K12 Readings Comprehension 79

Work Animals

The use of work animals began long before humankind started to practice agriculture. The use of animal power is now considered by many people to be archaic and inefficient. Yet, despite the more than 50 years spent promoting tractorization in developing countries, the development gap between industrialized-countries and those with weak, highly dependent economies has increased. Moreover, the use of current production models, which are more critically dependent on fossil fuel, cannot be considered universally feasible. Alternative energy sources such as the effective use of work animals must urgently be established. Animals not only provide the means by which millions of families make a living, but they also contribute to ecologically and socially acceptable production systems. Moreover, the efficiency of their energy inputs into crop production is higher than that of machines. The rational use of work animals has the potential to contribute, specifically, to the living conditions and security of small-scale subsistence farmers.

1. The writer maintains that the use of animal power ----.

A) is not acceptable for small-scale subsistence farmers
B) has never been more widespread and accepted before than it is today
C) has not been practiced for nearly 50 years now
D) should be encouraged as an alternative to existing energy sources
E) is not a convenient method in many developing countries

2. According to the passage, we can say that small-scale subsistence farmers ----.

A) urge for ecologically and socially acceptable production systems
B) favor the policy of tractorization despite the disadvantages
C) will particularly be positively affected by the use of work animals
D) do not use the production models that rely on fossil fuel
E) have to face many problems especially in industrialized countries

3. It is pointed out in the passage that supporting tractorization in developing countries ----.

A) is not possible as the governments are not in favor of it
B) will lead to increased outputs in near future
C) did not help them get closer to industrialized ones
D) was popular in relatively few countries fifty years ago
E) will make the living conditions better for everybody regardless of the sector

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