GED Social Studies Preparation Course: Geography and the world

1. Question 1 of 15

   Lines of latitude measure distance in which direction from the equator?

   • AUp or down in elevation
   • BNorth or south
   • CToward the prime meridian only
   • DEast or west
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   Answer: B. North or south

   Lines of latitude, also called parallels, run east to west but measure distance north or south of the equator.

2. Question 2 of 15

   What is the latitude of the equator?

   • A180 degrees
   • B0 degrees
   • C45 degrees
   • D90 degrees
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   Answer: B. 0 degrees

   Latitude starts at the equator (0 degrees) and increases to 90 degrees at each pole.

3. Question 3 of 15

   Which line has a longitude of 0 degrees?

   • AThe prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England
   • BThe equator, which divides the Northern and Southern hemispheres
   • CThe Tropic of Cancer
   • DThe International Date Line
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   Answer: A. The prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England

   Longitude lines run from pole to pole. The prime meridian through Greenwich, England, is 0 degrees longitude.

4. Question 4 of 15

   Which part of a map explains what its symbols and colors mean?

   • AThe scale
   • BThe compass rose
   • CThe title
   • DThe legend (key)
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   Answer: D. The legend (key)

   The legend, or key, explains symbols and colors. The scale shows distance, and the compass rose shows direction.

5. Question 5 of 15

   A map's scale shows that 1 inch equals 50 miles. Two cities are 3.5 inches apart on the map. About how far apart are they?

   • A175 miles
   • B53.5 miles
   • C150 miles
   • D350 miles
   Show answer

   Answer: A. 175 miles

   Multiply the map distance by the scale: 3.5 × 50 = 175 miles.

6. Question 6 of 15

   How many regions does the U.S. Census Bureau use to group the states?

   • AFour
   • BNine
   • CSix
   • DTwelve
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Four

   The Census Bureau uses four regions (Northeast, Midwest, South and West), which are split into nine divisions.

7. Question 7 of 15

   Which of these is a renewable resource?

   • AWind
   • BOil
   • CNatural gas
   • DCoal
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   Answer: A. Wind

   Wind keeps being replaced by nature. Coal, oil and natural gas take millions of years to form, so they are nonrenewable.

8. Question 8 of 15

   A town builds a dam on a river. A lake forms behind it and the river downstream carries less water. What does this show?

   • AThe spread of culture from place to place
   • BComparative advantage
   • CEmigration
   • DHuman change to the environment
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   Answer: D. Human change to the environment

   Building dams, clearing forests and growing cities are examples of human changes to the environment.

9. Question 9 of 15

   A city plans to use its water so that there will be enough for people today and for future generations. What is this goal called?

   • ASpecialization
   • BAssimilation
   • CUrbanization
   • DSustainability
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Sustainability

   Sustainability means meeting today's needs without leaving future generations without the resources they need.

10. Question 10 of 15

    What is the difference between immigration and emigration?

    • AThey mean the same thing
    • BImmigration is legal; emigration is not
    • CImmigration is moving into a country; emigration is leaving one
    • DImmigration is moving within a country; emigration is moving abroad
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    Answer: C. Immigration is moving into a country; emigration is leaving one

    An immigrant arrives in a new country. The same person is an emigrant from the country they left.

11. Question 11 of 15

    Years of drought ruin farms in a region, and many families leave to find work. For those families, the drought is an example of what?

    • AA diaspora
    • BA push factor
    • CCultural diffusion
    • DA pull factor
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    Answer: B. A push factor

    Push factors drive people away from a place (drought, war, few jobs). Pull factors draw people to a new place (jobs, safety, family).

12. Question 12 of 15

    During the Great Migration (1910–1970), about how many Black Americans left the South?

    • AAbout 6 million
    • BAbout 600,000
    • CAbout 60,000
    • DAbout 60 million
    Show answer

    Answer: A. About 6 million

    The Census Bureau estimates that about 6 million Black Americans left the South for cities in the Northeast, Midwest and West.

13. Question 13 of 15

    Which pair best describes the push and pull factors of the Great Migration?

    • AJim Crow and poor prospects in the South; jobs in Northern cities
    • BGold discoveries in the West; high taxes in the North
    • CCheap farmland in the South; strict laws in the North
    • DWarm weather in the North; crowded cities in the South
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    Answer: A. Jim Crow and poor prospects in the South; jobs in Northern cities

    Jim Crow conditions and poor economic prospects pushed people out of the South, and labor shortages in Northern industrial cities pulled them in.

14. Question 14 of 15

    According to the 2020 Census, about what share of the U.S. population lived in urban areas?

    • AAbout 80%
    • BAbout 50%
    • CAbout 95%
    • DAbout 20%
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    Answer: A. About 80%

    Urban areas held 80.0% of the U.S. population in 2020; rural areas held 20.0%.

15. Question 15 of 15

    Sushi, a food from Japan, is now sold in grocery stores across the United States. What is this an example of?

    • ACultural diffusion
    • BA natural boundary
    • CSustainability
    • DA push factor
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Cultural diffusion

    Cultural diffusion is the spread of foods, languages, ideas and customs from one group or place to another.

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