MH SET Paper 2 Mock Test - 8 (Geography) - MAHA TET MCQ

Correct Answer: (A), (B), and (C) only.

Key Points

• Active remote sensors create their own electromagnetic energy that, is transmitted from the sensor toward the terrain, interacts with the terrain producing a backscatter of energy, and is recorded by the remote sensor’s receiver.
• Non-imaging microwave sensors include altimeters and scatterometers.  Generally, altimeters look straight down at the nadir below the platform and thus measure height or elevation (if the altitude of the platform is accurately known). 
• Scatterometers are also generally non-imaging sensors and are used to make precise quantitative measurements of the amount of energy backscattered from targets. 
• A passive sensor is a microwave instrument designed to receive and measure natural emissions produced by constituents of the Earth's surface and its atmosphere. Examples of passive sensor-based technologies include Photographic, thermal, electric field sensing, chemical, infrared and seismic. However, as can be the case with some sensors, seismic and infrared light sensors exist in both active and passive forms.
• Lidars are active remote sensing instruments that are well suited for ABL research. They measure many important quantities, such as wind speed, aerosol backscatter and extinction, water vapor, and other trace gases, and they typically cover the entire depth of the ABL. Lidars use lasers to emit short light pulses into the atmosphere.

Additional Information

• Lidar: A light detection and ranging sensor that uses a laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) radar to transmit a light pulse and a receiver with sensitive detectors to measure the backscattered or reflected light. Distance to the object is determined by recording the time between transmitted and backscattered pulses and by using the speed of light to calculate the distance traveled.

The correct option is West Australia.

Key Points

• It originates in West Australia.
• It is also known as a dust devil.
• It is a tropical cyclone.
• Tropical cyclones are generally circular and have a small diameter.
• The speed of wind is generally 60-70Km/hr.

Additional Information

CYCLONE:

• When low pressure is created at the centre while high pressure is at the periphery, it forms a cyclone. It is formed in the central part where the pressure is low.
• It may originate between the Equator and Pole. There are two types of cyclones:

1. ​​Tropical Cyclone (originates in the tropical region) eg: Cyclones of the Pacific ocean and Indian ocean.
2. Temperate Cyclone (originates in the temperate region) eg: Cyclones of the Atlantic ocean.

Hence, the Willy-willy cyclone originates in west Australia.

The Glacial Lake outburst flow (GLOF) occurs when the dam that contains the glacial lake falls. It can occur due to an avalanche of heavy snow and rock, an earthquake or volcanic eruption under the ice, erosion, pressure due to buildup of water, etc.

Concepts:

Remote sensing is the art and science of obtaining information about an object without physical contact with that object.

The passive sensor responds to physical stimuli. Light, heat, vibrations are detected from passive sensors as they occur in the environment. Examples are Electro-optical sensors, the Television cameras. Return Beam Vidicon.

Active sensors work along with transducers that create the stimuli to be detected and measured that interaction of those stimuli with the environment. Examples are Sonar or LIDAR systems, Laser scanners, etc. 

Cultural geography deals with study of cultural aspects of different ways and doings of the different countries and regions all around the world. Carl. O Sauer is known as the father of cultural geography. One of his best work is ‘Agricultural origin and dispersal’.

Thus, the Correct answer is A.

The correct answer is Wheat.

Key Points

• Winter rainfall and agriculture:
  • Western disturbances originate from the Mediterranean Sea and come to India.
  • It causes rainfall in states like Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand during winter.
  • Precipitation during the winter season is of great importance in agriculture, especially for Rabi crops including wheat, which is one of the most important Indian crops.
  • The major Rabi crop in India is wheat, followed by barley, mustard, sesame and peas.
  • The rains caused by western disturbances have a direct impact on the economy of wheat-producing states like Haryana and Punjab.

Additional Information

• The Indian crop season is classified into two major seasons:
  • Kharif crops:
    • ​Dependent on monsoon and their crop season runs from July to October.
    • Examples include rice, maize, millet, ragi, pulses, soybean, groundnut etc.
  • Rabi crops:
    • ​Sown in winter after the monsoon rains end and harvested in summer, their crop season runs from October to April.
    • Examples include wheat, barley, rapeseed, oats, gram, flax, etc.

