Year 11 Paper 6: Mixed Topics
This paper covers tectonic hazards, climate change and UK ecosystems together with river and glacial landscapes, urban issues, the changing economic world 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]
Development and the Changing Economic World
Name the economic sector that includes jobs directly extracting raw materials, such as farming, fishing or mining.
Question 2 [1 marks]
Glacial Landscapes and Processes
Name the process by which a glacier freezes onto loose rock fragments and pulls them away as it moves, steepening a valley side or cirque back wall.
Question 3 [2 marks]
Ecosystems and Biomes
State two roles that decomposers play in an ecosystem.
Question 4 [3 marks]
Geographical Skills
A church symbol lies within grid square 4671. Within the square, it is positioned five tenths of the way across from the western edge (easting) and eight tenths of the way up from the southern edge (northing).
Give the six-figure grid reference of the church, and state whether this reference describes a location nearer the top or the bottom of the grid square.
Question 5 [3 marks]
Climate Change
State three human activities that increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Question 6 [3 marks]
River Landscapes and Processes
State three characteristics of a river's lower course.
Question 7 [3 marks]
Tectonic Hazards
State three secondary effects of an earthquake.
Question 8 [3 marks]
Geographical Skills
Explain one advantage of using stratified sampling, rather than random sampling, when a study area has clearly different zones, such as a town with distinct residential, retail and industrial zones.
Question 9 [3 marks]
Development and the Changing Economic World
Explain one way in which a country's colonial history can still affect its level of development today.
Question 10 [3 marks]
River Landscapes and Processes
Explain one reason why a river deposits its load as it approaches the sea.
Question 11 [3 marks]
Ecosystems and Biomes
Explain one reason why an ecosystem with high biodiversity is generally considered more stable than one with low biodiversity.
Question 12 [4 marks]
River Landscapes and Processes
A river has a bankfull cross-sectional area of 24 square metres upstream of a meander, and a velocity of 0.9 metres per second.
Use the formula discharge = cross-sectional area x velocity to calculate the river's discharge in cubic metres per second, then state what would most likely happen if the discharge exceeded this bankfull level.
Question 13 [5 marks]
Urban Growth and Regeneration
Explain two problems caused by urban sprawl on the edge of a UK city.
Question 14 [4 marks]
Geographical Skills
A footpath is drawn as 6.4cm long on a map with a scale of 1:25,000. A student wants to draw the same footpath on a different map, with a scale of 1:50,000.
Calculate the real length of the footpath in metres, then calculate how long the footpath would be drawn on the 1:50,000 map, in centimetres.
Question 15 [5 marks]
Urban Growth and Regeneration
Explain two reasons why urban sprawl often happens faster than a city's population grows, as shown by data such as this.
Question 16 [4 marks]
Climate Change
Explain one way in which rising global temperatures can affect sea level, and one group of places most at risk from this effect.
Question 17 [4 marks]
Development and the Changing Economic World
Explain two ways in which transnational corporations (TNCs) can bring economic development to a newly emerging economy (NEE).
Question 18 [5 marks]
Urban Growth and Regeneration
The fictional city of Port Nyara had a population of 2.4 million in 2000. By 2020 its population had grown to 6.0 million.
Calculate the percentage growth in population between 2000 and 2020, then state whether the population more than doubled, and comment on how this rate of growth compares with population growth in a typical UK city.
Question 19 [5 marks]
Glacial Landscapes and Processes
Explain how a terminal moraine forms at the end (snout) of a glacier.
Question 20 [6 marks]
Development and the Changing Economic World
For a UK example you have studied, evaluate how successfully government policy has reduced the north-south economic divide.
Question 21 [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.
Question 22 [6 marks]
Climate Change
Evaluate the effectiveness of international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, in tackling climate change.
Question 23 [6 marks]
River Landscapes and Processes
Compare the causes and effectiveness of a hard engineering flood management scheme with a soft engineering flood management scheme, both on rivers you have studied.
Question 24 [6 marks]
Glacial Landscapes and Processes
For an upland glaciated area you have studied, assess the extent to which quarrying has brought more benefits than problems to the local area.
Question 25 [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.
