WorksheetsThe Omnivore's Dilemma Chapters 8-9 Review
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 15mins
In Chapter 8, what is the purpose of the subheading “Is That Food?”?
To introduce the concept of cooking with recipes
To reference the connection between corn and plastics
To point out that humans often choose to eat many non-food items
To emphasize the dilemma most humans face when figuring out what we should eat
Which evidence from the text best explains why earlier humans did not struggle with the “omnivore’s dilemma”?
“Over thousands of years, human beings built a culture of food that helped us figure out what to eat and what to avoid.” (p102)
“In most places people ate small portions of meat, though not at every meal.” (p103)
“When their familiar foods are in short supply, there’s always another one they can try.” (text box, p103)
“We need to recover the skills and knowledge people used to have.” (p104)
On page 103, Pollan describes the uncertainty of the modern omnivore. Which phrase from this excerpt shows negative bias? ----- “Standing in our giant supermarkets, we feel more lost than someone standing in a forest ten thousand years ago. We no longer know for sure which foods are good for us and which aren’t. Thanks to the food industry, we don’t even know what it is we’re eating. Sometimes it even seems like we’ve forgotten why we eat.”
standing in giant supermarkets
we no longer know for sure
thanks to the food industry
we’ve forgotten why
On p105, what does Pollan mean when he says, “A sweet tooth is part of our omnivore’s brain”?
Humans developed a taste for sweets after years of consuming HFCS products
We are born liking sweet foods because of our evolutionary instinct to eat energy-rich carbohydrates.
Humans are born with some teeth specifically wired for recognizing sweet tastes.
Most humans have a second set of teeth in our brains.
Which evidence from the text best explains why humans can’t rely on taste alone to decide what to eat?
“It turns out that some of the bitterest plants contain valuable nutrients, even useful medicines.” (p106)
“Many plant toxins (poisons) are bitter. (p106)
“Once it was discovered, cooking became one of the most important tools of the human omnivore.” (p107)
“And humans had the cassava roots all to themselves, since pigs, porcupines, and other animals wouldn’t touch them.” (p107)
Which of the following is an argument Michael Pollan makes on page 108?
Humans should use the rat method to solve the omnivore’s dilemma.
The food culture developed by different nationalities was based on knowledge of local foods and has become part of a group identity.
National food cultures are based on strictly adhered to list of locally produced foods.
Most poisons in nature are not that strong, so really, humans can eat anything safely.
Which of the following best describes the purpose of the illustration and caption in the top left corner of page 110?
to emphasize how nutty Kellogg’s ideas were
to show how food companies used health guidance to sell their products
to illustrate how cereal boxes have changed over time
to explain why people began eating whole grains and bran-based diets
Which evidence from the text best explains why the omnivore’s dilemma is a good thing for food companies?
“We have no stable food culture to guide us, handed down over generations.” (p113)
“The more anxious we are about eating, the more likely we are to listen to claims from food marketers.” (p113)
“We were going to solve the omnivore’s dilemma the way millions of Americans do every day.” (p114)
“Food is not just fuel.” (p114)
On page 116, Pollan describes his industrial food chain McDonald’s meal. Which phrase from this excerpt shows negative bias? ----- “I ordered a classic cheeseburger, large fries, and a large Coke. Large turns out to be a full thirty-two ounces (a quart of soda!). Of course, thanks to the magical economics of supersizing, it cost only thirty cents more than the sixteen-ounce ‘small.’”
magical economics of supersizing
thirty cents more
full thirty-two ounces
classic cheeseburger
Which evidence from the text best supports Pollan’s earlier claim that healthier food is more expensive?
“One in three American kids eats fast food every single day.” (p115)
“At $3.99, it [salad] was the most expensive item on the menu.” (p116)
“The total for the three of us came to fourteen dollars, and was packed up and ready to go in four minutes.” (p116)
“I read in the business pages that these salads are a big hit …” (p116)
According to the "Chemical Nuggets" text box on page 117, why are antioxidants, such as sodium aluminum phosphate, added to fast-food chicken nuggets?
to lessen the amount of fat in the nuggets
to prevent that fat in the nuggets from spoiling
to prevent the nuggets from foaming when they are deep fried
to make the nuggets lower in calories and carbohydrates
According to the text on page 119, how many of the ingredients in a chicken nugget are made from corn?
38
13
6
4.8 billion
What is the author's purpose for including the graph found on page 124?
The author wants readers to realize the correlation between childhood obesity and eating high fructose corn syrup.
The author wants readers to understand the difference between childhood obesity and Type II diabetes.
The author wants readers to realize that Americans today consume more high fructose corn syrup than ever
The author wants readers to know that childhood obesity has decreased since 1971
Closely examine the graph on p124. What about this graph seems to be deliberately misleading?
The title of the graph is “Childhood Obesity and High-Fructose Corn Syrup,” which makes the reader think that HFCS are somehow responsible for the increase in childhood obesity.
The years represented on this graph only show data up to 2006, leaving out the dramatic decline in childhood obesity in the last ten years.
The size increase of the 2003-2006 child is dramatically larger than the increases shown in the previous three children, even though the actual percentage increase is significantly smaller.
The explanation at the bottom of the graph doesn’t match up with what the numbers are showing.
Which evidence from the text best supports Pollan’s earlier claim that eating food should be an enjoyable experience, not something to just get done as quickly as possible?
“If the corn could, it would laugh at us, the humans eating and drinking it as fast as they can.” (p125)
“Not only is it served in a flash, but more often than not it’s eaten that way too.” (p126)
“Real food is a pleasure to eat. You want to take your time and enjoy every bite.” (p126)
“After a few bites, you forget what you’re eating.” (p126)
