Hi everyone,
Got 6/7 correct in 12:10 minutes, including 5 minutes to read and 7:10 minutes to answer the questions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------P1In the first paragraph the author talks about the consequences of desertification. All the drawbacks are here presented.
Purpose: To present all the drawbacks related to desertification
P2In paragraph 2 the author describes the effect of the current federal policy. Such effects lead generally to overexploitation, overgrazing and so on and so far.
Then the author proceeds by describing how commodity prices affect the investments done on arid lands.
Purpose: To present the drawbacks related to the current federal policies on arid lands.
P3In this paragraph the author compares the measures taken to exploit the arid lands with the measures taken to save such lands form exploitation. Per the author the latter are very scarce and the incentives used for arid lands are at their highest.
Purpose: To claim that the efforts done to save lands are much weaker compared to the ones to incentivize exploitation.
P4In this paragraph the author claims that the agricultural sector, and consequently the export sector, is the most affected by desertification. Moreover the author presets two possible scenarios: pay now or pay later more.
Purpose: To present the most affected sector from desertification and to present two possible scenarios.
Main pointTo claim that desertification is leading to very bad situation, that federal policies are working in favor of desertification and that economic consequences will inevitably come.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. The author is primarily concerned with
Pre-thinking
Purpose question
To claim that desertification is leading to very bad situation, that federal policies are working in favor of desertification and that economic consequences will inevitably come.
(A) discussing a solution
no solution is presented(B) describing a problem
(C) replying to a detractor
(D) finding a contradiction
(E) defining a term
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. The passage mentions all of the following as effects of desertification EXCEPT
Pre-thinking
Detail question
Effects of desertification are discussed mainly in P1.
Desertification in the arid United States is flagrant. Groundwater supplies beneath vast stretches of land are dropping precipitously. Whole river systems have dried up; others are choked with sediment washed from denuded land. Hundreds of thousands of acres of previously irrigated cropland have been abandoned to wind or weeds. Several million acres of natural grassland are eroding at unnaturally high rates as a result of cultivation or overgrazing. All told, about 225 million acres of land are undergoing severe desertification.
(A) increased sediment in rivers
(B) erosion of land
(C) overcultivation of arid land
Not mentioned(D) decreasing groundwater supplies
(E) loss of land to wind or weeds
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3. The author most likely encloses the phrase “higher uses” (Highlighted) in quotations marks in order to
Pre-thinking
Inference question
[b]Clearly the author does not believe that building a mall is more important that cultivating lands. Beware that whenever you see something in brackets, the author probably means the opposite
[/b]
(A) alert the reader to the fact that the term is very important
(B) minimize the importance of desertification in non-arid land
(C) voice his support for expansion of such programs
(D) express concern over the extent of desertification
(E) indicate disagreement that such uses are more important
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4. The passages mentions all of the following as economic factors tending to contribute to desertification EXCEPT
Pre-thinking
Detail question
We need to evaluate P2 and P3
(A) price incentives for farmers to use arid lands to produce certain commodities
Mentioned in P2(B) artifically low government fees for use of public grazing lands
Federal grazing fees that are well below the free-market price encourage overgrazing of the commons.
(C) government subsidies for fuels that are manufactured from a variety of crops
the government is now offering huge new subsidies to produce synfuel from coal or oil shale as well as alcohol fuel from crops.
(D) worldwide demand for the food and fiber produced in the United States
Mentioned in P4 but in another context. Such demand would not contribute to desertification. Au contraire.(E) lack of effective government financial incentives to conserve soil, water, and vegetation
The existing federal government costshare programs designed to help finance the conservation of soil, water, and vegetation pale in comparison to such incentives.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5. According to the passage, the most serious long-term effect of desertification would be the reduced ability of
Pre-thinking
Detail question
From last paragraph: In the final analysis, when viewed in the national perspective, the effects on agriculture are the most troublesome aspect of desertification in the United States,
And this statement leads to: heedless of the economic need of the United States to export agricultural products or of the world’s need for U.S. food and fiber.
(A) the United States to continue to export agricultural products
(B) municipalities to supply water to meet the needs of residents
(C) farmers to cover the cost of producing crops
(D) the United States to meet the food needs of its own people
(E) the United States to produce sufficient fuel for energy from domestic sources
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6. The passage leads most logically to discussion of a proposal for
Pre-thinking
Inference question
The passage as whole tries to communicate that something should be done to prevent the effect of desertification to deteriorate
(A) reduced agricultural output in the United States
(B) direct government aid to farmers affected by desertification
(C) curtailing the conversion of land to shopping centers and housing yes, but this statement is a little too specific as we are asked what the passage as a whole leads to.
(D) government assistance to develop improved farming methods to increase exploitation of arid land
(E) increased government assistance to finance the conservation of arid land
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7. The author’s attitude toward desertification can best be described as one of
Pre-thinking
Tone question
The author is concerned
(A) alarm I was tempted but I found this option a little extreme.
(B) optimism
(C) understanding
(D) conciliation
(E) concern
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