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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. What is second nature to a gardener, who leans that every advance in his control of the garden is also an invitation for disaster?

2. An industrial farmer needs to buy an expensive amount of __________, like chemical fertilizers, machinery, fuel, and pesticides.

3. ______ present in species such as the wild parsnip cause the animals that eat it to burn in the sun.

4. In the book, Pollan was almost caught by the police for growing a couple of ______ plants on his property.

5. The book suggests that deep down, many gardeners see themselves as ________ transforming compost, water, and light into beauty.

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the NewLeaf potatoes that Pollan took in order to grow at his garden.

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

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

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

5. What parts of the marijuana plant are supposed to be smoked?

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

7. What are some of the intoxicants and ingredients for intoxicants which Pollan admits to growing in his garden now?

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

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

10. What does Pollan believe the experience of the sublime has to do with the experience of nature?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While the Potato Famine was devastating, one could say it helped to shape modern day American society.

Part 1: Why do you think the Potato Famine changed the U.S. society and population?

Part 2: What might have happened if the Potato Famine had never occurred?

Part 3: Do you think the Potato Famine was necessary in order for the United States to become a success?

Essay Topic 2

The idea of tulipomania is one which seems to be silly and yet completely true at the same time.

Part 1: Why do you think so many people gravitated to the tulip?

Part 2: What are your impressions of the tulip? Do you find it beautiful?

Part 3: How do you think a flower can become a part of a craze in the world? Does this seem like a necessary situation?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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