题目内容：
根据短文回答第题。DeputyAgricultureSecretaryKathleenMerriganseesanepidemic(流行病)sweepingacrossAmerica’sfarmland.Ithaslittletodowiththeusualchallenges,suchasflood,risingfuelprices
andcrop-eatinginsects.Thecountry’sfarmersaregettingolder,andtherearefewerpeoplestandinginlinetotaketheirplace.Nationalagriculturalcensus(普查)figuresshowthatthefastest-growinggroupoffarmersisthepartover65.Merriganisafraidtheaverageagewillbeevenhigherwhenthe2012statisticsarecompleted.
Merrigan,aformercollegeprofessor,ismakingstopsatuniversitiesacrossthecountryinhopesofencouragingmorestudentstothinkaboutcareersinagriculture.AsidefromtryingtostopthegrayingofAmerica’sfarmers,herworkismadetougherbyarecentblogpostingthatputagricultureatNo.1onalistof“useless”collegedegrees.Topfederalagricultureofficialsaretalkingabouttheposting,andithastheattentionofagriculturalorganizationsacrossthecountry.
“Therecouldn’tbeanythingthat’smoreincorrect,”Merrigansaid.“Weknowthattherearen’tenoughqualifiedgraduatestofillthejobsthatareoutthereinAmericanagriculture.”
Inaddition,agrowingworldpopulationthatsomeexpertspredictwillrequire70%morefood
productionby2050,shesaid.
“Itrulybelievewe’reatagoldenageofagriculture.Globaldemandisatanall-timerecordhigh,andglobalsuppliesareatall-timerecordlows,”saidMattRush,directoroftheTexasFarmBureau.“Productioncostsaregoingtobevaluableenoughthatyoungerpeoplearegoingtohavetheopportunitytobeinvolvedinagriculture.”
TheDepartmentofAgriculturehasprogramsaimedatdevelopingmorefarmersandatincreasinginterestinlocallygrownfood.TheNationalYoungFarmers’Coalitionhasalsobeenpushingforstateandfederalpolicychangestomakeiteasierfornewfarmers.
RyanBest,presidentofFutureFarmersofAmerica,hasbeenlivingoutofasuitcase,travelingthecountryandvisitingwithhighschoolstudentsaboutcareersinagriculture.The21-year-oldBesthopeshismessage—thatthisisanewtimeinagriculture—willmotivatethenextgenerationtoturn
aroundthestatistics.“Neverbeforehavewehadtheinnovations(创新)intechnologywhichhaveledtoagricultureinthiscountrybeingthemostefficientithaseverbeen,”hesaid.“There’sreallyaplaceforeverybodytofitin.”WhatisthenewchallengetoAmericanagriculture? A．Fewerandolderfarmer
B．Higherfuelprice
C．Morenaturaldisaster
D．Loweragriculturaloutpu
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