Key Points

Globalization:

• Globalization essentially means the integration of the national economy with the world economy.
• It implies a free flow of information, ideas, technology, goods and services, capital, and even people across different countries and societies.
• It increases connectivity between different markets in the form of trade, investments, and cultural exchanges.
• The concept of globalization has been explained by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) as ‘the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide through increasing volume and variety of cross border transactions in goods and services and of international capital flows and also through the more rapid and widespread diffusion of technology.

Hence, the statement I is correct.

Liberalization:

• Liberalization refers to the slackening of government regulations.
• It implies greater autonomy to the business enterprises in decision-making and removal of government interference.
• It was believed that the market forces of demand and supply would automatically operate to bring about greater efficiency and the economy would recover.
• This was to be done internally by introducing reforms in the real and financial sectors of the economy and externally by relaxing state control on foreign investments and trade.
• Liberalization aims to unlock the economic potential of the country by encouraging the private sector and multinational corporations to invest and expand.

Hence, statement II is also correct.

Therefore, both the statements are correct here.

The correct answer is René Descartes
Important Points

René Descartes, a French philosopher from the 17th century, is known for his theory of mind-body dualism, also known as Cartesian Dualism. According to his theory, the mind and the body are two fundamentally different natures.

• The mind (or soul) is a non-physical and conscious subject of thought and value, while the body is the physical object located in space and time.
• Despite their distinct natures, Descartes believed the two interact in the brain's pineal gland. This perspective has significantly influenced western philosophical thought on the mind-body problem.
• Descartes proposed the theory of mind-body dualism in his Meditations on First Philosophy, which asserts that the mind and the body are two fundamentally different things.

1. Mind: Descartes stated that the mind, also referred to as the 'thinking substance' or 'res cogitans', does not exist in space and is not subject to the laws of physics. It is self-aware and conscious, capable of feelings, thoughts, and other conscious experiences.

2. Body: The body, or 'extended substance' ('res extensa'), is a physical entity. It exists in space, and it can move and be moved. It's subject to mechanical and physical laws and can be observed objectively.

• This dualistic view is often termed 'interactionist dualism' as Descartes believed that the mind and body, despite their distinct natures, interact with each other in the pineal gland of the brain.

Descartes' dualism has had significant implications in philosophy and science. It has shaped discussions on the mind-body problem - the question of how the mind (mental) and body (physical) interact and influence each other. This has wide-ranging consequences in psychology, cognitive science, neurology, and artificial intelligence.

• However, Cartesian Dualism has faced criticism and challenges. One such critique is the 'interaction problem' which questions how two completely different substances (the nonphysical mind and the physical body) could possibly interact.
• Despite these criticisms, Cartesian Dualism continues to be a crucial philosophical concept, highlighting the perceived dichotomy between the mental and the physical - a foundational idea in Western thought.

A hypsometric curve is a histogram or a cumulative distribution function of elevations in a geographic area. Differences in hypsometric curves between landscapes arise because the geomorphic process that shape the landscape may be different. Thus the differences in the shape show the differences in the elevation of the landscapes on the surface of the earth.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

The correct answer is (A) is wrong, but (R) is correct.
Key PointsAssertion (A): Pragmatism is a modified form of functionalism

• Pragmatism and functionalism are two philosophies William James used to further his understanding of the world around him. James posited the pragmatic theory of truth and used.
• This philosophy to define and re-define ideas, filtering answers to his questions through this theory. Most of his findings, theories, and inquiries were viewed according to his pragmatic theory of truth.
• William James founded the school of functionalism. This school of thought in psychology was developed in direct response to the school of structuralism and the work of Wilhelm Wundt. Wundt criticized functionalism as nothing more than literature, and James criticized structuralism as “all school and no thought.”

Hence, Assertation is Incorrect

Reason (R): Applied geography recognizes geographical space as a combination of knowledge and error.

The elements of pragmatic geography can be identified as under: (i) Geographic space is a composite of knowledge and error. (ii) Geographic space is changeable as our knowledge of it changes and the scale of measurement becomes more refined.

Hence, The reason is correct

The correct answer is Option 4.

