第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分.满分40分) 阅读下列短文.从每篇短文后所给的四个选项中.选出最佳选项.并在答题卡上将该项涂黑. Steve Way

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

阅读下列短文，从每篇短文后所给的四个选项（A、B、C 和 D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Steve Wayne, 16, who worked this summer asa 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 thousandAmerican teenagers who earn the minimum wage. The last of three recentincreases took the minimum from $5.15 an hour in 2007 to $7.25.

US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis says theminimum-wage increase will pump an extra $ 5.5 billion into the economy overthe next year, which is helpful at a time when the economy is hurting.

“You’re giving people who spend money araise,” said Kai Filion of the Economic Policy Institute. “Those people will goout and spend that money, and it will circulate through the economy.”

But other economists say raising the wageactually 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 minimumwage is how much money they take home in total,” explained Rajeev of GeorgiaState 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 theminimum wage exerts (施加) upward pressure on other wages. “If the minimum wage is $ 7 and Ihave to pay $ 8 or $ 9 to hire a dishwasher, then the cooks are going to saythey want more,” said Cleveland restaurant owner Rick. “How much can I chargefor that hamburger?”

Another argument is that it makes it moreexpensive for businesses to hire new workers. For many businesses alreadystruggling to make ends meet in these tough times, it will be simply tooexpensive to keep them or to hire new people.

1. 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 inminimum wage

D. the wages of American teenage workershave been increased

2. According to the text, the US federalgovernment 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

3. What matters most to people in need ofhelp is ______.

A. a higher hourlyminimum                  B.more working hours

C. a minimum-wage increase                D.an increase in total income

4. Some are against the increase in minimumwage 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 toemploy new workers

D. minimum wage workers will expect morepay rises in the future

试题答案

【答案】

 C

 B

 D

 C

【解析】