Which worry have some farmers begun to have, according to the passage?

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. That more water is being taken out than is being replaced

  1. Step 1: The farmers worry because boreholes refill slowly while more water is being taken out than before.
Answer
That more water is being taken out than is being replaced.
Why not the others: That windpumps are being replaced by electric pumps: the passage does not mention replacement. That the blades of the windpumps are wearing out quickly: wear on the blades is not discussed. That sheep and goats drink too little water: animals' drinking habits are not a concern in the passage.

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