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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. _______ are substances studied by ethnobotanists and refer to "the god within."

2. ______ has written two books claiming that consciousness changing is a basic human activity that even children seek out.

3. The reasons why potatoes did not become popular in Europe at first was because they were thought to cause _________ and immorality.

4. _______ became a new capital for marijuana cultivation during the American drug war of the nineties.

5. Pigeons are associated with the discovery of ______ because of their spacing out behavior after eating the seeds.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What did Heath have to say about Pollan's question about pest resistance to the chemicals the potatoes are designed to produce?

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

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

5. What was going on at the time of Pollan's visit to Amsterdam for research for this book?

6. What does genetic engineering promise to do for the crops which are growing with these modifications?

7. How does one begin to grow potatoes, according to Pollan in the book?

8. What might have happened if the police chief had seen the marijuana plant in Pollan's backyard?

9. What is the rationale that Pollan gives for growing pot as he decides to do when it is not as much of a legal issue?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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