Download Grade 11 Argumentative - Language Arts - Miami

Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Office of Academics and Transformation – Department of English
Language Arts- Secondary
Division of Academic Support
DISTRICT WRITING PRE-TEST
ASSESSMENT
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
11TH GRADE RETAKERS
ARGUMENTATIVE PROMPT
Name: _______________________________
Teacher: _________________ Per: ____
Source # 1
Dietary Supplements: The Health Benefits of Pumping Up Your Diet
1 With the popularity of fast and inexpensive processed food, many of us struggle to get all the nutrients we
need out of our diets. As a result, dietary supplements are growing in popularity and are now a multi-billion
dollar industry. Still, many of us remain either confused by what to take or skeptical of what the actual benefits of
these supplements might be.
2
“There are six essential nutrients that we need to get each day,” explains Kelli M. Ward, DO, an
osteopathic family physician from Lake Havasu City, Ariz. “These are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins,
minerals and water.”
3
The best source of these nutrients is a healthy, balanced diet, comprised of fresh, whole foods and an
abundance of fruits and vegetables.
4
Dr. Ward notes, however, that even people who strive to eat a healthy diet can sometimes miss essential
nutrients. Therefore, nutritional supplements, when taken appropriately, can be beneficial to almost anyone’s
diet.
Multivitamins
5
6
“The first supplement to consider adding to your diet is the multivitamin,” says Dr. Ward.
There are many essential vitamins and minerals found in multivitamins that can be difficult to attain
solely through one’s diet. The health benefits of these nutrients are hard to ignore. Calcium makes your bones
stronger. Vitamin B12 gives you more energy. Vitamin D boosts your immune system.
7
“Overall, the multivitamin is the single most diverse supplement you can add to your diet,” says Dr.
Ward.
8
However, not all multivitamins are made equal. “Many multivitamins contain synthetic nutrients instead
of natural ones, which are harder for the body to absorb,” explains Dr. Ward. She recommends taking an allnatural multivitamin derived from actual food sources so the body can absorb a much larger percentage of its
nutrients.
Healthy Fats
9
Another important nutrient we should be supplementing our diets with is fat. According to Dr.
Ward, it is a common misconception that fat is bad for us when, actually, quite the opposite is true. The
body uses fat to do everything from building cell membranes to performing key functions in the brain,
eyes, and lungs. Fats also play a vital role in our cardiovascular health as well as in the maintenance of
our skin and hair.
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“The problem with fat is that people eat too many trans fats, often found in processed food, that not only
raise cholesterol, but also increase the risk of heart disease,” says Dr. Ward.
11
Dr. Ward points out that healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and
the super-healthy fats omega 3 fatty acids, can actually improve the overall health of the heart.
12
“When combined with exercise, taking an omega 3 supplement can also combat the problem of
high triglycerides and low, good (HDL) cholesterol - another common medical problem caused by diets
high in trans-fat,” says Dr. Ward. Therefore, it is important to make sure our diets include a good
amount of these healthy fats.
13
“Fish oil, which contains concentrated omega 3 fatty acids, is perhaps the best nutritional
supplement for healthy fats,” adds Dr. Ward.
Protein
14
Another good dietary supplement to consider is protein. “Protein is one of the body’s main
building blocks for muscle, bone, skin, and other tissues,” says Dr. Ward. Often found in the form of
powders or shakes, protein supplements repair muscles and help the body recover from exercise. If
your diet is low in protein-rich foods, such as fish, poultry, beans, nuts and whole grains, then you may
want to consider adding a protein supplement.
15
Dr. Ward warns, however, that protein supplementation can be harmful to certain populations,
especially those with diminished kidney function.
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“Before adding protein, or any other nutritional supplement to your diet, you should check with
your doctor to make sure it is safe for you.”
Taken from: The American Osteopathic Association Website
Source # 2
Risks of Taking Dietary Supplements
17
People take dietary supplements to obtain essential nutrients that may be deficient or missing in
their diets. Supplements may contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, proteins,
carbohydrates, fats and herbs. Yet, they may have risks. Research by epidemiologists at the Food and
Drug Administration and published in the “Journal of the American Dietetic Association” in 2006 reports
that more than 13 percent of adults in the United States who take multivitamin, multi-mineral
supplements report adverse events.
Drug Interactions
18
A higher proportion of people reporting adverse reactions when taking dietary supplements,
particularly multivitamin multi-mineral supplements, concurrently take prescription or over-thecounter medications that supplement users without adverse events. Taking supplements that contain
vitamin A while also taking Accutane, a prescription drug that contains isotretinoin and is indicated for
treatment of cystic acne, can increase the toxic effects of the medication. Vitamins C, E and K can
interfere with blood thinning medications, such as warfarin, that are used to treat and prevent blood
clots. Supplements containing herbs may also interfere with medications. St. John’s wort is a herb that
may help you improve your mood when depressed. It can also lower blood concentrations of the
painkiller oxycodone and decrease the effectiveness of chronic pain treatment, according to research
scientists in the Department of Anesthesiology at Turku University Hospital in Finland and published in
the “European Journal of Pain” in 2010.
Megadoses
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Megadoses of nutrients can lead to liver and kidney toxicity and other potentially severe adverse
reactions. Taking megadoses of 1,000 mg or more of vitamin B-6, also called pyridoxine or Pyridoxal-5’phosphate, can cause neuropathy, or damage to your nerve cells, according to research at the
Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences in the Netherlands and published in "Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor
Geneeskunde" in 2005. Megadoses of vitamin A can cause toxicity, also called hypervitaminosis A, with
symptoms that include nausea, dizziness, and headache, loss of appetite, dry skin, joint pain and
increased water in the brain. Taking more than 2,000 IU of vitamin D can cause excessive thirst,
tiredness, sore eyes, bone pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
Contamination
20
Contamination from harmful substances is a big risk from taking dietary supplements. The
Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, investigated the safety of
supplements and found that nearly all herbal supplements are contaminated with heavy metals, such as
mercury, cadmium and lead and 40 percent of dietary supplements tested have residues from
pesticides. Also, 25 percent of more than 2,000 dietary supplements from 300 manufacturers lack the
quantities of substances listed on the product labels and many contain heavy metals. Toxicities from
heavy metals are potentially life threatening and can cause birth defects in women who are pregnant or
may become pregnant.
Unknown Risks
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Scientists are discovering new things about nutrition every day. Taking dietary supplements may
have health risks not yet discovered. It's generally best to keep consumption of supplements within or
near the limits set by health authorities. Consult your doctor about your health status and about taking
dietary supplements.
Taken from: Livestrong Website
Writing Situation
Read the following sources to analyze the use of dietary supplements on a daily
basis.
Write an argumentative essay either in support of the use of dietary supplements
or against their use. Use the information from the texts in the passage set to
support your claim. Cite evidence with appropriate citations.
Manage your time carefully so that you can
 read the passages;
 plan your response;
 write your response; and
 revise and edit your response.
Be sure to
 include a claim;
 address counterclaims;
 use evidence from multiple sources; and
 avoid overly relying on one source.
You may write or type your response.
Your writing should be in the form of a well-organized, multi-paragraph essay.
You have 120 minutes to read, plan, write, revise, and edit your response.
Planning Sheet