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ZIMSEC O Level · 2248/2 · J2014

Geography Paper 2 June 2014

Questions
27
Total marks
225
Time allowed
150 min
Syllabus code
2248/2

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Questions
27
Pass mark
17
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Answer every question in the printed order, get marked at the end, then see the answers.

The questions

Question 101

[1 marks]Weathering and river landforms
Name the type of physical weathering common in hot dry climates, in which the outer layers of rock heat and expand by day, then cool and contract rapidly at night, causing stress that peels off the outer skin of the rock in layers.

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Question 102

[1 marks]Weathering and river landforms
A meander becomes so sinuous that erosion on the outer bank and deposition on the inner bank narrow the neck of the loop. During a flood the river cuts through the narrow neck and takes the shorter course, and the abandoned loop is sealed off by deposition at both ends, remaining as a crescent-shaped lake separated from the main channel. Name this landform.

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Question 103

[1 marks]Weathering and river landforms
Which of the following measures would most directly reduce siltation in a river?
  1. AIncreasing cultivation directly on the river banks to make use of the moist, fertile alluvial soil close to the channel
  2. BDischarging untreated industrial effluent into the river because treatment plants are considered too costly to install
  3. CPlanting trees and grass buffer strips along the river banks to trap sediment before it reaches the channel
  4. DClearing all vegetation right up to the river bank so cattle and irrigation pumps have unobstructed access to the water

Question 201

[1 marks]Weather instruments and climate change
Name the rain-measuring instrument that consists of a funnel set into a cylindrical outer container sunk into the ground, with its rim about 30 cm above the surface, channelling rainwater into a narrow-necked collecting cylinder inside to reduce evaporation loss.

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Question 202

[1 marks]Weather instruments and climate change
Which of the following best explains the term 'global warming'?
  1. AThe seasonal cooling of the oceans caused by increased cloud cover reflecting incoming solar radiation back into space during the rainy season
  2. BThe gradual increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere and oceans due to a build-up of greenhouse gases
  3. CThe short-term rise in temperature during a single heatwave caused by a stationary high-pressure system blocking cloud formation for a few days
  4. DThe depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer caused by CFC emissions from aerosols and refrigerants, letting in more ultraviolet radiation

Question 203

[1 marks]Weather instruments and climate change
Which measure would most directly help reduce the causes of climate change?
  1. ASwitching to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydro power
  2. BReducing public education campaigns about the environment so fewer people learn to cut their household energy use
  3. CContinuing to rely entirely on fossil fuels such as coal and oil for electricity generation and transport
  4. DIncreasing deforestation to create more farmland, removing trees that would otherwise absorb carbon dioxide

Question 301

[1 marks]Ecosystems and vegetation
Give the term for an organism that manufactures its own food from simple inorganic substances using energy from sunlight (photosynthesis), such as a green plant.

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Question 302

[1 marks]Ecosystems and vegetation
Name the ecosystem type characterised by scattered trees such as acacia standing in an unbroken layer of tall grass, with a clear wet-season/dry-season contrast and grazing or browsing animals such as giraffe.

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Question 303

[1 marks]Ecosystems and vegetation
Which of the following is an adaptation of savanna trees to the long dry season and frequent bush fires?
  1. AThick, corky bark that resists fire, combined with long tap roots that reach the water table
  2. BThin, smooth bark that burns easily and offers little protection against frequent dry-season grass fires
  3. CShallow, wide-spreading roots that stay near the surface to catch light dry-season showers before they evaporate
  4. DBroad, unwaxed leaves with a large surface area that lose water quickly through transpiration in the dry season

Question 401

[1 marks]Tropical rainforests and mining
Which of the following is a major reason tropical rainforests are difficult to exploit economically?
  1. ADense vegetation and a hot, humid climate make access and working conditions difficult
  2. BThe climate is too cold and dry for heavy machinery to operate efficiently through most of the year
  3. CThe land is completely flat and featureless, providing no rivers or natural routes into the interior
  4. DThe soils beneath the forest are extremely fertile and deep, which discourages farmers from clearing the land

Question 402

[1 marks]Tropical rainforests and mining
Which of the following is a direct effect of opencast mining on the physical environment?
  1. AReduced silt levels in nearby streams because the mined area no longer contributes any surface runoff at all
  2. BImproved soil fertility from exposed rock as weathering releases fresh nutrients into the topsoil within months
  3. CIncreased vegetation cover on the worked slopes as pioneer grasses quickly recolonise the disturbed overburden
  4. DSoil erosion on the exposed, unvegetated mined slopes

Question 403

[1 marks]Tropical rainforests and mining
Name the process used to reduce the impact of opencast mining on the environment, in which worked-out areas are backfilled and re-vegetated.

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Question 501

[1 marks]Commercial agriculture and farming systems
A farm has large paddocks of pasture, a dip tank and a reservoir, with few enterprises spread over a large area and relatively low labour input per hectare. Name this farming system.

