中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
HKDSE Geography Practice Paper: Climate, Landforms and Urban Land Use (12 Questions, 100 Marks, 75 Minutes, with Answers)
HKDSE Geography: Climate, Landforms and Urban Land Use
HKDSE Geography practice paper on population density, map scale, rainfall, slope, river discharge, land use, coastal erosion, climate and waste, with worked answers.
Download Question paper PDF | Answer key PDF
Paper details Level: S6 | Subject: Geography | Time: 75 minutes | Marks: 100 | Questions: 12 | Answers included
Section A: Population, Map Skills and the Physical Environment (32 marks)
Answer all questions in Section A.
| # | Question | Answer and marking notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (Population distribution) A residential district has 486,000 residents and an area of 12.5 square kilometres. The territory average is 6,800 persons per square kilometre. (a) Calculate the density of the district (3 marks). (b) How many times the territory average is it (2 marks)? (c) Give two reasons for the high density (3 marks). | Answer: (a) 486,000 / 12.5 = 38,880 persons per square kilometre. (b) 38,880 / 6,800 = 5.7 times. (c) Flat land allows high-rise blocks, and the district lies next to a rail station and a commercial core. Marking: 1 mark for the unit, 2 marks for full working; round the ratio to one decimal place. |
| 2 | (Map skills) On a 1:20,000 map two points are 7.5 cm apart, and the walk between them takes 18 minutes. (a) Calculate the real distance in kilometres (3 marks). (b) Calculate the average walking speed (3 marks). (c) State one limitation of a scale map for route planning (2 marks). | Answer: (a) 7.5 x 20,000 = 150,000 cm = 1.5 km. (b) 1.5 / (18 / 60) = 5.0 km per hour. (c) A flat map hides slope and relief, so the real walking time is longer. Marking: 1 mark for the conversion, 2 marks for the working. |
| 3 | (Rainfall) Monthly rainfall at a station was 320, 410, 268 and 192 mm; the annual total was 1,190 mm against a territory average of 2,400 mm. (a) Find the four-month total (2 marks). (b) Find the wettest month as a percentage of that total (3 marks). (c) Find the annual total as a percentage of the territory average (2 marks). (d) State one effect of a wet-season peak on water management (1 mark). | Answer: (a) 320 + 410 + 268 + 192 = 1,190 mm. (b) 410 / 1,190 x 100 = 34.5 per cent. (c) 1,190 / 2,400 x 100 = 49.6 per cent. (d) Heavy runoff in the wet season is lost to the sea, so reservoirs carry the dry season. Marking: percentages to one decimal place. |
| 4 | (Slope) Two points on a contour map are 400 m apart horizontally with a height difference of 120 m. (a) Calculate the slope in per cent (3 marks). (b) Use the tangent value to describe the slope (2 marks). (c) Give two risks of building on a 30 per cent slope (3 marks). | Answer: (a) 120 / 400 x 100 = 30.0 per cent. (b) The tangent is 0.30, an angle near 16.7 degrees, so the slope is moderately steep. (c) Low infiltration brings rapid runoff and debris flows; cutting the slope for buildings lowers stability and raises landslide risk. Marking: accept 16 to 17 degrees. |
Section B: Rivers, Land Use and Agriculture (36 marks)
Answer all questions in Section B.
