Nature and the Environment — Test Answers

Which is the best comparison of the authors’ purpose in these two essays about genetically modified food?

Read the excerpt from "GM Food: Fuel for Our Future.” Also, crops can be genetically engineered to be more nutritious. Golden rice, for example, has been altered to have more vitamin A than spinach. This is important because according to Scientific American , "Vitamin A deficiency causes more than one million deaths annually and half a million cases of irreversible blindness in the developing world.” Golden rice alone could help save millions of lives and prevent blindness. Overall, our growing world desperately needs GM food to survive. The food these crops produce costs less and is safer and more nutritious than anything you could get from a traditional crop. As you can see, the benefits of GM food outweigh the far-fetched, unsubstantiated risks that critics have put forth. Which phrases from the excerpt support the author’s argument that genetically modified food is safe? Choose two correct answers.

Which best compares the structure of Silent Spring and "A Case for Waawaatesi"?

Which best describes one main difference between Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and Winona LaDuke’s "A Case for Waawaatesi"?

Use the passages Silent Spring and "A Case for Waawaatesi” to answer the following question. Considering the authors’ use of appeals in their passages, which paragraph most appeals to logos?

How does the author use logos to support the argument made in "Save the Coral Reefs”?

Read the excerpt from "Save the Coral Reefs.” Coral receives most of its oxygen and food from the algae that live in and on the reefs. When the coral becomes stressed by the overheating of the ocean caused by global warming, the algae detach from the reefs, and the reefs lose their main source of sustenance . The reefs are then bleached into a whitish color, and have trouble growing and reproducing. Using context clues as a guide, what is the meaning of "sustenance” in this passage?

Read the excerpt from Part 2 of “To Build a Fire.” And all the time the dog ran with him, at his heels. When he fell down a second time, it curled its tail over its forefeet and sat in front of him, facing him, curiously eager and intent. The warmth and security of the animal angered him, and he cursed it till it flattened down its ears appeasingly. This time the shivering came more quickly upon the man. He was losing in his battle with the frost. Which statement about this excerpt is correct?

Read the excerpt from Part 2 of “To Build a Fire.” He was losing his battle with the frost. It was creeping into his body from all sides. The thought of it drove him on, but he ran no more than a hundred feet, when he staggered and pitched headlong. It was his last panic. When he had recovered his breath and control, he sat up and entertained in his mind the conception of meeting death with dignity. Which idea best describes what is presented in this excerpt?

Which details from "Safari Day in Kenya” help the reader visualize the setting? Choose three correct answers.

Luca wants to add one more sentence to the end of the rebuttal so he can fully address the counterclaim. Which would be the best addition to rebuttal?

What kind of evidence should a writer use to support a claim or counterclaim? Choose three correct answers.

Jackson has written this topic sentence in his literary analysis: Many prospectors at the turn of the century were unsuccessful on their journey along the Yukon and Klondike trails, as Jack London depicts in "To Build a Fire.” Which detail from the text best supports Jackson’s topic sentence?

Read the sentence. Though it was once a cozy cottage constructed with intricate woodwork, it stands deserted now, with moss carpeting the entrance. Which image is an accurate visual representation of the sentence?

A strong topic sentence is

Read the paragraph. Water is an important resource that people take for granted. A typical American household uses one hundred gallons of water a day. If added at the end, which sentence would complete the paragraph by connecting back to the topic?

Which statement best describes a counterclaim?

Which should be included in the topic sentence of a literary analysis? Choose three correct answers.

The best description of the theme presented in the resolution of "Lost” is that a crisis can

Read the excerpt from "Lost.” Kim turned away. She’d been complaining all day about this Young Naturalist hike Latoya had talked her into, moaning about bug bites and stale granola bars. What does this excerpt tell the reader about Kim?