Cut is depicted by contour lines that extend from what to what?

• A. From the cut line to the roadbed
• B. From filled area to lower ground
• C. Closed contour lines with tick marks toward low ground
• D. U or V shapes

Answer: (A)

When a road is cut into the hillside, the map shows the removed earth by contour lines that run from the edge of the excavation (the cut line) down to the level of the road surface (the roadbed). This illustrates how deep the cut is and how the ground drops to meet the road, with the terrain rising away on either side. The idea is that the contour lines trace the vertical change from the cut edge to the roadbed, conveying the depth and slope of the excavation. The other patterns describe different features: a fill would depict elevation changes from the added material toward the natural ground, closed contours with tick marks indicate depressions, and U or V shapes typically mark valleys or streams rather than a man-made cut.