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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. ______ change the taste of plant flesh on the tongues of certain animals and can render the sweetest fruit sour.

2. What sort of potato was developed by the Incan people and just one of the many potatoes which used to grow?

3. ______ is the name given to the state-of-the-art growing regimen that could yield three pounds of sinsemilla in two months' time.

4. A growing technique which requires few tools and and a minimal amount of labor is called a ___________.

5. According to the book, some counter strategies to these toxins include all of the following except ______.

Short Essay Questions

1. After a few days of drenching rain, what did the NewLeaf potato plants look like in Pollan's garden?

2. What does Pollan begin to realize after the powerful storm that ruined a part of the famous gardens of Versailles?

3. As the various lands in Europe began to rely on the potato, what were the positive benefits of this situation?

4. Where was marijuana primarily grown up until the early 1980s when the war on drugs began?

5. What causes the Great Potato Famine and the many deaths over the area of Europe?

6. What is the most important thing to an animal's survival, according to the discussion of plants?

7. What are some of the reasons why potatoes were not very popular in Europe around the late 1500s?

8. What happens to the animal in the wild who decides to eat hallucinogens and thus takes in the toxins of these plants?

9. How does Heath avoid the purchases of many inputs on his farm so that he can save money?

10. What were the dangers of the potato, according to Malthus during the time of the rise of the potato?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Marijuana, though illegal, is tolerated in many parts of the world, including the United States.

Part 1: Why do you think marijuana is tolerated in so many parts of the world?

Part 2: Do you agree that marijuana should be tolerated in society?

Part 3: How do you think the marijuana plant can or cannot help society as a whole?

Essay Topic 2

The story includes the idea that Johnny Appleseed spread the seeds of apples all over America, although no proof is given.

Part 1: Does it seem plausible that one man could have spread all of the apple seeds in the country?

Part 2: What do you think Johnny's motivations for spreading the seed might have been?

Part 3: Why is this story so nostalgic to those who live in America?

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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