6. In paragraph 6, the author refers to Tokyo, Japan, in order to
- A. explain why Japan is not likely to experience problems with soil erosion in the future
- B. provide evidence of the importance of maintaining cropland close to big cities
- C. point to an approach for reducing urban spread into croplands that has had positive results
- D. argue for the use of Japanese techniques to prevent erosion in the United States.
7. The word “scarce” in the passage is closest in meaning to
- A. short in supply
- B. more threatened
- C. more expensive
- D. less productive
Paragraph 6
Saving cropland is sometimes more difficult than saving the topsoil on the cropland. This is particularly the case when dealing with urban sprawl, where strong commercial forces have influence. With cropland becoming scarce, efforts to protect prime farmland from urban spread are needed everywhere. Japan provides a good example of such efforts. It has successfully protected rice paddies even within the boundaries of Tokyo, thus enabling it to remain self-sufficient in rice, its staple food.