Steve Wayne, 16, who worked this summer as a lifeguard and swim teacher in Idaho Falls, was thrilled to see an extra $ 20 in his paycheck when the federal minimum wage increased in July.
“When you’re getting paid minimum wage, anything helps,” Wayne said.
Wayne is one of several hundred thousand American teenagers who earn the minimum wage. The last of three recent increases took the minimum from $5.15 an hour in 2007 to $7.25.
US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis says the minimum-wage increase will pump an extra $ 5.5 billion into the economy over the next year, which is helpful at a time when the economy is hurting.
“You’re giving people who spend money a raise,” said Kai Filion of the Economic Policy Institute. “Those people will go out and spend that money, and it will circulate through the economy.”
But other economists say raising the wage actually hurts the very people it’s designed to help. A higher hourly minimum, they say, could force businesses to cut workers’ hours, or even lay people off.
“What matters for people earning minimum wage is how much money they take home in total,” explained Rajeev of Georgia State University’s Economic Forecasting Center. “Their hourly rate may go up, but their number of hours may come down, so it’s not an overall increase.”
Business owners also say that raising the minimum wage exerts (施加) upward pressure on other wages. “If the minimum wage is $ 7 and I have to pay $ 8 or $ 9 to hire a dishwasher, then the cooks are going to say they want more,” said Cleveland restaurant owner Rick. “How much can I charge for that hamburger?”
Another argument is that it makes it more expensive for businesses to hire new workers. For many businesses already struggling to make ends meet in these tough times, it will be simply too expensive to keep them or to hire new people.
51. Steve Wayne was excited that ______.
A. his hard work had paid off
B. he had received a big wage increase
C. he has more money due to an increase in minimum wage
D. the wages of American teenage workers have been increased
52. According to the text, the US federal government has increased minimum wage with the aim of ______.
A. decreasing unemployment B. promoting economic recovery
C. increasing American teenagers’ wage D. narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor
53. What matters most to people in need of help is ______.
A. a higher hourly minimum B. more working hours
C. a minimum-wage increase D. an increase in total income
54. Some are against the increase in minimum wage because they say ______.
A. only very few workers will be helped
B. they have to cut down working hours
C. many business owners can’t afford to employ new workers
D. minimum wage workers will expect more pay rises in the future
One evening, a young man at a certain college who was known to be something of a poet read one of his poems to a small group of his friends in a room．The poem was greatly admired．But afterwards, one of them, who was called Crick, said, "I was very interested in Hand’s poem, but it was stolen from a book."
His words were reported to Hand, who was very angry and required an apology．"Well," said Crick, "I don’t often take back what I said, but this time I admit (承认) I was mistaken．When I got to my room, I looked in the book which I thought the poem was stolen from, and I saw it was still here!"The poem Hand read one evening was written by.
| A．Hand | B．Crick |
| C．one of his friends | D．another poet |
Hand’s friends admired the poem mainly because.
| A．it was read by Hand | B．Hand was a poet |
C．it was real ly wonderful |
D．it was stolen from a book |
From the story, we know that Crick .
| A．was really mistaken | B．really took back what he said | C．was a poet himself | D．was quite familiar with the poem |
When Hand required an apology, Crick.
| A．didn’t do as Hand asked | B．admitted he was wrong |
| C．was unwilling to do so | D．showed the poem to Hand |
According to the passage, we can infer that Hand.
| A．was a young poet | B．liked poems very much |
| C．would be a poet | D．was regarded as a poet |
The term “multitasking” originally referred to a computer’s ability to carry out several tasks at one time. For many people, multitasking has become a way of life and even a key to success. In fact, some excellent mental aerobic exercises (大脑训练) involve engaging the brain in two or more challenging activities at a time. Although checking e-mail while talking on a phone and reading the newspaper may be second nature for some people, many times multitasking can make us less productive, rather than more. And studies show that too much multitasking can lead to increased stress, anxiety and memory loss.
In order to multitask, the brain uses an area known as the prefrontal cortex (前额叶脑皮层). Brian scans of volunteers performing multiple tasks together show that as they shift from task to task, this front part of the brain actually takes a moment of rest between tasks. You may have experienced a prefrontal cortex “moment of rest” yourself if you’ve ever dialed (拨电话) a phone number and suddenly forgotten who you dialed when the line is answered. What probably occurred is that between the dialing and the answering, your mind shifted to anther thought or task, and then took that “moment” to come back. Research has also shown that for many volunteers, job efficiency (效率) declines while multitasking, as compared to when they perform only one task at a time.
Multitasking is easiest when at least one of the tasks is habitual, or requires little thought. Most people don’t find it difficult to eat and read the newspaper at the same time. However, when two or more attention-requiring tasks are attempted at one time, people sometimes make mistakes.
We often do
n’t remember things as well when we’re trying to manage several details at the same time. Without mental focus, we may not pay enough attention to new information coming in, so it never makes it into our memory stores. That is one of the main reasons we forget people’s names---even sometimes right after they have introduced themselves. Multitasking can also affect our relationships. If someone checks their e-mail while on the phone with a friend, they may come off as absent-minded or disinterested. It can also cause that person to miss or overlook key information being passed on to them. Why are some mental aerobic exercises designed to engage people in multitasking?
| A．To make them more productive. |
| B．To reduce their stress and anxiety. |
| C．To develop their communication skills. |
| D．To help them perform daily tasks more easily. |
According to Paragraph 2, why may a person suddenly forget who has called?
| A．He may leave his prefrontal cortex temporarily damaged. |
| B．He is probably interrupted by another task. |
| C．He is probably not very familiar with the person he has called. |
| D．He may need a rest between dialing and speaking. |
People tend to make mistakes when ____.
