The Importance of Agriculture in China
The development of agriculture and the balance between food and population are China’s fundamental economic problems. The classical histories praise emperors for devotion to agriculture and much of China’s modern history is ____(1)____, which has been growing steadily.
Today, although agriculture accounts for only a quarter of the Gross National Product, it is still the main determinant of the standard of living and the principal occupation of at least 70 percent of population.
Agriculture also _____(2)____ because industry needs both agricultural raw materials and food for its work force. The failure of agriculture to supply raw material and food halted and later reversed the industrial progress of the 1950’s, After 1960 new emphasis was placed on agriculture, and the slogan "Agriculture is the foundation of the economy" has remained a central Chinese economic policy ever since.
___(3)___, there is an indirect link due to the relationship between agriculture and foreign trade. Many of China’s exports are ___(4)___ or consumer goods based on them. Flourishing agriculture, therefore, promotes exports. It also reduces the need to spend foreign exchange on imports of grain and cotton, therefore __(5)___.
A determines the progress of industry
B the story of the unfolding struggle to feed a peasant population
C either agricultural raw materials
D enlarging the capacity of the economy to import machinery and commodities for industry
E In addition to the direct links between agriculture and industry
F thus promoting both import and export
参考答案: B A E C D
答案解析：
1. 空白处前面的词是系动词is，所以根据句子构成可知此处填写名词(或名词短语)，动词不定式或动词ing形式，故答案在BCDF中选择，C中出现了either后面应该有or呼应，但该空白处后面没有，所以排除C. 空白处后面的出现了has，说明此处的名词是单数，故排除F(both import and export)，答案只能在B和D中。然后通过阅读文章后面内容，我们不难发现D中的关键词import machinery and commodities等在文章后面有所提及，所以该选项很可能与后文内容有关，所以答案选择B.(这是用排除法做题，帮助读不懂文章的同学节省时间，提高正确率)。
2. 空白处后面有because，所以此处肯定是一个完整的句子，该句子的主语是Agriculture，单数，而且because后面的动词时态是一般现在时，所以Agriculture所跟的动词应该是动词的第三人称单数形式(动词原形+s)，在所有选项中只有A合适，所以答案选择A.
3. 本题的解题方法最简单，空白处是整个段落的开头，所以此处句子的首个单词的首个字母要大写，只有E的句子形式(In addition)是正确的，故答案选择E.
4. 在第一题中我们已提到，either…or是固定搭配，在本题中，空白处后面出现了or，所以答案选择C.
5. 最后一道题的答案在D和F中选择，我们看到本题的空白处前面有therefore(因此)，它和thus意义相同，如果选择F的话，therefore和thus就重复了，所以答案选择D.