Farming was once the main way of life in nearly every country.     1     food, people cannot live, and nearly all their food comes from crops and animals     2    (raise) on farms. Many other materials also come from plants and animals.

Before     3     nineteenth century, the typical American family lived on a small farm. They fed pigs, cattle and sheep, and planted corn, fruits and wheat     4    (make) a living. Everyone worked long and hard, but they hardly got enough food for     5    (them). This situation began to change     6    ( great ) during the last half of the 1800’s.

However, now farming has become less important as a way of life than ever before. The production of some major crops     7    (increase) in the past few years as a result of the appearance of scientific methods and labor-saving machines. Today farmers’     8    (able) has been improved. Successful farmers are not only good at agriculture but at marketing and finance as well. Life will be difficult for farmers     9     only know how to grow crops. Now not many people keep     10    (work) on a farm to make a living any more, but farming still plays an important role in people’s life.