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 intelligent animals.
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 dolphins on some intelligence tests, yet pork is still eaten in many societies. native peoples in alaska and siberia, where growing crops is not an option, depend on whales for food. these people argue that it is wrong to ban whale hunting for them because they have no other reliable source of protein.

directions: select all the correct answers.
in which two ways does the structure of the passage influence the authors exposition of the whaling debate?
the structure presents one side as more favorable to the audience.
the structure allows the author to show that both sides are flawed.
the structure prevents the author from taking a neutral viewpoint.
the structure shows that both sides raise valid points in the debate.
the structure compares points from both sides in a neutral manner.

reset
submit
session score: 86% (6/7)

Explanation:

1. The passage presents arguments from both opponents (who believe whaling should be banned) and supporters (who claim some whale species are not at risk of extinction and that hunting quotas can be managed) of whale hunting. This shows both sides raise valid points.
2. The author does not take a clear stance favoring one side over the other. Instead, they present the arguments of both groups (opponents' moral and cruelty - based arguments, supporters' population and management - based arguments) in a way that compares the points from both sides without showing bias, indicating a neutral comparison.

Answer:

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