Use the excerpts to answer the question. In 3–5 sentences, compare and contrast the text structure of the two excerpts. Why do you think each author chose to present information in this way? (4 points) Working with his dad and brother on land homesteaded by his maternal great-grandparents just after the Civil War, Justin grew up hearing how his grandmothers put wet tea towels in windows to try to keep out the black blizzards of the Dust Bowl. Given responsibility for several fields while still in high school, he’d watched his own soils blowing and washing away, weeds running out of control and paltry yields. But it wasn’t until he went off to Kansas State University that he understood a prime cause of that damage: generations of plowing. Though few landscapes appear more beautiful, fertile and orderly than the straight, black, fragrant furrows of a newly tilled field, plowing is unnatural and, in many climates and soils, one of the most destructive things a farmer can do. Plowing strips soil bare, exposing it to erosion by rain and wind. It collapses soil structure — closing off the water channels left by deep roots and worms — and harms life in the soil, which though it may appear dead is in fact Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, containing a third of all organisms. Those thousands of microbial species are critical to human survival. They sustain photosynthesis, which all food and oxygen come from, by ferrying nutrients to plants and protecting them from pathogens. They decompose wastes, turning corpses of plants and animals back into new life. They’re also directly vital to human health, the source of 90 percent of antibiotics and 60 percent of anticancer drugs.
The first excerpt is a narrative that follows the personal experiences of Justin growing up on a farm and learning about the negative impacts of plowing on soil health. It is structured in a chronological and anecdotal way, focusing on Justin's journey of discovery. In contrast, the second excerpt is more informational and scientific, discussing the effects of plowing on soil structure and the importance of soil organisms in a more direct manner. The structure of the first excerpt is more engaging and accessible, while the second excerpt is more informative and objective.
Each author likely chose their respective text structures to effectively convey their message. The first author may have chosen a narrative structure to make the information more relatable and engaging to readers, while the second author may have used an informational structure to present the scientific facts and research in a clear and concise manner. By presenting the information in different ways, both authors are able to effectively communicate the issue of plowing and soil health to their audience.