Comprehension:
In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in
each blank.
Erosion of America's farmland by wind and water (1)_____ a problem since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands (2)______ the
plow in the 19th century. By the 1930s, more than 282 million acres of farmland were (3)______ by erosion. After 40 years of
conservation efforts, soil erosion has (4)________ due to new demands placed (5)____ the land by heavy crop production. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 2.