A．they perform several challenging tasks at a time. |
| B．new messages are processed one after another |
| C．their relationships with others are affected |
| D．the tasks require little thought |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Multitasking has become a way of life. |
| B．Multitasking often leads to efficiency decline. |
| C．Multitasking exercises need to be improved. |
| D．Multitasking enables people to remember things better. |
Greece is one of the most beautiful countries of the world. Millions of tourists visit this place every year.
In Greece the bus is the most convenient and preferred means of traveling. There are intercity buses operated by KTEL that interconnect various cities of Greece, and there are international buses operated by OSE that connect Greece to other European cities.
Every tourist must visit Greece at least once in life. This country is really a vacation heaven. It is the perfect blend(融合) of history and art with adventure and romance. You can dive into deep blue waters, climb up the mountains or enjoy ancient architecture and history.
Buses in Greece are cheap and very comfortable. All bus stations display schedules of buses on every route. Conductors and drivers are very polite and helpful. Travelers never face any trouble locating and boarding buses to their destinations. Tourists can always ask the conductor to inform them about their stop, so that they can get down at the right stop. Everyone here is more than happy to help tourists.
Athens, the capital of Greece, has three bus terminals(终点站). Buses to different parts of Greece leave from different terminals. Air-conditioned express bus
es also operate between major cities. They are faster and more comfortable than other buses. Tourists can choose guided Greece bus tours. These tours are the perfect way of exploring this great country.
Buses in Greece are also a great way of saving bucks on the journey. The long-distance bus system is very cheap. Buses save a lot of money to cover long distances, cheaper than taxis or cars. They are also the best means of interacting with local people. You can sit next to a native of Greece and get some information about the place.The company KTEL offers bus services .
| A．from Greece to other countries | B．to different cities in Greece |
| C．to tourist attractions in Greece | D．from Greece to its borderin g countries |
It can be inferred from Para. 3 that the Greeks are .
| A．generous | B．hard-working | C．warm-hearted | D．economical |
If you are a tourist to Greece from overseas,
you’d better choose .
| A．taxis | B．guided Greece bus tours |
| C．cars | D．air-conditioned express buses |
The underlined word “bucks” in the last paragraph probably refers to .
| A． trouble | B．energy | C．time | D．money |
When something goes wrong，it can be very satisfying to say，“Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault. ”or “I know I’m late，but it’s not my fault；the car broke down. ” It is probably not your fault，but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation，you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success. 
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on the person. You should accept that the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is. ” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stop on for success. According to the passage, winners .
| A．deal with problems rather than blame others |
| B．meet with fewer difficulties in their lives |
| C．have responsible and able colleagues |
| D．blame themselves rather than others |
The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .
A
. avoid B. accept C. improve D. considerWhen your colleague brings about a problem, you should .
| A．find a better way to handle the problem |
| B．blame him for his lack of responsibility |
| C．tell him to find the cause of the problem |
| D．ask a more able colleague for help |
When problems occur, winners take them as
| A．excuses for their failures | B．barriers to greater power |
| C．challenges to their colleagues | D．chances for self-development |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Winner’s Secret. | B．A Winner’s Problem. |
| C．A Winner’s Opportunity. | D．A Winner’s Achievement. |
I．Requirements for Volunteers
● Be willing to participate in voluntary services of Expo 2010;
● Age limit: Expo Site volunteers must be born before April 30, 1992 and Expo City Voluntary Service Station volunteers before April 30, 1994;
● Obey the laws and regulations of the PRC;
● Be able to participate in training and relevant activities before the opening of Expo 2010 on May 1st;
● Possess necessary knowledge and skills needed by the position, one foreign language at least;
● Be in good health to meet the requirements of corresponding voluntary positions．
● Have previous experience
of voluntary work.
II．Further Information for Volunteers
● Source
Residents of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese, and foreigners can all apply to be the volunteers．
● Signup methods
Applicants may log in onto the official websites for online signup．They may also consult or connect with the Expo Volunteer Stations．
● Time
May 1 - December 31, 2009
Ⅲ．Volunteer Training
Volunteer training includes general training, special training and position training．General training is carried out through internet, while special training and position training are provided through classroom lectures and field practice．
IV．Volunteer Types
● Expo Site volunteers refer to those offering voluntary services to visitors and the Organizer in the Expo Site, mainly including information, visitor flow management, reception, translation and interpretation(口译), assistance for the disabled, and assistance in media service, event and conference organization and．volunteer management．
● Information booth volunteers are stationed in the Expo's information booths at key transportation centers, commercial outlets, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels and cultural event places outside the Expo Site．They offer services including information, translation, interpretation and even first aid． According to the volunteer brochure, which of the following suits the position of Expo Site?
| A．Li Hua, a retired Spanish teacher, still recovering from her leg operation. |
| B．Wang Ming, 19, a former voluntary interpreter of the United Nations. |
C．Li Jing, a middle-aged r esearcher, who is to finish his field work at the end of April. |
| D．Hong Wei, 17, winner of an English speaking competition, looking for his first voluntary work. |
Which of the training will be done on the Internet?
| A．Position training． | B．General training． |
| C．Classroom training． | D．Special training． |
Which of the following service is offered by information booth volunteers?
| A．Visitor flow management． | B．Helping the disabled |
| C．Assistance in media service． | D．Emergency first aid． |