C
The human population on earth grows larger each year. As a result, more and more food needs to be grown in order to feed everyone. This need has 1 (great) increased over the past ten years.
Because of climate change, growing more food is becoming even 2 (difficult). When farmers tried to grow more food in the past, they would use farming ways that weren't always good 3 the environment. To solve this problem, some scientists carried out a research project. They spent a few years talking to farmers, including those from the 4 (centre) areas of many countries. They wanted to see what problems farmers were having and how these problems could 5 (solve). This led to the creation of special robots. These special robots move around on farms and collect information about crops. They can take pictures of plants, record each plant's 6 (grow) and measure its size.
In 7 past, farmers had some information about the weather and soil conditions, however, they couldn't track each plant. Now with these robots, they can. Some farmers in 8 (south) villages have already started using these robots and seen good results.
By 9 (collect) information about plants, the robots can help farmers make predictions (预测) about how their plants will grow. By studying each plant, the robots can also help farmers grow plants well. For example, 10 the robots find out which plants get sick, farmers can quickly throw them away before they influence nearby plants. With the help of these robots, farmers can take better care of the plants in need.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

1. greatly 2. more difficult 3. for 4. central 5. be solved 6. growth 7. the 8. southern 9. collecting 10. if

【分析】
这是一篇短文类语法填空题，解题时首先要通读全文，把握文章主旨：本文介绍了人口增长背景下粮食种植的需求提升，科学家研发农业机器人帮助农民更科学地种植作物的相关内容。接下来区分两类空格：有提示词的空格优先判断所需词性、是否需要变形（比较级、被动语态、词性转换等），无提示词的空格优先结合固定搭配、句子逻辑判断需要填写的介词、冠词、连词，逐句分析句子成分，确定空格的语法属性后匹配正确答案即可。
【解析】
1. 空格后是动词increased，修饰动词需要使用副词，形容词great的副词形式为greatly，符合语境“这一需求在过去十年里大幅增长”。
2. 空格前的even常用来修饰形容词/副词的比较级，表达“甚至更……”的含义，多音节形容词difficult的比较级为more difficult。
3. 此处是固定搭配be good for，意为“对……有益”，符合语境“过去农民使用的耕作方式并不总是对环境友好”，因此填介词for。
4. 空格后是名词areas，需要形容词作定语修饰名词，名词centre的形容词形式为central，central areas表示“中部地区”。
5. 句子主语these problems和动词solve是被动关系，含义为“这些问题如何被解决”，空格前有情态动词could，含情态动词的被动语态结构为could be done，因此填be solved。
6. 空格前是名词所有格each plant's，所有格后需要接名词，动词grow的名词形式为growth，含义为“生长”。
7. 此处是固定搭配in the past，意为“在过去”，是固定表达，需要填写定冠词the。
8. 空格后是名词villages，需要形容词作定语修饰名词，名词south的形容词形式为southern，southern villages表示“南部村庄”。
9. 空格前是介词by，介词后接动词需要使用动名词形式，by doing sth表示“通过做某事”，因此collect变为collecting。
10. 此处引导条件状语从句，语境含义为“如果机器人发现哪株植物生病，农民可以在它影响附近植株之前快速将其移除”，引导条件状语从句用连词if。
【答案】
1. greatly 2. more difficult 3. for 4. central 5. be solved 6. growth 7. the 8. southern 9. collecting 10. if
【知识点】
词性转换，固定搭配，被动语态
【点评】
本题考点覆盖全面，涵盖了副词修饰动词、形容词比较级、名词/动词/形容词之间的词性转换、介词固定搭配、含情态动词的被动语态、介词后接动名词、冠词固定搭配、条件状语从句连词多个基础语法点，大部分空格通过分析句子成分即可得出答案，仅最后一个连词空格需要结合上下文逻辑判断，整体侧重对基础语法应用能力的考查。
【难度系数】
0.7