Practice Exam, Ch. 1 – Flashcards
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The word geography comes from the Greek, meaning ________.
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Earth description
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Which of the following is NOT a major topic taught in a course of introductory physical geography?
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population
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Earth's "life zone" in the atmosphere extends from Earth's surface to an altitude of approximately ________ kilometers.
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5
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Which of the following is NOT a topic of study in a physical geography course?
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capital cities
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Geography is ________.
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a combination of physical and social sciences
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Geography has much to offer to the study of globalization because it ________.
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is not a narrow discipline
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In science, the term "theory" is ________.
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the highest order of understanding
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The acceptance of a theory or hypothesis is based on ________.
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a preponderance of evidence
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Which of the following is out of order in the ideal application of the scientific method?
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make a hypothesis
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The ________ is a basic unit of distance in the Système International (metric system).
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meter
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The ________ is a basic Système International (metric system) unit of mass.
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gram
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The solid, inorganic portion of the Earth system is known as the ________.
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lithosphere
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Which of the following subsystems includes all living things on Earth?
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biosphere
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The Sun is a star in the ________ galaxy.
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Milky Way
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A nebula is ________.
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a cloud of gas and dust
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The surfaces of the inner, terrestrial planets of our solar system are composed of ________.
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mineral matter
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The Earth is one of ________ planets in the solar system.
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eight
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Pluto is now classified as a ________.
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plutoid
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Earth is ________.
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one of the inner planets
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The shape of the Milky Way is similar to a(n) ________.
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spiral-shaped disk
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________ is considered a dwarf planet.
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Pluto
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Pluto was long thought to be a planet. New discoveries in the Kuiper Belt have changed its official designation to ________.
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plutoid
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The Universe is thought to be on the order of ________ billion years old.
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13.7
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The birth of the solar system occurred ________.
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about 5 billion years ago
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The origin of the universe is incompletely understood and is called ________.
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the "Big Bang"
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The Milky Way is one of, at least, ________ galaxies in the Universe.
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two hundred billion
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The Milky Way is a galaxy some ________ light years in diameter.
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100,000
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The solar system's Jovian planets are most likely composed of ________.
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gas
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The Moon is some ________ kilometers distant from Earth.
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385,000
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The size of the Universe is best described ________.
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as vast beyond comprehension
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The Milky Wave is one of over ________ galaxies in the universe.
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many billions
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After it was part of a nebula and before it was the Sun, our Sun was a ________.
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protostar
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Earth's diameter is ________ kilometers.
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13,000
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The first nearly correct measurement of the Earth's circumference was made by ________.
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Eratosthenes
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The response to Earth's rotation is ________.
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polar flattening
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Eratosthenes was the first to accurately measure the Earth's ________.
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circumference
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The best description of the actual shape of the Earth is as a(n) ________.
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oblate spheroid
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________ is the deepest spot in the ocean.
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The Mariana Trench
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The altitudinal difference (relief) between the top of the tallest mountain and the bottom of the deepest ocean trench is ________ kilometers.
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20
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A cross section of Earth cut from pole to pole would reveal which shape?
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ellipse
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Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth and its altitude is CLOSEST to ________ meters.
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9,000
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The Earth's polar and equatorial diameters vary by ________ percent
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0.3
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The line connecting the points of maximum flattening on Earth's surface is called the ________.
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axis
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A ________ separates Earth into two hemispheres.
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great circle
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) Our earthly grid system is also referred to as a ________ and consists of lines of latitude and longitude.
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graticule
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) Of the following, which is a great circle?
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Equator
