According to the text, why was sugarcane burned before the harvest?
For decades, sugarcane in the state of Sao Paulo was burned before harvest to remove leaves and make cutting easier. The smoke harmed health and the burning released large amounts of carbon dioxide. State rules now require producers to stop burning gradually, and machines that cut the green cane have replaced much of the manual work. Mechanisation lowered the cost of the harvest and the air became cleaner, but thousands of cutters lost their jobs and had to look for work in other sectors. Unions ask for retraining programmes so that the benefits of the change are shared.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. To remove leaves and make the cutting easier
- Step 1: Find the sentence about burning. Step 2. It says burning removed the leaves and made cutting easier. Answer: To remove leaves and make cutting easier. Why not the others: The text does not link burning to sugar, regrowth or insects.
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