The prevailing trend in agriculture toward massive and highly mechaniz

Question

The prevailing trend in agriculture toward massive and highly mechanized production, with its heavy dependence on debt and credit as a means of raising capital, has been linked to the growing problem of bankruptcy among small farms. African American horticulturalist Booker T. Whatley has proposed a comprehensive approach to small farming that runs counter to this trend. Whatley maintains that small farms can operate profitably despite these economic obstacles, and he provides guidelines that he believes will bring about such profitability when combined with smart management and hard work.

Whatley emphasizes that small farms must generate year-round cash flow. To this end, he recommends growing at least ten different crops, which would alleviate financial problems should one crop fail completely. To minimize the need to seek hard-to-obtain loans, the market for the farm products should be developed via a “clientele membership club” (CMC), whereby clients pay in advance for the right to go to the farm and harvest what they require. To help guarantee small farmers a market for all of their crops, Whatley encourages them to grow only crops that clients ask for, and to comply with client requests regarding the use of chemicals.

Whatley stresses that this “pick-your-own” farming is crucial for profitability because 50 percent of a farmer’s production cost is tied up with harvesting, and using clients as harvesters allows the farmer to charge 60 percent of what supermarkets charge and still operate the farm at a profit. Whatley’s plan also affords farmers the advantage of selling directly to consumers, thus eliminating distribution costs. To realize profits on a 25-acre farm, for example, Whatley suggests that a CMC of about 1,000 people is needed. The CMC would consist primarily of people from metropolitan areas who value fresh produce.

The success of this plan, Whatley cautions, depends in large part on a farm’s location: the farm should be situated on a hard-surfaced road within 40 miles of a population center of at least 50,000 people, as studies suggest that people are less inclined to travel any greater distances for food. In this way, Whatley reverses the traditional view of hard-surfaced roads as farm-to-market roads, calling them instead “city-to-farm” roads. The farm should also have well-drained soil and a ready water source for irrigation, since inevitably certain preferred crops will not be drought resistant. Lastly, Whatley recommends carrying liability insurance upwards of $1 million to cover anyone injured on the farm. Adhering to this plan, Whatley contends, will allow small farms to exist as a viable alternative to sprawling corporate farms while providing top-quality agricultural goods to consumers in most urban areas.    1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

(A) In reaction to dominant trends in agriculture, Booker T. Whatley has advanced a set of recommendations he claims will enable small farms to thrive.
(B) Booker T. Whatley’s approach to farming is sensitive to the demands of the consumer, unlike the dominant approach to farming that focuses on massive and efficient production and depends on debt and credit.
(C) As part of a general critique of the trend in agriculture toward massive production, Booker
T. Whatley assesses the ability of small farms to compete against large corporate farms.
(D) While CMCs are not the only key to successful small farming, Booker T. Whatley shows that without them small farms risk failure even with a diversity of crops and a good location.
(E) The adoption of Booker T. Whatley’s methods of small farming will eventually threaten
the dominance of large-scale production and reliance on debt and credit that mark corporate farming.

2 
 2. Based on the information in the passage, which one of the following would Whatley be most likely to view as facilitating adherence to an aspect of his plan for operating a small farm?

(A) a farmer’s planting a relatively unknown crop to test the market for that crop
(B) a farmer’s leaving large lanes between plots of each crop to allow people easy access at harvest time
(C) a farmer’s traveling into the city two afternoons a week to sell fresh produce at a farmer’s market
(D) a farmer’s using an honor system whereby produce is displayed on tables in view of the road and passersby can buy produce and leave their money in a box
(E) a farmer’s deciding that for environmental reasons chemicals will no longer be used on the farm to increase yields

3 
 3. According to the passage, “pick-your-own” farming is seen by Whatley as necessary to the operation of small farms for which one of the following reasons?

(A) Customers are given the chance to experience firsthand where their produce comes from.
(B) It guarantees a substantial year-round cash flow for the farm.
(C) It allows farmers to maintain profits while charging less for produce than what supermarkets charge.
(D) Only those varieties of crops that have been specifically selected by clients within the CMC will be grown by the farmer.
(E) Consumers who are willing to drive to farms to harvest their own food comprise a strong potential market for farmers.

4 
 4. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with

(A) summarizing the main points of an innovative solution to a serious problem
(B) examining contemporary trends and isolating their strengths and weaknesses
(C) criticizing widely accepted practices within a key sector of the economy
(D) demonstrating the advantages and disadvantages of a new strategy within an industry
(E) analyzing the impact of a new idea on a tradition- driven industry

5 
 5. The passage provides the most support for inferring which one of the following statements?

(A) A corporate farm is more likely to need a loan than a small farm is.
(B) If small farms charged what supermarkets charge for produce that is fresher than that sold by supermarkets, then small farms would see higher profits in the long term.
(C) Consumers who live in rural areas are generally less inclined than those who live in metropolitan areas to join a CMC.
(D) If a CMC requests fewer than ten different crops to be grown, then at least one of Whatley’s recommendations will not be followed.
(E) Distribution costs are accounted for in the budget of a small farm with a CMC and are paid directly by customers.

