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

2. The book suggests that the decisions that a culture makes in which plants drugs to promote or prohibit help to ______.

3. Pollan suggests that drugs have both positive and negative qualities. The wine of _______ was both a scourge and a blessing.

4. The French romantics were said to have experimented with ________ after Napoleon's troops brought it back with them from Egypt.

5. A _______ is one that is used for getting cuttings. Like the apples, the result of the impact of this may be detrimental to the species.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Compare and contrast the tastes of plants which are supposed to be eaten with those which are not supposed to be eaten.

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

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

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

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

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

8. What are some of the possible genetically modified food advances people might see in the future, according to Pollan?

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

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

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

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 3

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?

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