Geography 2015 HSC exam pack (archive)

Question 21

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• understanding the formula for calculating the average gradient (part a)
• stating the formula for calculating the vertical exaggeration (part b)
• labelling the key (part c).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• understanding the concept of vertical exaggeration (part b)
• expressing the answer in the correct format (parts a and b)
• not confusing gradient calculation with local relief calculation (part a)
• using the key to label the transect (part c)
• using correct measurements on the transect (part c).

Question 22

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• identifying a linkage (part a)
• recognising the external or internal nature of the linkage (part a)
• identifying the flow of goods, services, ideas and people (part a)
• identifying two ecological dimensions (part b)
• identifying two global changes in the economic activity (part c).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• understanding the connection between ‘linkage’ and ‘impact’ (part a)
• clearly outlining the impact (part a)
• understanding ecological dimensions which connect people and the environment (part b)
• providing comparable emphasis on the two global changes (part c)
• clearly showing the link between the global changes and the impacts on the enterprise (part c)
• understanding the difference between global and national changes (part c).

Question 23

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• understanding social advantage and disadvantage in a city (part a)
• identifying two urban dynamics of change (part b)
• demonstrating some understanding of how urban dynamics affect the culture of place of a large city (part c).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• identifying a ‘large city’ of the developed world rather than a ‘mega city’ of the developing world (part a)
• understanding how advantage and disadvantage is distributed spatially within a ‘large city’ rather than focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of the city in general (part a)
• avoiding opinion and general statements that are based on stereotypes (part a)
• not confusing the requirements of the keyword ‘contrast’ with those of ‘compare’ (part b)
• identifying urban dynamics that contrast, such as: urban renewal and urban decline, suburbanisation and urban consolidation (part b)
• not confusing ‘culture of place’ with ‘cultural authority’ or multiculturalism (part c)
• making meaningful links between an urban dynamic and the culture of place rather than simply referring to events or festivals (part c).

Question 24(a)

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• identifying the four spheres and their elements (part a)
• demonstrating an understanding of a natural stress (part b).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• explaining how biophysical factors influence where an ecosystem at risk is located (part a)
• understanding the responses of an ecosystem at risk to natural stress (part b)
• not confusing a natural stress with a human stress (part b).

Question 25

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• understanding the requirements of the key word ‘contrast’
• understanding the role of world cities and mega cities within the urban hierarchy
• communicating using appropriate geographical terms and concepts
• including relevant maps, diagrams and statistics to illustrate key points.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• clearly differentiating between world cities and mega cities
• providing a balanced response for both world cities and mega cities.

Question 26

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• identifying traditional and/or contemporary management strategies
• referring to relevant case studies
• understanding the spatial patterns and dimensions relevant to the ecosystems at risk.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• addressing the requirements of the key word ‘discuss’ rather than providing a descriptive response
• understanding how management strategies could affect the functioning of ecosystems.

Question 27

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• identifying an economic activity and a range of environmental and social impacts associated with the economic activity.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• understanding the requirements of the key word ‘analyse’
• differentiating between an economic enterprise and an economic activity
• not confusing the impacts of an economic activity with the factors that influence the economic activity
• drawing out the implications of the impacts
• referring to relevant case studies and illustrative examples
• communicating using appropriate geographic terminology.