• In India, maize is grown in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.​

Key PointsMaize

• In India, maize is the third most important food crop after rice and wheat.
• Maize in India contributes nearly 9% of the national food basket.
• In addition to staple food for human beings and quality feed for animals,
• It serves as a basic raw material ingredient in industrial products, including-
  • starch, oil, protein, alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, film, textile, gum, package and paper industries, etc.
• The predominant maize-growing states that contribute more than 80 % of the total maize production are:
  •  Andhra Pradesh (20.9 %), Karnataka (16.5 %), Rajasthan (9.9 %), Maharashtra (9.1 %), Bihar (8.9 %), Uttar Pradesh (6.1 %), Madhya Pradesh (5.7 %), Himachal Pradesh (4.4 %).
•  Apart from these states, maize is also grown in Jammu and Kashmir, and North-Eastern states.
• Hence, maize has emerged as an essential crop in non-traditional regions.
• State like Andhra Pradesh which ranks 5th in the area (0.79 m ha) has recorded the highest production (4.14 mt) and productivity (5.26 t/ha ) in the country.

Additional InformationRequirement for maize production:

• It is a Kharif crop.
• Irrigation facilities, usage of fertilizers, and usage of High Yielding Variety (HYV) seed contributed to the massive increase in maize production in India.
• Maize grows well in temperatures ranging from 21°C to 27°C.
• It grows well in old alluvial soil.
• maize is a warm-weather crop
• it cannot survive freezing
• Therefore, the best soils for maize growth should have a sufficient ability to hold water and efficient drainage.

Culture cannot be measured. The work standard of a person cannot be measured with another person's work. Culture is a social concept and is constantly changing and adapting.

Brock and Webb has divided the world into 4 major and 2 minor cultural realms. Occidental realm, Islamic, Indian and east Indian cultural realm are the major ones while south east Asian, Meso African are the minor cultural realms.

Europe has a large acre of agricultural land than any other continent and there are no deserts. Its mineral wealth is considerable and varied as well as the trade conditions exceed that of Europe. The mixing of European races results in a variety of energetic and inventive people.

Cultural area is a concept of cultural geography, in which a geographic region and time sequence is characterised by substantially uniform environment and culture. The present boundaries of states in India, which have been drawn on the basis of languages, generally represent cultural areas while cultural region is a portion of the Earth's surface that has common cultural elements.

Culture is a sum of what a human being or a group has learnt about living together within certain circumstances since his birth. Culture is basically what creates a human. It teaches us various things such as communication and transmission of certain values and norms. Culture is what directs and confines the behaviour of an individual as well as providing him certain tasks and objectives. The main work of culture is that it not only controls but also liberates human energy. Hence, Culture exists because of the presence of human beings.

 Although there are mentions of Indian Monsoon in the Rig Veda and Al Masudi’s works, the concept of Indian Monsoon was explained in 1686 by Sir Edmund Halley. Halley said that monsoon resulted due to thermal contrast between continents and oceans because of differential heating.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

• A nautical mile is a unit of measurement used for measuring both marine navigation and air.
• It is also used for defining territorial waters and which can be defined as one minute (1/60 of a degree) of latitude along any line of longitude.
• As per the international standard, a nautical mile is equal to 1852 meters.
• There are internationally accepted various abbreviations used for the nautical mile by different organizations and agencies are M, NM, nm, nmi and nq.

The correct answer is 2 only.

Key Points

• Distribution of water on the surface of the earth:

• Water in groundwater is 0.62% while in lakes and rivers it is 0.008 (Salt lakes)+0.009(freshwater lakes) + 0.0001(rivers)=0.0171. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Water in polar ice caps and glaciers is 2% while in groundwater it is 0.62%. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The correct answer is Neither 1 nor 2.Key PointsMixed cropping

• Mixed cropping is the practice of sowing two or more crops together in the same field. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• Usually, long-duration crops are grown with short-duration crops.
• The leguminous crop is important in this type of cropping system as legumes have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen.
  • Thus, it helps to increase the fertility of the soil.
• It is beneficial in pest and weed management
  • This type of farming requires less amount of fertilizers, pesticides and water. Thus, helpful in reducing the cost of production.
• Compared to single cropping, it has a higher yield per hectare.

Mixed Farming

• Mixed farming combines the production of crops and the maintenance of livestock simultaneously. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
• It is usually found in highly developed parts of the world, e.g. North-western Europe, Eastern North America, etc.
• Mixed farms are moderate in size.
• The crops grown are mainly wheat, barley, oats, fodder, etc.
• Animals like cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry are reared thus providing additional income to farmers.

