XDF_Old_Books Passage1 第2题B答案

ypngzhang

PASSAGE 1
*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
                
5) the principal reasons why Blacks, Hispanics, and other minority groups have difficulty establishingthemselves in business is that they lack access to the sizable orders and subcontracts that are gener-ated by large companies. Now Congress, in appar-
                
10) ent 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 agen-
15) cies have gone so far as to set specific percentage goals for apportioning parts of public works con-tracts to minority enterprises.
*Corporate response appears to have been sub-stantial. According to figures collected in 1977,
20) the total of corporate contracts with minority busi-nesses rose from $77 million in 1972 to $1. lbillionin 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
25) letup anticipated in the next decade.
*Promising as it is for minority businesses, thisincreased patronage poses dangers for them, too.First, minority firms risk expanding too fast and overextending themselves financially, since most
30) are small concerns and, unlike large businesses, they often need to make substantial investments in new plants, staff, equipment, and the like in orderto perform work subcontracted to them. If, there-after, their subcontracts are for some reason
35) reduced, such firms can face potentially cripplingfixed 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
40) 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 companiesmay seek to cash in on the increasing apportion-
45) ments 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
50) acquire alone. But civil rights groups and minority business owners have complained to Congress about minorities being set up as "fronts" with White back-ing, rather than being accepted as full partners in legitimate joint ventures.
55) *Third, a minority enterprise that secures the business of one large corporate customer often runthe danger of becoming--and remaining— dependent.Even in the best of circumstances, fierce compe-tition from larger, more established companies
60) makes it difficult for small concerns to broaden their customer bases: when such firms have nearlyguaranteed orders from a single corporate bene-factor, they may truly have to struggle againstcomplacency arising from their current success.

2. The passage supplies information that would answerwhich of the following questions?
(A) What federal agencies have set percentage goals forthe use of minority-owned businesses in publicworks contracts?
(B) To which government agencies mustbusinesses awarded federal contracts report theirefforts to find minority subcontractors?
(C) How widespread is the use of minority-ownedconcerns as "fronts" by White backers seeking toobtain subcontracts?
(D) How many more minority-owned businesses werethere in 1977 than in 1972?
(E) What is one set of conditions under which asmall business might find itself financially over-extended?

请问B答案是什么意思？读不懂。

ypngzhang

这个已经得到解答，谢谢那位GG.

这句话的正常语序是：Businesses (awarded federal contracts) must report their efforts (to find minority subcontractors) to which government agencies?