15% for manufacturing and energy production; 45% for agriculture; 45% for home and business

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT one of the changes that has already occurred in North America as a result of climate change?

A) Glaciers have receded in Glacier National Park.
B) Mexican butterflies are breeding in Texas.
C) Polar bears have become extinct.
D) Armadillos have been found in southern Illinois.
E) Exotic fish species are migrating into Chesapeake Bay.

Question 18

Canada and the U.S. have worked together to improve the water quality in this body of water.

A) The Pacific Ocean
B) The Atlantic Ocean
C) The Great Lakes
D) Hudson Bay
E) The Mississippi River

Question 19

What are the primary compounds found in acid rain?

A) carbon dioxide and lead
B) sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide
C) nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide
D) lead and chlorofluorocarbons
E) chlorofluorocarbons and sulfur

Question 20

Which of the following resources is readily available in the United States and Canada?

A) navigable waterways
B) good farmland
C) fossil fuels and industrial metals
D) good farmland and fossil fuels
E) good farmland, fossil fuels, industrial metals, and navigable waterways

Question 21

Currently, how many people live in the North American Region?

A) 270 million
B) 300 million
C) 340 million
D) 500 million
E) 1 billion

Question 22

Which of the following statements best describes North America's population settlement pattern?

A) Settlement is evenly distributed across the region.
B) Settlement follows waterways and inland lakes.
C) Settlement is strongly centered on large cities with more thinly settled areas in between.
D) Settlement is heavier in the western half of the region.
E) Settlement is heavier in the southern half of the United States and Canada than in the north.

Question 23

Which of the following features does NOT contribute to North America's highly varied climate and vegetation?

A) latitudinal range
B) rivers
C) size
D) varied terrain
E) elevation

Question 24

What migration trend was caused by the mechanization of farming?

A) black exodus from the South
B) counterurbanization
C) growth of the Sunbelt South
D) westward migration
E) rural-to-urban migration

Question 25

How long ago did Europeans begin occupying North America?

A) 40 years ago
B) 400 years ago
C) 4000 years ago
D) 40,000 years ago
E) 4 million years ago

Question 26

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) By 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Colorado River.
B) By 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Rocky Mountains.
C) In 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Great Plains.
D) By 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Mississippi River.
E) By 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Grand Canyon.

Question 27

What region of the United States contains the country's densest population settlement?

A) the Midwest
B) the Atlantic Coast
C) the Pacific Coast
D) the Sunbelt
E) the Great Plains

Question 28

Which North American region was hit by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005?

A) the West
B) the Gulf Coast
C) the Atlantic coastline
D) the Ozark Mountains
E) the Appalachian Highlands

Question 29

What form of transportation first opened corridors of development in the U.S., provided access to markets for commercial crops, and helped establish towns and cities across the country?

A) railroads
B) motor vehicles (including trucks)
C) subways
D) airlines
E) conestoga wagons

Question 30

What is an individual who relocates to a locality that is less vulnerable to global warming?

A) An international immigrant
B) A domestic migrant
C) A climate refugee
D) An emigrant
E) A rural-to-urban migrant

Question 31

The settlement of North America by Europeans took place in how many stages?

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four
E) five

Question 32

Which of these North American cities has a marine west coast climate?

A) Dallas, Texas
B) Vancouver, British Columbia
C) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
D) Cheyenne, Wyoming
E) Miami, Florida

Question 33

What do we call the bioregion that is dominated by tall native grasslands, short grasses, or scrub vegetation in North America?

A) boreal forest
B) desert
C) prairie
D) tundra
E) farmland

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT one of the patterns of North American population movements?

A) the trend westward
B) the growth of the Sunbelt
C) the movement of blacks out of the South
D) the exclusion of minorities from inner cities
E) rural-to-urban migration

Question 35

What is an example of a non-renewable energy resource?

A) solar
B) wind
C) hydropower
D) petroleum
E) geothermal

Question 36

During what period of time has the Sunbelt region of the United States grown most quickly?

A) 1970-present
B) 1950-1970
C) 1930-1950
D) 1910-1930
E) 1890-1910

Question 37

Today, most immigrants to the United States come from which two world regions?

A) Northern and Western Europe
B) Southern and Eastern Europe
C) Africa and Australia
D) Asia and Latin America
E) Latin America and Canada

Question 38

What happened to the more than 4 million Native American populations after the arrival of Europeans?

A) They began trading with the Europeans and benefited economically
B) European diseases and disruptions reduced their numbers by more than 90%
C) They migrated to better land in the interior of North America
D) The European educational system transformed their way of life, enabling them to benefit from early globalization.
E) They continued as before, having little contact with European immigrants.

Question 39

What is the goal of cap-and-trade energy policy?

