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　　雅思閱讀題型精煉與答案解析選擇（MultipleChoice）　　AcademicReadingsampletaskMultipleChoice　　[Note:ThisisanextractfromanAcademicReadingpassageonthesubjectofgovernmentsubsidiestofarmers.Thetextprecedingthisextractexplainedhowsubsidiescanleadtoactivitieswhichcauseuneconomicalandirreversiblechangestotheenvironment.]　　Alltheseactivitiesmayhavedamagingenvironmentalimpacts.Forexample,landclearingforagricultureisthelargestsinglecauseofdeforestation;chemicalfertilisersandpesticidesmaycontaminatewatersupplies;moreintensivefarmingandtheabandonmentoffallowperiodstendtoexacerbatesoilerosion;andthespreadofmonocultureanduseofhigh-yieldingvarietiesofcropshavebeenaccompaniedbythedisappearanceofoldvarietiesoffoodplantswhichmighthaveprovidedsomeinsuranceagainstpestsordiseasesinfuture.Soilerosionthreatenstheproductivityoflandinbothrichandpoorcountries.TheUnitedStates,wherethemostcarefulmeasurementshavebeendone,discoveredin1982thataboutone-fifthofitsfarmlandwaslosingtopsoilataratelikelytodiminishthesoilsproductivity.Thecountrysubsequentlyembarkeduponaprogramtoconvert11percentofitscroppedlandtomeadoworforest.TopsoilinIndiaandChinaisvanishingmuchfasterthaninAmerica.　　Governmentpolicieshavefrequentlycompoundedtheenvironmentaldamagethatfarmingcancause.Intherichcountries,subsidiesforgrowingcropsandpricesupportsforfarmoutputdriveupthepriceofland.Theannualvalueofthesesubsidiesisimmense:about$250billion,ormorethanallWorldBanklendinginthe1980s.Toincreasetheoutputofcropsperacre,afarmerseasiestoptionistousemoreofthemostreadilyavailableinputs:fertilisersandpesticides.FertiliserusedoubledinDenmarkintheperiod1960-1985andincreasedinTheNetherlandsby150percent.Thequantityofpesticidesappliedhasrisentoo:by69percentin1975-1984inDenmark,forexample,withariseof115percentinthefrequencyofapplicationinthethreeyearsfrom1981.　　Inthelate1980sandearly1990ssomeeffortsweremadetoreducefarmsubsidies.ThemostdramaticexamplewasthatofNewZealand,whichscrappedmostfarmsupportin1984.Astudyoftheenvironmentaleffects,conductedin1993,foundthattheendoffertilisersubsidieshadbeenfollowedbyafallinfertiliseruse(afallcompoundedbythedeclineinworldcommodityprices,whichcutfarmincomes).Theremovalofsubsidiesalsostoppedland-clearingandover-stocking,whichinthepasthadbeentheprincipalcausesoferosion.Farmsbegantodiversify.Theonekindofsubsidywhoseremovalappearedtohavebeenbadfortheenvironmentwasthesubsidytomanagesoilerosion.　　Inlessenlightenedcountries,andintheEuropeanUnion,thetrendhasbeentoreduceratherthaneliminatesubsidies,andtointroducenewpaymentstoencouragefarmerstotreattheirlandinenvironmentallyfriendlierways,ortoleaveitfallow.Itmaysoundstrangebutsuchpaymentsneedtobehigherthantheexistingincentivesforfarmerstogrowfoodcrops.Farmers,however,dislikebeingpaidtodonothing.Inseveralcountriestheyhavebecomeinterestedinthepossibilityofusingfuelproducedfromcropresidueseitherasareplacementforpetrol(asethanol)orasfuelforpowerstations(asbiomass).Suchfuelsproducefarlesscarbondioxidethancoaloroil,andabsorbcarbondioxideastheygrow.Theyarethereforelesslikelytocontributetothegreenhouseeffect.Buttheyarerarelycompetitivewithfossilfuelsunlesssubsidised-andgrowingthemdoesnolessenvironmentalharmthanothercrops.　　Questions1012　　ChoosetheappropriatelettersA,B,CorD.　　Writeyouranswersinboxes10-12onyouranswersheet.　　10Researchcompletedin1982foundthatintheUnitedStatessoilerosion　　Areducedtheproductivityoffarmlandby20percent.　　BwasalmostassevereasinIndiaandChina.　　Cwascausingsignificantdamageto20percentoffarmland.　　Dcouldbereducedbyconvertingcultivatedlandtomeadoworforest.　　11Bythemid-1980s,farmersinDenmark　　Aused50percentlessfertiliserthanDutchfarmers.　　Busedtwiceasmuchfertiliserastheyhadin1960.　　Cappliedfertilisermuchmorefrequentlythanin1960.　　Dmorethandoubledtheamountofpesticidetheyusedinjust3years.　　12WhichoneofthefollowingincreasedinNewZealandafter1984?　　Afarmincomes　　Buseoffertiliser　　Cover-stocking　　Dfarmdiversification　　答案在后一頁

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