Ban the Ban! • Soda’s a Problem but...

Summary
“Ban the Ban” is an article by SidneyAnne Stone. The writer argues that New York City
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s laws around soda portion control impact her civil liberties. The
writer begins by discussing some of the other laws that Bloomberg has made to control be-
havior. For example, there are laws that limit where people can smoke and laws that re-
quire restaurants to post calorie information. These laws made sense to Stone, but the soda
ban does not. She says that the soda ban limits her options and her rights. She argues that
government should not be allowed to make these kinds of decisions for citizens. She warns
that these limits may start with soda but move into other kinds of food bans. Ultimately,
this may impact future freedoms. Stone encourages readers to fight back for their freedom.

“Soda’s a problem but Bloomberg doesn’t have the solution” is an article by Karin
Klein. She argues that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg does not have the right to
make a law that regulates the size of soda a person can drink. Klein says that soda is not
healthy, especially in large portions. However, she says that Bloomberg’s law crosses the
line by interfering with people’s personal choices. Klein points out that the law was devel-
oped without following a collaborative process. Instead, she says Bloomberg made the de-
cision himself. Klein questions whether government should be able to dictate what people
eat. She argues that people should be able to make their own choices, and she suggests
that people nationally are beginning to learn about the dangers of too much soda.

First Read: Comprehension

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

____ 1. Why is Michael Bloomberg mentioned in both “Ban the Ban!” and “Soda’s a Problem but ...”?

a. He was a three-term mayor of New York City.

b. He tried to implement a law banning large sodas.
c. He appointed the members of the New York Board of Health.
d. He implemented a law banning smoking in public places in New York City.
____ 2. Which of the following ideas are suggested in both “Ban the Ban!” and “Soda’s a Problem but ...”? Choose
two options.

a. The government should be more eager to get involved in people’s choices.

b. Taking away the option of purchasing a certain size soda is not right or legal.
c. Obesity, along with soda’s contribution to it, needs to be addressed by legal action.
d. People have no control when given the option to consume sugar, especially sugary drinks.
e. Placing a ban on smoking in public places is understandable because it poses a danger.
f. Schools and government offices should not sell soda or junk food to students or
employees.
____ 3. According to “Soda’s a Problem but ...,” how does the proposed law regulating soda size differ from the
smoking ban that was implemented? Choose two options.

a. Public smoking poses a danger to others, whereas drinking soda does not.
b. The smoking ban had full public support, but the soda regulations were opposed.
c. The city’s Board of Health unanimously approved the smoking ban but voted against the
soda limits.
d. People are able to control their urge to smoke but are compelled to drink large-sized
sugary drinks.
e. The smoking ban limits where smoking can take place, not how many cigarettes can be
purchased at one time.
____ 4. According to “Soda’s a Problem, but ...,” which is a main reason the ban on large sodas failed to be
approved?

a. Mayor Bloomberg wanted to implement the law statewide.

b. Fruit juice, especially apple juice, has as many calories as soda.
c. The number of contradictions within the law made it impossible to enact.
d. People who really wanted more soda could simply buy two smaller drinks.

First Read: Concept Vocabulary

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

____ 5. If a plan is implemented, which of the following must be true?

a. The plan is a good idea.

b. People voted on the plan.
c. The plan is carried out.
d. People will question the plan.
____ 6. Which word means the same as intentions in this sentence?

Paul has good intentions, but in spite of being well-meaning, he rarely completes a project.

a. goals
b. beliefs
c. friends
d. tools
____ 7. Which of the following most clearly presents a reason for someone to intervene? Base your answer on the
meaning of intervene.

a. to stop kids from fighting over a toy

b. to show interest in a new hobby or activity
c. to ask an adult for permission to do something
d. to question whether a person is telling the truth
 Close Read: Analyze the Text
Identify the choice that best answers the question.

____ 8. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A Which is the best evaluation of the support given for the claim in “Ban the Ban!”? [CHOOSE FROM
ANSWERS A THROUGH D]

Part B Which of the following quotations from the text provide the best example of the answer to Part A?
[CHOOSE FROM ANSWERS E THROUGH H]

a. The reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant.

b. The reasoning is logical but more relevant evidence is needed.
c. The reasoning is questionable but the evidence is relevant.
d. The reasoning is unsound and the evidence is irrelevant.

e. I respect being given information that enables me to make an informed decision.

f. I agree wholeheartedly that obesity is an issue that needs to be addressed.
g. Remember the days when New York was a really cool and fun place to live?
h. Well, it is our responsibility to fight back, too.
____ 9. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A Which best describes how the author of “Soda’s a Problem but ...” feels about the soda ban?
(CHOOSE FROM ANSWERS A THROUGH D.)