The correct answer is Bantu - Sahara.

Key Points

• Bantu peoples, the approximately 85 million speakers of the more than 500 distinct languages of the Bantu subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family, occupying almost the entire southern projection of the African continent.
  • Bantu the largest African language family, spoken in much of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Additional Information

• Fulani, a primarily Muslim people scattered throughout many parts of West Africa, from Lake Chad, in the east, to the Atlantic coast.
• The Maasai are an indigenous ethnic group in East Africa of semi-nomadic people settled in Kenya and northern Tanzania.
• Nuba, inhabitants of the Nuba Hills in the Kordofan region of central-southern Sudan.
  • Sudan is a country in North Africa.

Correct Answer: ​(B), (C), (A), (D).

Key Points

Cultural realm:

• A cultural realm is a geographical region where cultural traits maintain homogeneity.
• The cultural traits are supposed to be the product of regional geographical circumstances.
• It is, thus, regional geography that has become the basis of the delineation of cultural realms in the world.
• Ratzel‘s concept of the cultural landscape provided encouragement to geographers for culture regionalization.
• It is the largest possible area of cultural influence. It is a wider concept and includes overlaps and transitional areas. It can be discontinuous. E.g. Islam realm.

Cultural trait:

• A cultural trait is the smallest unit of culture and single identifiable material or non-material element within a culture and is conceivable as an object in itself.
• Different cultural traits can also be found within the same kind of population.
• For example, some Christians worship every Sunday, some every day, and others not at all.
• In some native tribes around the world, piercing one's ears and expanding the piercings slowly over time is a cultural trait.​

Therefore, both Statement I and Statement II are true.

Penck’s geomorphic model divides the geomorphic process into three stage- Aufsteigende Entwickelung(waxing or accelerated development), Gleichformige Entwickelung(uniform development) and Absteigende Entwickelung(waning or decreasing rate development). The waning rate of development shows lateral erosion, absence of upliftment and decline in landforms. Vertical erosion is observed in the Aufsteigende Entwickelun or waxing rate of development.

Thus, the Correct answer is D.

High-tech industries which are regionally concentrated, self-sustained and highly specialised are called technopolis. Silicon Valley is an example. They are clean, environment friendly with most of the jobs pertaining to Research and Development sector.

All the statements given above are correct. Assam shares a border with Bhutan and Bangladesh, West Bengal shares a border with Bhutan and Nepal and Mizoram shares a border with Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The correct answer is 1, ​2 and 4 are correct.

Key Points

• Equatorial climatic regions have less urbanization because of the lack of favorable weather conditions for growing crops or industrial development. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Mediterranean climatic regions have a high level of urbanization because the climate is more favorable for growing crops and plantations.
• The Mediterranean lands are also known as the world's orchard lands because a wide range of citrus fruits and grapefruits are grown here. The Olive tree is most probably typical of the Mediterranean cultivated vegetation. Hence, statements 2 and 4 are correct.
• Mediterranean climate is confined to the Western portions of Continental masses between 30 degrees and 45 degrees north and south of the equator.
• The basic cause of the Mediterranean climate is the shifting of wind belts.
• Equatorial climatic regions are mostly comprised of developing nations like the countries in Amazon Basin (South America), the Congo Basin (Africa), Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.
  • The concentration of the human population in these regions is low because of the unpleasant weather conditions. Hence, Statement 3 is NOT correct.

The correct answer is Cohen.

Important Points

• Geostrategy is the geographic direction of a state's foreign policy. More precisely, geostrategy describes where a state concentrates its efforts by projecting military power and directing diplomatic activity.

