AP Human Geography Practice Quiz: Introduction to Culture
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 10 questions to check your progress.
Question 1 of 10
All Questions (10)
A) The shared practices, technologies, attitudes, and behaviors transmitted by a society.
B) The genetic and biological attributes of a specific population.
C) The unique, personal beliefs of an individual not shared with others.
D) A country's political structure and economic system, independent of social norms.
Correct Answer: A
The provided content explicitly defines culture as 'the shared practices, technologies, attitudes, and behaviors transmitted by a society.' The other options describe genetics, individual beliefs, or isolated political/economic systems, which are not the holistic geographic definition of culture.
A) The average annual temperature of a region.
B) The natural course of a river through a valley.
C) The dominant style of residential architecture in a city.
D) The location of tectonic plates in a country.
Correct Answer: C
The content lists architecture as a specific example of a cultural trait. Temperature, river courses, and tectonic plates are elements of the physical environment, not traits transmitted by a society.
A) Cultural relativism
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Cultural transmission
D) Shared practice
Correct Answer: B
Ethnocentrism is the attitude of judging another culture based on the preconceptions and standards of one's own culture. Cultural relativism is the opposite, attempting to understand a culture on its own terms.
A) Ethnocentrism
B) Cultural relativism
C) Technological determinism
D) Behavioral analysis
Correct Answer: B
Cultural relativism is the practice of viewing a culture by its own standards and context, rather than judging it from an outside perspective. This approach aligns with understanding practices from the viewpoint of the people themselves.
A) The way a society farms and utilizes the land.
B) The common language and communication styles used by a group.
C) The inherited eye color and hair texture of a population.
D) The tools and technologies a society develops and uses.
Correct Answer: C
Culture comprises learned and transmitted behaviors, practices, and technologies. Inherited physical traits like eye and hair color are biological, not cultural.
A) Instinctual and genetically determined.
B) Learned from other members of the society.
C) Universally the same across all societies.
D) Developed individually without social influence.
Correct Answer: B
The term 'transmitted' suggests a process of passing something from one person or group to another. In the context of culture, this means it is learned through social interaction, education, and observation, not inherited biologically or created in isolation.
A) A geographer noting the high elevation of a mountain range.
B) A society's preference for building homes with steep roofs in snowy areas.
C) An individual's decision to disagree with their family's political views.
D) A government passing a law that is unpopular with its citizens.
Correct Answer: B
A preference for a specific architectural style (steep roofs) that is shared within a society and reflects an adaptation or tradition is a clear example of a cultural trait, as it involves shared practices and architecture.
A) economic development of the society being studied.
B) number of cultural traits being compared.
C) perspective or standard used to evaluate cultural differences.
D) geographical distance between the observer and the culture.
Correct Answer: C
The core distinction lies in the frame of reference. Ethnocentrism uses one's own culture as the standard for judgment, while cultural relativism uses the observed culture's own internal context and standards for understanding.
A) the way a society interacts with its physical environment is a part of its culture.
B) all societies with similar environments will have identical cultures.
C) land use patterns are genetically inherited from one generation to the next.
D) culture is determined solely by the physical landscape.
Correct Answer: A
By categorizing land use as a cultural trait, geographers recognize that decisions about how to farm, build, and manage the environment are shared behaviors and practices transmitted within a society, reflecting its values and technologies.
A) Modernism and traditionalism
B) Individualism and collectivism
C) Cultural relativism and ethnocentrism
D) Shared practices and unique behaviors
Correct Answer: C
The text explicitly states, 'Cultural relativism and ethnocentrism are different attitudes toward cultural difference.' The other pairs represent different cultural dimensions but are not the specific attitudes toward difference mentioned.