Debating the Agricultural Diet
An affluent society is one in which resources are ordinarily not scarce and most society members have achieved a general level of economic well-being. The earliest humans were hunter-gatherers, meaning that they subsisted on wild plants and animals. During the 1960s, anthropologist Marshall Sahlins famously described hunter-gatherer groups as “the original affluent society.” Based on empirical data from some of the few remaining hunter-gatherer groups, Sahlins argued that hunter-gatherers worked less and had more leisure time than their contemporaries in either traditional agricultural economies or industrialized economies.Although they had few possessions, they were not poor; as Sahlins stated, “Poverty is a social status. As such it is the invention of civilization” (social organization characterized in part by the unequal distribution of resources and status).
In the dietary realm, Sahlins noted that large numbers of people in agriculture-based societies went to bed hungry each night, while hunter-gatherers had a steadier and more varied food supply. This food supply was based on intensive knowledge of the seasonal availability of plant and animal foods in the environment.Historically, such knowledge was not obvious to all “civilized” observers of hunter-gatherers, although some did note that hunter-gatherers managed surprisingly well despite being “handicapped” (as these observers described it) by a decided lack of civilized knowledge.
The varied diet of hunter-gatherers stands in stark contrast to the monotonous diet of many agricultural populations. In some cases reliance on a single food crop can lead to diseases resulting from vitamin deficiency. Populations in which corn is the principal food crop can be susceptible to high rates of pellagra, a disease caused by a deficiency in the B vitamin niacin. The symptoms of pellagra can be quite unpleasant, including a distinctive rash, diarrhea, and even mental disturbances. Some cultures traditionally treated corn with an alkali, which released niacin from the hull of the corn, thus reducing the likelihood of developing pellagra. An over dependence on polished rice can lead to beriberi, a disease of the nervous system caused by a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine).
More generally, traditional agricultural diets, because they are less varied, are not as good as hunter-gatherer diets at providing all of the specific nutrients that our bodies need to thrive. On the other hand, they clearly provide enough to allow people to survive and reproduce, increasing population numbers. Many archaeological studies have been done comparing the skeletal health of groups before and after the advent of agriculture in the same location. In almost all cases, the agricultural group shows indications of nutritionally based bone or tooth stress not present in the hunter-gatherer comparison population. In addition, agricultural groups, because of their higher population densities, are more likely to be exposed to infectious diseases. If domestic animals are present, then there is also a risk of disease being transmitted from animals to humans.
Things have changed considerably in developed countries with the shift from traditional to modern industrialized agriculture. Food is relatively cheap and abundant, and the supply is buffered from the effects of seasonality and poor yields. Initially, combined with medical advances to control infectious disease, modern agriculture supported the growth of healthier and larger populations; people were also individually healthier and of bigger physical size. In the mid-twentieth century, however, it became apparent that there were groups that did not do so well with this modern Western diet. For example, when some Native American and Pacific Islander populations gave up their traditional. agriculture-based diets (which also included fishing and hunting) for a Western diet, they became highly susceptible to developing obesity and all of the medical conditions, especially diabetes, associated with it. Geneticist James Neel came up with the idea that non-European populations were at risk for these diseases precisely because they had not been previously exposed to such a flush nutritional environment.He argued that in European populations, metabolically efficient genotypes-genotypes associated with a high risk of developing obesity and diabetes-have been eliminated over time because European populations lived in a rich nutritional environment. Neel was probably wrong in thinking that premodern European diets were particularly abundant, so his scenario for the historical elimination of “thrifty” genotypes in those populations is probably wrong also. Nonetheless, the high susceptibility of some recently Westernized groups to developing obesity and diabetes was and is very real, for whatever reason.
1
An affluent society is one in which resources are ordinarily not scarce and most society members have achieved a general level of economic well-being. The earliest humans were hunter-gatherers, meaning that they subsisted on wild plants and animals. During the 1960s, anthropologist Marshall Sahlins famously described hunter-gatherer groups as “the original affluent society.” Based on empirical data from some of the few remaining hunter-gatherer groups, Sahlins argued that hunter-gatherers worked less and had more leisure time than their contemporaries in either traditional agricultural economies or industrialized economies.Although they had few possessions, they were not poor; as Sahlins stated, “Poverty is a social status. As such it is the invention of civilization” (social organization characterized in part by the unequal distribution of resources and status).
According to paragraph 1, the hunter-gatherers that Sahlins studied enjoyed better lives than their non-hunter-gatherer contemporaries in which of the following ways?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AThey had more free time.
BThey were not concerned about the inequalities in wealth and status that existed within their societies.
CThey had higher social status.
DThey had less need to move to a new location.
