According to the passage, why do farmers value windpumps?

For more than a century, the windpump has been a familiar sight on the farms of the Karoo. Its tall steel frame and turning blades draw water from deep underground and fill the troughs where sheep and goats drink. Farmers value it because it needs no fuel and no electricity, and a well-maintained pump can work for decades with only occasional repairs. In recent years, however, some farmers have begun to worry. Long periods without rain mean that boreholes are refilled slowly, while more water is being taken out than before. A hydrologist who studies the region explains that groundwater is not an endless supply. "A windpump works for free," she says, "but the water it lifts was stored over thousands of years, so we must not treat it as free." Several farming communities have therefore started to record the water level in their boreholes every month, so that they can slow down their use before the supply runs low.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. They need neither fuel nor electricity and can last for decades

  1. Step 1: The passage says windpumps need no fuel or electricity and a well-maintained pump can work for decades with occasional repairs.
Answer
They need neither fuel nor electricity and can last for decades.
Why not the others: They are cheaper to build than any other pump: the passage does not compare the building costs with other pumps. They produce more water than electric pumps: the passage does not say they produce more water. They never need any repairs: the passage mentions occasional repairs.

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