Year 11 Paper 1: UK Landscapes and Human Geography
This paper covers river, coastal and glacial landscapes together with urban issues, the changing economic world, resource management and geographical skills.
Year 11 here means a typical teaching order, not a syllabus rule. No exam board defines what belongs to Year 11, and schools sequence the course differently. Check it against your own scheme of work before using it to decide what a class has covered.
Questions
Question 1 [1 marks]
Coastal Landscapes and Processes
Name the erosional process in which air trapped in cracks in a cliff face is compressed by waves, weakening the rock.
Question 2 [1 marks]
Geographical Skills
Name the type of graph most suitable for showing how something changes continuously over time, such as river discharge readings taken every hour during a storm.
Question 3 [1 marks]
River Landscapes and Processes
Name the transportation process in which dissolved minerals are carried within a river's water, invisible within the flow.
Question 4 [1 marks]
Urban Growth and Regeneration
Define the term 'megacity'.
Question 5 [1 marks]
Coastal Landscapes and Processes
Name the type of weathering in which water freezes and expands in cracks in a cliff face, gradually breaking the rock apart.
Question 6 [2 marks]
Glacial Landscapes and Processes
State two landforms of glacial erosion.
Question 7 [3 marks]
Resource Management
State three ways that water conservation can reduce demand for water in the home.
Question 8 [3 marks]
Development and the Changing Economic World
State three limitations of using Gross National Income (GNI) per head alone to measure development.
Question 9 [2 marks]
Coastal Landscapes and Processes
A cliff at Combe Head has retreated 54 metres over the last 30 years.
Calculate the average annual rate of coastal erosion at this location, in metres per year.
Question 10 [3 marks]
Glacial Landscapes and Processes
Explain one reason why an arete forms between two corries on neighbouring sides of the same mountain.
Question 11 [3 marks]
River Landscapes and Processes
A river falls from a height of 340m at its source to 20m where it reaches the sea, over a horizontal distance of 64km.
Calculate the average gradient of the river in metres per kilometre.
Question 12 [5 marks]
Development and the Changing Economic World
Explain two reasons why bottom-up (small-scale, community based) aid projects can be more effective than top-down (large-scale, national) aid projects at helping the poorest people in a country.
Question 13 [5 marks]
Glacial Landscapes and Processes
Explain the formation of a corrie (cirque).
Question 14 [5 marks]
Coastal Landscapes and Processes
Explain how groynes are intended to reduce coastal erosion on a beach.
Question 15 [4 marks]
Glacial Landscapes and Processes
A ribbon lake formed in a glacial trough is 4.5km long, and a terminal moraine deposited at the valley mouth stretches for 800m.
Calculate the length that each feature would be drawn as on a map with a scale of 1:25,000, giving both answers in centimetres.
Question 16 [5 marks]
Coastal Landscapes and Processes
Before groynes were built, a beach had an average width of 12 metres. Five years after the groynes were installed, the beach on the up-drift side had widened to 34 metres.
Calculate the percentage increase in the beach's width, then suggest one problem this might create for a settlement further along the coast, in the direction sediment was previously moving.
Question 17 [5 marks]
Development and the Changing Economic World
Explain how a country's birth rate and death rate typically change as it develops economically, from a lower-income to a higher-income country.
Question 18 [6 marks]
Coastal Landscapes and Processes
For a stretch of UK coastline you have studied, evaluate the social, economic and environmental impacts of the coastal management strategy used there.
Question 19 [6 marks]
Urban Growth and Regeneration
For a UK city you have studied, evaluate the causes of decline in one part of the city before it was regenerated.
Question 20 [6 marks]
Geographical Skills
A student carried out a pilot survey of pedestrian counts at 4 sites, recording these totals over 10 minutes at each: Site 1: 18, Site 2: 45, Site 3: 22, Site 4: 61.
Calculate the mean pedestrian count, then evaluate whether the mean is a suitable single measure to summarise this particular data set, referring to the actual values recorded.
Question 21 [6 marks]
Development and the Changing Economic World
For a major infrastructure project you have studied in a newly emerging economy (NEE), assess its impact on the country's economic development.
Question 22 [6 marks]
River Landscapes and Processes
Following a storm, a river's discharge rose from a base flow of 12 cumecs to a peak flow of 84 cumecs, 9 hours after the rain began.
Calculate the lag time in hours, and the size of the rise in discharge in cumecs, then suggest characteristics of a catchment that would make the lag time shorter than this, and explain why.