2
In the dietary realm, Sahlins noted that large numbers of people in agriculture-based societies went to bed hungry each night, while hunter-gatherers had a steadier and more varied food supply. This food supply was based on intensive knowledge of the seasonal availability of plant and animal foods in the environment.Historically, such knowledge was not obvious to all “civilized” observers of hunter-gatherers, although some did note that hunter-gatherers managed surprisingly well despite being “handicapped” (as these observers described it) by a decided lack of civilized knowledge.
The word “steadier” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
ABalanced
BRicher
Cmore dependable
Dmore satisfying
3
In the dietary realm, Sahlins noted that large numbers of people in agriculture-based societies went to bed hungry each night, while hunter-gatherers had a steadier and more varied food supply. This food supply was based on intensive knowledge of the seasonal availability of plant and animal foods in the environment.Historically, such knowledge was not obvious to all “civilized” observers of hunter-gatherers, although some did note that hunter-gatherers managed surprisingly well despite being “handicapped” (as these observers described it) by a decided lack of civilized knowledge.
According to paragraph 2, some observers were surprised about which of the following aspects of hunter-gatherers?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
ATheir desire to keep their way of life after coming into contact with agricultural societies
BTheir ability to survive so well without the observers’ knowledge base
CTheir lack of interest in obtaining knowledge about the societies that the observers came from
DThe extent of their dependence on seasonally available plant and animal foods
4
The varied diet of hunter-gatherers stands in stark contrast to the monotonous diet of many agricultural populations. In some cases reliance on a single food crop can lead to diseases resulting from vitamin deficiency. Populations in which corn is the principal food crop can be susceptible to high rates of pellagra, a disease caused by a deficiency in the B vitamin niacin. The symptoms of pellagra can be quite unpleasant, including a distinctive rash, diarrhea, and even mental disturbances. Some cultures traditionally treated corn with an alkali, which released niacin from the hull of the corn, thus reducing the likelihood of developing pellagra. An over dependence on polished rice can lead to beriberi, a disease of the nervous system caused by a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine).
Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about polished rice?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AIt is more nutritious than corn.
BIt contains little or no thiamine.
CIf too much of it is eaten, it can lead to pellagra.
DEating it can reduce the likelihood of developing beriberi.
5
More generally, traditional agricultural diets, because they are less varied, are not as good as hunter-gatherer diets at providing all of the specific nutrients that our bodies need to thrive. On the other hand, they clearly provide enough to allow people to survive and reproduce, increasing population numbers. Many archaeological studies have been done comparing the skeletal health of groups before and after the advent of agriculture in the same location. In almost all cases, the agricultural group shows indications of nutritionally based bone or tooth stress not present in the hunter-gatherer comparison population. In addition, agricultural groups, because of their higher population densities, are more likely to be exposed to infectious diseases. If domestic animals are present, then there is also a risk of disease being transmitted from animals to humans.
In paragraph 4, why does the author discuss the findings of studies “comparing the skeletal health of groups before and after the advent of agriculture in the same location”?
Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题
ATo help explain why agricultural societies have greater exposure to infectious diseases
BTo explain why it is believed that population numbers increased with the adoption of the agricultural diet
CTo support the idea that that hunter-gather diets were generally healthier than traditional agricultural diets
DTo provide evidence that some diseases can be transmitted to humans from animals
6
Things have changed considerably in developed countries with the shift from traditional to modern industrialized agriculture. Food is relatively cheap and abundant, and the supply is buffered from the effects of seasonality and poor yields. Initially, combined with medical advances to control infectious disease, modern agriculture supported the growth of healthier and larger populations; people were also individually healthier and of bigger physical size. In the mid-twentieth century, however, it became apparent that there were groups that did not do so well with this modern Western diet. For example, when some Native American and Pacific Islander populations gave up their traditional. agriculture-based diets (which also included fishing and hunting) for a Western diet, they became highly susceptible to developing obesity and all of the medical conditions, especially diabetes, associated with it. Geneticist James Neel came up with the idea that non-European populations were at risk for these diseases precisely because they had not been previously exposed to such a flush nutritional environment.He argued that in European populations, metabolically efficient genotypes-genotypes associated with a high risk of developing obesity and diabetes-have been eliminated over time because European populations lived in a rich nutritional environment. Neel was probably wrong in thinking that premodern European diets were particularly abundant, so his scenario for the historical elimination of “thrifty” genotypes in those populations is probably wrong also. Nonetheless, the high susceptibility of some recently Westernized groups to developing obesity and diabetes was and is very real, for whatever reason.
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
Sentence Simplification Questions句子简化题
ASome Native American and Pacific Islander populations became highly susceptible to obesity and its related medical conditions when they switched to a Western diet.
BUnlike the Western diet, the traditional agriculture-based diets of some Native American and Pacific Islander populations included hunting and fishing.
CThe traditional agriculture-based diets of some Native American and Pacific Islander populations may have made them highly susceptible to developing obesity and diabetes.
