A Level H1 Geography Practice Paper 5

Answer Key & Marking Scheme - Geography H1 A-Level (Version 5)

Section A: Climate Change and Flooding

Question 1 (a) Spatial Distribution (4m):

• 1m for identifying the general area of high anomalies (e.g., concentrated in the Mekong Delta/Central Vietnam).
• 1m for identifying areas of low/no anomaly.
• 2m for using specific data/locational references from Resource 1 (e.g., "Rainfall was 20% above average in region X").

(b) Lag Time & Land Cover (6m):

• 2m for identifying the short lag time from Resource 2.
• 2m for linking Resource 3 (forest $\rightarrow$ agriculture) to decreased interception and infiltration.
• 2m for explaining that increased surface runoff leads to water reaching the channel faster, shortening the lag time.

(c) Evaluation of Usefulness (8m):

• 2m for identifying strengths of R1 (shows trigger/meteorological cause).
• 2m for identifying strengths of R3 (shows human-induced vulnerability/land use).
• 2m for identifying limitations (e.g., R1 doesn't show topography; R3 doesn't show the timing of the event).
• 2m for a balanced judgment on how they complement each other to provide a holistic view of the flood.

Question 2 (a) Cyclone Development (6m):

• 3m for SST: Must mention $\ge 26.5^\circ\text{C}$, providing latent heat/energy via evaporation.
• 3m for Coriolis: Must mention it provides the necessary rotation/deflection to create the vortex; absent at the equator.

(b) Flood Risk Drivers (10m):

• 4m for arguing for climate change (sea-level rise, increased storm intensity).
• 4m for arguing for other factors (urbanization, loss of mangroves, poor drainage).
• 2m for synthesis/conclusion (interaction between physical and human factors).

Question 3 Mitigation Essay (16m):

• L1 (1-6m): Descriptive account of mitigation or collective action.
• L2 (7-12m): Analysis of why collective action is needed (e.g., Paris Agreement, global nature of GHGs) vs. national efforts (e.g., Costa Rica's renewables).
• L3 (13-16m): Evaluative judgment. Discusses barriers (free-rider problem, equity) and concludes that while collective frameworks set targets, national implementation is the actual engine of change.

Section B: Urban Change

Question 4 (a) Informal Settlement Characteristics (5m):

• 2m for identifying characteristics (e.g., haphazard layout, makeshift materials).
• 3m for explaining why they exist (e.g., rapid rural-urban migration, lack of affordable formal housing).

(b) Elderly Liveability (6m):

• 3m for identifying specific data from Resource 5 (e.g., lower safety scores in District B).
• 3m for explaining the impact (e.g., fear of crime or poor pavement quality limiting mobility for the elderly).

(c) Service Provision (7m):

• 3m for identifying the gap in Resource 6 (e.g., clinics are far from the center of District B).
• 4m for accounting for this (e.g., lack of official land tenure makes government hesitant to invest; poverty prevents private clinics from opening).

Question 5 (a) Hoyt Model (6m):

• 3m for explaining the model's premise (growth along transport arteries).
• 3m for application (factories locate near rail/roads to minimize transport costs for raw materials/goods).

(b) Liveability Strategies (10m):

• 4m for describing a specific strategy (e.g., slum upgrading in Rio or HDB in Singapore).
• 4m for assessing success (e.g., improved sanitation vs. gentrification/displacement).
• 2m for overall judgment.

Question 6 Slums & Sustainability Essay (16m):

• L1 (1-6m): Basic description of slums as problems (health, environment).
• L2 (7-12m): Balanced argument. Slums as impediment (pollution, instability) vs. Slums as solution (affordable housing for the urban poor, entrepreneurial hubs).
• L3 (13-16m): Synthesis. Argues that slums are a symptom of unsustainable urban planning rather than the cause of it.