Lesson Y7-U03-L03

Y7-U03-L03 From Source to Mouth: The Long Profile Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y7-U03-L03, From Source to Mouth: The Long Profile: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 3: Year 7: Rivers and the Water Cycle, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the place where a river starts called, and where is it usually found?

    • The source, usually high up in the hills or mountains
    • The mouth, where the river meets the sea or a lake
    • The gradient, which is the steepness of the land
    • The tributary, a smaller stream that joins the river

  2. What is the mouth of a river?

    • The steep slope that the river flows down near its start
    • The place where a river ends and meets the sea or a lake
    • The place where a river starts, often high in the hills
    • A smaller stream that joins the main river from the side

  3. What is a long profile?

    • A map view of a river seen from directly above it
    • A side-on graph of a river from its source to its mouth
    • A graph of rainfall totals recorded along a valley floor
    • A table listing the width of a river at each bridge

  4. On a long profile graph, which axis shows the height of the land?

    • The right axis, showing the width of the river channel
    • The along axis, showing distance travelled from the source
    • The left axis, showing how many tributaries join the river
    • The up axis, showing height above sea level

  5. On a long profile graph, where is the source shown?

    • At the right-hand end, where the distance is largest
    • At the left-hand end, where the distance is zero
    • In the middle of the graph, halfway along the distance
    • At the bottom of the graph, where the height is lowest

  6. What does a steep gradient mean?

    • The river has no tributaries joining it along its course
    • The land stays almost flat over a long distance
    • The land drops quickly over a short distance
    • The river is at sea level along its whole length

  7. Which of these is a tributary?

    • The long profile graph drawn to show the river
    • A smaller stream that flows into a bigger river
    • The mouth of the river, where it reaches the sea
    • The source of the river, high up in the hills

  8. Where is a river's gradient usually steepest?

    • In the middle of the course, on a flat plain
    • Evenly along the whole river from start to finish
    • Near the source, high up in the hills
    • Near the mouth, where the river meets the sea

  9. On a long profile, a part of the line is almost flat on the right-hand side. What does this show about that part of the river?

    • The river is very steep and fast-flowing there
    • The river is at its source, high in the hills
    • The land is low and the gradient is gentle there
    • The river has no tributaries joining it at that point

  10. Which statement about a river's journey from source to mouth is correct?

    • The river flows downhill from a high source to a low mouth
    • The river stays the same width and depth along its length
    • The river flows uphill from the source to the mouth
    • The river gets steeper and narrower as it approaches the sea

  11. A pupil says a river is widest at its source. What is the best correction?

    • The river is widest at the source because it flows fastest there
    • The river is the same width at the source and the mouth
    • The river is widest at the mouth and narrowest at the source
    • The source is widest because all the rain collects there

  12. Why does a river usually get wider as it flows towards the sea?

    • The river stops flowing and spreads out into lakes
    • The gradient becomes steeper and the channel narrows
    • Tributaries join it and add more water to the channel
    • Evaporation removes water from the upper course

  13. Which change is most likely to happen from source to mouth?

    • The river becomes deeper and wider as it flows downstream
    • The river loses all its water before it reaches the sea
    • The river becomes narrower and shallower downstream
    • The land becomes steeper and higher near the mouth

  14. Near the source of a river, what is the most likely channel shape?

    • A narrow channel on steep, high land
    • A broad channel across a flat, low plain
    • A wide channel with many tributaries joining it
    • A wide, deep channel with a very gentle slope

  15. In a card sort, where should 'wide channel' and 'gentle gradient' be placed?

    • Source, because rivers always start with wide channels
    • Mouth, because it is close to the source of the river
    • Mouth, because the river is wide and flows over gentle land
    • Source, because the land there is high and steep

  16. Which factor best explains why a river such as the Thames is wide and deep enough for large boats near its mouth?

    • It has lost its tributaries before reaching the estuary
    • It starts on a steep slope in high hills near its source
    • It drops straight over a waterfall into the sea there
    • It has collected water from many tributaries along its course

  17. On a long profile, the line starts very high and drops sharply before becoming flat. Which part of the river does this describe?

    • The lower course, close to the sea
    • The upper course, near the source
    • The mouth, where the land is low
    • The middle course, on a wide plain

  18. Which change makes a river carry more water as it reaches its lower course?

    • Its source gets higher, so more snow melts into it
    • Evaporation stops, so the river keeps all of its water
    • Tributaries join along the way, adding water to the main channel
    • Its gradient increases, so water flows faster downhill

  19. Two rivers are the same length, but one is much steeper near its source. How would its long profile look different?

    • It would have no distance axis at all on the graph
    • It would start low and rise steadily towards the sea
    • It would drop sharply near the source, then flatten out
    • It would be almost flat along its whole length

  20. Why can a river's gradient not stay steep all the way to the sea?

    • Tributaries make the gradient steeper in the lower course
    • Rivers always flow uphill near the sea, which makes them flat
    • The sea pushes the water back and makes the river level
    • Steep land is worn down over time, so the slope gradually flattens

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