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  3. Minority-owned business in the United States had unprecedented opportunities as well as new and significant risks. Civil rights

Minority-owned business in the United States had unprecedented opportunities as well as new and significant risks. Civil rights

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问题      Minority-owned business in the United States had unprecedented opportunities  as well as new and significant risks. Civil rights activists have long argued that one of the principal reasons why Blacks and other minority groups have difficulty establishing themselves in business is that they lack access to sizable orders and subcontracts that are generated by large companies. Now Congress, in apparent agreement, has required by law that business 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 appear to have been substantial: According to figures collected in 2003. the total of corporate contracts with minority business rose from $77 million in 1998 to $1.1 billion in 2003. The projected total of corporate contracts with minority business for the early 2004 is estimated to be over $3 billion per year with no ceasing anticipated in the next decade.
     Promising as it is for minority business, this increased protection poses dangers for them, too. First, minority firms risk expanding too fast and overextending themselves financially, since most are small concerns and, unlike large business, 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" 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 large, 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 serf-satisfaction arising from their current success.
It is risky for minority business to make substantial investments in new plants, staff, equipment, when
选项 A、they have no subcontracts.
B、their subcontracts are reduced.
C、they are unable to perform the work subcontracted to them.
D、new plants, staff, equipment are not as good as they have expected.
答案B
解析 文章第三段谈到了小企业在接受了分包合同之后所面临的风险。它们为了完成合同所要求的工作，就要投资新的厂房、设备和人员。但是一旦由于某种原因他们所分包的合同减少了，它们就会面临损失投资的风险。因此，排除C、D。A与文意不符，它们并不是没有分包合同，而是可能会减少。
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