NAEP Geography Grade 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of map projection best preserves the shape of landmasses but distorts their size?
- Mercator projection (Correct answer)
- Equal-area projection
- Azimuthal projection
- Conic projection
Correct answer: Mercator projection
The Mercator projection preserves shape (conformal) but distorts the size of landmasses, making areas near the poles appear much larger than they are.
Question 2: The Great Plains region of the United States is best described as which type of landform?
- Plateau
- Basin
- Flat, elevated grassland (Correct answer)
- Coastal plain
Correct answer: Flat, elevated grassland
The Great Plains is a broad expanse of flat, elevated grassland east of the Rocky Mountains, stretching from Canada to Texas.
Question 3: When geographers study the movement of goods, people, and ideas between places, they are analyzing which geographic theme?
- Location
- Place
- Movement (Correct answer)
- Region
Correct answer: Movement
Movement is one of the five themes of geography that examines how people, products, and information flow between different locations.
Question 4: Which ocean current keeps the climate of Western Europe warmer than other regions at the same latitude?
- California Current
- Labrador Current
- Gulf Stream (Correct answer)
- Humboldt Current
Correct answer: Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream carries warm water from the Gulf of Mexico northward along the U.S. coast and across the Atlantic, moderating Western Europe's climate.
Question 5: A city built at the confluence of two rivers would most likely have developed primarily because of which geographic advantage?
- Cooler temperatures
- Access to trade and transportation routes (Correct answer)
- Rich farmland deposits
- Natural protection from wind
Correct answer: Access to trade and transportation routes
River confluences historically provided excellent trade and transportation advantages, which is why many major cities like Pittsburgh developed at these locations.
Question 6: Which term describes the boundary between two tectonic plates where one plate slides beneath the other?
- Transform boundary
- Divergent boundary
- Subduction zone (Correct answer)
- Rift valley
Correct answer: Subduction zone
A subduction zone is where one tectonic plate is forced beneath another, often creating deep ocean trenches and volcanic mountain ranges.
Question 7: On a topographic map, closely spaced contour lines indicate which type of terrain?
- Flat, level ground
- Gentle slopes
- Steep slopes or cliffs (Correct answer)
- River valleys only
Correct answer: Steep slopes or cliffs
Closely spaced contour lines on a topographic map indicate steep terrain because elevation changes rapidly over a short horizontal distance.
NAEP Geography Grade 2
Which type of map projection best preserves the shape of landmasses but distorts their size?