Module 2, Mid-Unit 1 Study Quiz

Before answering the following 3 questions about delineating arguments, reread the following sections of Chapter 5 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Pages 63–65: "Cows have evolved over millions..." to "Fast food indeed.

"Pages 69–74: "Feedlots are beef factories." to "...I wouldn't have a job." Pages 63–65: "Cows have evolved over millions..." to "Fast food indeed."

Pages 69–74: "Feedlots are beef factories." to "...I wouldn't have a job."

In chapter 5 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan implies the central claim that raising cows in an industrial setting is a terrible way to raise beef. After rereading pages 63–65, select one supporting point for this claim.

• A cow’s digestive system has evolved to eat grass, yet cows are fed a corn-based diet because it fattens them up quickly.

• Cows spread grass seed, plant it with their hooves, and fertilize it with their manure.

• Cows have a specialized stomach called a rumen.

• Bison and the prairie grasses lived together in a partnership for thousands of years, but that changed with the development of industrial farming.

What is the central claim of this section of text?

• Consumers can “vote with their fork” and help create a better world by making more sustainable food choices

• Consumers should become vegetarians and stop eating meat in order to solve the “omnivore’s dilemma.”

• Students should tell their schools to make better food choices in cafeterias.

• All families should become informed consumers and change the way they are eating to veganism.

What is one supporting point for this claim?

• Fast food is a terrible choice for consumers to make. It harms the environment, animals, and human health.

• Making small choices, like eating meat from CSAs or drinking less soda, will have a positive impact on the environment, your health, and local farmers.

• Eating local foods and eating seasonally are the only ways to have a positive impact on farmers, your health, and the environment.

• All people should make responsible food choices and eat a vegetarian diet consisting of food derived only from plants.

What is one piece of relevant evidence that supports this point?

• “On the plains of the American west, where steer 534 was born, bison and the prairie grasses lived together in a partnership for thousands of years” (65).

• “The bacteria break down the cell walls of the grass and allow the cows to get at the protein and carbohydrates within” (64).

• “Cattle raised on grass simply take longer to grow than cattle raised on corn” (63).

• “Only certain animals, including cows, sheep, goats, and bison, can make a meal out of grass” (64).

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Select another supporting point for this claim.

• Saturated fats are not healthy for humans and should not be consumed.

• Corn-fed beef and grass-fed beef are equally healthy for humans to consume.

• Omega-3 fatty acids are not healthy for humans and should not be consumed.

• Corn-fed beef is not as healthy for humans to consume as grass-fed beef.

Before answering the the next 4 questions about delineating arguments, reread the following sections of Chapters 10 and 11 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Pages 133-134: "But if you look a little..." to "...under federal organic rules."

Pages 133-134: "But if you look a little..." to "...under federal organic rules."

Pages 147-150: "I visited Rose the free-range..." to "...and catch a cold. "

Pages 153-155: "My industrial organic dinner..." to "...is already banned in Europe."

Pages 147-150: "I visited Rose the free-range..." to "...and catch a cold."

Pages 153-155: "My industrial organic dinner..." to "...is already banned in Europe."

In chapter 11 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan implies the central claim that industrial organic food is better than industrially raised food, yet it still has negative impacts on human health and the environment. Select one supporting point for this claim.

• Industrial organic food is better for you and the environment because it contains fewer pesticides than conventionally grown food.

• Research has proven that industrial organic food and industrial food use similar amounts of pesticides in their practices.

• Industrial organic food always tastes better than conventionally raised food.

• Industrial organic food comes from farms that use factory farming practices.

What is one piece of relevant evidence that supports this point?

• Very little research has been done to determine the effects of low levels of these poisons.

• More research on the herbicide Atrazine, and its effects on humans, is needed.

• Pesticide use became widespread in the 1950s, after chemicals used in World War II were found effective for pest control on crops.

• Chemicals from pesticides used on conventionally grown food have been proven to cause cancer.

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Select another supporting point for this claim.

• Although better for the environment overall, industrial organic food still uses many fossil fuels, which have a negative impact on the environment.

• Industrial food systems strip the soil of nutrients, and therefore many foods of healthy compounds that used to exist in them.

• Industrial organic farming is the most sustainable food system consumers can choose.

• Industrial organic food is produced with less energy and fossil fuels than any other food system.

What two pieces of relevant evidence support this point? (Select 2)

• Food can travel over 1,800 miles from the farm to your grocery store, and can sometimes come from foreign countries.

• Most of the fossil fuels used in the food industry are for processing and transporting food, rather than growing it.

• Soils of industrial farms are often lifeless because the pesticide use strips them of compounds called polyphenols.

• Industrial organic farming uses fewer sustainable practices, like renewable energy, than any other food system.

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