Key Points

• Geopolitical equilibrium. This has been for decades the major concern to Saul B. Cohen. Since the early 1960s, when his first book was published (Cohen, 1964).
• Cohen has conceived geopolitics not as a tool of conquest and dominance in the interests of some national states, but as a tool for promoting and managing equilibrium among powers in the interest of the whole world
• In his spatial hierarchy of the global structure, the highest level is the geostrategic realm. S. Cohen proposes three geostrategic realms, the Atlantic and Pacific Trade-dependent Maritime Realm, the Eurasian Continental Russian Heartland, and the mixed Continental Maritime East Asia.
• At the level of geostrategic realms, the fundamental separation is between maritime and continentality. This classic geopolitical distinction is slightly modified in Cohen’s definition of the two terms.
• For Cohen being exposed to the sea is a condition necessary but not sufficient for defining maritime. Trade or, better the percentage of international trade to GDP, is the essential criterion that defines ‘maritime’.
• In Cohen’s perspective, the world system is made of geopolitical structures which are essentially organized along two hierarchically ordered spatial levels: geostrategic realms and geopolitical regions.
• To these two levels, are associated with a third level, that of the national state, which is the linchpin of Cohen’s whole world system.

The correct answer is A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
Key Points

A dichotomy is a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

"Dichotomy" in geographical thought often refers to the perceived binary opposition between two distinct elements or ideas. Here are two classic examples:

Environmental Determinism vs. Possibilism:

• This is perhaps one of the most well-known dichotomies in geography.
• Environmental determinism suggests that the physical environment sets hard limits on human activity, essentially determining the course of human history and cultural development.
• On the other hand, possibilism posits that while the environment sets certain constraints, human agency plays a significant role in determining the paths that societies can take.

Physical vs. Human Geography:

• Another dichotomy in the field of geography is the division between physical and human geography.
• Physical geography focuses on understanding the Earth's physical landscape and processes, such as climate, landforms, and ecosystems.
• In contrast, human geography concentrates on human activities, cultures, societies, and their impacts on the physical landscape. While this dichotomy exists, contemporary geographical thought recognizes the interplay between the two.

It's important to note that dichotomies, while useful for organizing ideas, can oversimplify complex relationships. In reality, concepts often exist along a spectrum rather than in binary opposition. This is especially true in geography, where physical and human elements are deeply intertwined

ENSO refers to a condition where the rising air in the east Pacific cools above and turns west wards in the troposphere and ultimately descends in the tropical western Pacific giving birth to high pressure which drives war air towards the coasts of South America, Thus, in this manner a complete convective cell is formed and is known as ENSO.

The correct answer is Bhabar.

Key Points

• At the break of the Bhabar escarpment, there is a narrow belt of 8-10 km parallel to the Shiwalik foothills.
  • As a result, streams and rivers coming from the mountains deposit heavy materials of rocks and stones and sometimes disappear in the region.
• South of the Bhabar is the Terai belt, approximately 10–20 km wide, where most of the streams and rivers re-emerge without any properly demarcated channel, giving rise to marshy and swampy conditions, known as the Terai.

Additional Information

• To the south of the Terai is a belt composed of older and younger alluvial deposits known as Bhangar and Khadar respectively.
  • These plains are characterized by mature river erosion and depositional landforms, such as sand ridges, meanders, oxbow lakes, and braided channels.
  • The Brahmaputra plain is known for its river islands and sand bars.
  • Most of these areas are subject to periodic floods and river courses change, creating small streams.

Key Points Contributions of Ptolemy:

• Planetary hypothesis
• Text on classical astronomy entitled ‘Almagest’ ( the mathematical treatise)
• The Geography/ The Guide to Geography
• The optics and The Tetrabiblos
• Astrology
• Explore the Terra-Incognita (the unknown land)
• A detailed topographical description of places and their history called ‘chorography’
• He said 'geography is the science which deals with the art of map-making.'

Hence, Ptolemy is the correct answer.

Additional Information

• The total population of Scheduled Tribes is 84,326,240 as per the Census 2011 which accounts for 8.2% of the total population of the country.
• Majority of the Scheduled tribe population live in rural areas and their population is 10.4% of the total rural population of the country.
• The share of the Scheduled Tribe population in urban areas is a meager 2.4%.
• Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Gujrat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Karnataka are the states having larger number of Scheduled Tribes.
• These states account for 83.2% of the total Scheduled Tribe population of the country.
• Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Tripura, Mizoram, Bihar, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, account for another 15.3% of the total Scheduled Tribe population. The share of the remaining states / UTs is negligible.

The Himalayas are generally divided into three ranges which are Siwalik, Greater Himalayas and Lesser Himalayas. The Karakoram or Karakorum is a large mountain range spanning the borders of Pakistan, India, and China, with the northwest extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan.