A. Reading one: The Farming Life for Me

The reading that follows is a letter to the editor of a magazine for young people. The writer is a teenage boy who lives on a farm. He explains why he thinks it's better to grow up on a farm than to grow up in the city.

B. Fast Reading : Leaving the Farm

A hundred years ago, most farmers in the United States were small farmers. Now large farming companies do more and more of the farming. Because these companies are so big, they can sell their fruits and vegetables at a low price. This makes the small farms sell their crops at a low price too. As a result, most small farms don’t make enough money. The farmers often have second and third jobs to bring in extra money. And sometimes these farmers decide to sell their farms and move their families to the city.

【一百年前，美国大多数农民都是小农户。而现在大型农业企业承担了更多的农业工作。因为这些公司规模很大，可以以较低的价格出售水果和蔬菜。这使得小农场也不得不低价出售农作物。结果造成大部分的小农场挣不到足够的钱。农民往往有第二和第三职业来增加收入。有的农民甚至决定卖掉农场，搬家到城市去。】

Read the article about a farm family in North Dakota who recently moved to the city.