大全第一篇少数民族企业第四题——看了就贴还是不懂，求解答，问题有点多~

Daisy汪 · 发表于 2012-3-14 21:15:27

Recent years have brought minority-owned businesses in the United States unprecedented opportunities - as well as new and significant risks. Civil rights activists have long argued that one of the principal reasons why Blacks, Hispanics, and other minority groups have difficulty establishing themselves in business is that they lack access to the sizable orders and subcontracts that are generated by large companies. Now Congress, in apparent agreement, has required by law that businesses awarded federal contracts of more than $500,000 do their best to find minority subcontractors and record their efforts to do so on forms filed with the government. Indeed, some federal and local agencies have gone so far as to set specific percentage goals for apportioning parts of public works contracts to minority enterprises.
Corporate response appears to have been substantial. According to figures collected in 1977, the total of corporate contracts with minority businesses rose from $77 million in 1972 to $1.1 billion in 1977. The projected total of corporate contracts with minority businesses for the early 1980's is estimated to be over 53 billion per year with no letup anticipated in the next decade. Promising as it is for minority businesses, this increased patronage poses dangers for them, too. First, minority firms risk expanding too fast and overextending themselves financially, since most are small concerns and, unlike large businesses, they often need to make substantial investments in new plants, staff, equipment, and the like in order to perform work subcontracted to them. If, thereafter, their subcontracts are for some reason reduced, such firms can face potentially crippling fixed expenses. The world of corporate purchasing can be frustrating for small entrepreneurs who get requests for elaborate formal estimates and bids. Both consume valuable time and resources, and a small company's efforts must soon result in orders, or both the morale and the financial health of the business will suffer.
A second risk is that White-owned companies may seek to cash in on the increasing apportionments through formation of joint ventures with minority-owned concerns. Of course, in many instances there are legitimate reasons for joint ventures; clearly, White and minority enterprises can team up to acquire business that neither could acquire alone. But civil rights groups and minority business owners have complained to Congress about minorities being set up as “fronts (a person, group, or thing used to mask the identity or true character or activity of the actual controlling agent)” with White backing, rather than being accepted as full partners in legitimate joint ventures.
Third, a minority enterprise that secures the business of one large corporate customer often runs the danger of becoming-and remaining-dependent. Even in the best of circumstances, fierce competition from larger, more established companies makes it difficult for small concerns to broaden their customer bases: when such firms have nearly guaranteed orders from a single corporate benefactor, they may truly have to struggle against complacency arising from their current success.

4.The passage suggests that the failure of a large business to have its bids for subcontracts result quickly in orders might cause it to

(A) experience frustration but not serious financial harm

(B) face potentially crippling fixed expenses

(C) have to record its efforts on forms filed with the government

(D) increase its spending with minority subcontractors（A）

(E) revise its procedure for making bids for federal contracts and subcontracts

这道题实在是不能理解为什么是A，首先题干中的business应该是公司的意思吧？
其次，文中用红色标出来的字是考点，但是这句话说得不是small corporate么？取非的话第一个排除的就应该是A啊，而且后面那句用绿色标出的话，主语是谁呢？or both the morale and the financial health of the business will suffer，这里的or我理解成否则的意思，也就是说一个公司的努力必须要有order，否则公司的士气和财务健康将会很艰难。这样看来也不会是not serious financial harm 啊
再者，文中用蓝色标出的话，since most are small concerns and, unlike large businesses, they often need to make substantial investments in new plants，这里的since是虽然的意思吗？还有concerns是什么意思，是business？这句话的主语应该是minority firms，怎么可以说firms are small concerns？
到底应该怎么理解呢？

跪求~

lexipaula · 发表于 2012-3-16 20:52:26

觉得LZ把这题想得太复杂了。要知道GMAT高分不在于你会做多少题而在于你做对了多少题。感觉上来说从GMAC的出题方式和应考者的答题习惯来看这题不应该那么复杂。咱们先把头脑清醒清醒，重新读一遍文章然后直接看题。首先由suggests可以得出这是一道Inference的题目，接下来找可能帮助定位的key words，有large business还有bids还有in orders。然后回文中定位。LZ你定的位置是对的，只是我们知道Inference的题目并不是文中直接提到的，而需要我们通过定位的地方，定位地方的上下文甚至是全文来综合考虑经过推理后再答题。所以定完位后发现文中明确提到的都是有关小公司的论述（这里要注意文中的small concerns, small companies, minority firms，minority business都是指小公司，concern有公司的意思，在这里就算不知道也不应该影响理解文章意思）。显然要回答题目问到的大公司问题我们需要作推断。那么就先扫一遍选项看看有没有可以先排除的。根据lZ的定位准确度来推断LZ应该能够很快排除CDE，剩下AB。因为CDE基本上提到的是根据定位和全文来看不太相关联的信息，所以可以排除。剩下AB只有再回到原文看。B选项是原文的原句重现，such firms can face potentially crippling fixed expenses.这里的such firms很容易判断是小公司，从而与题目的大公司矛盾，排除。这样看来好像只能选A。那么就confirm一下A是不是像正确选项。文章第一段第二句里说小公司很难生存因为他们没有大公司那样的大订单。咱们定位的地方有一个unlike large businesses，这里也算是此题的考点吧，只是推得有些辛苦。unlike前面说了小公司might risk expandng too fast and overextending them financially, ...unlike large businesses, 由此推理一下得出小公司很容易把自己搞得没钱了，但大公司就算拿不到订单也顶多就financially损失点，绝不会像小公司一样把自己搞得overextend financially。所以由此确认A选项的推理是正确的，即（大公司）会有损失但经济上损失不会（像小公司）那么大。
看起来好像分析得很多，但实际在考场上可能就是一念之间分秒之内就必须完成的思考过程，毕竟不止考这一道题或者这一篇文章，咱还需要继续做下去。所以希望LZ能从自己细致的分析备考过程中总结出自己做题的感觉和速度，真正上战场了估计真没这么多时间琢磨了。也把这篇回帖送给自己，纪念一下昨天今天用小安阅读法完成OG1224篇，OG12verbal review18篇和prep0732篇（除去与OG12重复的3篇）的第二遍。明天一天要完成第三遍然后就开始用阅读大全进行拔高练习。希望4月自己一次成功！也祝LZ好运常伴！

ahasusanna · 发表于 2012-5-4 15:38:47

LS分析得很好啊！
一定成功了吧已经

wendydou · 发表于 2012-7-12 21:10:18

good job. THANK U

女王的肥皂 · 发表于 2012-8-1 08:20:22

The world of corporate purchasing can be frustrating for small entrepreneurs who get requests for elaborate formal estimates and bids. Both consume valuable time and resources, and a small company's efforts must soon result in orders, or both the morale and the financial health of the business will suffer.

Both=estimates and bids
Both consume valuable time and resources, anda small company's efforts must soon result in orders, or both the morale and the financial health of the business will suffer.

这句话的意思是：estimate and bids 都会浪费宝贵的时间和资源。并且，小公司的努力需要马上转换成订单，否则（or）公司将遭受道德上，经济上双重折磨。
我也觉得这句话的转折词太多了，both ,and, or，还有这么多的逗号。

大全第一篇少数民族企业第四题——看了就贴还是不懂，求解答，问题有点多~

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