OCR GCSE Geography B 2027 Predicted Practice Paper — Our Natural World

Answer ALL questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided. You must write down all the stages in your working.

Section A

Global hazards. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-A1 (1 mark)

  The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth's outer shell is divided into large sections that move slowly over time. What name is given to these large moving sections?

  A. Tectonic platesB. Convection currentsC. Fault linesD. Magma chambers

  (Total for Question SECTION-A1 is 1 mark)
• 2

  Question SECTION-A2 (2 marks)

  At a destructive (convergent) plate margin, an oceanic plate meets a continental plate. Explain why the oceanic plate is the one that is subducted beneath the continental plate.

  (Total for Question SECTION-A2 is 2 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-A3 (3 marks)

  A tropical storm named Cyclone Marida forms over the ocean near a group of tropical islands. Explain how warm ocean water contributes to the formation and strengthening of a tropical storm such as Cyclone Marida.

  (Total for Question SECTION-A3 is 3 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-A4 (4 marks)

  Study the following information about two countries affected by a similar magnitude earthquake in the same year. Country X (a higher income country): 42 deaths, most buildings remained standing, aid arrived within hours. Country Y (a lower income country): over 4,000 deaths, widespread building collapse, aid delayed for several days. Using this information and your own knowledge, explain why the impacts of an earthquake are often greater in a lower income country than in a higher income country.

  (Total for Question SECTION-A4 is 4 marks)
• 5

  Question SECTION-A5 (6 marks)

  Assess the extent to which the impacts of a named tectonic hazard event can be reduced by preparation and planning rather than by prediction. Refer to a specific example you have studied (use a general or invented context if you cannot recall a real one).

  (Total for Question SECTION-A5 is 6 marks)

Section B

Changing climate. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-B1 (1 mark)

  Which of the following is a piece of evidence used by scientists to reconstruct the Earth's climate over the last several hundred thousand years, long before instruments recorded temperature?

  A. Ice cores from Antarctica and GreenlandB. Weekly weather forecastsC. Satellite photographs of citiesD. Modern rainfall gauges

  (Total for Question SECTION-B1 is 1 mark)
• 2

  Question SECTION-B2 (3 marks)

  Explain how the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit is thought to contribute to long-term natural changes in the Earth's climate.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B2 is 3 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-B3 (4 marks)

  The graph shows global mean surface temperature rising sharply since about 1850, closely matching the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. Using evidence and your own knowledge, explain how human activities have contributed to the recent increase in global temperatures.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B3 is 4 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-B4 (8 marks)

  "Mitigation (reducing the causes of climate change) is a more effective response to climate change than adaptation (adjusting to its effects)." Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement, using examples of both mitigation and adaptation strategies.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B4 is 8 marks)

Section C

Distinctive landscapes. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-C1 (1 mark)

  In a river's long profile, which term describes the wearing away of the river bed and banks by the load (rocks and sediment) that the river is carrying, as it scrapes and rubs against them?

  A. Abrasion (corrasion)B. Hydraulic actionC. Solution (corrosion)D. Attrition

  (Total for Question SECTION-C1 is 1 mark)
• 2

  Question SECTION-C2 (2 marks)

  Longshore drift transports sediment along a coastline. Describe how the direction of the prevailing wind determines the direction of longshore drift.

  (Total for Question SECTION-C2 is 2 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-C3 (4 marks)

  Explain the sequence of processes by which a waterfall retreats upstream over time to form a gorge.

  (Total for Question SECTION-C3 is 4 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-C4 (6 marks)

  For a named river landscape you have studied (a general or invented example is acceptable), explain how physical factors such as geology, climate and slope have influenced the landforms found there.

  (Total for Question SECTION-C4 is 6 marks)
• 5

  Question SECTION-C5 (6 marks)

  Explain how both physical and human factors can increase the risk of coastal flooding, and outline one management strategy that could reduce this risk.

  (Total for Question SECTION-C5 is 6 marks)

Section D

Sustaining ecosystems and physical geography fieldwork skills. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-D1 (2 marks)

  Define the term 'ecosystem' and give one example of a small-scale ecosystem in the UK.

  (Total for Question SECTION-D1 is 2 marks)
• 2

  Question SECTION-D2 (3 marks)

  Explain how nutrients are cycled within a tropical rainforest ecosystem.

  (Total for Question SECTION-D2 is 3 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-D3 (4 marks)

  A student investigated whether footpath erosion increases with the number of visitors at different points along a nature trail. Explain why the student should use a systematic sampling method (e.g. taking a measurement every 50 metres) rather than choosing measurement points wherever the erosion looked worst.

  (Total for Question SECTION-D3 is 4 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-D4 (4 marks)

  A student measured the width (in cm) of an eroded footpath at seven sample points and recorded: 40, 46, 52, 58, 61, 67, 88. Calculate the interquartile range (IQR) of this data set. Give your answer in cm.

  Your answer

  (Total for Question SECTION-D4 is 4 marks)
• 5

  Question SECTION-D5 (6 marks)

  For a tropical rainforest or another named global ecosystem you have studied (a general or invented example is acceptable), assess how successfully the ecosystem is being managed sustainably.

  (Total for Question SECTION-D5 is 6 marks)