Model solutions
| Question 1[1 mark] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| hydraulic action | B1 |
| Question 2[1 mark] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a line graph | B1 |
| Question 3[1 mark] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| solution | B1 |
| Question 4[1 mark] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a valid definition, e.g. a city with a population of over 10 million people | B1 |
| Final answer: A city with a population of over 10 million people | |
| Question 5[1 mark] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| freeze-thaw (frost) weathering | B1 |
| Question 6[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| one valid landform, e.g. a corrie (cirque), an arete, a pyramidal peak or a U-shaped valley | B1 |
| a second valid landform, different from the first | B1 |
| Final answer: Any two of: corrie, arete, pyramidal peak, U-shaped valley, ribbon lake, truncated spur | |
| Question 7[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid way, e.g. fitting low-flow shower heads or taps | B1 |
| identifying a second valid way, e.g. running a washing machine or dishwasher only with a full load | B1 |
| identifying a third valid way, e.g. collecting rainwater in a water butt, fixing leaks promptly, or reusing greywater | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: low-flow shower heads/taps, running appliances only with a full load, collecting rainwater in a water butt, fixing leaks promptly, reusing greywater | |
| Question 8[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid limitation, e.g. it is an average, so it hides inequality within a country | B1 |
| identifying a second valid limitation, e.g. it does not measure quality-of-life factors such as health or education | B1 |
| identifying a third valid limitation, e.g. it does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: hides inequality within a country (it is an average), ignores quality-of-life factors like health/education, does not account for differences in cost of living | |
| Question 9[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| dividing total retreat by the number of years, 54 / 30 | M1 |
| 1.8 metres per year | A1 |
| Question 10[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that two corries erode backwards into the mountain, one on each side, through plucking and abrasion | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. as both corries deepen, their back walls retreat towards each other over time | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. eventually only a narrow, steep-sided ridge of rock is left standing between them, called an arete | B1 |
| Final answer: Two corries erode backwards into the mountain from opposite sides through plucking and abrasion; as both deepen and their back walls retreat towards each other, only a narrow, steep-sided ridge is left between them - an arete | |
| Question 11[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| finding the fall in height, 340 - 20 = 320m | M1 |
| dividing the fall by the horizontal distance, 320 / 64 | M1 |
| 5 metres per kilometre | A1 |
| Question 12[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that bottom-up projects are usually planned with, and run by, the local community itself | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. so they are more likely to meet the specific needs of the community, using technology and skills that are affordable and easy to maintain locally | B1 |
| identifying that top-down projects are often large, expensive schemes decided on by national governments or large organisations | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. so the benefits, such as electricity or irrigation water, may not reach the poorest or most remote communities first, or at all | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. smaller, local projects can sometimes make a bigger practical difference to the poorest people specifically, even though they help fewer people in total | B1 |
| Final answer: Bottom-up projects are planned with and run by the local community, so they better meet local needs using affordable, locally maintainable technology; top-down projects are large national schemes whose benefits, such as electricity or irrigation, may not reach the poorest or most remote communities first, so smaller local projects can make a bigger difference specifically for the poorest people | |
| Question 13[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that snow accumulates in a north-facing hollow and compresses into ice | B1 |
| identifying rotational movement of the ice within the hollow | B1 |
| explaining that plucking steepens the back wall of the hollow | B1 |
| explaining that abrasion deepens the floor of the hollow | B1 |
| naming a UK example of a corrie, e.g. Red Tarn on Helvellyn, or Cwm Idwal in Snowdonia | B1 |
| Final answer: Ice accumulates in a hollow and moves with a rotational motion; plucking steepens the back wall and abrasion deepens the floor, leaving an armchair-shaped hollow once the ice melts | |
| Question 14[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that groynes are wooden or rock barriers built out into the sea, perpendicular to the coastline | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. they interrupt longshore drift, trapping sediment being moved along the beach | B1 |
| identifying that this builds up a wider beach on the up-drift side of the groyne | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. a wider beach absorbs more wave energy before it reaches the base of the cliff or sea wall behind it | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. this reduces the rate of erosion on that section of coastline | B1 |
| Final answer: Groynes interrupt longshore drift, trapping sediment and building a wider beach on the up-drift side; a wider beach absorbs more wave energy before it reaches the cliff or defences behind it, reducing erosion on that section of coastline | |
| Question 15[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| converting the lake's length to centimetres and dividing by the scale, (4.5 x 100,000) / 25,000 | M1 |
| the lake, 18cm | A1 |
| converting the moraine's length to centimetres and dividing by the scale, (800 x 100) / 25,000 | M1 |
| the moraine, 3.2cm | A1 |
| Final answer: The ribbon lake would be drawn as 18cm; the moraine would be drawn as 3.2cm | |
| Question 16[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| finding the increase, 34 - 12 = 22 | M1 |
