Lesson Y7-U03-L08

When Rivers Flood: Boscastle and Beyond Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson Y7-U03-L08, When Rivers Flood: Boscastle and Beyond: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 3: Year 7: Rivers and the Water Cycle, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

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The 20 questions

  1. What physical event occurs when a river overflows its normal channel banks?

    • Estuary
    • Flood
    • Confluence
    • Drought

  2. What term describes a ground surface that water cannot soak through?

    • Porous
    • Permeable
    • Saturated
    • Impervious

  3. In which year did the Boscastle flood happen?

    • 1994
    • 2014
    • 1984
    • 2004

  4. In which UK county is the village of Boscastle located?

    • Dorset
    • Cornwall
    • Devon
    • Somerset

  5. Roughly how much rain fell on Boscastle in the afternoon of the 2004 flood?

    • About 2000 mm
    • About 20 mm
    • About 200 mm
    • About 50 mm

  6. Which of these is a physical cause of river flooding?

    • Building houses
    • Deforestation
    • Tarmac car parks
    • Heavy rainfall

  7. Which of these is a human cause of river flooding?

    • Urbanisation
    • Steep slopes
    • Prolonged rain
    • Snowmelt

  8. What name is given to structures built to protect land from river water?

    • Permeable barriers
    • Flood defences
    • Drainage basins
    • Hydrographs

  9. Why does a tarmac car park generate faster river flow than a grassy field?

    • Fields store water
    • Tarmac is impervious
    • Tarmac is steeper
    • Grass absorbs none

  10. Which pair correctly identifies one physical and one human flood cause?

    • Trees and forests
    • Sun and wind
    • Rain and building
    • Soil and rocks

  11. Which of these is classified as an economic flood impact?

    • Shops losing stock
    • People made homeless
    • Families feeling frightened
    • Wildlife habitats destroyed

  12. Which of these is classified as a social flood impact?

    • Roads destroyed
    • Factories flooded
    • People made homeless
    • Business profits lost

  13. Flood debris polluting a river and harming wildlife is what type of impact?

    • Financial
    • Social
    • Economic
    • Environmental

  14. Which valley feature best explains the flash flood in Boscastle?

    • Steep narrow valley
    • Deep underground cave
    • Gentle sloping hills
    • Wide flat plain

  15. What does a steep, sudden spike on a flood hydrograph indicate?

    • Rapid discharge increase
    • Gradual water drainage
    • Slow steady rainfall
    • Extended drought period

  16. Which of these is a hard engineering flood defence?

    • Restoring meanders
    • Creating washlands
    • Planting upstream trees
    • Concrete flood wall

  17. Why are houses built on flood plains at greater risk of flooding?

    • Dry desert soils
    • High mountain peaks
    • Low flat land
    • Steep valley sides

  18. Why might flood impacts be far worse in a developing country?

    • Too many trees
    • Fewer flood defences
    • Less rainfall overall
    • Higher mountain peaks

  19. Which factor is a physical cause of river flooding?

    • Concrete roof tops
    • Tarmac car parks
    • Heavy prolonged rain
    • Drainage pipes

  20. What is the main danger that makes a flash flood particularly life-threatening?

    • Heavy pollution
    • Strong winds
    • Frozen water
    • Rapid onset

All KS3 Geography quizzes