Read the passage and answer questions
The use of oral and written communication techniques can be dated as far back as human existence and were used to communicate a variety of needs, wishes, commands, and information, including the types of risks humans were exposed to and as a means to warn of impending crises However, the science, practice, and specific techniques that form what is currently known as risk and crisis communications have a much shorter history Not much has been written to accurately date the earliest forms of risk and crisis communications, but many in the field would hesitate to go back any further than 25 or 30 years Attributions often identify the introduction of the World Wide Web and other forms of digital communication as a turning point in the need to provide messages to audiences that help them understand the risks of their lives due to the sheer speed of Internet messages as well as the substantial increase in the volume and type of messages available to the general public.
Much of what are considered contemporary risk and crisis communication activities have stemmed from environmental clean – up efforts that began in the United States with legislation in the 1980s Vincent Covello and Richard Peters at The Center for Risk Communication in New York, along with David McCallum from Focus Group in Maryland, trace the terms “risk communications” and “crisis communications” and their widespread use back to William Ruckelshaus.
The first administrator of the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a federal agency formed in 1970 by President Richard Nixon Ruckelshaus’s first term, which lasted until 1973, was noted for the development of the organizational structure of the EPA as well as its initial enforcement actions But it was when Ruckelshaus returned to the EPA in 1983 that his mandates to inform and involve the public in decisions about environmental remediation and clean – up activities through the use of risk – based decision making set the stage for much of what is now common community involvement practice by the EPA and other governmental agencies.
Subsequent major federal legislative efforts continued to require bureaucrats to involve the public in decision making The 1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) added new requirements for such activity under the Superfund program and amended certain existing provisions to reinforce them SARA also created a major public – private planning process for responding to emergency hazardous materials incidents under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986, also known as Title III The planning process is organized and managed by State Emergency Response Committees (SERCs), whose members are appointed by the governor and who oversee the state’s response to public and private hazardous materials emergencies, and by Local Emergency Planning Committees (LERCs), whose members are a broad-based representation from governmental agencies, local response organisations and community groups.
Q1. What are the attributions for the rise of risk communication?
(A) Oral communication
(B) Written communication
(C) World Wide Web
(D) Human risks
Correct Ans: (C)
The passage clearly attributes the rise of risk communication to the introduction of the World Wide Web. It states that the speed and volume of internet messages forced communicators to deliver clearer risk-related content. Furthermore, the Web transformed message dissemination, making it vital to help audiences process large amounts of information quickly. So, while oral and written communication existed before, the passage marks the Web as the key turning point.
Q2. How did “crisis communication” activities emerge recently?
(A) Environmental clean-up efforts
(B) New Environmental Act
(C) Social Sciences
(D) Human Wishes
Correct Ans: (A)
According to the passage, contemporary crisis communication practices originated from environmental clean-up efforts in the U.S. during the 1980s. These efforts, supported by new legislation, demanded that the public be involved in environmental decision-making. Therefore, the environmental context and subsequent government action laid the foundation for crisis communication practices today.
Q3. Who widely used the term ‘risk communications’?
(A) Vincent Covello
(B) Richard Peters
(C) David McCallum
(D) William Ruckelshaus
Correct Ans: (D)
The passage states that although experts like Covello, Peters, and McCallum traced the term, William Ruckelshaus—EPA’s administrator—set the tone for its widespread use. His return to EPA in 1983 marked a shift toward involving the public in environmental risk decisions. Thus, Ruckelshaus became pivotal in popularizing risk communication within official practice.
Q4. What is SARA’s contribution?
(A) Public – Private Planning Process
(B) Environmental risk
(C) EPA
(D) Legislative efforts
Correct Ans: (A)
SARA, according to the passage, added new public involvement requirements to the Superfund program. Most importantly, it established a public-private planning process for handling hazardous material emergencies. This led to the creation of SERCs and LERCs to manage planning and responses at both state and local levels. Hence, its main contribution was organizing collaborative emergency planning.
Q5. What is the achievement of EPA?
(A) Risk taking
(B) Research
(C) Community involvement
(D) Right to Know Act
Correct Ans: (C)
The passage highlights that under Ruckelshaus’s leadership, the EPA focused on involving the public in environmental remediation efforts. He emphasized risk-based decisions and transparent communication. Thus, the EPA’s major achievement lies in promoting community involvement and setting a precedent for other agencies to follow.
