问答题 (46)U. S. farmers are planting more acres of crops using soil building and pollution fighting farming systems than traditional methods that rely on the plow or intensive tillage, according to a report due to be released early next month. The report, titled " National Crop Residue Management Survey, " shows a 6 million acre gain for environmentally friendly farming systems this year. (47)It also shows traditional farming methods, which result in greater soil erosion and run off from fields, declined by 4 million acres. (48)The Survey, conducted on a county-by-county basis by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), indicates that farmers in Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, Kansas, and Indiana contributed the most to the increase ill acres grown with environmentally friendly farming systems known as conservation tillage systems. These states accounted for 5 million of the 6 million acre increase in conservation tillage this year. All conservation tillage systems, such as no-till, mulch-till, ridge-till, strip-till, and zone-till, rely on less tillage or less soil disturbance to plant and manage crops. Farmers who use these systems leave plant materials-stems, stalks, and leaves-on the surface of fields after harvest. The plant materials, also called crop residues, serve as a blanket to protect the soil from erosion. The crop residues slowly decompose to add organic matter to the soil much like mulching or composting adds organic matter to a garden. The survey results for 1997 indicate that conservation tillage systems now account for 109.8 million acres or fully 37 percent of the 294.6 million annually planted cropland acres in the United States. In the meantime, traditional systems that rely on the plow or intensive tillage fell to 107.6 million acres this year. The remaining acres are in an intermediate farming system known as reduced till. (49)The head of the nonprofit center that compiles and publishes the annual survey is calling on consumers and farmers alike to focus increased attention on conservation tillage systems. " (50)Independent research and practical application across the country show that these systems not only replenish and build organic matter in the soil for improved future food productivity but they will also protect water quality and enhance wildlife and the environment for future generations, " says John Hebblethwaite, executive director of the Conservation Technology Information Center. " There is also growing evidence that these systems can even help us combat the potential for global warming, " he adds.
【答案解析】[解析] 句子的框架是U. S. farmers are planting more acres of crops…than traditional methods that rely on the plow or intensive tillage…。此句的主、谓语部分内容简单：U. S. farmers are planting…，但宾语部分内容较复杂，含有一个比较级：more acres of crops using…than (acres of crops using) traditional methods…，后面紧跟that引导的定语从句修饰traditional methods；using…systems作后置定语修饰crops；soil building和pollution fighting并列作定语修饰farming systems；according to…是状语部分，翻译时可提至句前；due to译为“预计…”。
【答案解析】[解析] 句子的框架是It also shows traditional farming methods, …declined by 4 million acres。句中首先包含了一个宾语从句，主语it指上文的report，从句中又套了一个which引导的非限定性定语从句，修饰traditional farming methods。另外注意decline by是“降低了…”的意思，它不同于decline to(降低到…)；result in意为“导致”。
【答案解析】[解析] 句子的框架是The survey, conducted on…, indicates that farmers…contributed the most to the increase in acres grown with…farming systems known as conservation tillage systems。that引导的宾语从句作indicates的宾语；过去分词结构conducted on…作定语修饰the survey；grown with…是定语，修饰acres；known as…也是定语，修饰farming systems。
【答案解析】[解析] 句子的框架是The head of the nonprofit center…is calling on consumers and farmers alike to focus increased attention on conservation tillage systems。主语the head of the nonprofit center后有that引导的定语从句；call on sb. to do sth. 译为“号召…做…”；…and…alike译为“…和…一样”。
【答案解析】[解析] 句子的框架是Independent research and practical application…show that these systems not only replenish and build organic matter…but they will also protect water quality and enhance wildlife and the environment…。句中有一个that引导的宾语从句，宾语从句中则包含一个not only…but…引导的并列结构；not only引导的分句巾有and连接的两个并列动词，but引导的分句中同样有and连接的两个动宾结构。