Year 9 SQA Geography: Quick Vocabulary Memorisation Guide | Year 9 SQA 地理：词汇术语速记指南

📚 Year 9 SQA Geography: Quick Vocabulary Memorisation Guide | Year 9 SQA 地理：词汇术语速记指南

Geography vocabulary can feel like learning a new language, but once you master the key terms, everything from plate tectonics to population pyramids becomes a story you can read in the landscape. This guide builds your geographical word bank with clear definitions, memory hooks, and paired English–Chinese explanations so you can revise smart, not hard.

地理词汇就像学习一门新语言，一旦掌握了关键术语，从板块构造到人口金字塔的一切都会变成你能在景观中读懂的故事。本指南通过清晰的定义、记忆技巧和中英对照的解释帮你构建地理词汇库，让你聪明复习、轻松记忆。

1. Physical Geography Key Terms | 自然地理关键术语

Physical geography describes the natural processes that shape our planet. Start with these foundation words you will meet in every SQA unit.

自然地理描述塑造我们星球的自然过程。从这些你在每个 SQA 单元都会遇到的基础词汇开始。

Erosion – the wearing away of the land by water, wind, or ice.
侵蚀 – 由水、风或冰造成的陆地磨损。
Weathering – the breakdown of rocks in place, without movement.
风化 – 岩石在原地发生的破碎，没有移动。
Plate boundary – the edge where two tectonic plates meet.
板块边界 – 两个构造板块相遇的边缘。
Deposition – the dropping of material that has been eroded and transported.
沉积 – 被侵蚀和搬运的物质沉降下来。

Try remembering the sequence: Weather → Erode → Transport → Deposit (WET-D). 尝试记住这个顺序：风化→侵蚀→搬运→沉积。

2. Human Geography Key Terms | 人文地理关键术语

Human geography examines how people live, move, and interact with places. These terms underpin your population and urban studies.

人文地理研究人们如何生活、迁移和与地方互动。这些术语是人口和城市研究的基础。

Urbanisation – the increasing proportion of people living in towns and cities.
城市化 – 居住在城镇和城市的人口比例不断增加。
Migration – the movement of people from one place to another.
迁移 – 人们从一个地方移动到另一个地方。
Infant mortality rate – the number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births.
婴儿死亡率 – 每千名活产婴儿中一岁以下死亡的婴儿数量。
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – the total value of goods and services produced in a country in one year.
国内生产总值（GDP） – 一个国家一年内生产的商品和服务的总价值。

Link terms to real places: think of Tokyo for urbanisation, or Mexico-to-USA for international migration. 把术语与实际地点联系起来：想到东京就联系城市化，想到墨西哥到美国就联系国际迁移。

3. Weather and Climate | 天气与气候

Weather and climate are not the same, yet students often confuse them. Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere; climate is the long-term average, usually taken over 30 years.

天气和气候不一样，但学生经常混淆。天气是大气每天的状态；气候是长期的平均值，通常以30年计算。

Precipitation – any form of water falling from the sky (rain, snow, hail, sleet).
降水 – 从天而降的任何形式的水（雨、雪、冰雹、雨夹雪）。
Air pressure – the weight of the air pressing down on the Earth. Low pressure often brings clouds and rain.
气压 – 空气压在地球上的重量。低压通常带来云和雨。
Prevailing wind – the most common wind direction in an area. In the UK it is from the southwest.
盛行风 – 一个地区最常见的风向。在英国，盛行风来自西南方向。

Use the phrase ‘Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get’ to keep them separate. 用这句话区分：’气候是你期望的，天气是你遇到的。’

4. River Landforms | 河流地貌

Rivers carve out dramatic features from source to mouth. Mastering these terms helps you read a river valley like a map.

河流从源头到河口雕刻出壮观的形态。掌握这些术语能让你像读地图一样读懂河谷。

Feature 地貌	Definition 定义
V-shaped valley	A steep-sided valley formed by vertical erosion in the upper course. 上游由垂直侵蚀形成的陡峭山谷。
Meander	A bend in a river found in the middle course. 中游河段的弯曲处。
Oxbow lake	A crescent-shaped lake formed when a meander is cut off. 当曲流被截断后形成的月牙形湖泊。
Floodplain	Flat land next to a river that floods regularly, building up fertile soil. 河流旁定期泛滥形成的平坦土地，积累肥沃土壤。

Draw a storyboard from upper to lower course and label each landform as you go. 画一个从上游到下游的故事板，边走边标记每个地貌。

5. Coastal Features | 海岸地貌

Coastlines are shaped by the endless push and pull of waves. Erosion and deposition create distinct landforms you need to recognise.

