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TOEFL Directory > TOEFL writing > TOEFL Reading Class Unit 2_Passage 7_Question 67-77
TOEFL Reading Class Unit 2_Passage 7_Question 67-77
You have about 15 minutes to finish this passage.
First,use about 3-4 minutes to read the passage, try to understand the main idea of this passage.
Don't read it so slowly or try to remember all details.You need to do "fast reading",and "scan" the passage.
Second, read questions 1-11, and with questions you go back the passage again and look for correct answers.
Questions 67-77
Passage 7
An increasing number of people are advocating a switch from chemical pesticides to a more organic approach to raising and protecting the world's food supply. By using predator insects such as ladybugs, praying mantises, and wasps, farmers can reduce the amount of chemicals they release into the environment. Crop rotation has been used to control pests by changing their food supply on a regular basis. Intercropping, or mixing different crops together in the same fields, also helps control pest populations by creating different environments that will not allow large numbers of problem plants and animals to become established. Another pest management technique, called integrated pest management (IPM), is being promoted as an alternative to chemical pest control. IPM is a management strategy rather than an attempt to eliminate problem-causing plants and animals. Instead of trying to kill all the pests that cause problems, an IPM approach attempts to keep their populations below the level where they cause negative economic or health effects. Although IPM incorporates the use of some pesticides, its primary control measures are nonchemical.
IPM involves the evaluation of each crop and its related pest species as an ecological system. A control program is developed that includes various cultivation, biological, and chemical control methods applied in the best sequence and timing to achieve the best results. Fields are carefully monitored for damage, and appropriate control measures are applied only when pests reach an economically damaging level. This approach saves the farmers money by reducing their need for chemicals and for the machinery to apply them. Furthermore the IPM approach protects the environment by reducing the chemical impact on the ecosystems. By introducing natural control methods, farmers can actually restore areas to more natural systems and thus help reclaim land that has become unproductive.
Although a sudden change to organic methods may reduce production, a slow conversion from chemicals to organic pest control methods usually will not cause much economic loss. Yields per hectare may drop, but costs also fall so that profits usually remain relatively stable. There is also evidence that as the soils recover over time, they become more productive, and crop yields may even improve.
67. What does the passage mainly discuss?
a) The economic impact of soil conservation on farming
b) The use of intercropping to improve yields of farmland
c) The effectiveness of chemicals in reducing agricultural pest populations
d) The use of alternatives to chemical pest control in agriculture
68. Omitted
69. The word alternative in the passage is closest in meaning to
a) development
b) effect
c) option
d) reason
70. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as techniques of organic farming EXCEPT
a) using insects that eat destructive pests
b) planting a variety of crops in a single field
c) rotating the crops planted from one season to the next
d) trying to kill all the harmful plants and animals in a field
71. Omitted
72. The word sequence in the passage is closest in meaning to
a) quality
b) order
c) preparation
d) result
73. A farmer who is using IPM should consider applying chemical pesticides when
a) any pest is found in a field
b) changing from one type of crop to another in a particular field
c) cultivation and biological control methods have been inadequate
d) chemical pesticides become economically competitive with nonchemical methods
74. It can be inferred that some farmers fear switching to IPM because they believe that
a) the amount of food produced by their land will decrease
b) the number of ladybugs, praying mantises, and wasps will increase to dangerous levels
c) they will not be able to afford the machinery required to implement IPM
d) IPM will cause conditions that lead to soil erosion
75. Which of the following claims about IPM is NOT supported by the passage?
a) With IPM, soils can recover their productivity in time, and therefore crop yields may improve.
b) Crop yields may fall initially with IPM, but farmers' costs also decrease.
c) A rapid switch to IPM is recommended in order to fully profit from the conversion process.
d) IPM decreases the negative impact of chemicals on the environment by using natural pest controls.
76. The author suggests that chemical pesticides
a) can reduce the productivity of soil
b) allow farmers to eliminate pests with a single application
c) can increase the number of predator insects
d) are less expensive than other pest control methods
77. The following sentence can be added to paragraph 1.
Another benefit to farmers is that their exposure to chemicals in the fields where they work is reduced, and thus their health is protected.
Where would it best fit in the passage?
Ⓐ An increasing number of people are advocating a switch from chemical pesticides to a more organic approach to raising and protecting the world's food supply. Ⓑ By using predator insects such as ladybugs, praying mantises, and wasps, farmers can reduce the amount of chemicals they release into the environment.Ⓒ Crop rotation has been used to control pests by changing their food supply on a regular basis. Ⓓ Intercropping, or mixing different crops together in the same fields, also helps control pest populations by creating different environments that will not allow large numbers of problem plants and animals to become established. Ⓔ Another pest management technique, called integrated pest management (IPM), is being promoted as an alternative to chemical pest control. Ⓕ IPM is a management strategy rather than an attempt to eliminate problem-causing plants and animals. Ⓖ Instead of trying to kill all the pests that cause problems, an IPM approach attempts to keep their populations below the level where they cause negative economic or health effects. Ⓗ Although IPM incorporates the use of some pesticides, its primary control measures are nonchemical. Ⓘ
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