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Question 502

[1 marks]Commercial agriculture and farming systems
A farm grows fodder crops, maize and lucerne in small fields close to the homestead alongside a dairy herd, and lies close to a market 20 km away. Which of the following is an advantage of this intensive mixed/dairy farming system?
  1. AIt produces only a single crop such as maize, which reduces the farmer's exposure to price fluctuations
  2. BDiversified output spreads risk, and proximity to the market reduces transport costs
  3. CThe concentrated dairy herd is less vulnerable to disease than herds kept on scattered extensive rangeland
  4. DIt requires very little labour or capital input, since fodder crops need minimal daily attention compared with the dairy herd

Question 503

[1 marks]Commercial agriculture and farming systems
Which of the following would most directly help increase agricultural production in a country?
  1. ARemoving all extension services to farmers, leaving them without technical advice on new farming methods
  2. BReducing investment in irrigation infrastructure so that production depends entirely on unreliable seasonal rainfall
  3. CRestricting farmers' access to credit for inputs such as fertiliser, seed and machinery
  4. DProviding farmers with fertilisers and improved seed on credit

Question 601

[1 marks]Informal industry and tourism
Which of the following best distinguishes formal industry from informal industry?
  1. AFormal industry is registered and pays tax, while informal industry is unregistered and untaxed
  2. BFormal industry typically employs larger numbers of workers under permanent contracts than small informal enterprises
  3. CInformal industry is mostly found in rural areas, operating outside any government registration system
  4. DFormal industry cannot make any use of unpaid family labour on its registered premises

Question 602

[1 marks]Informal industry and tourism
Name the type of tourist attraction in which visitors view animals such as elephants in their natural habitat within a national park.

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Question 603

[1 marks]Informal industry and tourism
Name a national park in Zimbabwe where visitors can view elephants and other wildlife in their natural habitat.

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Question 701

[1 marks]Settlement and urban land use
Name the type of town that is built near, and functionally dependent on, a larger city for employment and higher-order services, often planned to absorb overspill population, such as Chitungwiza near Harare.

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Question 702

[1 marks]Settlement and urban land use
Which of the following is a characteristic feature of the industrial land use zone of a town?
  1. AIt is deliberately sited upwind of residential areas so that smoke and fumes blow directly over the housing estates
  2. BIt is located in the centre of the CBD, where land values and rents are at their highest point in the whole town
  3. CIt is located on the edge of town or along main transport routes, with large plots and lower land values than the CBD
  4. DIt is composed mainly of multi-storey residential apartment blocks built to house workers close to their jobs

Question 703

[1 marks]Settlement and urban land use
A rural settlement pattern shows buildings clustered along a road, most concentrated where the road crosses a river, with wooded/highland patches on either side left largely unsettled. Which term best describes this pattern and why?
  1. ADispersed pattern, because homesteads are spread far apart across the farmland with no shared focal point at all
  2. BNucleated pattern, formed around a central well, church or market rather than following the line of the road
  3. CLinear/clustered pattern, following the road and concentrated where it crosses the river, avoiding the wooded/rocky highland
  4. DRadial pattern, spreading outward equally in all directions from a central point such as a road junction

Question 801

[1 marks]Population structure
Which of the following is a common cause of rapid population growth in developing countries?
  1. ADelayed marriage due to compulsory female education, which reduces the number of childbearing years per woman
  2. BHigh birth rates combined with falling death rates from improved healthcare
  3. CWidespread and effective use of family planning that lowers the birth rate across most of the population
  4. DRising death rates due to poor healthcare and limited access to rural clinics

Question 802

[1 marks]Population structure
What is the general term for government health programmes that provide contraceptive access and education to help control population growth?

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Question 803

[1 marks]Population structure
Country A has a small share of children under 18 and large shares of working-age adults and elderly people. Country B has a much larger share of children under 18 and smaller shares of working-age adults and elderly people. Which statement correctly compares Country B to Country A?
  1. ACountry B has a smaller total population than Country A despite its larger share of children under 18
  2. BCountry B has a more youthful, expansive population structure, typical of continuing high birth rates and rapid population growth
  3. CCountry B has a more mature population structure with slower population growth, similar in shape to Country A's pyramid
  4. DCountry B has a higher life expectancy than Country A, shown by its larger share of elderly people surviving into old age

Question 901

[1 marks]Transport (road and rail)
Which of the following is a modern development in world road transport?
  1. AA return to unpaved gravel roads on major highways to reduce construction and maintenance costs
  2. BElimination of organised public transport networks in favour of unregulated informal taxis
  3. CRemoval of all traffic control systems such as lights and signs, letting drivers negotiate junctions themselves
  4. DDevelopment of intelligent traffic systems such as GPS navigation and electronic tollgates

Question 902

[1 marks]Transport (road and rail)
Give the name of the railway route that links landlocked Zimbabwe to the Indian Ocean port of Beira, giving it access to sea trade.

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Question 903

[1 marks]Transport (road and rail)
Give the name of the railway that links landlocked Zambia to the port of Dar es Salaam.

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