海岸线在持续的波浪推拉作用下被塑造。侵蚀和沉积形成了你需要认识的不同地貌。

Headland – a point of hard rock that juts out into the sea, often flanked by bays.
岬角 – 一块伸入海中的坚硬岩石，两侧常有海湾。
Stack – a tall column of rock that has become separated from the headland after the collapse of an arch.
海蚀柱 – 海蚀拱坍塌后从岬角分离出来的高耸岩柱。
Spit – a long narrow beach of sand or shingle that extends from the land into the sea by longshore drift.
沙嘴 – 由沿岸漂移作用形成的，从陆地延伸到海中的狭长沙砾滩。
Longshore drift – the movement of material along a coastline in a zigzag pattern caused by waves hitting the beach at an angle.
沿岸漂移 – 波浪以一定角度拍打海滩，导致物质沿海岸呈之字形移动。

Visit a local beach diagram or virtual tour and repeat the sequence: cave → arch → stack → stump. 查看当地海滩图解或虚拟游览，重复这个序列：海蚀洞→海蚀拱→海蚀柱→海蚀残丘。

6. Population and Settlement | 人口与定居

This section blends numbers with people. You will encounter demographic terms that describe how populations change over time.

这一部分将数字与人群结合。你会遇到描述人口如何随时间变化的人口学术语。

Birth rate – the number of live births per 1,000 people per year. 出生率 – 每年每千人的活产婴儿数。
Death rate – the number of deaths per 1,000 people per year. 死亡率 – 每年每千人的死亡人数。
Population pyramid – a graph showing the age and sex structure of a population. 人口金字塔 – 显示人口年龄和性别结构的图表。
Densely populated – an area with a high number of people per square kilometre. 人口稠密 – 每平方公里人口数量很多的地区。
Sparsely populated – an area with very few people per square kilometre. 人口稀少 – 每平方公里人口极少的地区。

Create a flashcard with the formula: natural change = birth rate – death rate, and remember that migration also affects total population. 制作闪卡，写上公式：自然变化 = 出生率 – 死亡率，并记住迁移也会影响总人口。

7. Map Skills Terminology | 地图技能术语

Ordnance Survey maps and atlas skills are core to SQA Geography. Learn these terms to unlock grid references, scale, and relief.

英国地形测量局地图和地图册技能是 SQA 地理的核心。学习这些术语，解锁网格参考、比例尺和地形。

Grid reference – a set of numbers that locates a point on a map. A 4-figure reference gives a square; a 6-figure reference pinpoints an exact location.
网格参考 – 一组用于在地图上定位点的数字。四位数字参考给出一个方格，六位数字参考精确定位。
Scale – the ratio between distance on a map and distance on the ground, e.g. 1:50,000 means 1 cm on the map represents 50,000 cm (500 m) in reality.
比例尺 – 地图上的距离与实地距离的比值，如 1:50000 表示地图上 1 厘米代表实际 50000 厘米（500 米）。
Contour line – a line on a map joining points of equal height above sea level. Closer lines mean steeper slopes.
等高线 – 地图上连接海拔相同点的线。线越密表示坡度越陡。
Relief – the shape and height of the land, shown by contours, spot heights, and colour shading.
地形 – 陆地的形态和高度，通过等高线、高程点和分层设色显示。

Practise giving 6-figure grid references with a local OS map until you can do it in under 30 seconds. 用当地的 OS 地图练习六位网格参考，直到你能在 30 秒内完成。

8. Economic Activities and Development | 经济活动与发展

Why are some countries wealthy while others are poor? Economic indicators help geographers measure and compare development.

为什么有些国家富裕而有些国家贫穷？经济指标帮助地理学家衡量和比较发展水平。

Primary industry – jobs that extract raw materials directly from the land or sea, such as farming, fishing, and mining. 第一产业 – 直接从土地或海洋获取原材料的行业，如农业、渔业和采矿业。
Secondary industry – manufacturing or construction, where raw materials are turned into products. 第二产业 – 制造业或建筑业，将原材料转化为产品。
Tertiary industry – service sector jobs like teaching, retail, and healthcare. 第三产业 – 服务业工作，如教育、零售和医疗。
Quaternary industry – high-tech knowledge-based activities such as research and IT. 第四产业 – 基于知识的高科技活动，如研究和信息技术。
HDI (Human Development Index) – a number between 0 and 1 that combines life expectancy, education, and GDP per capita. 人类发展指数 – 介于 0 和 1 之间的数字，综合了预期寿命、教育和人均 GDP。

Think of a chain: primary–secondary–tertiary–quaternary as you move from field to factory to office to lab. 想象一条链：第一→第二→第三→第四，就像从田野到工厂到办公室再到实验室。

9. Environmental Challenges | 环境挑战

Geography is also about the future. These terms appear in topics on climate change, sustainability, and resource management.

