Question

read the excerpt from years of dust.

bennett and his agronomists, experts in managing the soil and improving crop production, wanted to improve conditions during their own time while also acting to avert future dust bowls. before going ahead with their plans, however, they first had to get public opinion on their side. that was no easy task, for their plans would cost taxpayers money when money was scarce. moreover, plains people were set in their ways. they did not take to change easily, or think much of \experts\ from washington telling them how to farm. hoping to overcome resistance, the farm security administration hired moviemakers and photographers to gather evidence illustrating the need for change. these efforts brought two talented artists instant fame.

according to the excerpt, photographers in the 1930s often were hired

• to provide an escape from the hard times people faced.
• to show how government programs blocked real change.
• to show why change was needed to improve peoples lives.
• to explain the spread of lice and diseases.

Explanation:

Analyze the question and locate key terms in the text

The question asks why photographers in the 1930s were hired according to the excerpt. The key terms to locate in the text are "hired", "photographers", or "Farm Security Administration".

Locate and extract the relevant textual evidence

Scanning the text reveals the following sentence near the end: "Hoping to overcome resistance, the Farm Security Administration hired moviemakers and photographers to gather evidence illustrating the need for change."

Match the evidence to the correct multiple-choice option

The text states they were hired "to gather evidence illustrating the need for change." This directly matches the third option: "to show why change was needed to improve people's lives."

Answer:

• to provide an escape from the hard times people faced.
• to show how government programs blocked real change.
• to show why change was needed to improve people's lives. (Correct answer)
• to explain the spread of lice and diseases.