The Importance of Seed Plants
Seed plants are the foundation of human diets across the world. Many societies eat vegetarian fare almost exclusively and depend solely on seed plants for their nutritional needs. A few crops (rice, wheat, and potatoes) dominate the agricultural landscape. Many crops were developed during the agricultural revolution when human societies made the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherers to horticulture and agriculture. Cereals, rich in carbohydrates, provide the staple of many human diets. Beans and nuts supply proteins. Fats are derived from crushed seeds, as is the case for peanut and rapeseed (canola) oils or fruits such as olives. Livestock, like cows and sheep, also consume large amounts of crops.
Staple crops are not the only foods derived from seed plants. Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients, vitamins, and fiber. Sugar, to sweeten dishes, is produced from sugarcane and sugar beets. Drinks are made from infusions of tea leaves, chamomile flowers, crushed coffee beans, or powdered cocoa beans. Spices come from many different plant parts: saffron and cloves are stamens and buds, black pepper and vanilla are seeds, the bark of a bush in the Laurales family supplies cinnamon, and the herbs that flavor many dishes come from dried leaves and fruit, such as the red chili pepper. Additionally, no discussion of seed plant contribution to the human diet would be complete without the mention of alcohol. Fermentation of plant-derived sugars and starches is used to produce alcoholic beverages in all societies. In some cases, the beverages are derived from the fermentation of sugars from fruit, as with wines, and in other cases, they’re derived from the fermentation of carbohydrates from seeds, as with beers.
Seed plants have many other uses, including providing wood as a source of timber for construction and material to build furniture. Most paper is derived from the pulp of coniferous trees. Fibers of seed plants, such as cotton, flax, and hemp, are woven into cloth. Textile dyes, such as indigo, were mostly of plant origin until the advent of synthetic chemical dyes. The medicinal properties of plants have been known to human societies since ancient times. There are references to the use of plants’ curative properties in Egyptian, Babylonian, and Chinese writings from 5,000 years ago.
Biodiversity ensures a resource for new food crops and medicines. Plantlife balances ecosystems, protects watersheds, mitigates erosion, moderates climates and provides shelter for many animal species. Threats to plant diversity, however, come from many angles. The explosion of the human population, especially in tropical countries where birth rates are highest and economic development is in full swing, is leading to human encroachment into forested areas. To feed the larger population, humans need to obtain arable land, so there is a massive clearing of trees. The need for more energy to power larger cities and economic growth therein leads to the construction of dams, the consequent flooding of ecosystems, and increased emissions of pollutants.
The number of plant species becoming extinct is increasing at an alarming rate. Because ecosystems are in a delicate balance, and seed plants maintain close symbiotic relationships with animals, the disappearance of a single plant can lead to the extinction of connected animal species. A real and pressing issue is that many plant species have not yet been cataloged, and so their place in the ecosystem is unknown. These unknown species are threatened by logging, habitat destruction, and loss of pollinators. They may become extinct before we have the chance to begin to understand the possible impact of their disappearance. Efforts to preserve biodiversity take several lines of action, from preserving heirloom seeds to barcoding species. Heirloom seeds come from plants that were traditionally grown in human populations, as opposed to the seeds used for large-scale agricultural production. Barcoding is a technique in which one or more short gene sequences, taken from a well-characterized portion of the genome, are used to identify a species through DNA analysis. Source: The role of seed plants (n.d.).
Reading Paragraph 1
Seed plants are the foundation of human diets across the world. Many societies eat vegetarian fare almost exclusively and depend solely on seed plants for their nutritional needs. A few crops (rice, wheat, and potatoes) dominate the agricultural landscape. Many crops were developed during the agricultural revolution when human societies made the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherers to horticulture and agriculture. Cereals, rich in carbohydrates, provide the staple of many human diets. Beans and nuts supply proteins. Fats are derived from crushed seeds, as is the case for peanut and rapeseed (canola) oils or fruits such as olives. Livestock, like cows and sheep, also consume large amounts of crops.
1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true?
a. Most societies have vegetarian diets and do not consume meat or fish
b. Humans started farming after relying on hunting and gathering
c. Nuts and beans make up an essential part of the human diet
d. Humans get protein from foods like oil and olives
Reading Paragraph 2
Staple crops are not the only foods derived from seed plants. Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients, vitamins, and fiber. Sugar, to sweeten dishes, is produced from sugarcane and sugar beets. Drinks are made from infusions of tea leaves, chamomile flowers, crushed coffee beans, or powdered cocoa beans. Spices come from many different plant parts: saffron and cloves are stamens and buds, black pepper and vanilla are seeds, the bark of a bush in the Laurales family supplies cinnamon, and the herbs that flavor many dishes come from dried leaves and fruit, such as the red chili pepper. Additionally, no discussion of seed plant contribution to the human diet would be complete without the mention of alcohol. Fermentation of plant-derived sugars and starches is used to produce alcoholic beverages in all societies. In some cases, the beverages are derived from the fermentation of sugars from fruit, as with wines, and in other cases, they’re derived from the fermentation of carbohydrates from seeds, as with beers.
