In 3–5 sentences, compare and contrast the text structure of the two excerpts. Why do you think each author choose to present information in this way?

Question

"Industrial-Scale
Farming,
Sustainable Path"
by Miriam Horn
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

Answer 1

In the excerpt from "Industrial-Scale Farming, Sustainable Path" by Miriam Horn, the text features a narrative structure that begins with a personal story about Justin, which then transitions into an analytical discussion about the negative impacts of plowing on soil health. This dual structure serves to humanize the environmental issue by connecting it to the author's family history and experiences while simultaneously providing factual information about sustainable practices. Horn likely chose this method to engage readers emotionally, making the environmental crisis relatable while grounding it in scientific reasoning.

In contrast, the second excerpt would likely employ a more straightforward, expository structure, focusing primarily on presenting data, statistics, or specific arguments related to sustainable farming without the narrative elements. This might aim to appeal to readers seeking direct information and solutions, emphasizing the urgent need for change without the additional layer of personal storytelling. By choosing different structures, both authors cater to varied audiences, balancing emotional resonance with informative precision.