RJC 2008 Geog H1 Prelims

1 RAFFLES JUNIOR COLLEGE Preliminary Examinations 2008 H1 GEOGRAPHY 8812/01 Paper 1 Duration: 3 hours Additional material: Writing Paper Insert 1 World Outline Map (to be supplied upon request) READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Section A: Answer four questions. Section B: Answer one question. Section C: Answer one question. You are advised not to spend more than one hour 30 minutes on Section A. Write in dark blue or black pen. You may use a soft pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. Insert 1 contains all the figures referred to in the question paper. Diagrams and sketch maps should be drawn whenever they serve to illustrate an answer. The world outline map may be annotated and handed in with relevant answers. You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers. At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together using the string provided. This document consists of 5 printed pages including this page.

2 Section A Answer four questions from this section. Questions 1, 2 and 3 carry 12 marks and Question 4 carries 14 marks. You should allocate your time accordingly. Lithospheric Processes, Hazards and Management 1 Figure 1 shows the cross-section of a limestone scenery. (a) Describe the course of the river from X to Y. [2] (b) Explain how the characteristics of limestone help to account for the development of the drainage system in the region. [10] The Globalisation of Economic Activity 2 Figure 2 depicts information about job lo sses from transnational companies (TNCs) in north east England in 1998. (a) State TWO main characteristics of transnational companies. [2] (b) Figure 2 shows many TNCs located in a peripheral region of England. Why would many companies choose to locate in the periphery of a country? [5] (c) Outline the impacts of wide-scale retrenchment from the manufacturing sector. [5] Hydrologic Processes, Hazards and Management 3 EITHER Figure 3 shows discharge patte rns for two rivers receiving similar rainfall events. (a) Describe the patterns of discharge s hown in the two hydrographs on Figure 3. [4] (b) Suggest reasons for the differences in the discharge patterns shown in the two hydrographs. [8]

3 Urban Issues and Challenges 3 OR Figures 4A, 4B and 4C represent thr ee possible stages in the economic and urban development of a country or island. (a) Suggest reasons why, (i) in Fig 4A all initial development occurs within the core [2] (ii) in Fig 4C this or iginal core is losing dominance [4] (b) With reference to one country or city, describe attempts by the authorities at spreading development into areas beyond the core. [6] Lithospheric Processes, Hazards and Management and Hydrologic Processes, Hazards and Management 4 EITHER Figure 5 shows the positive and negativ e connections between the subsystems of slopes of a valley side and the river channel. (a) Describe the connections between the river channel subsystem and the valley slope subsystem. [6] (b) Describe how the processes of river er osion might affect the angle of slope of the valley sides. [8] The Globalisation of Economic Activity and Urban Issues and Challenges 4 OR Figure 6 shows a sketch diagram of the CBD of a small town in United Kingdom. (a) Describe and suggest reasons for c hanges from X to Y in the following features, (i) building height (ii) business type [4] (b) Describe how you would conduct a survey on pedestrian count for the purpose of delineating the CBD. [5] (c) Explain how economic globalisation can reshape and change the CBD of cities. [5]

4 Section B Physical Geography Answer one question from this section. Lithospheric Processes, Hazards and Management 5 EITHER (a) Review the main lines of evidenc e on which the modern theory of plate tectonics is based. [9] (b) Using examples, and with the help of diagrams, explain how landforms are related to plate movements at i. constructive plate margins and ii. destructive plate margins. [16] 5 OR (a) Briefly describe the differences between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. [9] (b) With the aid of case studies, discuss the extent to which human activities are responsible for the occurrence of mass movements on slopes. [16] Hydrological Processes, Hazards and Management 6 EITHER (a) Explain what is meant by the term water balance. How may water balance vary seasonally? [9] (b) How does climate, t ogether with drainage density, geology and relief, affect discharge within catchment areas? [16] 6 OR (a) With the aid of a diagram, describe the ways in which water flows through a catchment system. [9] (b) What is meant by the term channel morphology? Why is an understanding of channel morphology important in explaini ng the processes occurring in river channels? [16]

5 Section C Human Geography Answer one question from this section. The Globalisation of Economic Activity 7 EITHER (a) Compare the service sectors operating in DCs, LDCs and NIEs. [9] (b) Assess the extent to wh ich low cost labour is the mo st important factor in the location of TNCs. [16] 7 OR (a) Differentiate between deskilling and re-skilling. Describe attempts to counter the economic impacts of offshoring of jobs from DCs. [9] (b) Assess the impacts of s upranational bodies on LDCs. [16] Urban Issues and Challenges 8 EITHER (a) With reference to one or more located examples, discuss how the bid rent concept is of limited use in explaining landuse pattern in the city. [9] (b) Using one or more cities you have studied, evaluate the process of re-imaging the city. [16] 8 OR (a) With reference to one or more cities, discuss the factors causing socio- economic segregation within urban areas. [9] (b) To what extent do you agree t hat urban transport problems are highly- correlated to the economic development of the city. [16] END