Part B Which of these quotations from the text most clearly supports her perspective? (CHOOSE FROM
ANSWERS E THROUGH H.)

a. (Part A) She finds the politician supporting it admirable.

b. (Part A) She does not think it will be very helpful.
c. (Part A) She thinks it is a worthy goal of government.
d. (Part A) She believes it is full of inconsistencies.

e. (Part B) [I]t’s wrong for one man, even an elected official and even a well-meaning one at
that, to dictate to people how big a cup of sugary soda they’re allowed.
f. (Part B) [A]fter years of sacrificing their students’ health to their desire to raise more
money, most [schools] have stopped allowing vending machines stocked with sodas.
g. (Part B) Bloomberg is playing nanny in the worst sort of way by interfering in a basic,
private transaction involving a perfectly legal substance.
h. (Part B) Convenience stores such as 7-Eleven are overseen by the state and would be
exempt, but a Burger King across the street would be restricted.
____ 10. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A The author of “Soda’s a Problem but ...” comments on the argument that “people are helpless in the
face of sugar.” Which best describes her perspective of this argument? (CHOOSE FROM ANSWERS A
THROUGH D.)

Part B Which of these quotations from the text is the most relevant evidence in support of her perspective?
(CHOOSE FROM ANSWERS E THROUGH H.)
 a. (Part A) She believes people are not helpless and will change their behavior as they learn
more about the risks of soda.
b. (Part A) She sees soda as an addictive substance, so agrees that people struggle when
given too many options.
c. (Part A) She believes that people are so helpless they need government intervention to
make good decisions.
d. (Part A) She considers the argument an overstatement but agrees that sugar is difficult to
resist.

e. (Part B) It’s bad for you, especially in large quantities.

f. (Part B) [A]fter years of sacrificing their students’ health to their desire to raise more
money, most [schools] have stopped allowing vending machines stocked with sodas.
g. (Part B) Soda consumption is already slipping nationwide.
h. (Part B) Let’s not forget that scientists and even governments have at times pushed people
... into eating high levels of refined carbohydrates and sugars....

Close Read: Analyze Craft and Structure

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

____ 11. Which of these overgeneralizations is the basis for the argument in “Ban the Ban!”?

a. stating a large sugary drink ban is the same as stripping away civil liberties
b. claiming calorie-count disclosure helps people make informed decisions
c. arguing that the impact of obesity is as bad as the impact of smoking
d. suggesting smoking bans are comparable to the soda ban
____ 12. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A Which of the following states the most important claim on which the argument in “Soda’s a Problem
but ...” is based? (CHOOSE FROM ANSWERS A THROUGH D.)
Part B Which of these excerpts from “Soda’s a Problem but ...” best supports the answer to Part A?
(CHOOSE FROM ANSWERS E THROUGH H.)

a. (Part A) The ban that Bloomberg proposed includes so many problems that it would have
been impossible to enact.
b. (Part A) Bloomberg attempts to address a real problem but has overstepped his authority
in trying to eliminate people’s choices.
c. (Part A) Soda is known to be bad for health and a contributor to obesity, but it is a legal
substance and should be available to consumers.
d. (Part A) The government should step in when dangerous situations that affect innocent
people are legal, but drinking too much soda is not dangerous.

e. (Part B) [Soda]’s bad for you, especially in large quantities. The evidence against it
mounts on a semi-regular basis.
f. (Part B) Bloomberg is ... interfering in a basic, private transaction involving a perfectly
legal substance.
g. (Part B) The inherent contradictions ... were a good part of why earlier this week a judge
stopped the new rules from being implemented.
h. (Part B) That still leaves the question of whether governments or their leaders can begin
dictating the look of an individual’s meal....
____ 13. Which of the following quotations from “Ban the Ban!” are the best examples of the logical fallacy of over-
reliance on emotion? Choose two options.

a. When he insisted on calorie counts being posted, I think many of us cringed but, again, it
made sense.
b. What I do not respect is having my civil liberties stripped away.
c. I agree wholeheartedly that obesity is an issue that needs to be addressed.
d. We cannot allow our government to make these kinds of decisions for us.
e. If, despite all those efforts, someone chooses to have a sugary drink anyway, that is their
choice and their right.
f. I, personally, feel that it goes against everything this country stands for—we are a country
built on freedom.
____ 14. The author of “Ban the Ban!” claims that implementing the ban on large sodas is the beginning of “a very
slippery slope.” According to the author, where will this slippery slope lead?

a. New York will become a boring place to live.

b. Obesity will become unmanageable in the United States.
c. People will be forced to eat unsalted and unbuttered popcorn at the movies.
d. The government will take away people’s freedoms, including freedom of speech.

