Part A Which structure does the author use to organize information in "Improving Old MacDonald's Farm"?

order of importance

comparison contrast

problem and solution

chronological order
Question 2
Part B

Read this excerpt from "Improving Old MacDonald's Farm."

In some cases farmers use animal waste as fertilizer, and even though it’s natural, if used incorrectly it can do terrible damage to water resources. In fact, it can cause eutrophication, or algae buildup, which depletes the oxygen aquatic organisms need to breathe.

The bad news is that erasing these forms of pollution entirely is practically impossible. The good news is that there are steps farmers and ranchers can take to reduce the amount of pollution that comes from farms and ranches. For starters, they can reduce the amount of soil erosion and sedimentation by 20 to 90 percent by using soil conservation practices. One way to keep the soil in place is to make sure as much soil as possible has something growing in it or placed on it (like mulch). Plants and their roots help anchor the soil, keeping it in its place.

How does the structure identified in Part A contribute to the development of ideas in this section of the article?

The first paragraph discusses the issue of agricultural pollution, and the second paragraph explains resolutions to that problem.

The first paragraph explains the cause of animal waste pollution, and the second paragraph explains how it promotes soil erosion.

The first paragraph discusses animal waste, and the second paragraph contrasts animal waste with sedimentation.

The first paragraph states that animal waste is the worst cause of pollution on farms, and the second paragraph suggests that sedimentation is less damaging.