题目内容
By offering free access to a wide range of public facilities, out school now is a quite satisfying place for study, its poor accommodation.
| A．apart from | B．as well as | C．in addition to | D．because of |
A
解析
Dear Economist,
My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love．There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage．I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart．My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs．
I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy．My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business．
Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
Brian Gee
Dear Brian,
I have to agree with you about Walmart．Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story．The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year．
Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages．Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed．Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees．And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers．
Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence．You are sure to win the conversation．The divorce is likely to be more argued．
Economist
【小题1】What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?
| A．His wife refuses to shop at Walmart． |
| B．They are faced with a divorce． |
| C．They can’t afford the costs of shopping at Walmart． |
| D．They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart． |
| A．it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees’ wages |
| B．consumers’ lives have improved thanks to Walmart |
| C．Walmart’s business operation increases productivity in economy |
| D．Walmart’s business increases global trade |
| A．Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job． |
| B．Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees． |
| C．Employees suffer from Walmart’s low prices more than consumers． |
| D．Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart． |
There are four types of persons who go to work part-time. These include retirees who want a bit more income or socialization, parents who want to spend more time with their children, college and high school students and temporary agency workers who want more experience. Many people enjoy the advantages of working part-time, but benefits are rarely offered to part-time employees.
Most people are hoping for health insurance and retirement benefits when taking a job. Traditionally, companies only offer benefits to employees who work 30 hours or more a week. This is only a 25% reduction in hours, so it doesn’t free up a lot of time for the employee who needs part-time hours. Even when a part-timer is offered health benefits, he is rarely offered paid time off and retirement benefits. Dental benefits are almost never offered to part-time employees.
Many businesses hire part-time employees for the simple reason of saving money. If they work less than a certain number of hours, the employers don’t need to pay for benefits. There are companies, however, that are beginning to offer benefits to part-time employees. This includes benefits for health, paid time off and retirement plans. Some companies have begun to offer this in order to take in high quality, trained professionals who just want part-time hours. If a company wants a qualified employee, it will have to compete with other companies. People who may only want to work part-time may be forced to take a full-time job to get the benefits. Companies who offer benefits to part-timers have an advantage by offering more choices to their employees in terms of hours.
Conducting an Internet search is probably the quickest way to find companies that provide benefits for part-time employees. Many large corporations like Starbucks, Barnes & Noble and Whole Foods offer benefits to part-time employees among other things. Look for companies that offer a team approach to their employees. Employees are given choices and part of decision-making in the business. Businesses that allow employee input are more likely to offer benefits to part-timers.
【小题1】People prefer to work part-time mainly because they __________.
| A．don’t want to spend more time on work |
| B．have so many household and social affairs |
| C．hope to have more money, time and experience |
| D．only expect to make more friends |
| A．can enjoy as many benefits as full-timers |
| B．prefer retirement benefits to health insurance |
| C．often retire without enjoying any benefit |
| D．often enjoy fewer benefits than full-timers |
| A．They don’t need the insurance. |
| B．They can save employers some money. |
| C．They have no choice but to work hard. |
| D．They can be also changed into full-timers. |
| A．it’s easy to find companies providing benefits |
| B．companies not allowing employee input don’t offer any benefit to part-timers |
| C．Starbucks in England doesn’t provide benefits to full-timers |
| D．employees are often forced to choose their jobs |