Difficult times in agriculture are making it tough for the next generation of farmers

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the questions, then listen before opening the transcript. Notice names, numbers and any corrections the speaker makes.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What happened to the farm’s property across successive generations?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It was repeatedly sold to outside investors.
   2. It was altered by each generation.
   3. It remained unchanged for a century.
   4. It was converted into industrial land.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It was altered by each generation.

   Each generation modified the property according to its changing needs.

   His great-great-grandfather built the farm’s home more than a century ago, and each generation has altered the property to suit its needs.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What did Langseth’s expanded responsibilities enable him to recognize?

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   1. The value of abandoning the family business
   2. The financial pressure involved in ownership
   3. The superiority of imported machinery
   4. The declining importance of operating expenses
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   Answer

   The financial pressure involved in ownership

   They clarified the extent of the financial pressure involved in operating the farm.

   That progression gave him a clearer sense of the financial pressure involved.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What did taking responsibility for a larger share of the operation require?

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   1. A smaller workforce
   2. A larger land inheritance
   3. Sufficient capital
   4. A change in trade policy
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   Answer

   Sufficient capital

   Operating on a greater scale required sufficient funds.

   Taking responsibility for a larger share of the operation required enough money to function on a greater scale.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which costs are explicitly listed as having increased?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Land taxes, wages, and insurance
   2. Gas, machinery, fertilizer, and other expenses
   3. Seeds, exports, and transportation only
   4. Buildings, labor, and financial services
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   Answer

   Gas, machinery, fertilizer, and other expenses

   The recording specifically names fuel, machinery, fertilizer, and other operating expenses.

   Shifting trade policies, tariffs, and supply-chain disruptions have increased the cost of gas, machinery, fertilizer, and other operating expenses.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does a narrower margin for error imply for a new owner?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Minor setbacks may have serious consequences.
   2. Unexpected costs become easier to absorb.
   3. New owners can postpone financial planning.
   4. Operating risks disappear after succession.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Minor setbacks may have serious consequences.

   Reduced flexibility makes financial mistakes or unexpected costs more consequential.

   These pressures can narrow the margin for error precisely when a new owner is trying to establish financial stability.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   According to Tucker, what is motivating more ownership transfers?

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   1. Declining land values
   2. The capital required to farm today
   3. A shortage of family histories
   4. Improved supply-chain reliability
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   Answer

   The capital required to farm today

   The capital needed for contemporary farming encourages earlier or more deliberate transfers.

   Wesley Tucker, a farm and ranch transition specialist at the University of Missouri, says the amount of capital required to farm today is helping motivate more farmers to transfer ownership to the next generation.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Besides land, what other demands contribute to the required capital?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Family ceremonies and legal fees
   2. Equipment and daily inputs
   3. Retirement benefits and insurance
   4. Trade agreements and tariffs
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   Answer

   Equipment and daily inputs

   Equipment and routine inputs add financial demands beyond land ownership.

   Land is a major component of that capital, while equipment and day-to-day inputs add further demands.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What overall result does the recording attribute to these pressures?

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   1. A straightforward transfer of ownership
   2. A complicated inheritance
   3. A complete end to family farming
   4. A decline in agricultural innovation
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A complicated inheritance

   The pressures produce an inheritance combining established assets with serious financial vulnerability.

   The result is a complicated inheritance.

What to review next

Listen again to difficult sections, then open the transcript to check what you heard. Repeat a useful phrase aloud and try the recording once more without the text.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Listen for the final information, especially when a speaker corrects or changes an earlier statement.

Example transcript: “Let’s meet at five — actually, half past five would be better.” What is the final suggested time?

The final suggested time is 5:30. Actually signals a correction; the first time is replaced by the later suggestion.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.