Food for the Future

What is the reading mainly about?

• how food species disappear

• the need to preserve different food species

• ways to increase the number of food species

Why does the writer mention Ireland in the first paragraph?

• to give an example of why it is dangerous to depend on a single crop species

• to explain how worldwide interest in crop varieties first developed

• to describe how Irish researchers are searching for new crop varieties

What is true about Nikolay Vavilov?

• He was one of the first people to collect plant seeds.

• He created designs for the Svalbard Seed Vault.

• He has worked in many seed banks around the world.

Which statement would Diane Ott Whealy probably agree with?

• Historic seeds are usually difficult to reintroduce to the marketplace.

• It's important to not only store seeds, but also plant them.

• Foods grown from historic and new seeds generally have a similar taste.

The infographic on page 15 shows _______.

• that farmers in 1903 were producing less food than farmers today

• that many different crop varieties were lost between 1903 and 1983

• that today's seed banks contain more varieties than those in 1903

Historic plant varieties are being planted and sold here.

• China

• Iowa, USA

• Ireland

• the Phillippines

Many people died here because of a serious lack of food.

• China

• Iowa, USA

• Ireland

• Svalbard

Only 10 percent of past wheat varieties now remain here.

• China

• Iowa, USA

• the Phillippines

• Ireland

There are now far fewer varieties of rice here than in the past.

• China

• Ireland

• the Phillippines

• Iowa, USA

One of the biggest seed banks in the world can be found here.

• China

• Iowa, USA

• Ireland

• Svalbard