Question

Based on the structure of this passage, which would most likely follow
this section of text?
Use the passage to answer the question.
"Researcher Seeks Farming Solutions"
by Isabella Isaacs-Thomas
To feed the world and then some, farms and pastures take up a lot of space — 40 percent of all land
globally is used for agriculture — and inevitably take a significant toll on the environment.
Agricultural practices generated 10 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in
2019. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus — standard soil nutrients found in manure or chemical fertilizers
— can leak from croplands into nearby waterways and eat up the oxygen in aquatic ecosystems,
sometimes killing the creatures that call them home, and even making humans sick.
Meanwhile, as the costs of fertilizer, equipment and land itself rise, “farmers have to farm more and
more acres” to make ends meet, said landscape ecologist Lisa Schulte Moore. As it becomes
increasingly difficult for farm operations to be profitable enough to sustain people’s livelihoods, there are
fewer and fewer active farms, according to the USDA’s Census of Agriculture, conducted every five
years.
© NewsHour Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved.
(5 points)
a solution to the problem of unsustainable agricultural practices
a solution to the problem of world hunger
a comparison between conventional and organic farming techniques
a comparison between aquatic and soil-based ecosystems

Answer 1

a solution to the problem of unsustainable agricultural practices

Reason: the passage outlines environmental and economic problems from current farming and the title names a researcher seeking solutions, so the next section would most likely describe proposed fixes.