Model solutions
| Question 1[1 mark] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the primary sector | B1 |
| Question 2[1 mark] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| plucking | B1 |
| Question 3[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| one valid role, e.g. breaking down dead plants and animals | B1 |
| a second valid role, e.g. releasing nutrients back into the soil for producers to reuse | B1 |
| Final answer: Any two of: break down dead organic matter, release nutrients back into the soil for producers to reuse, prevent a build-up of dead material | |
| Question 4[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the correct easting digits, 465 | B1 |
| the correct northing digits, 718 | B1 |
| correctly stating this is nearer the top (north) of the grid square, because the northing tenths value of 8 is close to the top edge | B1 |
| Final answer: 465718; nearer the top (north) of the grid square | |
| Question 5[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid activity, e.g. burning fossil fuels for energy | B1 |
| identifying a second valid activity, e.g. deforestation, which reduces the amount of carbon absorbed | B1 |
| identifying a third valid activity, e.g. methane from livestock farming or rice paddies, or industrial processes such as cement production | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: burning fossil fuels, deforestation, methane from livestock or rice farming, industrial processes such as cement production | |
| Question 6[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid characteristic, e.g. a gentle (very low) gradient | B1 |
| identifying a second valid characteristic, e.g. a wide, deep channel | B1 |
| identifying a third valid characteristic, e.g. meanders and ox-bow lakes, or fine sediment (silt/clay) on the bed | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: gentle gradient, wide/deep channel, meanders and ox-bow lakes, fine sediment (silt/clay) on the bed | |
| Question 7[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid secondary effect, e.g. disease outbreak caused by damaged sanitation infrastructure | B1 |
| identifying a second valid secondary effect, e.g. economic losses from damaged businesses and infrastructure | B1 |
| identifying a third valid secondary effect, e.g. landslides or tsunamis triggered by the earthquake | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: disease outbreak from damaged sanitation, economic losses from damaged businesses/infrastructure, landslides or tsunamis triggered by the earthquake, fires from ruptured gas pipes | |
| Question 8[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that stratified sampling deliberately selects a set number of sample points from within each identified zone | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. this ensures every distinct zone is represented in the results in proportion to its size or importance | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. purely random sampling could, by chance, miss out on a smaller zone entirely, giving a less complete picture | B1 |
| Final answer: Stratified sampling deliberately selects sample points from within each identified zone, ensuring every zone is represented, whereas purely random sampling could by chance miss out on a smaller zone entirely | |
| Question 9[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that many former colonies had their economies shaped around exporting a narrow range of raw materials to the colonising country | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. rather than developing their own manufacturing industries, so they remained dependent on other countries for manufactured goods | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. this pattern of trade can persist long after independence, continuing to limit economic development | B1 |
| Final answer: Many former colonies had their economies shaped around exporting raw materials rather than developing their own manufacturing, and this pattern of trade can persist long after independence, continuing to limit development | |
| Question 10[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that the river's gradient becomes very gentle in the lower course | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. this reduces the river's velocity and so its energy | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. with less energy the river can no longer transport all of its sediment and deposits it | B1 |
| Final answer: The very gentle gradient in the lower course reduces the river's velocity and energy, so it can no longer carry all of its sediment load and deposits it | |
| Question 11[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that a high-biodiversity ecosystem has many species that can fill similar roles in the food web | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. so if one species is lost or declines, others can often take its place in the food chain | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. in a low-biodiversity ecosystem, losing one key species is more likely to cause the food web to collapse | B1 |
| Final answer: A high-biodiversity ecosystem has many species that can fill similar roles, so losing one species is less likely to collapse the food web, unlike a low-biodiversity ecosystem where a key species is harder to replace | |
| Question 12[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| substituting into the formula, 24 x 0.9 | M1 |
| 21.6 cubic metres per second (cumecs) | A1 |
| correctly stating the river would flood, spilling out of its channel onto the surrounding floodplain | B1 |
| a valid linked point, e.g. this is why bankfull discharge is used to define a river's flood risk threshold | B1 |
| Final answer: 21.6 cumecs; if discharge exceeded this bankfull level, the river would flood, spilling out onto the surrounding floodplain, which is why bankfull discharge marks a river's flood risk threshold | |
| Question 13[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a problem, e.g. loss of farmland or green space (greenfield land) to new housing | B1 |
| developing it, e.g. this reduces local food production and wildlife habitat | B1 |
| identifying a second problem, e.g. longer commuting distances for residents to reach jobs and services in the city centre | B1 |
| developing it, e.g. this increases car dependency, adding to traffic congestion and air pollution | B1 |
| a valid concluding point, e.g. these problems are one reason some UK cities now use green belt policy to limit outward growth | B1 |
| Final answer: Two developed problems, e.g. loss of farmland/green space to housing; longer commutes increasing car dependency and congestion, which is one reason green belt policy is used to limit sprawl | |
| Question 14[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| finding the real length in centimetres, 6.4 x 25,000 = 160,000cm | M1 |
| converting to metres, 160,000 / 100 | M1 |
| 1600 metres | A1 |
| the length on the new map, 160,000 / 50,000 = 3.2cm | A1 |
| Final answer: The real length is 1600 metres; on the 1:50,000 map it would be drawn as 3.2cm | |
| Question 15[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that falling household sizes mean more homes are needed to house the same total population | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. new low-density housing developments are built, using up more land per person than older, denser housing | B1 |
