Practice 3.1 Global trends in consumption with authentic IB Geography exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like physical geography, human geography, and geospatial analysis. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
Paper
Level
Question 1
SL & HLPaper 2
SECTION A
Answer all questions Answers must be written within the answer boxes provided When relevant, answers should refer to case studies or examples, and where appropriate include well-drawn maps or diagrams. Global Resource Consumption and Security
1.[2]
Outline one way in which a linear economic model contributes to long-term environmental degradation.
2.[2]
Suggest two reasons why global efforts to improve water security often fail in low-income or politically unstable regions.
3.[2]
Explain how the growing demand for rare earth elements and critical minerals might create new global inequalities or tensions.
Question 2
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[4]
Suggest two ways in which current global patterns of food consumption are contributing to long-term resource insecurity.
2.[6]
Discuss how energy insecurity can create geopolitical tensions at both regional and global scales.
3.[2]
The map shows the embodied energy trade
Source: Sankey Diagrams
Suggest two reasons why some regions import more energy than they produce domestically.
4.[4]
Using specific examples from the map, examine how energy trade flows reflect patterns of global inequality in production and consumption.
5.[4]
Suggest two reasons why energy-exporting regions may remain economically or politically vulnerable despite their resource advantage.
Question 3
SL & HLPaper 1
The diagram shows the projected changes in global food production and population growth from 2020 to 2050. The y-axis represents the percentage change, and the x-axis represents the years from 2020 to 2050.
1.[1]
State the percentage change in global food production in the year 2035
2.[1]
Identify the percentage change difference between global food production and population growth in 2040
3.[2]
Describe the trends in global food production and population growth from 2020 to 2050 as shown in the diagram.
4.[6]
Explain two possible reasons for the slowdown in the rate of increase in global food production after 2040.
5.[10]
Evaluate the effectiveness of one technological and one policy intervention that could help address the projected mismatch between global food production and population growth.
Question 4
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[2]
Define the term resource security.
2.[4]
Explain two benefits of transitioning to renewable energy sources.
3.[4]
Suggest two reasons why energy demand is increasing globally.
4.[1]
The map shows the Global State of Food Security 2022
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
Identify one country with a food security index score of 80 or above.
5.[2]
Name one country with a high food security score and one country with a low food security score, based on the map.
6.[3]
Describe the global pattern of food security shown on the map.
7.[4]
Suggest two reasons why countries in Sub-Saharan Africa tend to score lower on the Global Food Security Index.
Question 5
HLPaper 2
1.[4]
Explain two reasons how global development processes affect resource availability and consumption.
Question 6
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[4]
Explain the concept of "biocapacity" and its relationship to ecological footprint.
Question 7
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[2]
Define the term "resource security".
2.[3]
State three factors that can affect a country's food security.
Question 8
SL & HLPaper 3
The following data shows the projected global energy consumption by source from 2020 to 2050. The energy consumption is measured in quadrillion BTUs.
| Year | Coal | Natural Gas | Renewables | Nuclear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 150 | 180 | 80 | 30 |
| 2030 | 130 | 200 | 120 | 32 |
| 2040 | 110 | 220 | 180 | 33 |
| 2050 | 90 | 240 | 260 | 35 |
Using this data, answer the following questions about global energy consumption trends and their implications.
1.[4]
Describe the trends in global energy consumption by source from 2020 to 2050 as shown in the data.
2.[6]
Explain two possible reasons for the significant rise in renewable energy consumption from 2020 to 2050.
3.[10]
Discuss the potential environmental and economic impacts of the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
4.[10]
Evaluate the effectiveness of one technological and one policy intervention that could help accelerate the transition to renewable energy.
Question 9
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[2]
Define the term water scarcity.
2.[2]
Define the term energy security.
3.[2]
Define the term circular economy.
4.[4]
Suggest two reasons why the ecological footprint of a city might be higher than that of a rural area.
5.[1]
The map shows the countries with proven oil reserves (in millions of barrels)
Source: US EIA
Identify one country with over 200,000 million barrels of oil reserves.
6.[1]
Identify one continent where most countries have less than 10,000 million barrels of oil reserves.
7.[4]
Describe the global pattern of oil reserves shown on the map.
8.[4]
Suggest two ways in which having large oil reserves might affect a country’s development.
Question 10
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[2]
Define the term "ecological footprint" and explain its significance in understanding resource consumption.