Passage Three

　　When 23-year-old Eric Atienza graduated from college last year, he didn’t have a job. Not wanting to give up his apartment and move back with his parents, he did what many young Americans are doing: he signed up with a temp agency, which places workers on short-term jobs. Temporary workers such as Atienza comprise 20 per cent of the U.S. workforce. In 1985, 417,000 workers were classified as temporary help. In 2005, there are more than 2.5 million, according to Labour Department data.

　　Using temporary workers allows companies to increase or decrease the number of staff as their workloads change. It also allows companies to avoid the costs involved in hiring and firing long-term employees.

　　Many temp agency owners and career specialists say temping is a good way for recent graduates to get experience. “Short-term jobs let graduates try out different companies to find the best fit,” said Pegi Wheatley, owner of McCall Staffing, a San Francisco temp agency.

　　But things don’t always work out that way. “When I started temping, I had this notion that a temporary job could turn full-time. I worked for a friend of mine, but that didn’t happen for me,” said Atienza, who quickly became bored with his office work. Atienza stayed with the temp agency because he could earn U.S.$10 an hour doing office work. Other short-term jobs, such as working as a store clerk in a café, pay about U.S.$7.

　　But there were trade-offs for the higher pay. Because in the U.S., health insurance is provided through employer, most temps are not eligible for workplace health benefits. Atienza ran the risk that an accident or illness would land him in the hospital with no way to pay the bill. Other drawbacks, though less serious, still mean that temping for most graduates is exactly what its name implies — a temporary choice. Instability, gaps between contracts, lack of vacation time and isolation from other employees are often-cited negatives.

　　“Temping gave me the time to figure out what I wanted to do, because I could pay off my bills. But none of that came from the jobs themselves,” said Atienza, who quit temping last month in favor of a full-time job.

　　41.Atienza took a short-term job mainly because .

　　A.he didn’t want to give up his apartment

　　B.he liked to try out different companies

　　C.he wanted to get more experience

　　D.he couldn’t find a long-term job

　　42.According to the passage, in the year of 2005, the United States had workforce of more than .

　　A.25 millionB.12.5 millionC.4.17 millionD.2.5 million

　　43.Which is NOT mentioned as an advantage of temping?

　　A.It gives recent graduates experience.

　　B.It enables employers to adjust their workforce.

　　C.A temporary job will turn full-time.

　　D.Employers can reduce their costs.

　　44.Atienza stayed with the temp agency for some time because .

　　A.he liked his office workB.he was satisfied with the pay

　　C.his employer provided health insuranceD.he hated gaps between contracts

　　45.What does the word “trade-offs” in Paragraph 5 mean?

　　A.Benefits.B.Compromises.C.Risks.D.Disadvantages.

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