2022 HKDSE Geography Practice Paper | DSE Mock

Which of the following conditions favor the development of a wave-cut platform?
(1) Active hydraulic action and abrasion
(2) Steep coastal profile
(3) Continuous rapid deposition of sediments
(4) Waves approaching parallel to the coastline

Which of the following are the major obstacles to implementing "redevelopment" compared to "rehabilitation" in old urban areas of Hong Kong?
(1) Fragmented property ownership
(2) High financial compensation costs
(3) Complete loss of local social networks
(4) Inability to improve the local road network

The biomass, soil, and litter are the three major nutrient pools in a terrestrial ecosystem. If large-scale commercial logging is carried out in an undisturbed tropical rainforest, how will the biomass pool and soil pool change?

Which of the following flowcharts correctly represents the positive feedback loop of melting Arctic sea ice?

A group of students wants to investigate the "urban heat island effect" in a commercial district. Which of the following data collection methods can minimize the influence of extraneous variables?
(1) Measuring air temperature at different sites at the same time of day.
(2) Placing the digital thermometer under direct sunlight at all sites.
(3) Taking temperature readings at a standard height of 1.5 meters above ground.
(4) Selecting sites with identical wind directions and speeds.

Which of the following reasons explain why the Shougang Group relocated its production plant from Beijing to Caofeidian (Hebei Province) in the 2000s?
(1) To reduce air pollution in the capital city before the Olympic Games.
(2) To utilize the deep-water port at Caofeidian for importing iron ore.
(3) To be closer to the market in Western China.
(4) To exploit the rich local iron ore deposits in Caofeidian.

Which of the following is a human-induced root cause of chronic food shortage in the Sahel region?

Which of the following physical conditions in Hong Kong make its hillslopes highly susceptible to mass wasting?
(1) Deeply weathered granitic rocks
(2) High density of vegetation cover
(3) Intense rainfall during summer monsoons
(4) Gentle slope gradients in suburban areas

Which of the following sets of atmospheric and oceanic conditions is essential for the formation of a typhoon in the western North Pacific?

Which of the following factors has driven the industrial restructuring of the Zhujiang Delta (PRD) region from "labor-intensive" to "high-tech" industries since the 2000s?
(1) Increasing land prices and labor wages in the PRD
(2) The implementation of the "Double Transfer" policy by the Guangdong government
(3) The discovery of rich local mineral resources in the PRD
(4) The appreciation of the Renminbi making export of cheap goods less competitive

Which of the following statements about constructive waves are correct?
1. The swash is stronger than the backwash.
2. They have a high wave frequency of over 15 waves per minute.
3. They are associated with the formation of depositional coastal landforms.

Which of the following is a key environmental benefit of 'rehabilitation' compared to 'redevelopment' in the urban renewal of Hong Kong?

Despite the massive biomass in tropical rainforests, the soil nutrient pool is relatively small. Which of the following are the reasons for this phenomenon?
1. Rapid nutrient uptake by dense and abundant vegetation.
2. Intense leaching of soil nutrients caused by heavy rainfall.
3. A very slow rate of organic decomposition on the forest floor.

Arrange the following processes in the correct sequence to show how the positive ice-albedo feedback loop accelerates global warming:
1. Decrease in surface albedo
2. Rise in global temperature
3. Melting of glaciers and sea ice
4. Increase in absorption of solar radiation

A student group planned a fieldwork study to investigate how traffic noise levels vary with distance away from a busy main road in Mong Kok. Which sampling method is the most appropriate for selecting the measurement locations?

Which of the following factors best explains why major iron and steel plants in China have increasingly relocated to coastal areas since the late 20th century?
1. To utilize local iron ore resources along the coast.
2. To facilitate the import of high-grade raw materials by sea.
3. To access large domestic and international consumer markets.

In the Sahel region of Africa, which of the following are human-induced factors that aggravate soil degradation and lead to severe food shortages?
1. Overgrazing due to growing livestock populations.
2. High variability of annual rainfall.
3. Excessive cultivation of marginal land for cash crops.

