Questions 11-12
Nan Government subsidies have been proposed in Cariana to encourage farmers in Rochelle, the country’s principal agricultural region, to implement certain new farming techniques Unless these techniques are implemented erosion of productive topsoil cannot be controlled Unfortunately farmers cannot afford to shoulder the entire cost of the new techniques, which are more expensive than those currently used Therefore, without subsidies agricultural output in Rochelle will inevitably decline
Betty But erosion in Rochelle is caused by recurring floods, which will end next year once Cariana completes the hydroelectric dam it is building across the region’s major river Therefore, Rochelle’s total agricultural output will stabilize at its present level even without subsidres.
11. Which one of the following is an assumption on which Betty’s argument depends?
(A) Building a dam across Rochelle’s major river will not reduce any recurrent flooding that occurs in regions of Cariana other than Rochelle.
(B) The new farming techniques that must be implemented to control soil erosion in Rochelle are not well suited to other regions of Cariana