Section A Exploratory Reading
Example
The two following passages are talking about the related issues from their individual aspects．Read and complete the two multiple choices after the passages．
Passage 1
For those of us who wish to preserve the planet’s diversity of species，high-tech-chemicallyassisted agriculture is an environmentalist’s best friend．That’s right．Soaring growth in human population threatens to destory most of the world’s remaining rain forests，wet lands and mountain ecosystems，dramatically reducing species diversity．Despite advances in chemical-free farming techniques，over reliance on these practices will result in the plowing down of forests to feed a global population that is estimated to double by 2050．Environmentalists must face the fact that unless high-yield crop varieties，pesticides，and fertilizers are widely used in developing nations，the world’s food supply will be outstripped by spiraling demand．This will mean more forests falling under the plow．
Passage 2
I couldn’t agree more that it’s critical to set up agricultural productivity to feed a spiraling global population．My quarrel is with how to intensify agriculture，not whether it should be intensified．The paramount concern must be to increase crop yields in environmentally sensitive ways that protect human health and soil and water that are agriculture’s very foundation．Heavy use of agrochemicals can bring high yields in the short run，but the cumulative damages may be considerable．Those of us whose research demonstrates that resource-conserving farming practices can be just as productive as the chemical-intensive kind that the goal should be efficient use of chemicals rather than wide use．
1．Both authors indicate that meeting the world’s food needs should not come at the expense of________．
A．innovative farming practices
B．environmental integrity
C．human treatment of animals
D．economic development
2．The authors of both passages would mostly likely agree that________．
A．developing nations depend on chemical-intensive farming techniques
B．high-tech solutions are less effective than traditional farming practices
C．the heavy use of agrochemicals ultimately protects the environment
D．banning chemical pesticides will enhance species diversity on the planet
E．chemical-assisted agriculture increases crop yields significantly
Explanations
1．B．The author of Passage 1 tells us that in order to feed a spiraling demand of the global population，high-ech-chemically-assisted agriculture have to be widely used．Meanwhile，he shows the serious concern on environmental protection by the statement“Soaring growth in human population destories most of the world’s remaining rain forests，wet lands and mountain ecosystems，dramatically reducing species diversity．”The author of Passage 2 agrees to increase crop yields while insists on protecting human health and soil and water that are agriculture’s very foundation．So we can conclude that they don’t want to sacrifice the environmental intergrity．
2．E．Passage 2 indicates that heavy use of agrochemicals can bring more damage than benefits and mainly advocates how to use chemical intensify farming techniques efficiently．So A seems too general，C is not correct and D hasn’t been mentioned in Passage 2．Although Passage 2 finally shows the author’s support of traditional farming practices，Passage 1 indicates with advance in chemical-free farming techniques，people have to plow down more forests to meet the spiraling demand．So the traditional farming practice are less environmentally-friendly．B cannot be the right answer．Thus E is the final choice．
Reading Skill：Critical Reading
Critical reading means testing the strength of an argument，proposal or explanation in a text．It also means measuring the ideas in a passage against your own ideas and against those of other writers．
Compare different arguments point by point．Before doing this，you need to be clear about your own opinions on the topic against the writer’s so that you do not simply absorb what you read but react to the writer’s views．You can then argue with the text，deciding whether to accept or reject each idea or to wait for further evidence before deciding．
In comparing arguments，a useful tool is to make a summary of each with two common forms：opinion→supporting reasons／arguments against→explanation of writer→conclusion；evidence→conclusion．