Question

directions: read the passage, and study the graph. then read each question, and choose the best answer
farming efficiency
1 a competitive market requires efficiency. efficiency means that the time, energy, and money put into a job results in more production with less waste. over the years, american farmers have become fewer and more efficient. in the 1850s, about 50 percent of americans were farmers. by the 1900s, the number of farms in the united states grew to more than 6,000. the number of farms started to decline rapidly in the 1950s. by 1970, there were fewer than 3,000 farms in the united states. only 0.8 percent of americans today make their living as farmers.
2 farmers can produce more food because of technological advances in machinery and farming techniques. today farmers use machines, special seeds, fertilizers, and weed killers. as a result, it takes fewer farmers to produce a larger food supply. in the 1850s, one farmer produced enough food to feed five people. today, the average farmer feeds about 166 people.
number of farms in the united states, 1900–2020
source: u.s. department of agriculture

1. which claim from the text is not supported by information in the graph?

a. american farmers have become fewer and more efficient.
b. the average farmer feeds about 166 people.
c. by the 1900s, the number of farms in the united states grew to more than 6,000.
d. there were fewer than 3,000 farms in the united states in 1970.

1. which is the most likely conclusion to draw from information in both the text and the graph?

a. farming was more profitable in the 1900s.
b. advances in farming technology increased greatly between 1940 and 1980.
c. competition among farmers increased in the 1950s.
d. farming is a dying industry.

1. which statement from the text best explains the overall purpose of the graph?

a. “today, the average farmer feeds about 166 people.”
b. “by the 1900s, the number of farms in the united states grew to more than 6,000.”
c. “a competitive market requires efficiency.”
d. “over the years, american farmers have become fewer and more efficient.”

1. which of these claims does the graph help clarify?

a. “the number of farms started to decline rapidly in the 1950s.”
b. “only 0.8 percent of americans today make their living as farmers.”
c. “about 50 percent of americans were farmers in the 1850s.”
d. “in the 1850s, one farmer produced enough food to feed five people.”
lesson 4 | analyze visuals and data

Explanation:

1. The graph shows the number of farms over time. Statements about the number of farms (C and D) and the general trend of fewer farms (A) are related to the graph. Statement B about the number of people a farmer feeds is not related to the graph's data on the number of farms.
2. The graph shows a decline in the number of farms starting around 1950. Technological advances in farming could be a reason for this decline as fewer farmers are needed to produce more food.
3. The graph is about the number of farms over time. Statement A about the number of people a farmer feeds is not related to the graph's purpose.
4. The graph clearly shows a rapid decline in the number of farms starting in the 1950s.

Answer:

1. B. The average farmer feeds about 166 people.
2. B. Advances in farming technology increased greatly between 1940 and 1980.
3. A. "Today, the average farmer feeds about 166 people."
4. A. "The number of farms started to decline rapidly in the 1950s."