狒狒58

Some people say that the scarcity of food is a function of the finite limits of the earth’s resources, coupled with a relentless rate of population growth. This analysis fails to recognize, however, that much of the world’s agricultural resources are used to feed livestock instead of people. In the United States, for example, almost one-half of the agricultural acreage is devoted to crops fed to livestock. A steer reduces twenty-one pounds of inexpensive grain to one pound of expensive meat. Thus, the scarcity of food is not merely a function of limited resources and population growth.

Which one of the following is an assumption that would allow the conclusion in the argument to be properly drawn?

A.        People prefer eating meat to eating grain.

B.        Meat is twenty-one times more expensive than grain.

C.        The limits of the earth’s agricultural resources are not finite.

D.       More than one-half of the agricultural acreage in the United States is devoted to drops fed to humans.

E.        Growing crops for human consumption on the acreage currently devoted to crops for livestock will yield more food for more people.

首先要弄清这个题目中提到的conclusion是"Thus, the scarcity of food is not merely a function of limited resources and population growth. "

文中提到了一个论据，就是世界上的很多农业资源并不是供给给人消费了，而是家畜。21磅粮食才能产生1磅肉。

这也就是说写这段话的作者认为食物短缺是由于三个原因造成的：

1、资源是有限的；

2、人口增加了；

3、大量的庄稼主要是给牲口种的，不是给人种的。

前两个原因作者已经是承认了的，但是认为并不仅仅是这两个原因造成食物短缺的。那么最后要得出以上的结论，就必须给第三个原因找结果。如果这些庄稼中给人吃，能够给人提供更多的食物，那才能说明这个理由是成立的。所以答案是E。

答案A：比起麦子，人更爱吃肉，这显然是在支撑前两个原因么

答案B：肉比谷物贵21倍，原文里可没有这么说，是个无关选项

答案C：地球的农业资源是无限的，显然这个和原文有悖么。

答案D：在美国超过一半的农用土地是种给人吃的。罗列与原文相同的事实，无关选项。