UPSC Mains Answer Writing – Chapter 10: Geography (20 MCQs)

← Back

UPSC Mains Answer Writing – Chapter 10: Geography (20 MCQs) – 20 questions, subject: Mains Answer Writing. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

Get daily current affairs & exam alerts – follow us YouTube WhatsApp Channel Telegram Channel Facebook Page Instagram
Share with friends & study groups
Link to this page from your website / blog (HTML code)
1.  

"Explain the formation of…" questions need the frame:

Correct Answer: D [conditions – mechanism – result – example]

Explanation:

A formation question asks how a process works, so it needs conditions, the mechanism, the result and a named example.

2.  

Richard Hartshorne's The Nature of Geography defined geography as the study of:

Correct Answer: B [areal differentiation]

Explanation:

Hartshorne treated geography as the study of areal differentiation – how places differ.

3.  

The best diagram for a distribution question is usually:

Correct Answer: A [a sketch map]

Explanation:

A distribution question asks where something lies, and a sketch map shows the spatial pattern at a glance.

4.  

In "P-E-P" for location, the last P stands for:

Correct Answer: C [policy]

Explanation:

P-E-P stands for Physical, Economic and Policy – the three groups of location factors.

5.  

New steel plants at Hazira (Gujarat) and Dolvi (Maharashtra) illustrate which trend in the location of the iron and steel industry?

Correct Answer: A [A shift towards port and market sites]

Explanation:

Both are coastal plants that can use imported coal and serve western markets.

6.  

Fresh water from rivers helps cyclones in the Bay of Bengal because it:

Correct Answer: C [keeps a warm, less salty layer at the top]

Explanation:

River water forms a warm, less salty top layer that resists mixing, so cooler water from below cannot weaken the storm.

7.  

Which of the following conditions does NOT favour the formation of a tropical cyclone?

Correct Answer: A [Strong vertical wind shear]

Explanation:

Strong shear tears the storm apart; cyclones need low vertical wind shear.

8.  

The last part of the frame for a 'Discuss the distribution of…' question is:

Correct Answer: B [exceptions]

Explanation:

The distribution frame is pattern – regions – reasons – exceptions.

9.  

The last line of a geography answer should usually be about:

Correct Answer: D [people and policy]

Explanation:

GS geography serves administrators, so the last line shows the effect on lives and the policy response.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. Every point in a geography answer should name a place.
2. Diagrams should always be placed at the end of the answer.
3. A change question should give the change with a data point and year.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 3 only]

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 3 are sound rules; statement 2 is false as diagrams go beside the mechanism.

11.  

Assertion (A): The Arabian Sea has fewer tropical cyclones than the Bay of Bengal.

Reason (R): The Arabian Sea is generally cooler and windier.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Cooler water and stronger vertical wind shear over the Arabian Sea hinder cyclone formation, so R explains A.

12.  

Which of these iron-ore mining centres lies in Odisha?

Correct Answer: D [Barbil]

Explanation:

Barbil, in Keonjhar (Kendujhar) district, is Odisha's main iron-ore town.

13.  

"W-C-M-S-D" lists the:

Correct Answer: C [conditions for tropical cyclones]

Explanation:

The letters stand for Warm sea, Coriolis force, Moisture, low Shear and a pre-existing Disturbance.

14.  

Ratzel's Anthropogeographie stressed:

Correct Answer: B [the influence of environment on societies]

Explanation:

Ratzel's Anthropogeographie (1882) stressed how the physical environment shapes human societies.

15.  

The idea of genres de vie (ways of life) is associated with:

Correct Answer: C [Vidal de la Blache]

Explanation:

Vidal de la Blache's regional studies, such as the Tableau (1903), developed the idea of genres de vie.

16.  

The National Steel Policy 2017 targets a crude steel capacity of 300 million tonnes by:

Correct Answer: A [2030–31]

Explanation:

The Policy aims at 300 MT capacity by 2030–31.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Hartshorne's The Nature of Geography
2. Ratzel's Anthropogeographie
3. Humboldt's Kosmos
4. Vidal de la Blache's Tableau

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [3-2-4-1]

Explanation:

1845, 1882, 1903, 1939.

18.  

"Effects of Himalayan glacier retreat" needs the frame:

Correct Answer: A [change – causes – effects – response]

Explanation:

Glacier retreat is a change in a critical feature, so the frame is change – causes – effects – response.

19.  

A cyclone cross-section in an answer should be drawn in about:

Correct Answer: D [45 seconds]

Explanation:

About 45 seconds is enough for a cyclone cross-section, keeping the diagram within the answer's time.

20.  

The Indian Geographical Society was founded in 1926 in:

Correct Answer: C [Madras]

Explanation:

It was constituted in Madras in February 1926 as the Madras Geographical Association, the forerunner of the Society.

➤ Directive words, answer templates, model answers with marginal notes, evaluation rubrics and paper-wise Mains practice – U28 · Mains Answer Writing (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-mains-answer-writing

📘 U28 · Mains Answer-Writing Workbook – UPSC Civil Services (Mains – Essay and GS Papers I–IV)
Here you get the answer with a one-line explanation. 20 chapters · directive words, structure templates, diagrams · model answers with marginal notes · rubrics · 163 Mains practice questions incl. PYQs
Get the book – ₹249 ₹499 →
Score: 0 Answered: 0 / 0