新托福考试听力特训 CD1-Track07

The Golden Age ofAmerican Agriculture

What are the main reasons that made the early 20th century the golden age of American agriculture? (Click on 2 answers)

A The improvement of farming methods due to advanced technology.

B The governmental involvement with pesticide¹ control.

C The introduction of newly-developed seeds.

D The increase of the female labor² in farming.

(A,C)

听力原文：

CD1-track7

The Golden Age ofAmerican Agriculture

Professor: We call the first two decades of the 20th century the golden age of American agriculture. What were the factors that made the periad the golden age of American agriculture? Who can offer some reason?

Student: New strains of crops, improved farming methods, and what about greater use of pesticides³ and fertilizers?

Professor: Absolutely. Technical advances continued to improve productivity. The U.S.Department of Agriculture set up demonstration⁴ farms to show how new techniques could improve crop yields. In 1914. Congress created the Agriculture Extention Service, to advice farmers and their families about everything from crop fertilzers to home sowing projects. The Department of Agriculture undertook new research . Developing hogs⁵ that were fattened⁶ faster on less grain as well as fertilizers that increased grain production. New hibrid seeds that develped into healthier plants, treatments that prevented or cured plant and animal diseases, and various methods for controlling pest were all introduced around this time. Anything else?

Student: Wasn't there also some kind of population boom around then ?

Professor: Good! Farm prices were high as demand for goods increased, and land values rose.Howerver, the good years of the early 20th century ended following World War one. What was happening then?

Student: Maybe a lot of people, women especailly , were moving from the farm to the cities.

1 pesticide   

n.杀虫剂，农药

参考例句：

• The pesticide was spread over the vegetable plot.菜田里撒上了农药。
• This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields.这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

5 hogs   

n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人

参考例句：

• 'sounds like -- like hogs grunting. “像——像是猪发出的声音。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• I hate the way he hogs down his food. 我讨厌他那副狼吞虎咽的吃相。 来自辞典例句

6 fattened   

v.喂肥( fatten的过去式和过去分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The piglets are taken from the sow to be fattened for market. 这些小猪被从母猪身边带走，好育肥上市。
• Those corrupt officials fattened themselves by drinking the people's life-blood. 那些贪官污吏用民脂民膏养肥了自己。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》