2. The phrase derived from in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
a. Given to
b. Prepared for
c. Obtained from
d. Moved from
3. What does the author say about spices?
a. They are made by infusions of crushed beans, leaves, and flowers
b. They all come from seeds that are ground down
c. The majority are from dried leaves and fruit
d. They are sourced from a variety of parts of the plant
4. The author mentions all of the following about alcohol EXCEPT
a. Alcohol is made by the fermentation of sugars and starches from plants
b. Some alcoholic beverages are made with the sugars from fruit
c. Wines are made with fermented fruit sugars
d. Most alcohol is made by fermenting carbohydrates from seeds
Reading Paragraph 4
Biodiversity ensures a resource for new food crops and medicines. Plantlife balances ecosystems, protects watersheds, mitigates erosion, moderates climates and provides shelter for many animal species. Threats to plant diversity, however, come from many angles. The explosion of the human population, especially in tropical countries where birth rates are highest and economic development is in full swing, is leading to human encroachment into forested areas. To feed the larger population, humans need to obtain arable land, so there is a massive clearing of trees. The need for more energy to power larger cities and economic growth therein leads to the construction of dams, the consequent flooding of ecosystems, and increased emissions of pollutants.
5. According to paragraph 4, how does plant life positively affect the environment?
a. Creates watersheds and controls erosion rates
b. Creates biodiversity for new food crops and medicines
c. Provides shelter for and feeds the majority of animal species
d. Stabilizes ecosystems and moderates the climate
6. Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 4? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
a. Tropical countries have higher birth rates and faster economic growth
b. Birth rates are highest in developing countries when compared to other nations
c. More people move into areas that were once reserved for forests as the population grows
d. Tropical countries specifically are taking over forest lands
Reading Paragraph 5
The number of plant species becoming extinct is increasing at an alarming rate. Because ecosystems are in a delicate balance, and seed plants maintain close symbiotic relationships with animals, the disappearance of a single plant can lead to the extinction of connected animal species. A real and pressing issue is that many plant species have not yet been cataloged, and so their place in the ecosystem is unknown. These unknown species are threatened by logging, habitat destruction, and loss of pollinators. They may become extinct before we have the chance to begin to understand the possible impact of their disappearance. Efforts to preserve biodiversity take several lines of action, from preserving heirloom seeds to barcoding species. Heirloom seeds come from plants that were traditionally grown in human populations, as opposed to the seeds used for large-scale agricultural production. Barcoding is a technique in which one or more short gene sequences, taken from a well-characterized portion of the genome, are used to identify a species through DNA analysis.
7. Why does the author talk about “unknown species”?
a. To show that researchers have identified almost all known species
b. To emphasize that humans do not fully grasp the impact of their use of plants
c. To suggest that the planet might be more biodiverse than we know
d. To imply that we need more biologists studying plant life
8. According to paragraph 5, how do we identify and catalog organisms?
a. Through barcoding and subsequent DNA analysis
b. By preserving heirloom seeds
c. Via a process of barcoding and hi-tech photographs
d. Through advanced DNA analysis
9. Look at the four squares (A, B, C, D) that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
Their use in medicine has only increased as the human population and subsequent demand has grown significantly, and this is putting a strain on the environment and affecting biodiversity.
Where would the sentence best fit?
Fibers of seed plants such as cotton, flax, and hemp are woven into cloth. A Textile dyes, such as indigo, were mostly of plant origin until the advent of synthetic chemical dyes. B The medicinal properties of plants have been known to human societies since ancient times. C There are references to the use of plants’ curative properties in Egyptian, Babylonian, and Chinese writings from 5,000 years ago. D
10. DIRECTIONS: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Seed plants have been essential to human survival, however, their continued overuse by a growing population has catastrophic effects for the planet.
a. Unidentified species are put through a process where some pieces of DNA from their genome are analyzed
b. Seed plants have been used for food, alcohol, and medicine
c. Ecosystems and animal populations are negatively affected by plant overconsumption
d. The increased construction of dams causes flooding and greater pollutants emission e. The use of plants for their medicinal properties is documented as far back as 5,000 years ago
f. Forested areas are being destroyed for human development as the human population and economies grow
答案：
