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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. During the lifetime of Johnny Appleseed, Ohio law required a settler to put out ___ apple or pear trees in order to get a land grant.

2. The flower that is presented as being the symbol of the human desire for beauty is the ______.

3. The book states that before flowers there was no connection between the way things looked and ______.

4. Chapman was known to go _______ in all kinds of weather and took it as a matter of pride in his toughness.

5. The book states that beauty in nature is often linked with ______ as evidenced by a bird's plumage.

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the way in which the tulip was able to get ahead when it was a part of the Ottoman Empire?

2. What is the origin of the domesticated apple, although this is certainly a point which is up for contention?

3. What happens as a result of having perfect symmetry in a flower, according to Pollan's writing in the book?

4. Who is John Chapman and what is his importance in the course of the history of the apply?

5. What happens as a result of the different environments in which a flower might be able to grow?

6. What does the presence of flowers tend to tell a person about the area in which they are walking or traveling?

7. What did the Ottoman Turks discover about the wild tulips they found during one of their trips?

8. Why might it be possible to say that the plants are more evolved than humans are at this point in time?

9. What does Pollan say about colors that are seen by children, as opposed to colors seen by adults?

10. How does Pollan describe the particular patch of garden versus the plants one finds in nature?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One might suggest that the idea that apples are shaping human existence is based on speculation as opposed to scientific study.

Part 1: Do you think that apples have affected the human race as a whole?

Part 2: How might a scientist study the sweetness and the effects of apples on humans?

Part 3: Is science the only way that a definitive answer can be discovered? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Genetic variability is thought to be the key to the apple's future, even though it is not widely discussed in social circles.

Part 1: How might you define the idea of genetic variability?

Part 2: Why do you think genetic variability is important to the survival of the apple?

Part 3: Is genetic variability important to the survival of man? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 3

At one point, Pollan points out that the tulip offers no nutritional value, while the fruit and the seeds provide sustenance.

Part 1: Why do you think Pollan included such a contradiction in this book?

Part 2: Do you think that Pollan's contradiction causes his book to be less valuable to a reader?

Part 3: Do you think it's possible to create a book without contradicting one's self?

(see the answer keys)

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