Academic Reading and Writing Directions

question 46

Multiple Choice

Academic Reading and Writing Directions:
Use your knowledge of the reading-writing process to answer these questions about the following passage adapted from Kornblum, Sociology in a Changing World , 9^th ed., 2012, pp. 558-560.
Social and Natural Disasters
¹Riots, epidemics, earthquakes, terrorist bombings, wars, floods, oil spills, tornadoes, and hurricanes are among the many kinds of disasters that may strike densely populated human settlements. Of course, there are important differences in the causes and outcomes of purely social disasters like riots and purely natural ones like earthquakes. From a sociological vantage point, however, social and natural disasters have a great deal in common . Moreover , because we can expect both natural and social disasters to occur with increasing frequency on our urbanizing planet, the study of disasters is a thriving area of sociological theory and research.
²Recent sociological research on disasters has focused on the longer-term consequences for the victims. In this area of research, the work of sociologist Kai Erikson is particularly noteworthy. Erikson's powerful descriptions of responses to disasters and his development of the sociological theory of trauma are having significant and positive impacts on victims' lives. In several precedent-setting cases, Erikson has convinced juries and judges that victims have suffered sociological damage, especially in the form of loss of community .
A New Species of Trouble
³Erikson's recent work on social disasters focuses on the consequences of what he calls "a new species of trouble" that is particularly common in urban industrial societies. The trouble may take the form of toxic spills, nuclear accidents, mercury poisoning, or many other disasters attributable to human negligence, greed, or combinations of both. The result is often an abrupt and shattering loss of community . Erikson and other sociologists who do similar research point out that disasters, especially those caused by negligence or criminal behavior of corporations, are not distributed randomly across societies. On the contrary, they occur with far greater frequency in low-income and minority communities because dangerous facilities, dump sites, and tank farms are often located on the boundaries of those communities. This ecological pattern has been labeled environmental racism .
⁴ Erickson and other sociologists who study disasters hope that as a consequence of their research-and their successes in court-there will be more safeguards against negligence and more emphasis on anticipating the risks of natural disasters. In the near term, however, Erikson fears that the balance of power is shifting toward corporations and other powerful actors, to the disadvantage of the victims or potential victims of community disasters.
​Use the context clues to determine the best meaning of environmental racism in paragraph 3.

• A) ​feel racial superiority
• B) ​believing the race determines human traits
• C) ​locating more environmental hazards in low-income and minority areas
• D) ​believing that poor people and ethic groups lack ecological concerns

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Definitions:

Wages Owed

The total amount of compensation that a company owes to its employees for work performed but not yet paid.

Cash Account

A ledger account that represents the amount of cash a company has on hand at any given time.

Credit

An accounting entry that either decreases assets or increases liabilities and equity on a company's balance sheet, or an entry on the right side of a double-entry bookkeeping system that represents the addition of value to an account.

Debit

An accounting entry that increases assets or expenses or decreases liabilities, equity, or revenue.