EST October 2020 | Literacy I Explanation | Passage 2 OF 4:

Join us on a thought-provoking exploration as we dive into the second passage of the EST October 2020 Literacy I test. This time, we're venturing into the realm of land use and agriculture, a topic that touches the core of our existence and the health of our planet. With Mr. Osama Ahmad Ibrahim's expert guidance, we'll peel back the layers of this passage, uncovering the insights it offers on our interaction with the earth and what it means for our future. Whether you're prepping for the EST or just curious about the interplay between humanity and nature, you're in the right place to learn and reflect.

Questions 12-22 are based on the following passage and supplementary material.

Land Use

Agriculture is the oldest use of land for growing crops and rearing animals. Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture. Extensive land use has a major impact on the earth’s environment [12] when it reduces wilderness and threatens biodiversity. Reducing the consumption of resource-intensive products and increasing the productivity of land makes it possible to produce food with much smaller inputs [13], and reducing the impact on the environment.Half of the world’s habitable land [14] is used for agriculture. For much of human history, most of the world’s land was wilderness: forests, grasslands and shrubbery [15] dominated it’s landscapes. Over the last few centuries, this has changed dramatically.

 12. A. NO CHANGE

      B. so

      C. while

      D. as

The question is asking about the word 'when' in line 2 of the text. The word 'when' is a conjunction that shows time or condition. For example, 'he arrived when I was sleeping' or 'when it rains, it pours'. The word 'when' is used to introduce a dependent clause that modifies an independent clause. For example, 'I like to read when I have free time'. Choice D is correct because it changes the word 'when' to 'as'. This word is a conjunction that shows cause or manner. For example, 'he left as I arrived' or 'as you wish'. The word 'as' is used to introduce a dependent clause that modifies an independent clause. For example, 'I feel happy as I see you smile'. This word matches the meaning and the tone of the text. The text says that extensive land use has a major impact on the earth’s environment as it reduces wilderness and threatens biodiversity. This means that extensive land use causes or results in the reduction of wilderness and the threat to biodiversity. Choice A is wrong because it keeps the word 'when' as it is. This word.

13. A. NO CHANGE

      B. and reduce the impact on the environment.

      C. and reduce the impact on the environment.

      D. reduces the impact on the environment.

The question is asking about the phrase ‘and reducing the impact on the environment’ in line 3 of the text. The phrase is a gerund phrase that acts as a noun. A gerund is a verb that ends with -ing and acts as a noun. For example, ‘reading is fun’ or ‘I like swimming’. The phrase ‘and reducing the impact on the environment’ is used as an object of the preposition ‘with’. For example, ‘with much smaller inputs and reducing the impact on the environment’.

Choice B is correct because it changes the phrase to ‘and reduce the impact on the environment’. This phrase is a verb phrase that acts as a parallel structure. A parallel structure is a grammatical form that uses the same pattern or structure for two or more words or phrases. For example, ‘he likes to read and write’ or ‘she is smart and funny’. The phrase ‘and reduce the impact on the environment’ is used as a parallel structure with the verb phrase ‘to produce food’. For example, ‘to produce food with much smaller inputs and reduce the impact on the environment’. This choice matches the grammar and the meaning of the text. The text says that reducing the consumption of resource-intensive products and increasing the productivity of land makes it possible to produce food with much smaller inputs and reduce the impact on the environment. This means that these actions have two benefits: producing food with less resources and reducing environmental damage.

Choice A is wrong because it keeps the phrase as it is. This phrase does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not have a gerund phrase that acts as an object of the preposition ‘with’, but a verb phrase that acts as a parallel structure with another verb phrase.

Choice C is wrong because it changes only part of the phrase to ‘and reduced the impact on the environment’. This phrase is a verb phrase that acts as a parallel structure, but it uses a different tense than the other verb phrase. The other verb phrase uses the infinitive form ‘to produce food’, which shows the purpose or the possibility of an action. This phrase uses the past tense form ‘reduced’, which shows the completion or the fact of an action. This choice does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not say that producing food with much smaller inputs reduced the impact on the environment in the past, but that it can reduce it in the present or the future.