| identifying that many residents and businesses prefer more space, such as larger gardens or bigger retail units | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. new development on the edge of the city is often built at a lower density than the older, more compact areas near the centre | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. together these mean the built-up area can expand faster than the population living within it | B1 |
| Final answer: Falling household sizes mean more homes are needed for the same population, often built at low density; and a preference for more space on the edge of the city, such as larger gardens or retail units, means new development there is often less dense than the older city centre, so the built-up area can expand faster than the population itself | |
| Question 16[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a mechanism, e.g. thermal expansion of seawater, or melting land ice and glaciers | B1 |
| developing the mechanism, e.g. warmer water expands in volume, or melted ice adds extra water to the oceans | B1 |
| linking to the effect, e.g. this raises global sea level and increases coastal flood risk | B1 |
| naming a group most at risk, e.g. low-lying coastal cities or small island states | B1 |
| Final answer: Thermal expansion of warming seawater, and/or melting land ice adding water to the oceans, raises sea level; low-lying coasts and small island states are most at risk | |
| Question 17[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a way, e.g. TNCs create jobs by building factories | B1 |
| developing it, e.g. this raises household incomes and generates tax revenue for the government | B1 |
| identifying a second way, e.g. TNCs bring new technology and skills through staff training | B1 |
| developing it, e.g. this improves the skills of the local workforce, which can benefit other industries over time | B1 |
| Final answer: Any two developed ways, e.g. job creation raising incomes and tax revenue; skills and technology transfer improving the local workforce | |
| Question 18[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| finding the increase, 6.0 - 2.4 = 3.6 million | M1 |
| setting up the percentage calculation, (3.6 / 2.4) x 100 | M1 |
| 150% growth | A1 |
| stating the population more than doubled between 2000 and 2020 | B1 |
| a valid comment on the scale of growth, e.g. this is a much faster rate of growth than most UK cities experience | B1 |
| Final answer: 150% growth; the population more than doubled | |
| Question 19[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that a glacier carries eroded rock debris within and beneath the ice as it flows downhill | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. when melting balances the rate of ice flowing forward, the position of the snout stays roughly the same for a period | B1 |
| identifying that the ice continues to melt at this fixed point, releasing the rock debris it has been carrying | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. this debris builds up as a ridge of unsorted material stretching across the valley at the point where the snout stayed for the longest time | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. this forms a terminal moraine, marking the furthest point the glacier's snout reached | B1 |
| Final answer: A glacier carries eroded rock debris within and beneath the ice; where the snout's position stays roughly fixed for a period, because melting balances forward ice flow, this debris is continually dumped there as the ice melts, building a ridge - the terminal moraine - marking the furthest point the glacier reached | |
| Question 20[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| Describes the north-south divide, with a specific example of the gap, e.g. in average income, house prices or unemployment between named regions (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes a government policy aimed at reducing the divide, e.g. investment in transport infrastructure or devolving powers and funding to northern city regions (1 mark) | 1 |
| Explains how this policy is intended to reduce the divide, e.g. improved transport links attract businesses and investment to the north (1 mark) | 1 |
| Evaluates evidence of its success or limited success (1 mark) | 1 |
| Considers a reason the divide has been difficult to close, e.g. investment and finance industries remain heavily concentrated in London and the southeast (1 mark) | 1 |
| Reaches a supported overall judgement on how successful government policy has been (1 mark) | 1 |
| Final answer: A described north-south divide with an example, a named policy and its intended effect, an evaluated limitation and a supported judgement on its success | |
| Question 21[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 | |
| Question 22[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| Describes a named international agreement, e.g. the Paris Agreement, and its main aim (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes a specific commitment or mechanism within it, e.g. countries submitting nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to cut emissions (1 mark) | 1 |
| Explains a strength of this approach, e.g. it created a shared global target, limiting warming to well below 2 degrees C, that most countries signed up to (1 mark) | 1 |
| Evaluates a limitation, e.g. targets are not legally binding and some major emitters have missed or withdrawn from commitments (1 mark) | 1 |
| Uses a specific example to support the evaluation, e.g. a named country's emissions trend since signing (1 mark) | 1 |
| Reaches a supported overall judgement on how effective international agreements have been (1 mark) | 1 |
| Final answer: A named agreement with a described mechanism, an evaluated strength and limitation, a supporting example and a supported judgement on effectiveness | |
| Question 23[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| Names and locates a hard engineering scheme studied, e.g. a flood relief channel or embankments on a named river (1 mark) | 1 |
| Names and locates a soft engineering scheme studied, e.g. river restoration or floodplain zoning on a named river (1 mark) | 1 |
| Explains how the hard engineering scheme reduces flood risk (1 mark) | 1 |
| Explains how the soft engineering scheme reduces flood risk (1 mark) | 1 |
| Compares their relative cost, speed of protection, or environmental impact (1 mark) | 1 |
| Reaches a supported overall judgement on which scheme has been more effective (1 mark) | 1 |
| Final answer: A named hard scheme and a named soft scheme with explained mechanisms, a compared cost or impact, and a supported judgement on which was more effective | |
| Question 24[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| Names and locates the upland glaciated area and quarry studied (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes an economic benefit of the quarry, e.g. jobs for local people or income for the local council through business rates (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes a second benefit, e.g. quarried stone supplying the construction industry (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes a problem the quarry causes, e.g. heavy lorry traffic on narrow rural roads, noise, or dust pollution (1 mark) | 1 |
| Describes a second problem, e.g. the visual/landscape impact of the quarry scarring the glaciated landscape (1 mark) | 1 |
| Reaches a supported overall judgement on whether the benefits outweigh the problems (1 mark) | 1 |
| Final answer: A named area and quarry with two described benefits, two described problems and a supported judgement on the overall balance | |
| Question 25[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 | |