Comparing Texts
Identify the choice that best answers the question.

____ 15. Read the following quotation from “Three Cheers for the Nanny State.”

John Stuart Mill wrote in 1859 that the only justifiable reason for interfering in someone’s freedom of
action was to prevent harm to others.

Which idea from “Ban the Ban!” and “Soda’s a Problem but ...” provides the best example of an action that
Mill would find acceptable?

a. limiting the use of salt

b. posting the number of calories
c. banning smoking in public places
d. banning large-sized sugary drinks
____ 16. Read the following quotation from “Three Cheers for the Nanny State.”

It’s fair to stop us, Mill argued, when we are acting out of ignorance and doing something we’ll pretty
definitely regret.

According to the author of “Soda’s a Problem but ...” how should the government go about “stopping us”
from consuming too much soda?

a. pass the law Mayor Bloomberg proposed

b. improve the law that Mayor Bloomberg proposed
c. provide the public with information that will help them choose wisely
d. allow food corporations to determine the sizes of sugary drinks available
____ 17. Which idea does the author of “Three Cheers for the Nanny State” promote that is unacceptable to the authors
of “Ban the Ban!” and “Soda’s a Problem but ...”?

a. Banning smoking in public places was necessary and fair.

b. People should be given information to help them make smarter decisions.
c. Believing we are rational beings who mostly make good choices is an illusion.
d. The government should sometimes intervene in order to keep people from harming
themselves.
Ban the Ban! • Soda’s a Problem but... Answer Section
1. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Comprehension NAT: RI.3
TOP: Summarize all or part of a text (informational text) KEY: Selection Test
2. ANS: B, E PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Comprehension NAT: RI.2
TOP: Summarize all or part of a text (informational text) KEY: Selection Test
3. ANS: B, E PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Comprehension NAT: RI.6
TOP: Summarize all or part of a text (informational text) KEY: Selection Test
4. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Comprehension NAT: RI.3
TOP: Summarize all or part of a text (informational text) KEY: Selection Test
5. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Vocabulary: Selection Words NAT: L.4
TOP: Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text (informational text)
KEY: Selection Test
6. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Vocabulary: Selection Words NAT: L.4
TOP: Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text (informational text)
KEY: Selection Test
7. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Vocabulary: Selection Words NAT: L.4
TOP: Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text (informational text)
KEY: Selection Test
8. ANS: D, G PTS: 1 DIF: Challenging REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Close Reading: Text-Based Evidence NAT: RI.1 | RI.8
TOP: Make inferences and support them with textual evidence (informational text)
KEY: Selection Test
9. ANS: D, H PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Close Reading: Text-Based Evidence NAT: RI.6 | RI.8
TOP: Make inferences and support them with textual evidence (informational text)
KEY: Selection Test
10. ANS: A, G PTS: 1 DIF: Challenging REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Close Reading: Text-Based Evidence NAT: RI.1 | RI.6 | RI.8
TOP: Make inferences and support them with textual evidence (informational text)
KEY: Selection Test
11. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Analyze Craft and Structure: Overgeneralization NAT: RI.8
TOP: Analyze and evaluate arguments in a text (claims and support)
KEY: Selection Test
12. ANS: B, F PTS: 1 DIF: Challenging REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Analyze Craft and Structure: Claim NAT: RI.1 | RI.2 | RI.8
TOP: Analyze and evaluate arguments in a text (claims and support)
KEY: Selection Test
13. ANS: B, F PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Analyze Craft and Structure: Logical Fallacies NAT: RI.1 | RI.8
TOP: Analyze and evaluate arguments in a text (claims and support)
 KEY: Selection Test
14. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Analyze Craft and Structure: Slippery Slope NAT: RI.8
TOP: Determine author's point of view or perspective KEY: Selection Test
15. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Challenging REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Comparing Texts NAT: RI.6 | RI.9 TOP: Compare nonfiction texts
KEY: Selection Test
16. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Average REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Comparing Texts NAT: RI.6 TOP: Compare nonfiction texts
KEY: Selection Test
17. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Challenging REF: Unit 3
OBJ: Comparing Texts NAT: RI.9 TOP: Compare nonfiction texts
KEY: Selection Test