O-Level Geography 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'sustainable development'?
- Development that destroys natural resources for economic growth
- Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs (Correct answer)
- Development that only benefits developed countries
- Development that ignores environmental concerns
Correct answer: Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
Sustainable development, as defined by the Brundtland Commission (1987), meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs.
Question 2: Which of the following is a push factor for rural-urban migration?
- Better job opportunities in cities
- Higher wages in cities
- Lack of services and employment in rural areas (Correct answer)
- Better schools in cities
Correct answer: Lack of services and employment in rural areas
Push factors encourage people to leave rural areas — these include limited employment, poor services, low income, and lack of opportunities in the countryside.
Question 3: What is the term for the process by which human activities increase the salt content of soil?
- Erosion
- Salinisation (Correct answer)
- Leaching
- Waterlogging
Correct answer: Salinisation
Salinisation occurs when salts accumulate in the topsoil, often due to irrigation with water containing dissolved salts, making soil less fertile or infertile.
Question 4: Which type of plate boundary involves two plates moving apart?
- Convergent boundary
- Transform boundary
- Divergent boundary (Correct answer)
- Subduction zone
Correct answer: Divergent boundary
At divergent boundaries, tectonic plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and form new crust. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example.
Question 5: What is the primary cause of coastal erosion?
- Volcanic activity
- Wave action, chemical weathering, and human activities (Correct answer)
- Tidal changes only
- Rainfall on coastal cliffs
Correct answer: Wave action, chemical weathering, and human activities
Coastal erosion is primarily caused by wave action (hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, solution), combined with weathering and human activities that remove protective features.
Question 6: What is 'food security'?
- Locking up food supplies
- When all people have consistent access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food (Correct answer)
- Government control of food prices
- Importing all food from abroad
Correct answer: When all people have consistent access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food
Food security exists when all people have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life.
O-Level Geography 2
What is 'sustainable development'?