Soil Erosion: Causes and Effects
Soil erosion is the process in which the top layer of soil is washed away due to several external factors. Rainwater and wind are the most common factors that contribute to soil erosion. During rains, the force of rainwater causes soil to disintegrate. Rainwater collects in small, muddy ponds and begins to flow with more rain falling from above. As this muddy water flows, it carries the topmost layer of soil away with it. This topsoil is rich in minerals and nutrients. Continuous soil erosion by rainwater can cause land to become infertile.
Similarly, strong winds also carry soil away. Trees hold soil in its place as their roots penetrate deep into the ground. If there are no trees, soil becomes loose and can be easily washed away by rain or wind. According to the Center for Science, the problem of soil erosion becomes acute if there is no vegetation along the banks of rivers and waterways to hold the soil. Now there is one more reason to stop or reduce the cutting of trees.
Other causes of soil erosion include overgrazing by cattle and faulty farming techniques.
Soil erosion leads to the loss of the most fertile layer of soil. In addition, blowing wind and flowing water can cause sown seeds to be shifted, buried, or washed away from their place. Pesticides too get washed away, and the texture and quality of the soil worsens. This in turn affects the quality of crops and leads to economic problems.
Passage 2
Use of Cell Phones in School
Can any of us imagine a day without cell phones? Considering our overdependence on mobile phones, not many people can think of going "mobile free" even for a day. In the fast-paced world of our cities, mobile phones have become an integral part of peoples' lives. With features such as email, shopping, videos, and music on smartphones, people use them not only to stay connected, but also like personal computers that they can carry around. Many parents are in favor of letting their kids use cell phones in school. Differently-abled students can use mobile phones to communicate and interact with others in school. Parents can quickly reach their kids in times of urgency or emergency. Similarly, children can also contact their parents easily. With so many teenagers spending a lot of their time on smartphones and other devices these days, cell phones are being optimized for education as well. Many education apps are being developed to enhance learning. The visual and interactive features of these apps can also help students learn concepts better.
However, not everyone is happy about the use of cell phones in schools. Most teachers have expressed their displeasure on this issue. Despite instructing students to keep their phones on silent, students sometimes forget to do so, and end up disturbing the entire class with a beep or ring. Access to Internet at all times, at the touch of a button, tempts students to chat with their friends during class. Constant chatting and texting have also affected the writing skills of most teenagers. According to a survey on Edutopia, 54% of students felt that texting was affecting their writing habits. Often, students are also seen to avoid sports and other extracurricular activities because connecting to friends through social media or playing games on their cell phones seems more attractive to them.
While the benefits of cell phones are plenty, their side effects cannot be ignored and their usage needs to be monitored and restricted.
3
How are the overall structures of the two passages different?
A.
Passage 1 has a cause/effect structure. Passage 2 has a claim/counterclaim structure.
B.
Passage 1 has a cause/effect structure. Passage 2 has a chronological structure.
C.
Passage 1 has a problem/solution structure. Passage 2 has a comparison structure.
D.
Passage 1 has a chronological structure. Passage 2 has a cause/effect structure.