A) to add land to the National Parks of the U.S.
B) to limit carbon emissions
C) to clean the Gulf Coast of the oil spilled there in 2010
D) to encourage additional oil drilling
E) to subsidize the coal industry

Question 40

Which of these North American cities has a continental midlatitude climate?

A) Dallas, Texas
B) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
C) Los Angeles, California
D) Columbus, Ohio
E) Miami, Florida

Question 41

Today in North America, many of the key internationally connected corporate offices, industrial complexes, and entertainment facilities are located

A) in center cities.
B) in rural areas.
C) offshore.
D) in suburbs.
E) in primate cities.

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT a reason why U.S. citizens have migrated to the Sunbelt South?

A) government incentives
B) expanding economy
C) modest living costs
D) attractive recreational opportunities
E) adoption of air conditioning

Question 43

During which era of the Historical Evolution of the U.S. City did suburban growth begin?

A) Pedestrian/Horsecar era
B) Electric Streetcar era
C) Automobile era
D) Freeway era
E) Internet era

Question 44

During Phase 4 of migration to the United States (1920-1970), where did the majority of immigrants come from?

A) England and Africa
B) Ireland and Germany
C) Southern and Eastern Europe
D) Canada and Latin America
E) Latin America and Asia

Question 45

What North American city would have been most likely to see a population drain in the last half of the 1900s?

A) Atlanta, Georgia
B) Fort Dodge, Iowa
C) Miami, Florida
D) Houston, Texas
E) Charlotte, North Carolina

Question 46

Between 1820 and 1860, the majority of immigrants to the United States came from what world region?

A) Asia
B) Latin America
C) Southern and Eastern Europe
D) Africa
E) Northern and Western Europe

Question 47

Which of the following statements regarding migration and settlement of African Americans in the United States is most accurate?

A) In 1900, about half of African Americans lived in the South; today about 90% of them live there.
B) In 1900, about half of African Americans lived in the South; today that figure remains the same.
C) In 1900, more than 90% of African Americans lived in the South; today that figure remains the same.
D) In 1900, more than 70% of African Americans lived in the South; today about one-third of them live there.
E) In 1900, more than 90% of African Americans lived in the South; today only about half of them live there.

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT one of the more recent emerging global cities in North America?

A) Cincinnati
B) Toronto
C) Chicago
D) Miami
E) Vancouver

Question 49

In what year did U.S. immigration reach its highest level?

A) 1830
B) 1890
C) 1925
D) 1970
E) 1990

Question 50

What name is given to the migration pattern wherein people leave large cities and move to smaller towns and rural areas?

A) nonmetropolitan growth
B) urban decentralization
C) concentric zones model
D) urban realms model
E) edge cities

Question 51

This process involves the displacement of lower-income residents of central-city neighborhoods with higher-income residents, the rehabilitation of deteriorated inner-city landscapes, and the construction of new shopping complexes, entertainment centers, or convention centers.

A) counterurbanization
B) gentrification
C) gerrymandering
D) urban realms model
E) urban decentralization

Question 52

Where is Megalopolis located?

A) midwestern United States, from St. Louis to Cincinnati
B) East Coast of United States, from Boston to Washington, D.C.
C) mountainous west of the United States, from Salt Lake City to Denver
D) Texas, from Houston to San Antonio
E) West Coast of United States, from Portland, OR to Seattle

Question 53

Which of the following "decisively shaped the evolution of the city in the United States"?

A) city planning agencies
B) climate
C) demographics
D) transportation
E) precipitation

Question 54

What state of the U.S. recently went from having net in-migration in the late 1900s to having net out-migration since 2000?

A) Georgia
B) Arizona
C) Michigan
D) California
E) Nevada

Question 55

What does the above diagram show?

A) Demographic Transition
B) Growth of Megalopolis
C) National Settlement of the U.S.
D) Historical Evolution of the U.S. City
E) European Settlement Expansion

Question 56

In the most recent phase of migration to the United States (1970-present), where are the majority of immigrants coming from?

A) England and Africa
B) Ireland and Germany
C) Southern and Eastern Europe
D) Canada and Latin America
E) Latin America and Asia

Question 57

During Phase 1 of migration to the United States (1800-1820), where did the majority of immigrants come from?

A) Ireland and Germany
B) Southern and Eastern Europe
C) Canada and Latin America
D) Latin America and Asia
E) England and Africa

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of gentrification?

A) the displacement of lower income residents by upper income residents
B) the rehabilitation of deteriorated inner-city landscapes
C) white flight to the suburbs
D) the construction of new shopping complexes
E) attraction of home-buyers to older, classic homes

Question 59

During Phase 3 of migration to the U.S. (1870-1920), where did the majority of immigrants come from?

