Based on IGCSE Geography Topic 1.2: River Landforms
Choose the best answer for each question
Time suggested: 45 minutes
Instructions: Read each question carefully and select the best answer. This test covers the formation, characteristics, and location of river landforms from upper, middle, and lower course environments.
Upper Course Landforms
Question 1
V-shaped valleys are primarily formed by which process?
A) Deposition of sediment during floods
B) Glacial erosion during ice ages
C) Vertical erosion by rivers combined with weathering of valley sides
D) Lateral erosion by rivers
Question 2
Why do rivers in mountainous areas flow around hills rather than cutting straight through them?
A) It’s easier to cut downward than to cut horizontally through solid rock
B) Rivers prefer curved paths to straight ones
C) Rivers always follow the steepest path
D) Mountains are made of soft rock that erodes quickly
Question 3
What geological condition is essential for waterfall formation?
A) Soft rock overlying hard rock
B) A river flowing through a valley
C) A river flowing over flat, uniform rock
D) Hard rock overlying soft rock
Question 4
What is a plunge pool?
A) A pool formed by river meanders
B) A pool created by glacial erosion
C) A deep pool created by falling water at the base of a waterfall
D) A shallow area above a waterfall
Question 5
How do waterfalls retreat upstream?
A) The river changes its course
B) Sediment builds up behind the waterfall
C) Water pressure pushes the waterfall backward
D) Soft rock underneath the hard rock is eroded, causing the hard rock to collapse
Question 6
What type of landform is created when a waterfall retreats over thousands of years?
A) A gorge
B) A floodplain
C) A V-shaped valley
D) A meander
Question 7
Potholes in riverbeds are formed by:
A) Chemical weathering of rock
B) Freeze-thaw weathering
C) Stones spinning in circular depressions due to water currents
D) Fish digging holes in the riverbed
Question 8
What are interlocking spurs?
A) Deposits left by rivers in mountainous areas
B) Pre-existing hills that rivers flow around, creating a zigzag pattern
C) Landforms created by river erosion
D) Steep cliffs created by waterfall erosion
Middle and Lower Course Landforms
Question 9
Why does water flow faster on the outside of a river bend?
A) The outside of the bend has a longer distance to travel
B) The outside of the bend is deeper
C) The outside of the bend has more obstacles
D) The outside of the bend is steeper
Question 10
What is helicoidal flow?
A) Water flowing backward upstream
B) Water spiraling from the outside to the inside of a meander
C) Water flowing only on the surface
D) Water flowing in a straight line
Question 11
What is a slip-off slope?
A) A gentle slope on the inside of a meander where sediment is deposited
B) A steep bank on the outside of a meander
C) A cliff formed by waterfall erosion
D) A slope created by mass movement
Question 12
How does an oxbow lake form?
A) A river dries up completely
B) A meander becomes so extreme that the river cuts through the neck, isolating the old bend
C) Glaciers carve out a lake basin
D) Humans build a dam across a river
Question 13
What typically triggers the formation of an oxbow lake?
A) Human interference
B) A major flood event
C) An earthquake
D) A drought period
Question 14
Why are floodplains considered fertile?
A) They are made of nutrient-rich alluvium deposited during floods
B) They are protected from wind
C) They have perfect drainage
D) They receive lots of sunlight
Question 15
How are floodplains widened over time?
A) Meanders migrate back and forth across the valley floor
B) Wind erosion widens the valley
C) Rivers flow straight and cut downward
D) Glaciers scrape out wide valleys
Question 16
What happens to sediment when flood water slows down on a floodplain?
A) It is carried further downstream
B) It dissolves completely
C) It evaporates with the water
D) It is deposited, with the heaviest particles dropped first
Question 17
Natural levées are formed by:
A) Human construction along riverbanks
B) Animals building barriers along rivers
C) Heavy sediment being deposited close to the river channel during floods
D) Erosion cutting into the riverbanks
Question 18
Why do natural levées make flooding more dangerous?
A) They make rivers flow faster
B) They attract more rainfall
C) They hold more water in the channel, so if they break, water falls from a greater height
D) They prevent water from reaching the sea
Deltas and River Mouths
Question 19
What conditions are necessary for delta formation?
A) Rivers carrying lots of sediment entering calm water bodies
B) Fast-flowing rivers and rough seas
C) Rivers flowing through hard rock areas
D) Rivers in very cold climates
Question 20
What are distributaries?
A) Artificial channels built by humans
B) Rivers that join the main river
C) Underground water channels
D) Multiple channels that a river splits into as it flows through a delta
Question 21
Why does a river’s velocity decrease when it enters the sea or a lake?
A) The water becomes saltier
B) The river spreads out into a larger body of water
C) The riverbed becomes steeper
D) The water becomes colder
Landform Identification and Location
Question 22
Which landforms would you expect to find in the upper course of a river?
A) Meanders and oxbow lakes
B) Floodplains and deltas
C) V-shaped valleys and waterfalls
D) Levées and point bars
Question 23
What is the main difference between upper course and lower course river processes?
A) Upper course has more deposition, lower course has more erosion
B) There is no significant difference
C) Upper course focuses on vertical erosion, lower course focuses on lateral erosion and deposition
D) Upper course rivers flow slower than lower course rivers
Question 24
A student sees a river with a narrow channel, steep valley sides, and large boulders in the channel. This is most likely:
A) An artificial channel
B) An upper course river
C) A middle course river
D) A lower course river
Question 25
What evidence would suggest that a valley was formed by river erosion rather than glacial erosion?
A) Very wide, flat bottom
B) A U-shaped cross-section
C) Perfectly straight valley sides
D) A V-shaped cross-section with interlocking spurs
Processes and Formation
Question 26
What role does mass movement play in V-shaped valley formation?
A) It stops erosion from occurring
B) It creates the river channel
C) It creates waterfalls
D) It moves weathered material from valley sides down to the river
Question 27
Why do meanders tend to become larger over time?
A) Human activities make them bigger
B) Climate change affects river flow
C) Rivers naturally prefer curved paths
D) Continuous erosion on the outside and deposition on the inside of bends
Question 28
The term “alluvium” refers to:
A) The speed of water flow
B) The source of a river
C) Hard rock found in mountain areas
D) Fine, fertile sediment deposited by rivers
Question 29
What is the main reason why not all rivers form deltas?
A) Some rivers don’t reach the sea
B) All rivers are too small
C) Waves and currents may wash away sediment before it can accumulate
D) Deltas only form in tropical climates
Question 30
A geography student observes a crescent-shaped lake next to a meandering river. This feature is most likely:
