Question

How does Paragraph 5 refine the claim that “the text on the package does not always tell the whole story” about pet food?

A. It differentiates between pet food brands that do and do not contain superior quality ingredients.

B. It explains the details included on labels that are not necessarily relevant to a pet owner’s food choice.

C. It defines the real meaning of terms that may appear on pet food labels without a full explanation for the consumer.

D. It reassures readers that the AAFCO requires labels to follow a specific checklist that ensures their usefulness.

Answer 1

Read the passage.

The Pet Food Industry

You have just adopted a pet, and you’re at a pet supply store. You are overwhelmed by the never-ending sea of colorful pet food packages. Some bags claim that they’re organic or natural, but what does that mean? And then there are the stacks of canned food, boasting loudly of their superior contents. What’s the difference among these foods? Does it matter what you feed your dog or cat? Yes, it does matter. And the text on the package does not always tell the whole story.

According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), 68 percent of U.S. households own a pet. The APPA also estimates that U.S. pet owners will spend $25 million on pet food in 2016. But the contents, quality, and cost of foods vary dramatically. A food’s national popularity does not necessarily equate to a healthy choice, especially when advertising plays such a heavy role in sales. To select the best nutritional match for your pet, it is important to understand what you’re buying.

History of Commercial Pet Food

The first food prepared commercially for pets were biscuits made by James Spratt, an American, while he was living in England in 1860. The biscuits became popular with English country gentlemen for their sporting dogs. The company that took over Spratt’s formula began production in the United States in 1890. After World War I, the first canned dog food, made from horse meat, was introduced. Canned cat food and dry meat-meal dog food were introduced in the 1930s, and dry food came along in the 1950s.

Pet Food Regulations

As the pet food industry grew, government officials regulated food-processing methods used by American pet food manufacturers. However, according to Born Free USA, a national animal advocacy group, the pet food industry isn’t as regulated as it claims. Laws exist but aren’t necessarily enforced, and the Food and Drug Administration has minimal control over pet foods shipped across state lines. Feed control officials in each state have more power. These officials run tests on food to make sure it meets its Guaranteed Analysis, the label on food that lists its ingredients and the proportion of each ingredient. However, the quality of regulation and enforcement varies from state to state, according to Born Free USA.

Deciphering Pet Food Ingredients

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has model regulations for pet foods and a checklist for labels. The guidelines require that ingredients be listed in descending order according to each item’s weight, though the terms may not be as self-explanatory as they appear to consumers. If “meat” is listed, it refers only to the meat of cows, pigs, goats, and sheep and includes specified muscle tissue. The guaranteed analysis is a general guide to the composition of the food—and crude protein, fat, fiber, and total moisture are required to be listed. By-products in pet foods are parts of animals not used in human foods and can include the head, feet, and bones. Wet pet foods commonly include meat or poultry by-products. However, brands of pet foods labeled super-premium, natural, or organic don’t use by-products. According to the AAFCO, organic refers to the processing of a product, not necessarily the quality of the product.

The term meal is used in many of the ingredients of dry pet foods, such as meat meals, poultry meals, and meat-and-bone meals. Meal is not fresh but has been rendered. Rendering is the process of boiling the raw materials of carcasses for several hours. It separates fat, removes water, and kills bacteria, but it can also destroy natural enzymes and proteins.

How Pet Foods Are Prepared

Commercially prepared pet food goes through a process. Dry food is made with a machine called an extruder. Food materials are blended with a recipe that provides the nutrient content of each ingredient. For the extruder to work properly, a consistent amount of starch and low moisture is needed. Ingredients such as rendered meat-and-bone meal, poultry by-product meal, grains, and flours are used. The dough is then fed through the extruder and subjected to steam and high pressure. As it is pushed through nozzles, it is cut with sharp knives. When the food puffs into its final shape, it is left to dry and then sprayed with fats, digests, and other compounds to make it more appetizing to the animal. This same process is also used on semimoist pet foods and many pet treats.

The ingredients in wet or canned foods are ground and mixed with chemicals to improve taste, stability, or appearance. Such additives do not provide any nutritional value. Any chunks in the food are formed through an extruder. The food is then cooked, canned, and sealed—and then pressure cooked and commercially sterilized.

Pet Food Choices

Most dog owners feed their dogs dry and canned dog food. Wet canned food generally provides more protein and more moisture than dry foods and is often higher quality. But many pet owners prefer to cook food for their pets, and some choose to feed their pets raw food.

According to the Whole Dog Journal, if you decide to cook for your pets, no single type of food should ever make up more than half the pet’s diet. However, meat should be half of the diet. Some pet owners prefer to feed their dogs a raw food diet, which is uncooked food. Proponents of a raw food diet believe it gives dogs healthier coats, increases their energy level, improves their disposition, and controls their weight. There are those who feel that the benefits of a raw food diet are not proven. Uncooked meat can contain bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella that can be harmful to dogs; raw food can also inflame the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhea. Uncooked bones can obstruct airways or perforate intestines.

If you’re unsure what to feed your pet, ask for recommendations from your veterinarian, who is familiar with your pet’s health and knows if your pet has any specific dietary needs.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

i think it could either be A or C

Answer 4

what is your strongest choice

Answer 5

C would be my strongest choice

Answer 6

How do the section headings help refine the claim that pet food labels do not always tell the whole story?


A. Each heading presents an aspect of the pet food manufacturing and marketing process and explains how it affects the accuracy of information provided on pet food packaging.

B. Each heading introduces a step in the manufacturing process of pet food and provides evidence of how faulty processes affect food quality.


C. The headings represent different perspectives on pet nutrition to present consumers with more objective information about pet food choices.


D. The headings list, in sequence, the areas of most concern when looking for the right nutritional match for different kinds of pets.

Answer 7

C

Answer 8

Which line from the text most strongly supports the idea that Giselle is firmly dedicated to fulfill her desire to interact with horses?


A. “Alarmed that the Fletchers might have forgotten about Dark Star, Giselle rushed to their front door, summoning the courage to ask if she could be the bay’s guardian.”


B. “Not content with just books, pictures, and posters, Giselle would often climb the hill behind her home to watch Dark Star, the Fletchers’ horse, cantering in the corral.”

C. “Ever since she was a little girl, Giselle had loved horses, and she devoured books like The Black Stallion, Black Beauty, and National Velvet.”


D. “. . . Giselle decorated the walls of her room with posters of horses and pictures she drew.”

Answer 9

A

Answer 10

Read the passage.

Dark Star

Giselle leaned against the mahogany bay horse, stroking the white diamond-shaped star on its forehead and looking into its soulful brown eyes. “Hey, my man,” she whispered. Dark Star angled his head around, cautiously sniffed at the cast on Giselle’s forearm, and then nuzzled her neck and lightly stamped a hoof on the floor of his stall. “I’m okay. I missed you, too,” she said. Then she retrieved some green apple slices from a resealable plastic bag and fed them one by one to the horse. “Today is our day to pick up where we left off, so here’s a little something to give you energy,” she told the horse.

Ever since she was a little girl, Giselle had loved horses, and she devoured books like The Black Stallion, Black Beauty, and National Velvet. When she was eight years old, Giselle moved to the country with her parents and baby twin brothers. The open field behind their home was a blank page begging to be filled. But when she asked her parents if she could have a horse, they told her they just couldn’t afford it. Instead Giselle decorated the walls of her room with posters of horses and pictures she drew. One day, she promised herself, she would learn to ride a horse and maybe even have one of her own.

Not content with just books, pictures, and posters, Giselle would often climb the hill behind her home to watch Dark Star, the Fletchers’ horse, cantering in the corral. With every visit, she would inch a little closer to the bay. Slowly Dark Star warmed up to her, and one cold spring afternoon, he approached Giselle and gently nudged her, filling her with euphoria. That evening Giselle heard thunder drumming in the distance and looked out her window to see black clouds inking over the dusky light. A storm was gathering strength. It was getting so dark, she couldn’t discern whether the horse was in the corral up on the hill. Alarmed that the Fletchers might have forgotten about Dark Star, Giselle rushed to their front door, summoning the courage to ask if she could be the bay’s guardian. Although Dark Star was safe in the stable, the neighbors were impressed with Giselle’s initiative. That had been two years before, when she was 13, and soon Giselle had reached an agreement with the Fletchers about the equine’s care—a daily ritual that for Giselle became as easy as breathing the country air.

“Ready to get out of here?” Dark Star dipped his head in agreement. Giselle opened the horse’s stall, and even though it was a bit of a struggle with only one good arm, she managed to bridle him and lay a blanket across his back. Then she led him into a small corral. The late afternoon sun lit tiny crystals on the melting snow at the fringes of the fenced enclosure.

As Giselle, a willowy girl with cascading chestnut locks woven into braids, sauntered around the corral after the bay, a station wagon roared up the hill, spewing rocks and dirt from road, and parked beside the fence. Emerging from the dusty maroon car, a man with a receding hairline and wire-rimmed glasses, holding a laptop case under one arm, waved to the girl with his free hand. “Hello, Giselle. I’m surprised to see you. How’s your arm?”

“Better.” Giselle raised her casted arm, covered with her little brothers’ drawings. “I have a smaller cast now.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t ride Dark Star until your arm is completely healed.”

The girl glanced toward her small ranch house at the base of the sloping hillside, then back at the man. “I’ll be okay. The snow’s melted, and there’s no ice.”

