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Date May 2018 Marks available 2 Reference code 18M.2.bp.13
Level SL and HL Paper 2 Time zone
Command term Outline Question number 13 Adapted from N/A

Question

This Lorenz curve shows the distribution of wealth in a South American city.

[Source: © 2010. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Lorenz Curve of the Distribution of Residential Wealth by Housing Value Groups in Metro Rio, D Vetter et al.]

Describe what line A represents.

[1]
a.i.

Estimate what percentage of the city’s total wealth belongs to the wealthiest 10 % of households.

[1]
a.ii.

Referring to the graph, outline the evidence that many households in this city suffer from poverty.

[2]
a.iii.

Explain why people’s choice of residential location within a city might be influenced by their ethnicity.

[3]
b.i.

Explain why people’s choice of residential location within a city might be influenced by their family status (stage in lifecycle).

[3]
b.ii.

Evaluate the success of one strategy designed to sustainably manage pollution in one named urban area.

[10]
c.

Markscheme

It shows equality in the distribution of wealth by households/a line of perfect equality [1].

a.i.

32 % (Allow 30–33%) [1]

a.ii.

Award [1] for valid evidence, and [1] for further development, including development of numerical evidence.

For example: The 25 % of households that are least wealthy share less than 1 % of the wealth [1]. This means that many households will be living on very few dollars a day equivalent and struggling to survive [1].

a.iii.

Award [1] for a description of how residential areas vary in terms of ethnicity and a further [2] for development/exemplification of the reason(s).

For example, in many cities, such as London, there are clusters of ethnic groups, such as South Koreans in New Malden [1]. Many Koreans choose to live there as there are Korean restaurants/supermarkets [1] as there is sufficient demand to support such specialist facilities [1].

Ethnic groups may also be segregated for negative reasons, eg poverty or due to discrimination.

b.i.

Award [1] for a description of how residential areas vary in terms of family status and a further [2] for development/exemplification of the reason(s).

Family status refers to whether a person is single, married, married with children, and describes how their housing needs vary depending on the size of the family.

For example: In some countries, single people may live in more central areas [1] in rented accommodation close to work/entertainment/education [1] whereas married couples may move towards the quieter suburbs [1].

b.ii.

Answers should refer to one named strategy, which can relate to one more types of urban pollution (atmospheric, noise, waste, water pollution, visual etc). The strategy may have multiple strands, eg integrated transport management, promotion of public transport, renewable forms of energy. The pollution management strategy could be part of a holistic approach to achieve sustainable development (circular systems)/reduce pollution, eg Beijing and the 2008 Olympic games.

Good candidates might evaluate success from different perspectives, eg businesses may resent costs of tackling pollution. Another approach might be to evaluate environmental and social benefits in relation to economic costs (making use of a sustainability framework). Another approach might be to evaluate the durability of any success (this depends on sustained political will, the ability to afford it/police it/perceived benefits).

At band D, expect a description of a pollution strategy in a named urban area.

At band E, expect either more detail or explanation of a pollution strategy in a named urban area, or an attempt to evaluate its success.

At band F, expect both.

Marks should be allocated according to the Paper 2 HL and SL markbands.

c.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.i.
[N/A]
a.ii.
[N/A]
a.iii.
[N/A]
b.i.
[N/A]
b.ii.
[N/A]
c.

Syllabus sections

Optional themes » Option G: Urban environments » Urban stress » Other types of environmental and social stress

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