DWhen some agriculture-based populations became more susceptible to obesity, they also increased their risk of developing diabetes and other associated medical conditions
7
Things have changed considerably in developed countries with the shift from traditional to modern industrialized agriculture. Food is relatively cheap and abundant, and the supply is buffered from the effects of seasonality and poor yields. Initially, combined with medical advances to control infectious disease, modern agriculture supported the growth of healthier and larger populations; people were also individually healthier and of bigger physical size. In the mid-twentieth century, however, it became apparent that there were groups that did not do so well with this modern Western diet. For example, when some Native American and Pacific Islander populations gave up their traditional. agriculture-based diets (which also included fishing and hunting) for a Western diet, they became highly susceptible to developing obesity and all of the medical conditions, especially diabetes, associated with it. Geneticist James Neel came up with the idea that non-European populations were at risk for these diseases precisely because they had not been previously exposed to such a flush nutritional environment.He argued that in European populations, metabolically efficient genotypes-genotypes associated with a high risk of developing obesity and diabetes-have been eliminated over time because European populations lived in a rich nutritional environment. Neel was probably wrong in thinking that premodern European diets were particularly abundant, so his scenario for the historical elimination of “thrifty” genotypes in those populations is probably wrong also. Nonetheless, the high susceptibility of some recently Westernized groups to developing obesity and diabetes was and is very real, for whatever reason.
Which of the following is identified in paragraph 5 as a result of the shift from traditional to modern industrialized agriculture?
Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题
AThe food supply has become less evenly distributed within many populations.
BInitially, there was a spread of new infectious diseases.
COn average, people have become larger and healthier.
DIn many places, food has become more expensive.
8
Things have changed considerably in developed countries with the shift from traditional to modern industrialized agriculture. Food is relatively cheap and abundant, and the supply is buffered from the effects of seasonality and poor yields. Initially, combined with medical advances to control infectious disease, modern agriculture supported the growth of healthier and larger populations; people were also individually healthier and of bigger physical size. In the mid-twentieth century, however, it became apparent that there were groups that did not do so well with this modern Western diet. For example, when some Native American and Pacific Islander populations gave up their traditional. agriculture-based diets (which also included fishing and hunting) for a Western diet, they became highly susceptible to developing obesity and all of the medical conditions, especially diabetes, associated with it. Geneticist James Neel came up with the idea that non-European populations were at risk for these diseases precisely because they had not been previously exposed to such a flush nutritional environment.He argued that in European populations, metabolically efficient genotypes-genotypes associated with a high risk of developing obesity and diabetes-have been eliminated over time because European populations lived in a rich nutritional environment. Neel was probably wrong in thinking that premodern European diets were particularly abundant, so his scenario for the historical elimination of “thrifty” genotypes in those populations is probably wrong also. Nonetheless, the high susceptibility of some recently Westernized groups to developing obesity and diabetes was and is very real, for whatever reason.
According to paragraph 5, geneticist James Neel was likely incorrect about which of the following?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AThe susceptibility of recently Westernized groups to developing obesity and diabetes
BThe amount of food available in premodern Europe
CThe metabolic efficiency of European populations today
DThe degree to which so-called thrifty genotypes are metabolically efficient
9
The varied diet of hunter-gatherers stands in stark contrast to the monotonous diet of many agricultural populations. In some cases reliance on a single food crop can lead to diseases resulting from vitamin deficiency. [■]Populations in which corn is the principal food crop can be susceptible to high rates of pellagra, a disease caused by a deficiency in the B vitamin niacin. [■]The symptoms of pellagra can be quite unpleasant, including a distinctive rash, diarrhea, and even mental disturbances. [■]Some cultures traditionally treated corn with an alkali, which released niacin from the hull of the corn, thus reducing the likelihood of developing pellagra. [■]An over dependence on polished rice can lead to beriberi, a disease of the nervous system caused by a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine).
Look at the four squaresthat indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
Corn is not the only crop that can cause health problems when relied on excessively.Insert Text Questions句子插入题
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
10
The hunter-gatherer lifestyle and the later agriculture and industrial lifestyles had advantages and disadvantages.
Prose Summary Questions概要小结题
Select 3 answers
ACompared with hunter-gatherers, people in traditional agricultural societies worked more hours, had less nutritious food, and were more at risk for certain diseases.
BWith the adoption of agriculture, people no longer had to move around based on the seasonal availability of plant and animal foods but could settle year-round in a single location
CDespite its benefits, the modern Western diet increased the risk of obesity, diabetes, and other health concerns, especially among certain non-European populations.
DReliance on a single food crop, such as rice or corn, left agricultural populations vulnerable to hunger when diseases such as pellagra and beriberi ruined that crop.
EModern industrialized agriculture led to a reliable supply of cheaper and more varied food, which, along with advances in disease control, resulted in larger, healthier populations.
FFood shortages in traditional agricultural societies in Europe may have resulted in the rise of more metabolically efficient genotypes in European populations.