“Looks like rain’s comin’,” Mr. Fletcher said, gazing up at the dark clouds moving across the sky. “Giselle, I know you’re an excellent rider, but between the serious weather coming in and the fact you have a cast on your arm, I have to tell you I think this ride is a bad idea.” The man intentionally made eye contact with Giselle, trying to impress upon her his concern. Giselle was torn. While she respected Mr. Fletcher and the opportunity he had given her to care for and to ride Dark Star, she knew what she was doing. The fall a few weeks ago had nothing to do with her riding skills or Dark Star’s ability. It was just bad luck! He’s totally overreacting, Giselle told herself, but I’ll play along. I’ve waited long enough to get back in the saddle, and Dark Star and I deserve an adventure. We’ll be back before anyone notices we have even left the corral.

“You’re right, Mr. Fletcher,” Giselle responded with false cheerfulness. “Dark Star needs some exercise though, so is it all right if I just walk him up the trail and back?” she pleaded, while pasting on her most endearing smile.

The man shook his head and laughed. “I can never seem to say no to you, Giselle. Go ahead and spend some time together, but be careful. I trust you know what you are doing.” Of course I do! What on earth could go wrong? Giselle thought. Soon enough, she’d have a clear answer to that question.

Giselle listened as her neighbor’s footsteps crunched across the gravel driveway, and she lingered until he had entered his house and closed the door. Then she led Dark Star to a gate at the far side of the corral and opened it. Once outside and out of view, Giselle climbed the railings of the corral fence, clambered up on the bay, and wriggled into position on the horse’s back. The saddle hugged her like an old friend. It had been almost four weeks since she’d ridden Dark Star, and Giselle was adamant that her broken arm would not inhibit her riding. She slid down and hugged the horse’s mane, then sat up and pulled lightly on the reins, guiding Dark Star to an etched path leading to an expanse of open field.

Out of nowhere, mere footsteps away, lightning crackled down from the sky and savagely struck a tree trunk. Stinging sparks showered over the horse and rider, and the acrid scent of burning bark and spent electricity filled the air. Dark Star reared up, his eyes rolling back in distress, and took off at an uncontrollable gallop across the open field. With only one good arm, Giselle could do nothing to slow the terrified horse as it hurled itself toward the steep drop-off at the end of the field.

Answer 11

Which line from the text best supports the idea that Giselle’s passion for horses and riding outweighs her concern for personal safety?


A. “Once outside and out of view, Giselle climbed the railings of the corral fence, clambered up on the bay, and wriggled into position on the horse’s back.”


B. “The girl glanced toward her small ranch house at the base of the sloping hillside, then back at the man. ‘I’ll be okay. The snow’s melted, and there’s no ice.’”


C. “…Giselle had reached an agreement with the Fletchers about the equine’s care—a daily ritual that for Giselle became as easy as breathing the country air.


D. “It had been almost four weeks since she’d ridden Dark Star, and Giselle was adamant that her broken arm would not inhibit her riding.”

Answer 12

D

Answer 13

What is the effect of the use figurative language in this excerpt from the passage?

That had been two years before, when she was 13, and soon Giselle had reached an agreement with the Fletchers about the equine’s care—a daily ritual that for Giselle became as easy as breathing the country air.


A. The author uses a simile to explain how natural it is for Giselle to care for the horse.


B. The author uses an analogy to compare Giselle today with Giselle two years before.


C. The author uses hyperbole to demonstrate Giselle's commitment to working with animals.


D. The author uses a metaphor to convey how much Giselle enjoys riding horses.

Answer 14

B

Answer 15

What is the effect of the flashback in Paragraphs 2 and 3 of this story?


A. It explains Giselle's stubborn character and troubled past, which creates the conflict between Giselle and Mr. Fletcher that occurs in the story.


B. It conveys Giselle's determined character and her passion for horses, which helps explain the motivation behind Giselle's actions in the story.

C. It presents a brief history of Giselle's care of Dark Star, revealing her strong work ethic and responsibility.


D. It provides a detailed account of the accident in which Giselle broke her arm, establishing her reckless nature.

Answer 16

A

Answer 17

What is the effect of Giselle's interaction with Mr. Fletcher as she prepares to take Dark Star for a ride?

A. Giselle is convinced by Mr. Fletcher's argument that it is too soon to ride and changes plans in the interest of Dark Star's safety.


B. It shows that Giselle is mature enough to put aside her own interests to show respect for the opinions of others.


C. Giselle is angered by Mr. Fletcher's suggestion she postpone her ride and leaves her position as Dark Star's caretaker.


D. It reveals that Giselle is a complex character with both a responsible side and a deceitful side.

Answer 18

C

Answer 19

What do Giselle's words reveal about her character in this excerpt from the passage?

“You’re right, Mr. Fletcher,” Giselle responded with false cheerfulness. “Dark Star needs some exercise though, so is it all right if I just walk him up the trail and back?” she pleaded, while pasting on her most endearing smile.


A. She is hesitant to disagree when presented with an argument.


B. She knows how to manipulate others to get what she wants.


C. She cares deeply about the opinion of others.


D. She has a positive attitude in most every situation.

Answer 20

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