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Physical Geography of the U.S.

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 10mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What do Alaska and Hawaii have in common?

a)

Neither state has an active volcano.

b)

Neither state borders the 48 contiguous states.

c)

Both states have tropical climates.

d)

The two states are about the same size in land mass.

2.

Which state can claim to have the highest point in the United States?

a)

California

b)

Washington

c)

Colorado

d)

Alaska

3.

What causes the Great Salt Lake to be so salty?

a)

The Pacific Ocean flows directly into the lake and makes the water salty.

b)

It was formed over a huge salt lick.

c)

It has no outlet and its tributary rivers deposit salt, which is left when its water evaporates.

d)

People have long dumped their excess salt there.

4.

Which landform plays a large role in forming the climates in the western U.S.?

a)

high mountains

b)

plateaus

c)

plains

d)

deserts

5.

The Rocky Mountains are parallel mountain chains known as a(n) _____.

a)

avalanche

b)

cordillera

c)

chinook

d)

frontier

6.

An example of an archipelago is _____.

a)

Grand Canyon

b)

Sierra Nevada

c)

Colorado Plateau

d)

Hawaii

7.

Which landform is the highest point in the United States?

a)

Mount Denali

b)

Mount Rushmore

c)

Mount Everest

d)

Pike's Peak

8.

Which body of water do Louisiana and Texas border?

a)

Rio Grande

b)

Pacific Ocean

c)

Gulf of Mexico

d)

Mississippi River

9.

The Continental Divide is a(n) _____ through the Rocky Mountains that separates eastward- and westward-flowing rivers.

a)

dam

b)

tunnel

c)

tributary

d)

imaginary line

10.

In the winter, a dry wind called the _____ blows over the Great Plains bringing warmer temperatures.

a)

chinook

b)

rain shadow effect

c)

tornado

d)

westerlies

11.

Dams along rivers in the U.S. provide an important source of _____ power.

a)

solar

b)

hydroelectric

c)

wind

d)

geothermal

12.

In which state does the Mississippi River begin?

a)

Minnesota

b)

Ohio

c)

Montana

d)

North Dakota

13.

What two well-known mountain ranges are part of the Appalachian Mountain system?

a)

Rocky Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains

b)

Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains

c)

Rocky Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains

d)

Sierra Nevada Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains

14.

What has caused the mountains in the Appalachian Mountain system to wear down over time?

a)

glaciers

b)

strong wind

c)

earthquakes

d)

erosion

15.

The term Great Lakes refers to a cluster of _____ huge lakes located in the American Midwest and central Canada.

a)

three

b)

four

c)

five

d)

six

16.

The Missouri and Ohio Rivers are _____ that feed into the Mississippi River, adding to its strength and volume.

a)

locks

b)

seaways

c)

tributaries

d)

canals

17.

Why did the U.S. government build levees along the Mississippi River?

a)

to block sediment from reaching farm fields

b)

to stop erosion of rich sediment from the river

c)

to control flooding and reduce damage to homes and crops

d)

to change the course of the river

18.

The oldest and longest chain of mountains in the eastern United States is the _____.

a)

Black Hills

b)

Rocky Mountains

c)

Coast Mountains

d)

Appalachian Mountains

19.

An area where waterfalls flow from high to lower ground is called a _____.

a)

coastal plain

b)

fall line

c)

flood plain

d)

tributary

20.

Which term refers to ocean storms that span hundreds of miles with winds of at least 74 miles per hour?

a)

tornadoes

b)

tsunamis

c)

hurricanes

d)

monsoons