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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. Part of the Americanization of the apple had to do with the character of Johnny Appleseed whose real name was ______.

2. Almost all apples grown for eating are cultivars, meaning that they are ______.

3. Chapman planted 'Johnny weed' because he thought that it would prevent the contraction of ______.

4. The Greeks believed that true beauty was the offspring of form and ecstasy personified in ______ and Apollo.

5. In an attempt to look like decaying meat, a ______ plant has red and white striated coloring and a rancid smell.

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are some of the groups which roamed the Ohio lands long before Johnny Appleseed was there?

2. How did the tulip bulb end up coming into Holland, even though it was not a native plant in the area?

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

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

5. Why does Chapman not want to have anything to do with the grafting of apple trees in order to breed certain strains?

6. What does Pollan find to be mythical about the story of Johnny Appleseed, although it is a true story?

7. What does Pollan have to say about his tendency to speculate and about the connection between flowers and speculation?

8. What is the aim of Pollan's book in terms of how it talks about the relationship between Man and Nature?

9. What happens when a person plants the seed of an apple tree into the ground? Will the resulting tree produce the same apples?

10. What happens when a person cuts an apple at its equator with a sharp knife?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While the potato is easy to grow, it became a plant of vital importance as Ireland rebounded from the Potato Famine.

Part 1: Why do you think the potato famine was so devastating to Ireland?

Part 2: Do you think it's wise for any country to rely strictly on one crop for its food supply?

Part 3: How do you think Ireland could have avoided the devastation they encountered during the famine?

Essay Topic 2

When the reader sees that marijuana is one of the plants in the book, they can have a variety of reactions.

Part 1: Why do you think Pollan decided to include marijuana in this book?

Part 2: Do you agree that marijuana should be included in a book about how plants change humans as much as humans change plants?

Part 3: How do you think marijuana has affected humans, in your experience?

Essay Topic 3

This book, "The Botany of Desire," is generally listed as a Nature and Gardening book, though this does not seem to be its only application.

Part 1: Why do you think this book is labeled as being a Nature and Gardening book?

Part 2: Do you agree with the idea that this should be labeled as a Nature and Gardening book? What other labels might apply?

Part 3: How do you think the book's message is perceived by those who are merely reading for the Nature and Gardening aspect?

(see the answer keys)

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