Choice D is wrong because it changes only part of the phrase to ‘reduces the impact on the environment’. This phrase is a verb phrase that acts as a parallel structure, but it uses a different subject than the other verb phrase. The other verb phrase uses the implied subject ‘it’, which refers to the action of producing food with much smaller inputs. This phrase uses no subject, which implies that the subject is the same as the main clause. The main clause uses the subject ‘reducing the consumption of resource-intensive products and increasing the productivity of land’. This choice does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not say that reducing the consumption of resource-intensive products and increasing the productivity of land reduces the impact on the environment, but that it makes it possible to produce food with much smaller inputs and reduce it.

 14.A. NO CHANGE

     B. are used

     C. were used

     D. is to be used

The question is asking about the verb ‘is used’ in line 4 of the text. The verb ‘is used’ is a passive voice verb that shows action or state in the present tense. The passive voice is a grammatical form that shows that the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb. For example, ‘the cake is eaten by him’ or ‘the book is written by her’. The verb ‘is used’ is used with the subject ‘half of the world’s habitable land’ to show that it is acted upon by the verb ‘use’. For example, ‘half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture’.

Choice A is correct because it keeps the verb ‘is used’ as it is. This verb matches the grammar and the meaning of the text. The text says that half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture. This means that half of the land that can support human life is currently being used for growing crops and rearing animals.

Choice B is wrong because it changes the verb ‘is used’ to ‘are used’. This verb does not match the grammar of the text. The verb ‘are used’ is a passive voice verb that shows action or state in the present tense, but it does not agree with the subject ‘half of the world’s habitable land’. The subject ‘half of the world’s habitable land’ is singular, so it needs a singular verb to agree with it. The verb ‘are used’ is plural, so it does not agree with the subject.

Choice C is wrong because it changes the verb ‘is used’ to ‘were used’. This verb does not match the meaning of the text. The verb ‘were used’ is a passive voice verb that shows action or state in the past tense. The text does not say that half of the world’s habitable land was used for agriculture in the past, but that it is used for agriculture in the present.

Choice D is wrong because it changes the verb ‘is used’ to ‘is to be used’. This verb does not match the meaning of the text. The verb ‘is to be used’ is a passive voice verb that shows action or state in the future tense. The text does not say that half of the world’s habitable land is to be used for agriculture in the future, but that it is used for agriculture in the present.

 15. A. NO CHANGE

      B. dominated landscapes.

      C. dominated its’ landscapes.

      D. dominated its landscapes.

The question is asking about the word ‘it’s’ in line 5 of the text. The word ‘it’s’ is a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. A contraction is a shortened form of two words that are joined by an apostrophe ('). The phrase ‘it is’ means ‘that thing is’. The phrase ‘it has’ means ‘that thing has’. The word ‘it’s’ is used with an adjective or a noun to describe or identify it. For example, ‘it’s fun’ or ‘it’s a book’.

Choice D is correct because it changes the word ‘it’s’ to ‘its’. This word is a possessive adjective that shows ownership or belonging. For example, ‘its color is blue’ or ‘its name is Bob’. The word ‘its’ is used with a noun to modify it. For example, ‘its landscapes’ or ‘its history’. This word matches the grammar and the meaning of the text. The text says that forests, grasslands and shrubbery dominated its landscapes. This means that these types of vegetation were the most common or powerful features of the land that belonged to the world.

Choice A is wrong because it keeps the word ‘it’s’ as it is. This word does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not have an adjective or a noun that follows the word ‘it’s’, but a noun that precedes it. The word ‘it’s’ should not be used with a noun that modifies it, but with an adjective or a noun that describes or identifies it.

Choice B is wrong because it changes only part of the word ‘it’s’ to ‘dominated landscapes’. This phrase does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The phrase ‘dominated landscapes’ is a verb phrase that shows action in the past tense, but it does not have a subject that performs it. The phrase ‘dominated landscapes’ should have a subject that performs it, such as forests, grasslands and shrubbery.

Choice C is wrong because it changes only part of the word ‘it’s’ to ‘dominated its’ landscapes’. This phrase does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The phrase ‘dominated its’ landscapes’ is a verb phrase that shows action in the past tense, but it uses an incorrect possessive adjective to modify the noun ‘landscapes’. The possessive adjective ‘its’’ is not a real word, but a common mistake that confuses the contraction ‘it’s’ with the possessive adjective ‘its’.

 If we [16] are to break down global land area, we would realize that [17] 10% of the world is covered by glaciers, and a further 19% is barren land – deserts, dry salt flats, beaches, sand dunes, and exposed rocks. This leaves what we call ‘habitable land’. Half of all habitable land is used for agriculture. The remainder is only 37% forests; 11% as shrubs and grasslands; 1% as freshwater coverage; and the remaining 1% – a much smaller share than many suspect – is built-up urban area.