| setting up the percentage calculation, (22 / 12) x 100 | M1 |
| approximately 183% (accept 183-184%) | A1 |
| a valid problem, e.g. the settlement further along the coast that used to receive this sediment now receives less, leaving its own beach thinner | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. a thinner beach there provides less natural protection from wave energy, increasing that settlement's own erosion or flood risk | B1 |
| Final answer: Approximately 183% increase; the settlement further along the coast now receives less sediment, leaving its beach thinner and providing less natural protection, which can increase its own erosion or flood risk | |
| Question 17[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that in a low-income country, both birth rates and death rates start high | B1 |
| identifying that death rates fall first as development brings improved healthcare, sanitation and food supply | B1 |
| identifying that birth rates later fall too, e.g. as education (especially of women), family planning and urbanisation increase | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. children become more costly to raise and less needed for farm labour or as support in old age | B1 |
| a concluding point, e.g. once both rates are low, natural population growth slows, as seen in most higher-income countries today | B1 |
| Final answer: Death rates fall first as healthcare, sanitation and food supply improve; birth rates fall later as education, family planning and urbanisation increase, so population growth slows once both rates are low, as in most higher-income countries | |
| Question 18[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| Names and locates the stretch of UK coastline and management strategy studied (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes a social impact of the strategy, e.g. it protects homes and gives residents greater security (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes an economic impact, e.g. it protects businesses or tourism income, though construction and maintenance are costly (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes an environmental impact, e.g. it may disrupt the natural sediment supply to beaches further along the coast (1 mark) | 1 |
| Evaluates a conflict between these impacts, e.g. protecting one settlement can increase erosion risk for a neighbouring, undefended stretch of coast (1 mark) | 1 |
| Reaches a supported overall judgement on whether the strategy's benefits outweigh its costs (1 mark) | 1 |
| Final answer: A named coastline and strategy with described social, economic and environmental impacts, an evaluated conflict between them and a supported overall judgement | |
| Question 19[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| Names and locates the UK city and area studied (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes an economic cause of decline, e.g. the closure of a major local industry such as docks, manufacturing or mining (1 mark) | 1 |
| Explains a consequence of this, e.g. high unemployment leading residents with the means to do so to move away (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes a further cause or consequence, e.g. a falling population and tax base left the council with less money to maintain housing and services (1 mark) | 1 |
| Explains how these factors reinforced each other over time (1 mark) | 1 |
| Reaches a supported overall judgement on which cause was most significant in the area's decline (1 mark) | 1 |
| Final answer: A named city and area with an economic cause of decline and its consequences, an explained reinforcing cycle and a supported judgement on the most significant cause | |
| Question 20[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| adding the four totals, 18 + 45 + 22 + 61 = 146 | M1 |
| dividing by 4 | M1 |
| the mean, 36.5 pedestrians | A1 |
| a valid point that the mean may not be fully suitable, e.g. the values are quite spread out, ranging from 18 to 61, so no single site is actually close to the mean | B1 |
| a valid alternative or further consideration, e.g. the median or the individual site values give a better sense of how footfall actually varies across the town than the mean alone | B1 |
| a supported overall judgement on whether the mean is a suitable summary for this specific data set | B1 |
| Final answer: Mean = 36.5 pedestrians; this may not be a fully suitable summary since the values are widely spread (18 to 61) and no individual site is actually close to 36.5, so the median or the individual values may better represent how footfall really varies between sites | |
| Question 21[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| Names and locates the infrastructure project and country studied (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes an economic benefit of the project, e.g. it generates electricity that powers industry and attracts further investment (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes a second benefit, e.g. it creates construction and long-term operational jobs (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes a negative impact, e.g. it displaces communities or floods farmland and habitats (1 mark) | 1 |
| Explains a linked consequence of this negative impact, e.g. displaced communities may face loss of livelihood or inadequate resettlement (1 mark) | 1 |
| Reaches a supported overall judgement on whether the project's benefits outweigh its costs for the country's development (1 mark) | 1 |
| Final answer: A named project with described economic benefits and negative impacts, an explained consequence and a supported judgement on the overall balance for development | |
| Question 22[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| stating the lag time is 9 hours | B1 |
| subtracting base flow from peak flow, 84 - 12 | M1 |
| a rise of 72 cumecs | A1 |
| identifying a catchment characteristic that shortens lag time, e.g. impermeable rock or a heavily urbanised catchment with lots of impermeable surfaces | B1 |
| explaining why, e.g. this reduces infiltration, so more water reaches the river quickly as fast surface runoff | B1 |
| a second valid characteristic or explanation, e.g. steep slopes speed the rate at which water flows overland into the channel | B1 |
| Final answer: Lag time = 9 hours; rise in discharge = 72 cumecs; an impermeable or urbanised catchment, or steep slopes, would shorten the lag time by increasing fast surface runoff | |