Read the following passage carefully.

Imagine that you are going to live in an island with two dozen other people. The island has four
seasons, with warm summer and a cool winter. It has a hill near its center, which provides some
shelter from the cold prevailing wind. Much of the low land on the sheltered side of the hill is
woodland. There is a small population of fish in the sea around the island, which can provide a
little food.

Set a plan for providing food for yourself and the rest of the group to stay of two years on the
island. You may take any plants, animals, pesticides, fertilizer, and building materials that you
wish. You may stay on the island in any season.

Start to make your plan by using the following guidance:

1. What season will you choose to live there? State your reason.
2. What plants will you choose to grow for providing food for you and the other groups?
You may choose more than one food from the following options.
A: rice plant, wheat, or corn. State your reason.
B: vegetable, fruit, or both. State your reason.
C: chicken, meat, or fish. State your reason.
3. What types of building materials you choose as your house for two years? Is it made of
stone, bricks, or wood? State your reason.
4. What types of pest control will you use? Pesticides or herbicides? State your reason.

Make sure that all the item you choose do not destroy the environment and keep making the
ecosystem in balance.

Here is the table as the draft.

SEASON

Type of season you choose Reason

 Spring
FOOD
Type of food
Wheat (Hard Spring wheat)
Fruits and vegetables (Honeydew,
cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, beans,
broccoli, beets, garlic, potato,
onions, raspberries)
Chicken
BUILDING MATERIALS
Type of materials
Wood
 Warmer temperature (around 21 degrees
Celsius)
 It’s planting season
 Increase daylight hours
Reason
Wheat is easier to grow than rice and has more
carbohydrate than rice and corn. Usually wheats
are planted in September, late October and early
November. They grow best when the temperature
is warm around 21-24 degree Celsius. Spring
wheat is planted in spring and harvested in
autumn, while winter wheat is planted in autumn
and harvested on mid-May. So, we decided to
choose spring wheat because winter wheat takes
more time to grow.
 Carbohydrates: potato
 Vitamin and minerals: honeydew,
cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli,
garlic, onions, raspberries
 Protein: beets, beans
The meat and eggs can be used as the protein.
Reason
Woods are lightweight and can act as an insulator,
keeping the cold air out and the warm air in. There is a
woodland in the island, hence obtaining wood is much
easier than using stone and bricks
PEST CONTROL

Type of pest control Reason

Selective Herbicides and natural Selective herbicides kill only certain plants, which are
predators weeds, and leaves the crop plants unharmed. When the
herbicides eventually drift away from the fields and
into the natural habitats, it won’t kill the plants there.
Moreover, it is environmentally safe, energy self-
sufficient, cost effective, and sustainable.

Natural predators belong to that ecosystem itself and

they help keep the food web balanced. When using
chemical substances to reduce pests, it will poison the
plants and animals that come in contact with it. As a
result, this toxin will be passed up to the food chain
and the top predator could die of poison because of the
large amounts of toxin build up in its body.

Explain your draft into paragraph. The minimum is four paragraphs. Use the
font of Tahoma size 11.
The rubric is as follows:

Categories
Aspect
Low Medium High

Score 10 20 30

Content The plan is unrealistic. The plan is realistic based The plan is written clearly
The reason stated is not on the topic they’ve and realistic. It is based on
logic. learned, the reason stated is the topic and correct
logic. knowledge, the reason
stated is logic.

Final score: Total score/3

Our Plan
 From the description given, we decided to live on this island during spring, because it
has a pretty warm temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, and is the planting season. In winter, the
temperatures freeze, making driving, going outside, and other activities extremely difficult.
Winter also causes some people to catch a cold and flu. Unfortunately, we are on an island with
no health institutions or hospitals to cure sick people. 

Furthermore, summer is also not a good season as sun exposure is risky. It can cause
sunburn, allergies, and blistering heat which will drench us in sweat every time, which is not
good since there is no air conditioner to keep us cool. Besides, thunderstorms are more
common in summer as the days last longer and allow more heat and energy to build. The
thriving bugs and mosquitoes can also harm us by spreading diseases. In autumn, rain and
illnesses are common so it is not the best season to live in.

The season chosen will affect the types of food produced during that period of time. In
order to survive on an island, the 6 major nutrients must be fulfilled to keep our body healthy. 
Between rice, wheat, and corn, the best source of carbohydrates in our opinion is wheat,
specifically hard spring wheat. Compared to rice, wheat is much easier to grow because
planting rice needs irrigation and the building takes time. In addition, wheat contains the
highest amount of carbohydrates (76 grams per 100 grams) compared to rice (28 grams) and
corn (19 grams). So, we chose wheat because of its high carbohydrate content and also easy to
plant.

Wheat is usually planted in September, late October, and early November. They grow
best when the temperature is warm around 21-24 degree Celsius. Spring wheat is planted in
spring and harvested in autumn, while winter wheat is planted in autumn and harvested in mid-
May. So, we decided to choose spring wheat because winter wheat takes more time to grow. 

As for the other 4 major nutrients, they can be provided by the fruits, vegetables, and
meat that can be harvested on that island. During spring, a wide variety of fruits and
vegetables can be grown and harvested, such as honeydew, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes,
broccoli, garlic, onions, and raspberries which provide vitamins and minerals, potatoes which
provide carbohydrates, beets, and beans which provide proteins and many more. As for the
meat and fats source, we chose chicken because we can use its meat and eggs as a source of
proteins and fats. Plus, chicken is one of the easiest animals to be farmed.

For the building materials, we decided to use wood. It is because wood is lightweight
and can act as an insulator, which can keep the cold air out and the warm air in. Wood is also
strong, versatile, light, and the only construction material that is 100% renewable. We could
find woodland on the island that makes it easier to obtain wood. If we use bricks and stones,
it’s not efficient and is harder to find. Also, bricks absorb water easily.

If pests show up, our preferred pest control is by using selective herbicides and natural
predators. Selective herbicides kill only certain plants, like weeds, and leave the crops
unharmed. When the herbicides drift away from the fields and into the natural habitat, the
plants there won’t get killed. Selective herbicides are also environmentally safe, energy self-
sufficient, cost-effective, and sustainable.
 Biological control is the use of organisms to reduce pest populations so they could be
less damaging. Natural predators belong to that ecosystem itself and they help balance the food
web. When using chemical substances to reduce pests, it could poison the plants and animals
that make contact with it. As a result, this toxin will be passed up to the food chain and the top
predator could even die due to getting poisoned because of the large amounts of toxin building
up in its body. 

In conclusion, our plan here is created and thought carefully by paying attention to two
different factors: our sustainability and the ecosystem’s balance. The balance of the ecosystem
is important for its stability. Balance of the systems must be kept for living things to exist in a
stable state with the environment. This must be done to maintain the species and prevent them
from going extinct. Environmental sustainability is very important as it plays a great role in
preserving natural resources like clean air, water, and wildlife. The following is how we can
maintain environmental sustainability:

a) Reforestation: As previously mentioned in paragraph 6, wood is the main building

material needed to create shelter, furniture, etc. Woodland is an important habitat for
many animals and it also helps to store water and prevent natural disasters, such as
floods and landslides.
b) About the selective herbicides: The selective herbicides we use are chemical products.
However, it doesn’t affect the environment much, unlike pesticides. As long as the
amount of herbicide used is according to the right dose, it won’t negatively impact the
environment.