Geography

1. 1.

   Fictional simultaneous evening measurements in °C: urban sites 30, 32, 31; rural sites 25, 26, 27. Instruments are calibrated, but each group has only three sites. A tree-planting plan focuses on a wealthy shopping street while a low-income neighbourhood has little shade. All readings and locations are invented. Explain how daytime heat storage and later release can keep urban areas warm after sunset.

   [2 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Distinguish heat storage from sunlight currently entering the system. Evening warmth can persist even after direct solar heating has stopped.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • Built materials store heat absorbed during the day.
   • Release of stored heat after sunset delays cooling compared with less built-up surroundings.

   Examiner tip: Explain delayed release, not continuing sunshine at night.

2. 2.

   Fictional simultaneous evening measurements in °C: urban sites 30, 32, 31; rural sites 25, 26, 27. Instruments are calibrated, but each group has only three sites. A tree-planting plan focuses on a wealthy shopping street while a low-income neighbourhood has little shade. All readings and locations are invented. Calculate the mean urban-rural temperature difference.

   [2 marks]

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Average each group separately before subtracting. The difference is an evening sample contrast, not a year-round city average.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • Urban mean = 31°C; rural mean = 26°C.
   • Urban minus rural difference = 5°C.

   Examiner tip: Report a temperature difference, not percentage warming.

3. 3.

   Fictional simultaneous evening measurements in °C: urban sites 30, 32, 31; rural sites 25, 26, 27. Instruments are calibrated, but each group has only three sites. A tree-planting plan focuses on a wealthy shopping street while a low-income neighbourhood has little shade. All readings and locations are invented. Explain how tree cover may lower daytime heat exposure.

   [3 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Cooling involves both intercepting radiation and transferring energy into water vapour. A young or drought-stressed tree may provide less cooling than a mature healthy canopy.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • Shade reduces incoming solar radiation at surfaces and people.
   • Evapotranspiration uses energy and can cool the local environment.
   • Water availability and canopy coverage affect the size of the benefit.

   Examiner tip: Do not assume planting a sapling instantly creates full shade.

4. 4.

   Fictional simultaneous evening measurements in °C: urban sites 30, 32, 31; rural sites 25, 26, 27. Instruments are calibrated, but each group has only three sites. A tree-planting plan focuses on a wealthy shopping street while a low-income neighbourhood has little shade. All readings and locations are invented. Identify and explain three improvements to the temperature sampling design.

   [3 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Calibration addresses instrument bias but not site selection or time coverage. A stratified repeated design separates local siting differences from a broader urban effect.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • Sample more sites stratified by land cover to improve representativeness.
   • Standardise instrument height, shade and exposure to avoid siting artefacts.
   • Repeat across days and seasons to assess temporal variability.

   Examiner tip: Simultaneous measurements already control clock time; improve the remaining weaknesses.

5. 5.

   Fictional simultaneous evening measurements in °C: urban sites 30, 32, 31; rural sites 25, 26, 27. Instruments are calibrated, but each group has only three sites. A tree-planting plan focuses on a wealthy shopping street while a low-income neighbourhood has little shade. All readings and locations are invented. Evaluate the equity of the proposed tree-planting allocation.

   [4 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. An equitable plan targets where cooling is most needed, not merely where investment is visible. Map shade, heat exposure and vulnerable residents before deciding priorities, while funding long-term care.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • The shopping street may gain comfort and commercial benefits.
   • The unshaded lower-income neighbourhood may have higher unmet exposure needs.
   • Need should be assessed with exposure, health vulnerability and access rather than income alone.
   • Recommends a justified needs-based allocation with community participation and maintenance.

   Examiner tip: Do not infer individual health outcomes from neighbourhood income alone.

6. 6.

   Fictional simultaneous evening measurements in °C: urban sites 30, 32, 31; rural sites 25, 26, 27. Instruments are calibrated, but each group has only three sites. A tree-planting plan focuses on a wealthy shopping street while a low-income neighbourhood has little shade. All readings and locations are invented. Assess whether these readings prove that trees are the best heat-management strategy.

   [4 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. A diagnosis of warmth is not an evaluation of a remedy. Compare interventions at the scale and time people experience heat, including benefits before tree canopies mature.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • The readings show a sampled urban-rural difference, not a treatment comparison.
   • Tree effects are not isolated from surfaces, building geometry or anthropogenic heat.
   • Other measures such as shade structures or cool roofs address different exposure settings.
   • Calls for comparative effectiveness, costs and timescale evidence before ranking strategies.

   Examiner tip: Do not turn an observational contrast into a treatment trial.

Original, unofficial practice questions from SubjectScout — not official past-paper questions.