Farmers planting apple orchards must wait three to five years before their trees produce fruit. During this period, they invest in irrigation, pest control, and pruning without any harvest income. Many new orchardists supplement their income with other crops or off-farm work until their trees mature.
Based on the text, it can be inferred that
fruit farming requires planning for extended periods without immediate returns
apple trees produce fruit immediately after planting
orchardists never need to invest in their trees
all farmers have sufficient savings to wait for harvests
Correct Answer: A
Choice A is the best answer. The waiting period requires financial planning.
- Context clues: Three to five years before fruit; investment continues without income during this time.
- Meaning: This gap between investment and return requires advance planning.
- Verify: Farmers supplementing income shows they must plan for this period.
💡 Strategy: When a process has significant delays between action and reward, infer the need for long-term planning.
Choice B is incorrect because trees take "three to five years" to produce. Choice C is incorrect because they must invest in irrigation, pest control, and pruning. Choice D is incorrect because many must supplement with other income.