Map Reading and Spatial Orientation Flashcards
7 cards from real Texas Civil Service Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Map Reading and Spatial Orientation flashcards as text
On a topographic map, contour lines that are spaced very close together indicate:
Answer: A steep terrain feature
Closely spaced contour lines represent steep terrain because elevation changes rapidly over a short horizontal distance.
A map legend shows a dashed line symbol. This most likely represents:
Answer: An unpaved or unimproved road
Dashed lines on road maps typically indicate unpaved, dirt, or unimproved roads as opposed to solid lines for paved roads.
When traveling south, you turn left. What direction are you now heading?
Answer: East
Turning left while heading south results in facing east, as east is 90 degrees counterclockwise from south.
A map scale reads 1:24,000. If a road measures 3 inches on the map, what is the actual length of the road?
Answer: 72,000 inches (6,000 feet)
3 inches × 24,000 = 72,000 inches, which equals 6,000 feet or about 1.14 miles.
Which quadrant of the compass falls between south and west?
Answer: Southwest
Southwest lies between south and west, typically at 225 degrees on a compass bearing.
On a street map, a patrol officer notes that the block numbers on Main Street increase as you travel north. She is at 400 Main Street. The suspect was last seen at 700 Main Street. In which direction should she travel?
Answer: North
Since block numbers increase going north, traveling from 400 to 700 requires heading north.
A civil service officer needs to reach a location described as '2 blocks east and 3 blocks north' of her current position. If she can only travel along city blocks, what is the minimum number of blocks she must travel?
Answer: 5 blocks
The minimum path is 2 blocks east plus 3 blocks north, totaling 5 blocks regardless of route order.