OG73，没找到以前的讨论，绕不出来了。

73．The cotton farms of Country Q became so productive that the market could not absorb all that they produced．Consequently, cotton prices fell．The government tried to boost cotton prices by offering farmers who took 25 percent of their cotton acreage out of production direct support payments up to a specified maximum per farm.

The government's program，if successful，will not be a net burden on the budget. Which of the following，if true，is the best basis for an explanation of how this could be so?

(A)  Depressed cotton prices meant operating losses for cotton farms，and the government lost revenue from taxes on farm profits．

(B)  Cotton production in several countries other than Q declined slightly the year that the support-payment program went into effect in Q。

(C)  The first year that the support—payment program was in effect，cotton acreage in Q was 5 percent below its level in the base year for the program．

(D)  The specified maximum per farm meant that for very large cotton farms the support payments were less per acre for those acres that were withdrawn from production than they were for smaller farms．

(E)  Farmers who wished to qualify for support payments could not use the cotton acreage that was withdrawn from production to grow any other crop．

Evaluation of a Plan

Situation Overproduction of cotton led to falling prices．To boost prices，the government offered direct support payments to farmers who took 25 percent of their cotton acreage out of production．This plan is not expected to be a net burden on the budget．

Reasoning What would explain why this plan is not a net burden? The plan's success will mean that the government will be receiving in return as much as or more than it pays out in support payments．What government revenues would account for such an increase in receipts? If, when cotton prices fell，the cotton farmers had lower profits，they were paying lower taxes to the government．When cotton prices increase (because 1ess land is in production and less cotton is offered in the market)and cotton farmers make greater profits，the government is able to tax t110se profits．In the program, the increased tax revenue compensates for the added expenditure．

A  Correct．This statement properly identifies the information that explains how the plan functions．

B  The decline in cotton production in other countries does not explain why the program will not be a burden on the budget．

C  The difference in cotton acreage does not explain how the government can recover the costs of the direct-payment plan．

D  The direct payments are presumably scaled to the size of the farm since the passage states that payments are made up to a specified maximum．Nothing in this statement explains how the government will be able to compensate for making the payments．

E  How farmers use the land taken out of production is irrelevant，since the plan is concerned only with the cotton crop．

The correct answer is A．

请问：原文中的up to a specified maximum per farm.是什么意思呢，

还有D 和E为什么不选呢，选项没看懂，对于OG的D 和E的解释也没有看懂。

谢谢。

楼上解释的非常好

补充解释选项DE

因为政府对于农场的补贴有一个上限，比如说每亩补贴10块，但最多不超过1000块，那也就是说大于100亩的农场，平均下来每亩的补贴就比小农场少了,这是选项D的意思

E的意思是说想要得到政府补贴的农场，把那些地withdraw，不种cotton了以后，也不能再种植其他的crop

根据题意，要说政府的补贴计划还是对政府财政有利的，

那么农场大小，或是种不种其他庄稼都是对于论证没有帮助，可见DE是无关选项。

真不好意思，罗嗦了一大堆