Question

for thousands of years, man has hunted whales for food. ambergris, a waxy material produced by some whales, has been valued as a perfume ingredient. in the 19th century, baleen, a bony substance that grows in the mouth of certain whales, was used to make ribs for umbrellas and stiffeners in ladies dresses. other species of whales were prized for the valuable oil they yielded, and the demand for this oil almost led to the extinction of the sperm whale. today, whaling is strictly regulated by the international whaling commission (iwc), but some environmental groups believe that all whale hunting should be banned.
some of those who oppose whaling believe that it is wrong to hunt a group of animals to extinction just for food. they also think whale hunting is immoral because the methods used to kill whales are cruel and inflict intense suffering on the animals. another reason opposers argue to ban whale hunting is that whales are mammals (like humans) and are one of the most intelligent animals.
supporters of whale hunting claim that whales are not all the same and that some species of whales have increased in number in recent years. as an example, some note that one species, the minke whale, may number in the millions today. whale-hunting advocates argue that quotas for the number of minke whales that can be hunted annually could be greatly increased without risking the whales extinction.
those in favor of whale hunting are also quick to point out that pigs, which are also mammals, score higher than dogs, horses, and
in which two ways does the structure of the passage influence the authors exposition of the whaling debate?
the structure shows that both sides raise valid points in the debate.
the structure allows the author to show that both sides are flawed.
the structure presents one side as more favorable to the audience.
the structure prevents the author from taking a neutral viewpoint.
the structure compares points from both sides in a neutral manner.

Explanation:

The passage first presents the arguments of those who oppose whaling (wrong to hunt to extinction, cruel methods, whales are intelligent mammals). Then it presents the arguments of supporters (some whale species have increased, minkes can be hunted more without extinction risk). This balanced presentation shows both sides' valid points (e.g., opposition's ethics and cruelty concerns, support's population - based argument) and compares them neutrally (no obvious bias in presenting each side's views).

Answer:

• The structure shows that both sides raise valid points in the debate.
• The structure compares points from both sides in a neutral manner.