A number of natural disasters in recent years such as earthquakes, ma

A number of natural disasters in recent years—
such as earthquakes, major storms, and floods—that
have affected large populations of people have forced
relief agencies, communities, and entire nations to
(5) reevaluate the ways in which they respond in the
aftermaths of such disasters. They believe that
traditional ways of dealing with disasters have proved
ineffective on several occasions and, in some cases,
have been destructive rather than helpful to the
(10) communities hit by these sudden and unexpected
crises. Traditionally, relief has been based on the
premise that aid in postdisaster situations is most
effective if given in the immediate aftermath of an
event. A high priority also has been placed on the
(15) quantity of aid materials, programs, and personnel, in
the belief that the negative impact of a disaster can
be counteracted by a large and rapid infusion of aid.

Critics claim that such an approach often creates
a new set of difficulties for already hard-hit
(20) communities. Teams of uninvited experts and
personnel—all of whom need food and shelter—as
well as uncoordinated shipments of goods and the
establishment of programs inappropriate to local
needs can quickly lead to a secondary “disaster” as
(25) already strained local infrastructures break down
under the pressure of this large influx of resources. In
some instances, tons of food have disappeared into
local markets for resale, and, with inadequate
accounting procedures, billions of dollars in aid
(30) money have gone unaccounted for.

To develop a more effective approach, experts
recommend shifting the focus to the long term. A
response that produces lasting benefit, these experts
claim, requires that community members define the
(35) form and method of aid that are most appropriate to
their needs. Grassroots dialogue designed to facilitate
preparedness should be encouraged in disaster-prone
communities long before the onset of a crisis, so that
in a disaster’s immediate aftermath, relief agencies
(40) can rely on members of affected communities to take
the lead. The practical effect of this approach is that
aid takes the form of a response to the stated desires
of those affected rather than an immediate, though
less informed, action on their behalf.

(45) Though this proposal appears sound, its success
depends on how an important constituency,
namely donors, will respond. Historically,
donors—individuals, corporations, foundations, and
governmental bodies—have been most likely to
(50) respond only in the immediate aftermath of a crisis.
However, communities affected by disasters typically
have several long-term needs such as the rebuilding
of houses and roads, and thus the months and years
after a disaster are also crucial. Donors that
(55) incorporate dialogue with members of affected
communities into their relief plans could foster
strategies that more efficiently utilize immediate aid
as well as provide for the difficulties facing
communities in the years after a disaster.

1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

(A) The most useful response to a natural disaster is one in which relief agencies allow victims to dictate the type of aid they receive, which will most likely result in the allocation of longterm rather than immediate aid.
(B) The quantity of aid given after a natural disaster reflects the desires of donors more than the needs of recipients, and in some cases great quantities of aid are destructive rather than helpful.
(C) Aid that focuses on long-term needs is difficult to organize because, by its very definition, it requires that relief agencies focus on constructing an adequate dialogue among recipients, providers, and donors.
(D) Disaster relief efforts have been marked by inefficiencies that attest to the need for donors and relief agencies to communicate with affected communities concerning how best to meet not only their short-term but also their long-term needs.
(E) Though the years after a disaster are crucial for communities affected by disasters, the days and weeks immediately after a disaster are what capture the attention of donors, thus forcing relief agencies into the role of mediators between the two extremes.


2. Which one of the following examples best illustrates the type of disaster response recommended by the experts mentioned in the third paragraph?

(A) After a flood, local officials reject three more expensive proposals before finally accepting a contractor’s plan to control a local river with a dam.
(B) Following a plan developed several years ago by a relief agency in consultation with donors and community members, the relief agency provides temporary shelter immediately after a flood and later helps rebuild houses destroyed by the flood.
(C) Immediately after a flood, several different relief agencies, each acting independently, send large shipments of goods to the affected community along with teams of highly motivated but untrained volunteers to coordinate the distribution of these goods.
(D) At the request of its donors, a private relief agency delays providing any assistance to victims of a flood until after the agency conducts a thorough study of the types of aid most likely to help the affected community in the long run.
(E) After a flood, government officials persuade local companies to increase their corporate giving levels and to direct more aid to the surrounding community.


3. The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) Disaster relief plans are appropriate only for disaster-prone communities.
(B) When communities affected by disasters have articulated their long-term needs, donors typically have been responsive to those needs.
(C) Donors would likely provide more disaster relief aid if they had confidence that it would be used more effectively than aid currently is.
(D) It is not the amount of aid but rather the way this aid is managed that is the source of current problems in disaster relief.
(E) Few communities affected by disasters experience a crucial need for short-term aid.


4. The author discusses donors in the final paragraph primarily in order to

(A) point to an influential group of people who have resisted changes to traditional disaster response efforts
(B) demonstrate that the needs of donors and aid recipients contrast profoundly on the issue of disaster response
(C) show that implementing an effective disaster relief program requires a new approach on the part of donors as well as relief agencies
(D) illustrate that relief agencies and donors share similar views on the goals of disaster response but disagree on the proper response methods
(E) concede that the reformation of disaster relief programs, while necessary, is unlikely to take place because of the disagreements among donors


5. It can be inferred from the passage that the author would be most likely to view a shift toward a more long-term perspective in disaster relief efforts as which one of the following?

(A) a development that would benefit affected communities as well as aid providers who have a shared interest in relief efforts that are effective and well managed
(B) a change that would help communities meet their future needs more effectively but would inevitably result in a detrimental reduction of short-term aid like food and medicine
(C) an approach that would enable aid recipients to meet their long-term needs but which would not address the mismanagement that hampers short-term relief efforts
(D) a movement that, while well intentioned, will likely be undermined by the unwillingness of donors to accept new methods of delivering aid
(E) the beginning of a trend in which aid recipients play a major role after a disaster and donors play a minor role, reversing the structure of traditional aid programs


6. Which one of the following inferences about natural disasters and relief efforts is most strongly supported by the passage?

(A) Although inefficiencies have long been present in international disaster relief programs, they have been aggravated in recent years by increased demands on relief agencies’ limited resources.
(B) Local communities had expressed little interest in taking responsibility for their own preparedness prior to the most recent years, thus leaving donors and relief agencies unaware of potential problems.
(C) Numerous relief efforts in the years prior to the most recent provided such vast quantities of aid that most needs were met despite evidence of inefficiency and mismanagement, and few recipient communities questioned traditional disaster response methods.
(D) Members of communities affected by disasters have long argued that they should set the agenda for relief efforts, but relief agencies have only recently come to recognize the validity of their arguments.
(E) A number of wasteful relief efforts in the most recent years provided dramatic illustrations of aid programs that were implemented by donors and agencies with little accountability to populations affected by disasters.