| # | Question | Answer and marking notes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | (River discharge) A river channel is 8 m wide with a mean depth of 1.2 m and a mean velocity of 0.85 m per second. (a) Calculate the discharge in cubic metres per second (3 marks). (b) Calculate the daily total in tonnes, taking one cubic metre as one tonne (3 marks). (c) Give two reasons why discharge is larger downstream (3 marks). | Answer: (a) 8 x 1.2 x 0.85 = 8.16 cubic metres per second. (b) 8.16 x 86,400 = 705,024 cubic metres, about 705,024 tonnes. (c) Tributaries join downstream and the catchment area grows; groundwater and surface runoff accumulate. Marking: 86,400 seconds per day must appear. |
| 6 | (Land use) An urban area of 28 square kilometres contains 4.2 of industry, 12.6 of housing, 2.8 of commerce and 8.4 of other uses. (a) Find the share of housing (2 marks). (b) Find the combined share of industry and commerce (3 marks). (c) State the other two shares (2 marks). (d) Explain why commerce takes little land but pays the highest rent (2 marks). | Answer: (a) 12.6 / 28 x 100 = 45.0 per cent. (b) (4.2 + 2.8) / 28 x 100 = 25.0 per cent. (c) Industry 15.0, commerce 10.0 and other uses 30.0 per cent. (d) Commerce clusters at the city centre where accessibility is highest, so its bid rent per floor area outweighs every other use. Marking: the shares must total 100 per cent. |
| 7 | (Farming) Farmland rose from 250 to 375 hectares while rice output rose from 1,800 to 2,700 tonnes. (a) Calculate the increase in farmland (2 marks). (b) Calculate output per hectare in both years (4 marks). (c) State whether the gain is extensification or intensification (2 marks). (d) Suggest one way to raise output per hectare (1 mark). | Answer: (a) (375 – 250) / 250 x 100 = 50.0 per cent. (b) 1,800 / 250 = 7.2 tonnes per hectare; 2,700 / 375 = 7.2 tonnes per hectare. (c) Yield per hectare is unchanged, so the gain is extensification. (d) Use better seed, improve irrigation or apply more fertiliser. Marking: both yields must be shown. |
| 8 | (Coasts) A cliff retreated 3.6 m in 12 years. (a) Calculate the mean annual rate of erosion (3 marks). (b) Calculate the retreat over 40 years (3 marks). (c) Buildings must stand 15 m from the cliff edge; decide whether the site is still safe after 40 years and state the margin (3 marks). | Answer: (a) 3.6 / 12 = 0.3 m per year. (b) 0.3 x 40 = 12.0 m. (c) 12.0 m is less than 15 m, so the site stays safe, but the margin is only 3 m and monitoring is still needed. Marking: both the retreat and the margin are required. |
Section C: Climate, Urban Issues and Sustainability (32 marks)
Answer all questions in Section C.
| # | Question | Answer and marking notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | (Climate) Mean temperature is 16.5 degrees in January and 29.1 degrees in July; the lapse rate is 0.6 degrees per 100 m of ascent. (a) Calculate the annual range (2 marks). (b) Calculate the July temperature at a summit 500 m high (3 marks). (c) Explain the small annual range (3 marks). | Answer: (a) 29.1 – 16.5 = 12.6 degrees. (b) 29.1 – (500 / 100 x 0.6) = 26.1 degrees. (c) The site lies in low latitudes with strong winter sunshine, and the sea keeps winters mild. Marking: the 3.0 degree fall must be worked out before subtracting. |
| 10 | (Urban heat island) On one day the urban area recorded 32.4 degrees and the countryside 28.6 degrees; a ventilation corridor later cut the urban figure by 1.2 degrees. (a) Calculate the heat island intensity (2 marks). (b) Calculate the new urban-rural gap (3 marks). (c) Suggest two further mitigation measures (3 marks). | Answer: (a) 32.4 – 28.6 = 3.8 degrees. (b) (32.4 – 1.2) – 28.6 = 2.6 degrees. (c) Add roof and vertical greenery, and use pale reflective materials while cutting air-conditioning exhaust heat. Marking: the improved gap must use the cooled urban figure. |
| 11 | (Transport) A corridor is 24.5 km long; the railway takes 32 minutes and the bus 55 minutes. (a) Calculate both average speeds (4 marks). (b) Give two reasons for the difference (2 marks). (c) Explain why average speed does not give the whole journey time (2 marks). | Answer: (a) Railway 24.5 / (32 / 60) = 45.9 km per hour; bus 24.5 / (55 / 60) = 26.7 km per hour. (b) The railway runs on its own track and escapes road congestion, while the bus stops for passengers and waits at signals. (c) Average speed ignores waiting, interchange and walking time. Marking: both speeds to one decimal place. |
| 12 | (Waste) Each resident discards 1.53 kg of waste a day in a city of 7.5 million people; the recovery rate rises from 30 to 42 per cent. (a) Calculate the daily municipal solid waste in tonnes (3 marks). (b) Calculate the daily saving in landfill after the rise (2 marks). (c) Suggest two waste reduction measures at source (3 marks). | Answer: (a) 1.53 x 7,500,000 = 11,475,000 kg, that is 11,475 tonnes. (b) 11,475 x (42 – 30) per cent = 1,377 tonnes. (c) Charge for plastic shopping bags and collect food waste separately. Marking: kilograms convert to tonnes by dividing by 1,000. |
Find a tutor — freeTutor Registration →
A TutorZone practice paper; original questions and passages, not publisher material.