How does heavy and prolonged rainfall trigger a landslide on a soil slope in Hong Kong?
1. It increases the weight (surcharge) of the soil.
2. It increases pore water pressure, reducing the shear strength of the soil.
3. It causes rapid chemical weathering, immediately reducing the cohesion of the soil.

Which of the following physical conditions are necessary for the formation of a tropical cyclone?
1. Sea surface temperature of at least \(26.5^\circ\text{C}\).
2. Location at least \(5^\circ\) latitude away from the Equator.
3. Strong vertical wind shear throughout the troposphere.

Which of the following are the main factors driving industrial restructuring and upgrading in the Zhujiang (Pearl River) Delta since the 2000s?
1. Escalating labor and land costs.
2. Implementation of stricter environmental protection regulations.
3. Exhaustion of local coal and iron resources in the region.

Sandy Bay is a micro-tidal coastal region experiencing a steady northward longshore drift. In 2015, a large offshore breakwater and a deep-water port were constructed to support regional trade. Table 1 shows the shoreline change rates (meters/year) at four monitoring stations (A, B, C, and D) along Sandy Bay before and after the construction of the breakwater. A positive value (+) indicates accretion (deposition), while a negative value (-) indicates erosion.

Table 1:
Station | Position relative to Breakwater | Shoreline Change Rate before 2015 (m/yr) | Shoreline Change Rate after 2015 (m/yr)
A | Updrift (North) | +0.5 | +2.1
B | Just behind Breakwater | +0.2 | +4.5
C | Downdrift (South, near-port) | -0.1 | -3.8
D | Far Downdrift (South) | -0.2 | -1.2

(a) (i) Describe the changes in the shoreline change rate at Sandy Bay after the construction of the breakwater in 2015. (3 marks)
(a) (ii) Explain the physical processes leading to the high accretion rate at Station B and the severe erosion at Station C. (5 marks)
(b) Apart from shoreline retreat, explain how the disruption of sediment transport might affect the coastal ecosystem of Sandy Bay. (4 marks)
(c) "Beach nourishment is a more sustainable alternative than constructing seawalls to mitigate erosion at Station C." Discuss this statement with reference to economic and environmental sustainability. (6 marks)

Table 2 shows the soil ecological indicators under three different land-use types in a tropical rainforest region in Southeast Asia.

Table 2:
Land-use Type | Soil Organic Matter (%) | Litter Biomass (t/ha) | Soil Erosion Rate (t/ha/yr)
Primary Rainforest | 4.8 | 12.5 | 0.2
Shifting Cultivation (2-year fallow) | 2.1 | 3.2 | 15.4
Oil Palm Monoculture | 1.5 | 1.1 | 28.0

(a) Compare the soil organic matter, litter biomass, and soil erosion rates among the three land-use types shown in Table 2. (4 marks)
(b) With reference to the Gersmehl diagram of a tropical rainforest, explain why shifting cultivation and oil palm monoculture lead to a significant decline in soil organic matter and litter biomass. (6 marks)
(c) Explain how oil palm monoculture disrupts the nutrient cycle and energy flow of the tropical rainforest ecosystem. (4 marks)
(d) Evaluate whether agroforestry is a sustainable solution to balance economic development and ecological conservation in tropical rainforest regions. (4 marks)

Explain how the expansion of commercial agriculture leads to the degradation of tropical rainforest ecosystems. Discuss whether international market-based mechanisms (such as eco-labeling and REDD+) are effective in conserving these rainforests.

Sandy Bay is a coastal area known for its scenic sandy beach and a prominent spit extending across the mouth of an adjacent estuary.

(a) Describe and explain the formation of the spit at Sandy Bay. (5 marks)

(b) A deepwater port with a long breakwater has recently been constructed updrift of Sandy Bay. Explain how this construction might disrupt the coastal processes and affect the beach and the spit. (7 marks)

(c) To mitigate the coastal erosion, the local government is considering beach nourishment instead of constructing seawalls. Discuss the effectiveness of using beach nourishment (soft engineering) over seawalls (hard engineering) in protecting Sandy Bay. (6 marks)

Explain how geological factors and wave action interact to form erosional coastal landforms. Discuss the effectiveness of hard engineering measures in protecting these coastal areas from erosion.