6 
 6. According to the passage, Whatley advocates which one of the following actions because it would help to guarantee that small farms have buyers for all of their produce?

(A) growing at least ten different crops
(B) charging 60 percent of what supermarkets charge for the same produce
(C) recruiting only clients who value fresh produce
(D) honoring the crop requests and chemical-use preferences of clients
(E) irrigating crops that are susceptible to drought

7 
 7. Which one of the following inferences is most supported by the information in the passage ?

(A) The advance payment to the farmer by CMC members guarantees that members will get the produce they want.
(B) Hard-surfaced roads are traditionally the means by which some farmers transport their produce to their customers in cities.
(C) A typical population center of 50,000 should be able to support CMCs on at least fifty 25-acre farms.
(D) Consumers prefer hard-surfaced roads to other roads because the former cause less wear and tear on their vehicles.
(E) Most roads with hard surfaces were originally given these surfaces primarily for the sake of farmers.

shivamburma · Answer

In this question .... acc. to me (B) should not be the ans. as farmer would use the road is nowhere mentioned in the passage .
 Passage : Whatley cautions, depends in large part on a farm’s location: the farm should be situated on a hard-surfaced road within 40 miles of a population center of at least 50,000 people, as studies suggest that people are less inclined to travel any greater distances for food. In this way, Whatley reverses the traditional view of hard-surfaced roads as farm-to-market roads, calling them instead “city-to-farm” roads.  
 Here customer will come and buy the food  .... so B should not be the correct option ..
Please explain

7. Which one of the following inferences is most supported by the information in the passage?

(A) The advance payment to the farmer by CMC members guarantees that members will get the produce they want.
(B) Hard-surfaced roads are traditionally the means by which some farmers transport their produce to their customers in cities.
(C) A typical population center of 50,000 should be able to support CMCs on at least fifty 25-acre farms.
(D) Consumers prefer hard-surfaced roads to other roads because the former cause less wear and tear on their vehicles.
(E) Most roads with hard surfaces were originally given these surfaces primarily for the sake of farmers.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

(B)  is supported by the following lines from the passage:

In this way, Whatley reverses the traditional view of hard-surfaced roads as farm-to-market roads, calling them instead “city-to-farm” roads.

The traditional view is that roads let farmers take produce to consumers.

Answer: B

Ankyta333 · Answer

Can someone pl explain in Q7 why choice number C is wrong? I narrowed down to B & C. But in the passage it said farm-to-market and choice B said farm-to-customers I thought this is incorrect since farmers are not taking to customers directly at present, it is not mentioned in the passage and so Whatley has this new proposal.

And passage mentioned that for one 25 acre farm a population of 1000 people should be able to support it. So if you multiply each by 50 it does come out to be, 50,000 people should be able to support 25-acre farms.

What did I miss in this interpretation?

7. Which one of the following inferences is most supported by the information in the passage?

(A) The advance payment to the farmer by CMC members guarantees that members will get the produce they want.
(B) Hard-surfaced roads are traditionally the means by which some farmers transport their produce to their customers in cities.
(C) A typical population center of 50,000 should be able to support CMCs on at least fifty 25-acre farms.
(D) Consumers prefer hard-surfaced roads to other roads because the former cause less wear and tear on their vehicles.
(E) Most roads with hard surfaces were originally given these surfaces primarily for the sake of farmers.

sharmakuber · Answer

Can someone please explain the answer to Q5?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. The passage provides the most support for inferring which one of the following statements?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

(A)  The passage never said much about corporate farms, or whether they need loans.

(B)  The passage never mentions charging higher prices. The passage also doesn’t talk about long run profits. Mainly, Whatley’s recommendations serve to avoid debt. This answer uses plausible terms in ways never used by the passage. It’s a misleading trap.

(C)  The passage doesn’t say what kind of consumer would join a CMC,

(D)  CORRECT.  Lines 13-17   (Whatley emphasizes that small farms must generate year-round cash flow. To this end, he recommends growing at least ten different crops, which would alleviate financial problems should one crop fail completely.)  recommend growing at least 10 different crops, to minimize the risk of crop failure. And  lines 23-25   (Whatley encourages them to grow only crops that clients ask for, and to comply with client requests regarding the use of chemicals.)  say to grow only crops that clients ask for. So if customers ask for less than 10 crops, then either the farm will grow crops that clients didn’t ask for, or the farmer will risk crop failure by growing less than 10 crops.

(E)  The third paragraph implies there are no distribution costs. Customers harvest the crops themselves, at the farm.

