Can agricultural productivity meet human needs in the long run ? Since twentieth century advances, given increasing costs, do not seem sustainable, further increases in output will not be achieved easily. Global population growth, while showing signs of slowing down, has pushed farmers and herders into areas unsuited to intensive agriculture, accelerating worldwide ecological disruptions. Reserves of arable land and fresh water have diminished alarmingly. Chemical runoffs have compounded pollution problems. Invasion of natural habitats have hastened species extinction. Desertification has been severe in the last hundred years, especially in North Africa, southern portions of Africa, Australia, northern Mexico, and the American Southwest. Tropical forests have shrunk by one-half since World War II, with agricultural pressures causing three-quarters of that loss. Government inter-vention has produced its share of catastrophes, ranging from a terrible famine in China between 1958-1961 that may have killed 30 million people and destroyed the Aral Sea. Taking everything into consideration, we may remain hopeful about humankind's agricultural prospects, but we can scarcely look forward optimistically at the end of the first quarter of the twenty-first century.
Understanding 'Incursion' Meaning in Passage
This question asks us to identify the word from the given options that means 'incursion', based on the provided passage. We need to carefully read the passage and understand the context in which words are used to find the correct synonym.
Meaning of 'Incursion'
The word 'incursion' generally refers to an invasion or attack, especially a sudden one into enemy territory. It can also mean an act of entering or intruding into a place or domain, often in a disruptive or unwelcome way.
Passage Contextual Clue
The passage states: "Invasion of natural habitats have hastened species extinction." This sentence directly uses the word 'invasion' in relation to natural habitats being entered or encroached upon, which mirrors the meaning of 'incursion'.
Analysis of Options
Let's examine each option to see which one best matches the meaning of 'incursion':
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1. invasion
Meaning: The act or instance of invading; hostile entrance into a territory or region. This aligns very closely with the definition of 'incursion', especially in the context of entering natural habitats.
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2. intensive
Meaning: Concentrated or thorough. The passage uses this word in the phrase "intensive agriculture", describing a type of farming, not an act of entering.
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3. severe
Meaning: Very great, intense, or serious. This word describes the intensity of problems like desertification ("Desertification has been severe...") but is not related to the meaning of 'incursion'.
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4. intervention
Meaning: The action or process of intervening; interference. While it involves entering a situation, it typically refers to meddling or taking action to influence an outcome, often by governments ("Government intervention..."). It's different from a physical or territorial incursion.
Conclusion
Comparing the meanings, 'invasion' is the word that best captures the sense of 'incursion' as an unwelcome entry or encroachment, particularly as suggested by its usage in the passage regarding natural habitats.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
