AP Human Geography : Mixed Farming

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

Which of the following types of farming is not historically prevalent in the United States of America?

Possible Answers:

Grain farming

Livestock ranching

Dairy farming

None of the other answers

Mixed-crop farming

Correct answer:

None of the other answers

Explanation:

Mixed-crop farming, livestock ranching, dairy farming, and grain farming are all historically prevalent in the United States of America.

Example Question #2 : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

What name is given to the method of growing crops in nutrient solutions rather than in soil?

Possible Answers:

Salinization

Genetic modification

Hydroponics

Irrigation

Collectivization

Correct answer:

Hydroponics

Explanation:

“Hydroponics” is the name given to the method of growing crops in nutrient solutions instead of in soil. This allows food to be grown in arid climates and increases the geographic range in which many crops can be grown. It is common, for example, in desert climates where the soil is harsh and unforgiving.

Example Question #1 : Mixed Farming

For which of these purposes is a combine used?

Possible Answers:

Modifying crops

Protecting crops

Planting crops

Harvesting crops

Destroying crops

Correct answer:

Harvesting crops

Explanation:

A “combine,” also commonly called a “combine harvester,” is used to harvest crops such as wheat, corn, oats, and barley. Its name is derived from the fact that it “combines” the three steps of harvesting in one machine - reaping, threshing, and winnowing. Combine harvesters are commonly used in the developed world, but remain uncommon in the developing world.

Example Question #11 : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

Which of these animals is most likely to be raised in a “feedlot?”

Possible Answers:

Cows

Chickens

Sheep

Horses

Goats

Correct answer:

Chickens

Explanation:

A “feedlot” is the name given to livestock farming that has been concentrated into a relatively small area. Animals in feedlots are fed hormones to accelerate their growth and are generally kept in extremely close proximity to other animals of their kind. This has numerous benefits for the farmer, but of course raises moral and environmental questions. Chickens are most likely to be raised in feedlots because they can survive without any space and respond dramatically to hormone treatments.

Example Question #1 : Mixed Farming

Which of these statements about intensive farming is false?

Possible Answers:

It requires a large amount of labor

None of these

It is common in countries like the United Kingdom and the Netherlands

It is carried out in relatively densely populated areas

Land holdings are smaller than in extensive farming

Correct answer:

None of these

Explanation:

Intensive farming is distinct from extensive farming. Intensive farming is carried out in relatively densely populated areas, like the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It involves smaller land holdings than in extensive farming and requires a relatively large amount of manual labor. Thus none of these answer choices are false.

Example Question #11 : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

What name is given to husks of grain and corn that have been separated from the seed of the plant?

Possible Answers:

Cleavage

Chaff

Hull

Fallow

Soft

Correct answer:

Chaff

Explanation:

“Chaff” is the name given to the thin outer protective casing in which husks of corn, grain, or rice are encased. The process of separating the chaff from the crop that can be consumed is called “winnowing.” Fallow describes land that is left unsown in order to restore its fertility. The hull is the exterior of a fruit or seed. 

Example Question #1 : Mixed Farming

The process of removing chaff by allowing it to be blown away by the wind is called __________.

Possible Answers:

Salinization

Mollification

Winnowing

Threshing

Monoculture

Correct answer:

Winnowing

Explanation:

The process of removing the chaff from a crop like grain, wheat, or rice by allowing it to be blown away by the wind is called “winnowing.” Mollification refers to the softening of a substance like soil. Threshing involves the separation of grains or seeds from their plant by mechanical means, such as with a threshing machine. Salinization is the process by which solutes accumulate in soil as a result of water evaporation, which leaves the soil unfavorable for agriculture. Monoculture involves the growth of a single crop within a given area.

Example Question #1 : Mixed Farming

In the developed world the majority of commercial grain farming is used to __________.

Possible Answers:

None of these answers are accurate.

feed livestock

feed the developed world

feed the developing world

accelerate scientific progress

Correct answer:

feed livestock

Explanation:

In the developed world, particularly in Western Europe, the majority of commercial grain farming is used to feed livestock. This is because it is more profitable to raise meat products than it is to grow grain; so grain is grown and fed to livestock, which is in turn culled and sold on the market.

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