A) England and Africa
B) Ireland and Germany
C) Southern and Eastern Europe
D) Canada and Latin America
E) Latin America and Asia

Question 60

During which era of the Historical Evolution of the U.S. City were cities compact, usually about 3-4 miles in diameter?

A) Electric Streetcar era
B) Pedestrian/Horsecar era
C) Automobile era
D) Freeway era
E) Internet era

Question 61

Today, Canada's foreign-born residents constitute approximately what percentage of its population?

A) 4%
B) 10%
C) 19%
D) 28%
E) 33%

Question 62

What is the "cultural glue" that holds Quebec together?

A) private schools
B) the French language
C) prohibitions against international immigration to Quebec
D) religion
E) the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Question 63

What do we call the situation in which new suburbs emerge that include a mix of peripheral retailing, industrial parks, office complexes, and entertainment facilities?

A) urban decentralization
B) counterurbanization
C) concentric zones model
D) urban realms model
E) edge cities

Question 64

Mexicans make up approximately ________ percent of the Hispanic population of the United States.

A) 35
B) 40
C) 65
D) 80
E) 90

Question 65

What do we call new suburbs that include retailing, industry, office, and entertainment activities, but are less connected to the central city, and more connected to other suburban centers?

A) urban decentralization
B) counterurbanization
C) concentric zones model
D) urban realms model
E) edge cities

Question 66

What cultural characteristic holds North America together as a region?

A) common process of colonization
B) heritage of Anglo dominance
C) shared set of civic beliefs in representative democracy and individual freedom
D) common process of colonization and a shared set of civic beliefs in representative democracy and individual freedom
E) common process of colonization, heritage of Anglo dominance, and a shared set of civic beliefs in representative democracy and individual freedom

Question 67

In which North American cultural region (or homeland)would one be most likely to hear a person speaking English?

A) Quebec
B) the Black Belt
C) a Navajo reservation
D) the Hispanic Borderlands
E) Nunavut

Question 68

What do we call the situation wherein metropolitan areas sprawl in all directions and suburbs take on many of the characteristics of traditional downtowns?

A) counterurbanization
B) concentric zones model
C) urban realms model
D) edge cities
E) urban decentralization

Question 69

What is the process in which immigrants are absorbed into the larger host society?

A) cultural assimilation
B) cultural adaptation
C) cultural determinism
D) cultural homeland
E) cultural nationalism

Question 70

Which language may have surpassed English as the leading global language of Internet users?

A) Japanese
B) Spanish
C) Hindi
D) Mandarin
E) Arabic

Question 71

By 2070 it is estimated that Asians may total ________ percent of the U.S. population.

A) less than 2
B) less than 6
C) about 9
D) over 16
E) over 20

Question 72

What cultural homeland is home to the Inuit?

A) Acadiana, in the southern U.S.
B) Newfoundland, in eastern Canada
C) Hawaii, the U.S.'s 50th state
D) the Navaho Reservation in the Southwest U.S.
E) Nunavut, a self-governing territory in Canada

Question 73

What was the major cause of the increased ethnic concentrations of nonwhite populations in U.S. cities during the 20th century?

A) significantly higher birthrates among nonwhites
B) rural-to-urban migration by nonwhites
C) white flight to the suburbs
D) rising international immigration
E) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 74

The projected increase of the Hispanic population in the U.S. over the next 25 years will most likely be fueled by

A) increased immigration from Mexico.
B) consistent immigration from Cuba.
C) internal migration within the U.S.
D) births to Hispanics already living in the U.S.
E) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 75

Which European country has expressed the greatest concern about the impact of American culture on their country?

A) France
B) Britain
C) Finland
D) Germany
E) Spain

Question 76

Half of the Hispanics in the United States live in two states. Which states are they?

A) Arizona and Colorado
B) California and Texas
C) Florida and Louisiana
D) New York and California
E) New York and Illinois (because of the lure of New York City and Chicago)

Question 77

What do we call the situation in which urban land uses are neatly organized into rings around a highly focused central business district?

A) urban decentralization
B) counterurbanization
C) concentric zone model
D) urban realms model
E) edge cities

Question 78

What economic activity brings in much-needed income to Native Americans while challenging their traditional lifeways?

A) automobile assembly plants
B) gambling casinos
C) storage of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants
D) sweatshops
E) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 79

What Canadian province has a majority of French-Canadian citizens?

A) British Columbia
B) Ontario
C) Quebec
D) Saskatchewan
E) Alberta

Question 80

Two cultural regions in North America have a French heritage. Which ones are they?

A) Quebec and the Hispanic Borderlands
B) Quebec and Acadiana
C) Quebec and the Rural Ethnic European region
D) Quebec and Nunavut
E) Quebec and Cuban South Florida