A the franchisee has to pay the franchisor.
B the franchisor transfers ownership of the business to the franchisee.
C the exclusive rights to offer a particular product or service is a franchise.
4. The business format franchise is a more complex way of franchising (lines 26 and 27) because it involves
I the overall operations of the business
II the local distribution of a particular food product
III an ongoing relationship between the franchisor and franchisee
A I and II.
B I and III.
C II and III.
5. In paragraph IV, the main idea is that
A setting up a franchise business is costly.
B there are less risks involved in franchising.
C by franchising you are buying business know-how.
6. The concluding paragraph is mainly about
A the increase in protection of the franchisor and franchisee.
B the success of franchisees in gaining territorial protection.
C the dramatic increase in franchising opportunities.
7. The purpose of this passage is to
A compare the roles of franchisor and franchisee.
B explain how franchising works.
Reading Comprehension 2
Questions 8 to 14 are based on the following passage.
To the untrained eye, the Aquascape artificial reef does not appear terribly
impressive, considering that they have spent some two years in the sea off Pulau Tioman, Pahang. It looks like not much has grown on them, with the exception of oysters which smother some of the cement structures, built to resemble a mound with three ridged peaks of varying heights.
But then again, corals are slow-growers. These marine organisms live in colonies consisting of many individual coral polyps, and some grow a mere 1 cm a year. In fact, 10 years can pass before structures dumped into the sea to form reefs can take semblance of the real thing, says environmental science graduate, Wong Leong Sze of University Putra Malaysia (UPM).
Having kept a close watch on the Aquascape reef, he is optimistic and happy with the coral growth so far. Coral fragments, which he had transplanted onto the cement mounds as part of his research programme, have grown between 1 mm and 8 mm. A few have sprouted an impressive 2 cm. but what satisfies him most is the large number of coral juveniles which have settled on the Aquascape, most of which are too tiny to be discernible to non-scientists. After all, this was the whole reason behind placing the Aquascape in the sea – to provide a hard surface or substrate for coral larvae to attach themselves to and grow.
Apart from corals, various species of marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, sea cucumbers, crinoids and cushion stars, as well as marine snails and fish have sought refuge at the Aquascape reef. Damsel fish, butterfly fish, wrasses and groupers dart around the structures while schools of breams, snappers, fusiliers and barracudas swirl above. Moray eels, hawksbill turtles and even a nurse shark have made the occasional appearance. A species of shellfish has even laid eggs inside the cavity of one Aquascape. “There are a lot of positive results,” says UPM marine scientist Dr. H. M. Ibrahim, who is supervising Wong’s research on marine ecology. “Coral growth has been quite good and the artificial reef is not only able
to support diverse reef life, but is attracting other reef dwellers.”
The promising results have prompted courier company DHL Malaysia, which had sponsored 10 Aquascape units in June 2004, to add another 58 units two weeks ago. “After placing the 10 units, we watched carefully their development to see whether they deliver the promise to grow and form part of the reef. They did, so we are adding more,” says DHL chief.
Artificial reefs may have proven their worth in restoring ailing coral reefs but they are not always the best remedy for marine conservation – not when expenses remain high. Each Aquascape unit costs RM500 to manufacture but deploying just 10 of them can chalk up a bill of RM200, 000 because of surveys on site suitability, installation and monitoring.
Projects on artificial reefs are much-loved by sponsors because they grab public attention but in the past, some schemes proved to be failures as site suitability studies were not done; neither were there checks to see if the reef was indeed, growing. Thus, a nagging thought is whether funds pumped into artificial reefs might be better spent on promoting sustainable coastal development, environment-friendly tourism activities and pollution prevention.
Malaysian Nature Society official Andrew Sebastian says ill-thought out projects divert attention from the core issue – the need to protect coral reefs and prevent their destruction. “Artificial reefs should only be done in sites with highly degraded reefs. Why invest in them if the area already has a healthy natural reef? They might cause migration of animals from natural reefs, resulting in changes to marine life behaviour or habitat,” says Sebastian, who heads the parks and special projects unit.
There are also other ecological concerns. Some artificial reef structures have rusted away, broken loose from storm and wave action, or leeched harmful chemicals into ocean waters. And in the Tioman reef restoration project, two Aquascape units were inadvertently dropped over the reef, breaking stag horn corals.
(Adapted from The Star, May 9, 2006)
8. The reef does not appear terribly impressive (lines 1 and 2) because
A it is man-made.
B there is limited growth.
C oysters have covered the surface.
9. The main idea of paragraph II is
A corals grow very slowly.
B it takes 10 years for an artificial reef to look real.
C a reef is made up of coral polyps living in colonies.
10. The main purpose of paragraph IV is to
A identify the types of marine creatures attracted to man-made reefs.
B explain how marine creatures have benefitted from man-made reefs.
C provide evidence that man-made reefs do support many marine creatures.
11. Artificial reefs are not always the best remedy for marine conservation (line 35) because
A they cost a lot.
B they involve monitoring.
C they require suitable sites.
Marine scientist Dr. H. M. Ibrahim agrees that artificial reef projects soak up resources but says costs can be brought down by involving volunteers. “Creating artificial reefs will not hurt. It promotes awareness and a sense of ownership. And it is one way to get corporations involved in conservation.”
12. The phrase a nagging thought (line 42) means that something is A puzzling.
B worrying. C controversial.