Question

adapted from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration


Everyone shops for, prepares, or eats food. That's why it's so important to follow the basics of food safety. Harmful bacteria that may be present in food can cause foodborne illness when the food is eaten.
Foodborne illness can affect anyone at any time, but certain people are more likely to get sick from foodborne bacteria. And once they're sick, they face the risk of serious health problems, even death. Such at-risk people include: pregnant women, young children, people with chronic illnesses and weakened immune systems, and older adults. Also, underlying illnesses such as diabetes, some cancer treatments, and kidney disease may increase a person's risk of foodborne illness.
All along the food chain, food safety experts are working to keep our food safe on the farm, through the processing plant, during transportation, and at the supermarket and restaurant. Once you take food home from the supermarket and restaurant, you also have an important role to play.
To fight the bacteria that cause foodborne illness, follow four steps. Clean by washing hands and surfaces. Separate foods to avoid cross-contamination. Refrigerate foods promptly and cook foods to proper temperature.






Passage 2


Jorge A. Hernandez's View on Food Safety
excerpt from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration


In the following passage, Jorge A. Hernandez, R.S., Vice President of Safety and Quality Assurance for U.S. Foodservice, speaks about food safety:


Being from a third world country and having a degree in medical sciences, I became acutely aware of foodborne diseases and the suffering and death they cause—especially among the most vulnerable populations: children, the elderly and the immune-compromised. They are unnecessary diseases, as they are 100 percent preventable. When I came to the United States, I learned that no country is invulnerable to these diseases, and that 5,000 people die and millions are ravaged by these diseases in the United States every year. So, after college I decided to work in the environmental health field and to focus my career in improving the safety of food. Whether working for government or industry, that focus has been my guiding principle.

2Question 2
How does the first-person account about foodborne illness in Passage 2 contribute to the main idea in Passage 1?
A.
Mr. Hernandez's quote explains why he began working in the environmental health field, but it does not strengthen the main idea presented in Passage 1.
B.
Mr. Hernandez's quote explains the seriousness of foodborne illness and how it is completely preventable, further supporting the main idea in Passage 1.
C.
Mr. Hernandez's quote is a personal anecdote that makes the topic more interesting, but it does not strengthen the main idea presented in Passage 1.
D.
Mr. Hernandez's quote explains what foodborne illness is so that the disease can be better understood, further supporting the main idea in Passage 1.

Answer 1

B

Hernandez's account emphasizes how serious foodborne illness is (deaths and millions affected), highlights vulnerable groups, and states that these illnesses are "100 percent preventable," which directly reinforces Passage 1's main idea about the importance of food safety and steps to prevent illness.