Mark Scheme

Section A — Structured Questions

1. (a) (up to 2) Coastal erosion = the wearing away and removal of rock and material at the coast by the sea (through processes such as hydraulic action, abrasion and attrition). [2] (b) (up to 4) Where hard and soft rock lie in bands along the coast, the softer rock erodes faster, forming bays, while the more resistant hard rock erodes more slowly and is left sticking out as headlands. Differential erosion explained. [4] (c) (up to 4) Longshore drift transports sediment along the coast in a zig-zag; where the coastline changes direction (e.g. a river mouth/bay), deposition builds up a long, narrow ridge of sand/shingle (a spit) extending out; the end may curve (recurved) due to wind/wave direction. [4]

2. (a) (up to 2) Any two: hot all year (about 26–28 °C); very high rainfall (over 2,000 mm a year); humid; little seasonal variation. 1 each. [2] (b) (up to 4) Two adaptations: drip-tip leaves to shed heavy rain; buttress roots for support in thin soils; lianas/climbers and tall trunks to reach light; waxy leaves. 1 + 1 development each. [4] (c) (up to 4) Two causes: logging (timber); clearing for agriculture/cattle ranching or plantations; mining; road building; settlement/population growth. 1 + 1 development each. [4]

3. (a) (up to 2) The population is rising rapidly — from 6 million (1990) to 14 million (2010) and a projected 24 million (2030), so it is more than tripling over the period. Must use the figures/trend. [2] (b) (up to 4) Two reasons: rural-to-urban migration (people move to cities for jobs, services, education — pull factors, and push factors like rural poverty); natural increase (a young urban population with high birth rates). 1 + 1 development each. [4] (c) (up to 6) Two challenges developed: growth of squatter settlements/slums (poor housing, no clean water/sanitation → disease); pressure on services and jobs (unemployment, overcrowded schools/hospitals); traffic congestion and pollution; waste management. 3 marks each (challenge + explanation of the effect on people). [6]

4. (a) (up to 2) The greenhouse effect = greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap heat (outgoing long-wave radiation) from the Earth, keeping the planet warm; increasing these gases enhances the effect and warms the planet. [2] (b) (up to 4) Two activities: burning fossil fuels (for electricity, industry, transport) releasing CO₂; deforestation (fewer trees to absorb CO₂, and burning releases it); agriculture (methane from livestock/rice); industry. 1 + 1 development each. [4] (c) (up to 6) Two ways developed — mitigation (reduce causes): renewable energy, energy efficiency, planting trees, reducing car use; adaptation (cope with effects): sea defences, drought-resistant crops, water management, flood warnings. 3 marks each (method + how it helps). [6]

Section B — Extended Response

5. (16 marks) Levels-marked discussion.

• Opportunities/benefits: jobs and higher incomes; better access to services (education, healthcare); economic growth for the country; social opportunities; industry and investment.
• Problems/challenges: slums/squatter settlements with poor sanitation and disease; unemployment and poverty; congestion, pollution and pressure on services; inequality.
• Judgement: weigh both sides — growth brings real opportunities but also serious challenges, often depending on how well it is managed (planning, investment in housing and services); engage with "more problems than benefits."
• Level 4 (13–16): balanced discussion of opportunities and challenges with a justified conclusion; Level 3 (9–12): several developed points; Level 2 (5–8): limited/one-sided; Level 1 (1–4): basic. Credit examples.

Sample Answers with Examiner Commentary

Question 1(c) — Sample Answers

Grade A response. "A spit forms through the process of longshore drift, which transports sediment along the coast. Waves approach the beach at an angle (because of the prevailing wind) and the swash carries material up the beach at that angle, while the backwash pulls it straight back down under gravity; repeated, this moves sediment along the coast in a zig-zag pattern. Where the coastline suddenly changes direction — for example at a river mouth or a bay — the sediment continues to be deposited out into the open water, building up a long, narrow ridge of sand and shingle called a spit. If the wind and wave direction change, the end of the spit may curve round to form a recurved (hooked) end, and a sheltered area of mud may build up behind it to form a salt marsh."

Mark: 4/4. Examiner commentary: A full-mark answer that explains the whole sequence correctly: the zig-zag movement of longshore drift (swash at an angle, backwash straight down), continued deposition where the coast changes direction, and the build-up of a spit, with the well-observed extra detail of a recurved end and salt marsh behind. Explaining how longshore drift works and why deposition occurs where the coastline bends, rather than just naming the process, is exactly what earns the marks.

Grade C response. "A spit is made when longshore drift moves sand along the coast and it builds up in the sea to make a long thin piece of land."

Mark: 2/4. Examiner commentary: The candidate correctly links spit formation to longshore drift and describes the result — a long, thin build-up of sand — which earns two marks. However, the explanation is incomplete: it does not explain how longshore drift moves material (the zig-zag of swash and backwash) or why the spit forms where the coastline changes direction. Adding the process of longshore drift and the point about the coast changing direction would gain the remaining marks.

Question 3(c) — Sample Answers

Grade A response (extract). "One major challenge of rapid urban growth is the development of squatter settlements, or slums. Because so many people arrive faster than housing can be built, they end up living in overcrowded, self-built shacks, often without clean water, sanitation or electricity; this leads to the spread of disease and very poor living conditions. A second challenge is the pressure that rapid growth puts on jobs and services. There are not enough formal jobs for everyone, so many people have to work in the informal sector with low, insecure incomes, and schools, hospitals and transport systems become overcrowded and unable to cope, which lowers the quality of life for the city's residents."

Mark: 6/6. Examiner commentary: A full-mark answer. Two distinct challenges (slum/squatter settlements and pressure on jobs and services) are each developed with a clear cause-and-effect chain — people arriving faster than housing can be built leading to disease, and too few formal jobs leading to informal, insecure work and overstretched services. Explaining the consequence of each challenge for the people living there, rather than just naming problems, is precisely what the six-mark question rewards.

Grade C response. "There will be too many people so there won't be enough houses and jobs. The city will be very crowded and there might be pollution."

Mark: 3/6. Examiner commentary: The candidate identifies valid challenges — housing and job shortages, overcrowding and pollution — earning three marks. However, the points are listed rather than developed. To reach full marks, two challenges should each be explained with their effect on people: for example, how a housing shortage leads to slums without clean water and therefore disease, or how too few jobs pushes people into low-paid informal work. Developing two challenges fully, rather than listing several briefly, is what gains the remaining marks.