Answer: D

kakuli · Answer

Sajjad1994  please provide the explanation for question 2 and please give reason why C cannot be the answer to question 7! I get the point that answer to Q7 must be B but why not C?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. Based on the information in the passage, which one of the following would Whatley be most likely to view as facilitating adherence to an aspect of his plan for operating a small farm?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

(A)  Whatley doesn’t talk about testing the market. Instead, he says farmers should only grow crops that consumers ask for.

(B)  CORRECT.  Lines 26-28   (Whatley stresses that this “pick-your-own” farming is crucial for profitability because 50 percent of a farmer’s production cost is tied up with harvesting)  say that it’s important for consumers to pick their own crops. Leaving large lanes will make it easier for consumers to pick crops.

(C)  The final paragraph says farmers should let consumers come to them. They shouldn’t go into town.  (see lines 43-46: In this way, Whatley reverses the traditional view of hard-surfaced roads as farm-to-market roads, calling them instead “city-to-farm” roads.)

(D) Lines 26-28   (Whatley stresses that this “pick-your-own” farming is crucial for profitability because 50 percent of a farmer’s production cost is tied up with harvesting)  say consumers should pick their own crops. If a farmer sells crops by the roadside, then the farmer picked the crops.

(E)  Close, but not quite. Whatley didn’t mention the environment. He said farmers should use chemicals if consumers ask them not to. Otherwise, presumably, it’s ok to use chemicals.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

7. Which one of the following inferences is most supported by the information in the passage?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

Use your memory of the passage and your intuition to sort through answers. But once you think you’ve found the right one, confirm it with the passage. There’s always specific lines that will let you prove these questions with 100% certainty.

(A)  It’s hard to guarantee crops.  Lines 20-21   (whereby clients pay in advance for the right to go to the farm and harvest what they require.)  say that the advance payment guarantees the right to harvest. However, there could always be drought, disease and crop failures.No one wants diseased, failed crops. But when crops fail, that’s all you get to harvest.

(B)  CORRECT.  See lines 43-46.   (In this way, Whatley reverses the traditional view of hard-surfaced roads as farm-to-market roads, calling them instead “city-to-farm” roads.)  The traditional view is that roads let farmers take produce to consumers.

(C)  We have no idea how many farms a city of 50,000 can support. This simply isn’t mentioned.

(D)  Ridiculous. The passage never mentions vehicle wear and tear, or what kind of roads people like. Roads were only mentioned to emphasize the change in direction: Rather than take food to people, take people to food.

(E)  We have no idea why roads were given hard surfaces. Perhaps the hard surfaces helped farmers. But that doesn’t mean it was the main reason the roads were paved. There are thousands of uses for paved roads.

Answer: B

desertEagle · Answer

3. According to the passage, “pick-your-own” farming is seen by Whatley as necessary to the operation of small farms for which one of the following reasons?

(A) Customers are given the chance to experience firsthand where their produce comes from.
(B) It guarantees a substantial year-round cash flow for the farm.
(C) It allows farmers to maintain profits while charging less for produce than what supermarkets charge.
(D) Only those varieties of crops that have been specifically selected by clients within the CMC will be grown by the farmer.
(E) Consumers who are willing to drive to farms to harvest their own food comprise a strong potential market for farmers.

Whatley stresses that this  “pick-your-own” farming is crucial    for profitability   because 50 percent of a farmer’s production cost is tied up with harvesting, and using clients as harvesters  allows the farmer to charge 60 percent of what supermarkets charge and still operate the farm at a profit.

Ans (C)

jayachinmayi29 · Answer

on all 7 questions and why other options are wrong

Garvit1928 · Answer

can someone please explain why option B is incorrect in question number 1

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hi garvit1028

Choice  (B)  is too narrow. Although the passage mentions that Whatley’s approach will cater to  “people from metropolitan areas who value fresh produce,”  the passage does not discuss the demands of the consumer beyond recommending that small farms grow only crops that clients ask for. This is only a small portion of the overall plan.

Nikkz99 · Answer

So, better to ignore the example from the passage as well?

"  Whatley’s plan also affords farmers the advantage of selling directly to consumers, thus eliminating distribution costs. To realize profits on a 25-acre farm, for example, Whatley suggests that a CMC of about 1,000 people is needed. The CMC would consist primarily of people from metropolitan areas who value fresh produce.  "

Could anyone help me out here?  KarishmaB   Krunaal  anyone please?!

Krunaal · Answer

"   A typical population center of 50,000 should be able to support CMCs on at least fifty 25-acre farms."  - While even my first instinct would be to multiply 1,000 by 50, and assume that atleast 50 25-acre farms should be supported - but then we are no where told how a city's population relates with the CMC members it could form, let's suppose a city has only x% of eligible population that can become a member of CMC, the rest are kids, elders, or simply ineligible; so that's the missing link CMC members <-> City population can't be inferred.

The prevailing trend in agriculture toward massive and highly mechaniz

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The prevailing trend in agriculture toward massive and highly mechaniz

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