India Geography Pretest

Geography of India Which statement best explains why India’s winter monsoon winds are dry and cool?

• The Indian Ocean adds hot air that warms the winter monsoon winds.
• The winter monsoon winds blow in from Central Asia, where there is little rain.
• The Himalayas block both the rain and cold air carried by the winter monsoon winds.
• The winter monsoon winds drop their rain and cool down when over the Bay of Bengal.

Geography of India Which geographic occurrence led to the creation of the Himalayan Mountains?

• the eruption of volcanoes
• mud flows from monsoons
• erosion caused by strong winds
• the movement of continental plates

Based on this image, which challenge faced by early Indian civilizations is still an issue today?

• how to stop food from spoiling during the hot summer months
• how to provide a large enough water supply during the dry season
• how to make sure water erosion did not strip nutrients from the soil during the monsoon seasons
• how to prevent seasonal flooding of the rivers from destroying crops and other possessions

Geography of India The Indian subcontinent is bordered by which two bodies of water?

• the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
• the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea
• the Ganges River and the Sea of China
• the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf

Geography of India Which statement best describes how the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were similar?

• Both grew rich and powerful through trade in precious gems.
• Both relied almost entirely on farming to support their large populations.
• Both constructed elaborate systems of canals to control seasonal flooding.
• Both had governments that played an important role in protecting the food supply.

Based on the map, why might ancient cultures have been more likely to settle in northern India than southern India?

• Northern India contained two major rivers.
• The mountains prevented rain from reaching the southern portion of India.
• Northern India provided better access to the sea.
• The southern climate was not as temperate as the northern climate.

Which statement best explains how the monsoons affected the development of early Indian civilizations?

• The flooding caused by monsoons slowed the growth of the population in early Indian civilizations.
• The water brought by monsoon rains allowed agriculture to develop away from India’s major rivers.
• The wetness from the monsoons pushed many to migrate farther south in search of a better climate.
• The harsh winters caused by strong monsoon winds blowing in from Central Asia made life more difficult.

Which characteristic contributes to South Asia being considered a subcontinent?

• It is geographically isolated from the rest of Asia by tall mountains.
• It has a different weather pattern from the rest of the region.
• It is separated from eastern Asia by the Arabian Sea.
• It developed civilizations that had no contact with outside peoples.

Which two mountain ranges separate South Asia from Central Asia ?

• The Himalayas and the Hindu Kush
• Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats
• Vindyas and Satpura
• Aravali and Garo

South Asia receives the water it needs for agriculture from the rivers that flow through the region and from the (a)   winds, which bring rain each summer. This water allowed early farmers to produce a stable supply of food for the people of South Asia.