Reading passages

247- From the passage, it's clear that AAAS.............. . 
A) has failed to come up with a solution the hurricanes hitting America 
B) was better at forecasting a couple of decades ago 
C) is the name of a hurricane which has recently hit America 
D) Is, perhaps, an institute making studies on climatic conditions of America 
E) wouldn't have caused so much damage in America if it had been forecast accurately 
248- Compared with the beginning of the twentieth century, the damage resulting from 
hurricanes in America .............. . 
A) has increased instead of decreasing 
B) has been decreasing each year 
C) has never been as much as it was in 1990s 
D) has caused less suffering to Americans 
E) has been much more reimbursable for insurance companies 
249- One of the benefits of predicting a hurricane is........... . 
A) that local governments will provide their citizens with better infrastructure 
B) that insurance companies won't have difficulty reimbursing the damages 
C) to help civil engineers and architects design safer buildings 
D) that those living in risky areas will easily be convinced of the danger 
E) to be able to warn people about its dangers earlier 
During the 19th century painters in Western societies began to lose their social position and secure 
patronage. Some artists countered the decline in patronage support by holding their own exhibitions 
and charging an entrance fee. Others earned an income through touring exhibitions of their work. The 

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need to appeal to a marketplace had replaced the similar, if less impersonal, demands of patronage, 
and its effect on the art itself was probably similar as well. Generally, artists can now reach an 
audience only through commercial galleries and public museums, although their work may be 
occasionally reproduced in art periodicals. They may also be assisted by financial awards or 
commissions from industry and the state. (c,d,e,)