Passage AnalysisHigh levels of fertilizer and pesticides,
High quantities or doses of fertilizer and pesticides
needed when farmers try to produce high yields
are required to be used by farmers when they are trying to produce large quantities
of the same crop year after year,
Of the same crop every year, that is, without leaving a gap of even a single year
pollute water supplies.
This use causes water supplies in that area to get polluted.
Experts therefore urge farmers to diversify their crops
Because of this pollution, experts earnestly request/exhort/encourage farmers not to cultivate the same crop but to cultivate different crops.
and to rotate their plantings yearly
These different crops again should not be planted every year, rather the farmers should keep rotating the plantings of different crops on a yearly basis.
To receive governmental price-support benefits for a crop,
In order to get the benefit of good prices or price support from the government for a particular crop,
farmers must have produced that same crop for the past several years.
it is mandatory for the farmer to have produced the same crop for past several years
Gist of the passage
In order to get high yields of the same crop year after year from their lands, farmers use high levels of fertilizer and pesticides.
(Here we can infer that low levels of fertilizer and pesticides will not give high yields of the same crop when grown every year)
(We can also infer that if the farmers did not want to get high yields of the same crop year after year from their lands, they would not need to use high levels of fertilizer and pesticides)
This leads to pollution of water supplies in that area
In order or curb pollution of water supplies, experts strongly recommend farmers to do the following
Not to cultivate the same crop year after year
Rather, to plant different crops
And to plant these diverse crops on a yearly rotational basis.
On the other hand if a farmer wants to get the benefit of good pricing for a particular crop of his from the government, then it is compulsory that
he should have produced the same crop for the past several years
(here we can infer that he should have produced the same crop year after year for past many years)
Question stem analysis
The statement above, if true, best support which of the following conclusions?
If the information given in the passage is true, we need to identify the option which has the strongest support from the given passage.
Choice AUnderstand the choice
As per this option the rule that the government has set up regarding prices of crops is in direct contrast to the efforts for reducing water pollution
Analyze in the context of the passage and the question stem
As per the passage there is
A rule for the benefit of the farmers - In order to get the benefit of good prices or price support from the government for a particular crop, the farmer must have necessarily produced the same crop for past several years
A recommendation for the reduction of pollution of water supplies- farmers should not cultivate the same crop but diversify crops and the farmers should keep rotating the plantings of different crops on a yearly basis.
Now if we compare the two pieces of information we can clearly see that if the farmer wants to benefit from the rule then he has to go against the recommendation. And if he wants to uphold the recommendation then he has to forgo the rule. Which means that the rule works against the recommendation.
Hence, this option can be inferred from the passage.
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