地理也关乎未来。这些术语出现在气候变化、可持续性和资源管理等主题中。

Greenhouse effect – the trapping of heat by gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, keeping the Earth warm. 温室效应 – 大气中的二氧化碳等气体将热量困住，使地球保持温暖。
Global warming – the long-term rise in Earth’s average temperature due to increased greenhouse gases from human activities. 全球变暖 – 由于人类活动增加温室气体，导致地球平均气温长期上升。
Sustainability – meeting the needs of the present without harming the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 可持续性 – 满足当代需求而不损害后代满足其需求的能力。
Renewable energy – power from sources that do not run out, such as solar, wind, and hydro. 可再生能源 – 来自不会枯竭的能源，如太阳能、风能和水能。
Carbon footprint – the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly and indirectly by a person or activity. 碳足迹 – 一个人或活动直接和间接产生的温室气体总量。

Use acronyms: think ‘G.R.E.E.N.’ for Greenhouse effect, Renewables, Emissions, Environmental change, and Nature. 使用首字母缩略词：用 G.R.E.E.N. 记忆温室效应、可再生能源、排放、环境变化和自然。

10. Tectonic Hazards | 构造灾害

Earthquakes and volcanoes are spectacular but dangerous. Pin down these terms to explain how and why hazards occur.

地震和火山虽然壮观却很危险。牢牢掌握这些术语，解释灾害如何发生以及为什么发生。

Focus – the point inside the Earth where an earthquake rupture starts. 震源 – 地球内部地震破裂开始的点。
Epicentre – the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus. 震中 – 震源正上方的地表点。
Magma – molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface. When it erupts it is called lava. 岩浆 – 地表下的熔融岩石，喷出后称为熔岩。
Richter scale – a logarithmic scale that measures the magnitude (energy) of an earthquake. 里氏震级 – 测量地震震级（能量）的对数标度。
Pyroclastic flow – a fast-moving current of hot gas and rock that rushes down the side of a volcano during an explosive eruption. 火山碎屑流 – 火山爆发时，炽热气体和岩石以极快速度沿山坡奔腾而下的流体。

Draw a cross-section of a volcano and label the magma chamber, vent, crater, and secondary cone. 画一个火山的横截面，标注岩浆房、喷发口、火山口和侧火山锥。

11. Memory Techniques for Geographical Terms | 地理术语记忆技巧

Plain repetition rarely works for long-term recall. Use these proven methods to glue vocabulary into your memory.

单纯的重复对长期记忆几乎无效。使用这些经过验证的方法把词汇牢牢粘在记忆中。

Mnemonic stories: Link a new word to a vivid image or mini-story. For ‘abrasion’, imagine sandpaper rubbing against a rock. 记忆故事：将生词与生动的图像或小故事联系起来。对于’磨蚀’（abrasion），想象砂纸摩擦岩石。
Word association in pairs: ‘Leaching’ sounds like ‘leaking’ – nutrients leak out of the soil. 配对联想：’淋溶’（leaching）听起来像’泄漏’（leaking）——养分从土壤中泄漏出去。
Dual coding: Draw a simple sketch next to each term. A stick figure for ‘migration’, a mountain for ‘relief’. 双重编码：在每个术语旁画个简图。’迁移’旁画个火柴人，’地形’旁画座山。
Spaced retrieval: After learning a set of ten terms, test yourself after one hour, then one day, then one week. 间隔提取：学习完十组术语后，分别在一小时后、一天后、一周后测试自己。

Build a vocabulary tower: master five terms a day, and by the end of five weeks you will have 175 words rock-solid. 建造词汇塔：每天掌握五个术语，五周后你将有 175 个牢固词汇。

12. Quick-Fire Review Check | 快速复习检查

Use this self-check table to spot gaps. Can you give a definition and an example for each term in under 20 seconds?

用这张自检表找出漏洞。你能在 20 秒内为每个术语给出定义和例子吗？

Term 术语	I know it! 我知道！	Needs work 需复习
Deposition
Urbanisation
Longshore drift
Contour line
Human Development Index
Sustainability

Tick honestly, then return to the sections where you had gaps. Pair up with a friend and quiz each other using just the English or Chinese version. 诚实打勾，然后回到有漏洞的部分。与朋友配对，只用英语或中文互相测试。

Published by TutorHao | Geography Revision Series | aleveler.com

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Year 9 SQA Geography: Quick Vocabulary Memorisation Guide | Year 9 SQA 地理：词汇术语速记指南