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 the 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 field 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 business rose from $77 to $1.1 billion in 1977. The projected total of
corporate contracts with minority business for the early 1980's is estimated to be over $3 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 inon the increasing apportion-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 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.
The passage suggests that the failure of a large business to have its bids for subcontracts results quickly
in order might cause it to

• A. revise its procedure for making bids for federal contracts and subcontracts
• B. face potentially crippling fixed expenses
• C. increase its spending with minority subcontractors
• D. experience frustrations but not serious financial ham
• E. have to record its efforts on forms filed with the government

Open communication lines between the employer and employee is equally important.

• A. lines between the employer and employee has equally
• B. lines between the employer and employee are equally
• C. lines between the employer and employee have equally
• D. lines between the employer and employee is equally
• E. lines between the employer and employee was equally

One and half million barrels of oil flows every day through the pipeline, which stretches across 1,263 km
of harsh terrain.

• A. One and a half million barrels of oil flows every
• B. One and an half million barrels of oil flows every
• C. One and half million barrels of oil Flows every
• D. One half million barrels of oil flows every
• E. One and The half million barrels of oil flows every

STRIKE: WORK

• A. boycott: engineer
• B. detour: trespass
• C. censor: learn
• D. incorporate:merge
• E. postpone:cancel