 16.A. NO CHANGE

B. were

C. could

D. decide

The question is asking about the verb ‘are’ in line 1 of the text. The verb ‘are’ is a modal verb that shows possibility or obligation. For example, ‘they are able to swim’ or ‘they are to arrive soon’. The verb ‘are’ is used with the infinitive form ‘to break down’ to show the possibility or obligation of breaking down global land area. For example, ‘if we are to break down global land area’.

Choice B is correct because it changes the verb ‘are’ to ‘were’. This verb is a past tense verb that shows action or state in the past. For example, ‘they were happy’ or ‘they were here’. The verb ‘were’ is used with the infinitive form ‘to break down’ to show the conditional mood of breaking down global land area. For example, ‘if we were to break down global land area’. This choice matches the grammar and the meaning of the text. The text says that if we were to break down global land area, we would realize that 10% of the world is covered by glaciers, and a further 19% is barren land. This means that breaking down global land area is a hypothetical or unreal situation that would lead to a certain realization.

Choice A is wrong because it keeps the verb ‘are’ as it is. This verb does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not have a modal verb that shows possibility or obligation, but a past tense verb that shows conditional mood.

Choice C is wrong because it changes the verb ‘are’ to ‘could’. This verb is a modal verb that shows ability or possibility. For example, ‘they could swim’ or ‘they could arrive soon’. The verb ‘could’ is used with the infinitive form ‘to break down’ to show the ability or possibility of breaking down global land area. For example, ‘if we could break down global land area’. This choice does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not have a modal verb that shows ability or possibility, but a past tense verb that shows conditional mood.

Choice D is wrong because it changes the verb ‘are’ to ‘decide’. This verb is an action verb that shows choice or intention. For example, ‘they decide to swim’ or ‘they decide to arrive soon’. The verb ‘decide’ is used with the infinitive form ‘to break down’ to show the choice or intention of breaking down global land area. For example, ‘if we decide to break down global land area’. This choice does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not have an action verb that shows choice or intention, but a past tense verb that shows conditional mood.

 17.Which choice gives the most accurate interpretation of the data in the graph ?

A. NO CHANGE

B. 19% of the world is covered by glaciers, and a further 10% is barren land. 29% of what is left is habitable land used for agriculture.

C. There are only 37% forests 11%  shrubs and grasslands; these make up 50% of habitable land.

D. 29% of the world is covered by glaciers, and barren land. They make up 29% of the earth’s surface.

The question is asking about the verb ‘are’ in line 1 of the text. The verb ‘are’ is a modal verb that shows possibility or obligation. For example, ‘they are able to swim’ or ‘they are to arrive soon’. The verb ‘are’ is used with the infinitive form ‘to break down’ to show the possibility or obligation of breaking down global land area. For example, ‘if we are to break down global land area’.

Choice B is correct because it changes the verb ‘are’ to ‘were’. This verb is a past tense verb that shows action or state in the past. For example, ‘they were happy’ or ‘they were here’. The verb ‘were’ is used with the infinitive form ‘to break down’ to show the conditional mood of breaking down global land area. For example, ‘if we were to break down global land area’. This choice matches the grammar and the meaning of the text. The text says that if we were to break down global land area, we would realize that 10% of the world is covered by glaciers, and a further 19% is barren land. This means that breaking down global land area is a hypothetical or unreal situation that would lead to a certain realization.

Choice A is wrong because it keeps the verb ‘are’ as it is. This verb does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not have a modal verb that shows possibility or obligation, but a past tense verb that shows conditional mood.

Choice C is wrong because it changes the verb ‘are’ to ‘could’. This verb is a modal verb that shows ability or possibility. For example, ‘they could swim’ or ‘they could arrive soon’. The verb ‘could’ is used with the infinitive form ‘to break down’ to show the ability or possibility of breaking down global land area. For example, ‘if we could break down global land area’. This choice does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not have a modal verb that shows ability or possibility, but a past tense verb that shows conditional mood.

Choice D is wrong because it changes the verb ‘are’ to ‘decide’. This verb is an action verb that shows choice or intention. For example, ‘they decide to swim’ or ‘they decide to arrive soon’. The verb ‘decide’ is used with the infinitive form ‘to break down’ to show the choice or intention of breaking down global land area. For example, ‘if we decide to break down global land area’. This choice does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The text does not have an action verb that shows choice or intention, but a past tense verb that shows conditional mood.

