Question

Comprehension: In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. Erosion of America's farmland by wind and water (1)_____ a problem since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands (2)______ the plow in the 19th century. By the 1930s, more than 282 million acres of farmland were (3)______ by erosion. After 40 years of conservation efforts, soil erosion has (4)________ due to new demands placed (5)____ the land by heavy crop production. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 5.

• A. on
• B. by
• C. of
• D. in

Answer 1

Answer:

A. on

To find the correct word for blank (5), we need to identify the correct prepositional phrase used with the verb "placed." The Rule of Prepositions: In English, when you impose a requirement, a burden, or a physical object onto something else, the standard preposition is "on" or "upon." Why "On" (A): The sentence speaks about "new demands placed on the land." This indicates that the land is the recipient of the pressure or the requirements of heavy crop production. Why the others don't fit: By (B): This would suggest the land itself is placing the demands, which is the opposite of the sentence's meaning. Of (C): "Demands of the land" would mean the land needs something, but here the farmers are the ones needing more from the land. In (D): This implies something is located inside the land, whereas a "demand" is an external pressure applied to it.