Comprehension [ 22 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

22 - ] Comprehension

 Upper Intermediate & Advanced 

Read the following passage , then answer the questions below . Do not look back at the passage . Compare your answers to the Answer Key . Check any incorrect answers by reading the passage .

                   It doesn’t take long to turn farmland into desert . American farmers found this out in the 1930s . They planted wheat in large areas of grassland in the south central United States .For a few years there was plenty of rain and lots of wheat . Then the rains stopped , as they often do in this dry region . The wheat dried up and the top soil turned to dust . Before long , it had all blown away in great dust storms . The area became known as the “Dust Bowl” .

                  What happened in the Dust Bowl is a perfect example of erosion caused by modern farming methods . ( Erosion is the loss of top soil . ) Top soil blows away more easily when it is no longer protected by grasses or trees . In ten years or less , several feet of good soil can disappear . And once it is gone , there is no way to get it back quickly . It may take from one hundred to a thousand years for new top soil to form .

                  Unfortunately , it seems that farmers have not learned from the example of the Dust Bowl . In the United States alone , five billion tons of top soil are lost every year . Farmers continue to use the same destructive methods . They plant the same crops and use tons of chemical fertilizers .

                   The situation in other parts of the world is even more serious . The total loss of top soil worldwide is 24 billion tons a year . Areas of the earth with a dry climate ( about one third of the planet ) are hit worst . In these areas , about 12 million hectares of land are lost to agriculture per year because of erosion .

                    In developing countries , this often leads to hunger and death . The recent history of one part of Africa , the Sahel , is a good example . In the 1960s and 197much good farmland was taken over for export crops , such as sugar and cotton . Many people moved into the drier interior areas to grow their food . During that period , there was more rain than usual . Food and cattle production increased and so did the population .

                    Before long , there were too many people in these areas . The land began to suffer the effects . It was no longer protected by trees , which had been cut down for firewood . The grass and bushes were gone , eaten by the cattle , sheep , and other animals . Animal manure was used for burning instead of fertilizing the soil .

                   Then came a long period of no rain . The ruined top soil quickly blew away . The Sahara Desert advanced in some areas as much as 100 kilometers . In other areas , the semi-desert land became completely unproductive . Now millions of people have no way to make a living . Many have dies of hunger , while others have moved to the already crowded cities .

                      The events in the Sahel were an important lesson for government officials and farmers around the world . But again , the lesson has been ignored . More and more people are hungry on our planet , but farmland continues to be ruined .

Circle the best answers to the following questions . Do not look back at the passage .

1 . This passage is about

( A ) the “Dust Bow” .

( B ) how farmers can ruin the land .

( C ) the problem of erosion around the world .

( D )  the loss of top soil in the African Sahel .

2 . The “Dust Bowl”  

( A ) is a naturally dusty area .

( B ) used to be desert .

( C ) was always green farmland .

( D ) used to be grassland .

3 . The dust storms    

( A ) started after farmers planted wheat .

( B ) were always present in that area .

( C ) stopped when it rained .

( D ) brought lots of good top soil .

4 . We can infer from this passage that chemical fertilizers    

( A ) help keep the top soil .

( B ) help destroy the soil .

( C ) do not have any effect on the soil .

( D )  are not used much by American farmers .

5 . The problem of erosion is worst in   

( A ) the central United States .

( B ) the desert .

( C ) Africa.

( D ) the dry regions of the world .

6 . We can infer from this passage that one important factor in the Sahel disaster was the    

( A ) international demand for export crops .

( B ) expansion of the Sahara Desert .

( C ) worldwide change in climate .

( D ) lack of good top soil in Africa .  

7 . The top soil in the Sahel was ruined by    

( A ) the planting of export crops .

( B ) the effects of too many people and animals .

( C ) too much manure from cattle and sheep .

( D ) too much rain for too many years .

8 . Many people in the Sahel died of hunger because     

( A ) there were too many sheep and cattle .

( B ) there were terrible dust storms .

( C ) there were no trees for firewood .

( D ) the land was no longer any good for farming .

Answer Key  

1 . C 2 . D 3 . A 4 . B 5 . D 6 . A 7 . B 8 . D