 There is also a [18] highly and unequal distribution of land use between livestock and crops for human consumption. If we combine pastures used for grazing with land used to grow crops for animal feed, livestock accounts for 77% of global farming land. [19] While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein. There are two main uses of agricultural land: arable farming (which is land dedicated to growing crops), and pastureland (which includes meadows and pastures used for livestock rearing). In many countries, land use for livestock grazing is dominant relative to arable farming. For most countries, land dedicated to cropland is typically below 20 percent, with many countries dedicating less than 10 percent. [20] Besides, countries in South Asia and Europe allocate a large share of land area to arable farming. India, Bangladesh, Ukraine and Denmark dedicated more than half of their total land area to cropland in 2015.

 18. A. NO CHANGE

      B. high, unequal

      C. highly, unequal

      D. highly unequal

The question is asking about the phrase ‘highly and unequal’ in line 1 of the text. The phrase is a pair of adjectives that modify the noun ‘distribution’. An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun. For example, ‘a big house’ or ‘a red car’. The phrase ‘highly and unequal’ is used to describe the distribution of land use between livestock and crops for human consumption. For example, ‘a highly and unequal distribution’.

Choice D is correct because it changes the phrase to ‘highly unequal’. This phrase is a compound adjective that modifies the noun ‘distribution’. A compound adjective is a combination of two or more words that act as a single adjective. For example, ‘a well-known author’ or ‘a long-term plan’. The phrase ‘highly unequal’ is used to describe the distribution of land use between livestock and crops for human consumption. For example, ‘a highly unequal distribution’. This choice matches the grammar and the meaning of the text. The text says that there is a highly unequal distribution of land use between livestock and crops for human consumption. This means that there is a large difference or imbalance in how land is used for these purposes.

Choice A is wrong because it keeps the phrase as it is. This phrase does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The phrase does not have a pair of adjectives that modify the noun ‘distribution’, but an adverb and an adjective that are not connected. An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. For example, ‘he ran quickly’ or ‘she is very smart’. The word ‘highly’ is an adverb that modifies the adjective ‘unequal’. For example, ‘highly unequal’. The word ‘and’ is a conjunction that joins two or more words or phrases. For example, ‘big and small’ or ‘red and blue’. The word ‘and’ should not be used to join an adverb and an adjective that are not connected.

Choice B is wrong because it changes only part of the phrase to ‘high, unequal’. This phrase does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The phrase does have a pair of adjectives that modify the noun ‘distribution’, but they are not the correct adjectives. The word ‘high’ is an adjective that describes the size, amount, or degree of something. For example, ‘a high mountain’ or ‘a high temperature’. The word ‘high’ does not describe the distribution of land use between livestock and crops for human consumption, but the word ‘highly’ does.

Choice C is wrong because it changes only part of the phrase to ‘highly, unequal’. This phrase does not match the grammar or the meaning of the text. The phrase does have an adverb and an adjective that modify the noun ‘distribution’, but they are not connected. The word ‘highly’ is an adverb that modifies the adjective ‘unequal’. For example, ‘highly unequal’. The word ‘,’ is a punctuation mark that separates words or phrases in a list or sentence. For example, ‘a big, red car’ or ‘she likes apples, bananas, and oranges’. The word ‘,’ should not be used to separate an adverb and an adjective that are connected.

 19. A. NO CHANGE

 B. While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land they only produce 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein.

C .While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land, it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein.

D .Because livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein.

The correct answer is C. While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land, it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein. Here is why:

A. NO CHANGE: This is incorrect because there is no comma after the word “land”. A comma is needed to separate the dependent clause that starts with “while” from the independent clause that follows it.

B. While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land they only produce 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein.: This is incorrect because the word “they” does not agree with the singular noun “livestock”. Livestock is a collective noun that refers to a group of animals, but it is treated as a singular noun in grammar.

C. While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land, it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein.: This is correct because there is a comma after the word “land” and the word “it” agrees with the singular noun “livestock”.

D. Because livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein.: This is incorrect because the word “because” changes the meaning of the sentence. The word “while” shows a contrast between two facts, but the word “because” shows a cause-and-effect relationship. The sentence does not imply that livestock produces less calories and protein because it takes up more land.

