Question

Three months ago, Mariza Castro left Honduras. Today, she is in the United States and she has a job. Castro works behind the counter at McDonald’s. Speed is an important part of her work life. Fast-food counter workers are expected to serve customers in less than a minute. At McDonald’s they say, “Work fast or you don’t last.”

Are McDonald’s workers lucky to have their jobs? Or are they being exploited? The answer depends on who you talk to.

McDonald’s does many good things. For example, no other company hires more young people than McDonald’s. More than half of its workers are under 20 years old. McDonald’s also has a good record of hiring minority workers. Thirteen percent of its workers are black. This is better than any other US company.

But the burger house has its critics as well. The pay bothered Edward Rodriguez. He had worked for nearly a year at a Los Angeles McDonald’s. During that time he got only one 10-cent raise. “I used to joke that working for McDonald’s is the closest thing to slave labour in the US today,” he says. Today, most McDonald’s pay about $ 5 an hour. They hire new workers constantly. The restaurant has no other choice because 70 percent of its workers quit or are fired every year.

    But McDonald’s also gets its share of praise. Its best workers move up quickly. Just talk to 17-year-old Amber Abdur-Razaaq of Harlem, New York City. “They call me ‘Young Crew Chief’ around my block,” he says, “Where else can I go at my age and be in charge of this many people?” He sees that job as the first step in his career.

However, most McDonald’s crew members never make it to manager because the job pressure is so intense, and the rewards so few. As one worker put it, “They expect a lot and they don’t pay you much.”

59. What does the sentence “Work fast or you don’t last.” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A. You just work fast and at last you’ll get raised.

B. You’ll be fired if you don’t work fast at McDonald’s.

C. You have to work fast to avoid becoming the last one.

D. If you work fast, you can stay at McDonald’s for ever.

60.Edward Rodriguez said working at McDonald’s is like slave labour because he thought____.

A. he was not as free as slaves

B. he worked too long hours like slave

C. he was not paid enough for what he was doing

D. he was working so hard without getting anything

61. Which of the following statements is NOT in favor of McDonald’s?

A. It hires new workers constantly.

B. It offers more young people opportunities.

C. It promotes the best employees, young as they are.

D. It respects colored people more than other companies.

62. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Lucky to Have a Job at McDonald’s

B. Work Fast or you Don’t Last

C. Young People’s Paradise---McDonald’s

D. McDonald’s---Heaven or Hell

Answer 1

　　 59. B　　 60. C 　61. A　　　 62. D