Question

请问，这道题选哪个答案，为什么？

Without water from the Nile River,Egypt would cease_______ a farming country and become a desert.
A. to be B.being

Answer 1

A

cease to do　 长时间，甚至永远停做某事。
cease doing　 短时停止做某事，以后还会接着做。

翻译：
没有来自尼罗河的水，埃及将从一个农业国变为一片荒漠。

从句意看，埃及将在很长一段时间内将不再是农业国，因此选A

Answer 2

Without water from the Nile River, Egypt would cease to be a farming country and become a desert. (A)

Cease to be sth. => stop being something.
'cease being' doesn't make sense

Answer 3

B

cease表终止，类似stop。
句意：如果没有来自尼罗河的水源，埃及将停止作为一个农业国家而成为一个沙漠