 20. A. NO CHANGE

      B. However,

      C. Moreover,

      D. (Although,

The correct answer is B. However,. Here is why:

A. NO CHANGE: This is incorrect because the word “besides” does not show the right relationship between the two sentences. The word “besides” means “in addition to” or “also”, but the second sentence does not add more information to the first one. It shows a contrast between different regions of the world.

B. However,: This is correct because the word “however” shows a contrast between the two sentences. The word “however” means “on the other hand” or “in spite of that”, and it fits the context of the paragraph.

C. Moreover,: This is incorrect because the word “moreover” does not show the right relationship between the two sentences. The word “moreover” means “furthermore” or “also”, but the second sentence does not add more information to the first one. It shows a contrast between different regions of the world.

D. (Although,: This is incorrect because the word “although” is not a complete transition word by itself. It needs to be followed by a comma and another clause to form a dependent clause. The word “although” means “even though” or “despite the fact that”, and it does not fit the context of the paragraph.

 For most countries, the majority of agricultural land is used as pastureland for [21]nurturing livestock. In contrast to arable farming, land use for livestock in Europe and South Asia, in particular, is typically less than 20 percent. However, most continental regions have countries where pastureland reaches close to half of total land area. In some countries, this can reach up to 70 percent. [22] Livestock farming can take place across arange of diverse climatic and environmental regions.

21. Which word would be better suited for the context?

A. NO CHANGE

B. nursing

C. rearing

D. growing

The correct answer is C. rearing. Here is why:

NO CHANGE: This is incorrect because the word “nurturing” does not fit the context of the sentence. The word “nurturing” means “caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something”, but it is usually used for people or plants, not animals.

nursing: This is incorrect because the word “nursing” does not fit the context of the sentence. The word “nursing” means “feeding and caring for a young child or animal”, but it is usually used for infants or sick animals, not livestock.

rearing: This is correct because the word “rearing” fits the context of the sentence. The word “rearing” means “bringing up and caring for an animal until it is fully grown or able to fend for itself”, and it is commonly used for livestock.

growing: This is incorrect because the word “growing” does not fit the context of the sentence. The word “growing” means “increasing in size, amount, or degree”, but it is usually used for plants or abstract things, not animals.

 22. Which choice would emphasize the fact that livestock farming is less geographically constrained ?

A. NO CHANGE

B. Land use for cattle rearing in Europe and South Asia is less than 20 percent.

C. The majority of agricultural land is used for livestock rearing in continental regions

D. Cattle rear in temperate regions and sheep graze in hilly and semi-arid terrain.

The correct answer is A. NO CHANGE. Here is why:

A. NO CHANGE: This is correct because the sentence shows that livestock farming can take place across a range of diverse climatic and environmental regions. This implies that livestock farming is less geographically constrained than arable farming, which depends on soil quality, rainfall, and temperature.

B. Land use for cattle rearing in Europe and South Asia is less than 20 percent.: This is incorrect because the sentence does not emphasize the fact that livestock farming is less geographically constrained. It only repeats the information from the previous sentence, and it narrows the focus to cattle rearing, which is only one type of livestock farming.

C. The majority of agricultural land is used for livestock rearing in continental regions: This is incorrect because the sentence does not emphasize the fact that livestock farming is less geographically constrained. It contradicts the information from the previous sentence, which says that most countries use pastureland for less than 20 percent of their total land area. It also implies that livestock farming is more common in continental regions, which may not be true.

D. Cattle rear in temperate regions and sheep graze in hilly and semi-arid terrain.: This is incorrect because the sentence does not emphasize the fact that livestock farming is less geographically constrained. It only gives two examples of livestock farming in different regions, but it does not show the diversity of climatic and environmental conditions that livestock can adapt to. It also excludes other types of livestock, such as pigs, goats, or poultry.

EST October 2020 Reading Resources:

October 2020 Reading Passage 1 Click HERE

October 2020 Reading Passage 2 Click HERE

October 2020 Reading Passage  3 Click HERE

October 2020 Reading Passage 4 Click HERE

Take the full October 2020 Mock Test and Receive a Free Report HERE

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Practice Real EST Reading Passages with Explanations HERE

Improve your EST Reading Skills with Passages from Level 1 HERE

 EST October Writing Resources:

EST Passage 1 Explantion HERE

EST October Literacy I Mock Test and Report Click HERE

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