QUESTION: 21

The labor market is changing yet again. Increasingly, American business is turning to interim staffing to cover a greater number of its employment vacancies. Once interim (or temporary) staffing was reserved for the lower- level positions requiring little training, such as an envelope stuffer, receptionist, day laborer, and the like. Today, however, a more highly trained professional is being sought for interim work. It is not uncommon to find computer programmers, writers, marketing professionals, CPAs, and even chief financial officers working in an interim capacity. The reasons for these changes in staffing norms are generated at both the employer and employee level. Employers are pushing the drive toward interim staffing in order to maintain maximum flexibility.
Companies can be more innovative and flexible in their planning cycles if they have the option to hire employees on an as-needed basis. Additionally, employers save money using interim staffers, as they are not required to provide health insurance to temporary workers and they are not obligated to pay severance when the job terminates. Employees, too, are pushing the trend toward interim staffing. Increasingly, professionals are seeking more flexibility in their work schedules—often in response to family obligations. No longer does the permanent 9 to 5, Monday through Friday schedule work for everyone. By working interim, employees can work when it fits their schedules. However, interim staffing is not for everyone. Organizations whose workflow requires continuity of personnel may find interim staffing an impediment to productivity. Likewise, employees who need a steady source of income or who require the health insurance and other benefits provided by permanent employers may find the unpredictability in interim work problematic.

The main purpose of this passage is to

convince employers to use interim staffing.
explains the difference between temporary and permanent staffing.
explains which companies benefit most from interim staffing.
explain why interim staffing has become popular with employers and employees.
convince employers that interim employees also deserve health benefits.

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

Although the passage describes the benefits of interim staffing, it does not attempt to persuade employers to use interim staffing (choice a). It is clear from the first paragraph that the passage is explanatory in nature. The last sentence — “The reasons for these changes in staffing norms are generated at both the employer and employee level” — tells us that the passage will explain how employers and employees are driving the increase in interim staffing. The differences between temporary and permanent staffing are briefly discussed (choice b), but these are details of the passage, not its main point. Likewise, the kinds of companies that benefit from interim staffing are briefly discussed (choice c), but they are also details within the passage. One of the differences noted is that interim staffers do not get benefits, but the author does not attempt to persuade employers to provide benefits to interim staff (choice e).

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QUESTION: 22

The labor market is changing yet again. Increasingly, American business is turning to interim staffing to cover a greater number of its employment vacancies. Once interim (or temporary) staffing was reserved for the lower- level positions requiring little training, such as an envelope stuffer, receptionist, day laborer, and the like. Today, however, a more highly trained professional is being sought for interim work. It is not uncommon to find computer programmers, writers, marketing professionals, CPAs, and even chief financial officers working in an interim capacity. The reasons for these changes in staffing norms are generated at both the employer and employee level. Employers are pushing the drive toward interim staffing in order to maintain maximum flexibility.
Companies can be more innovative and flexible in their planning cycles if they have the option to hire employees on an as-needed basis. Additionally, employers save money using interim staffers, as they are not required to provide health insurance to temporary workers and they are not obligated to pay severance when the job terminates. Employees, too, are pushing the trend toward interim staffing. Increasingly, professionals are seeking more flexibility in their work schedules—often in response to family obligations. No longer does the permanent 9 to 5, Monday through Friday schedule work for everyone. By working interim, employees can work when it fits their schedules. However, interim staffing is not for everyone. Organizations whose workflow requires continuity of personnel may find interim staffing an impediment to productivity. Likewise, employees who need a steady source of income or who require the health insurance and other benefits provided by permanent employers may find the unpredictability in interim work problematic.

Given the author’s purpose, which of the following would most enhance this passage?

an interview with an interim employee
statistics illustrating the increased emphasis on interim staffing
a discussion of whether interim employees deserve benefits
examples of positions that are not good for interim employees
statistics illustrating how much a company can save by using interim employees

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

The focus of the passage is the change in the labor market, and the goal is to explain this change, so statistics illustrating the change would significantly enhance the text. An interview with an interim employee (choice a) would be interesting and relevant, but it would not enhance the main goal as much as choice b. Again, because the passage does not argue whether interim employees should have benefits, choice c is incorrect. Choice d would add a minor detail to the passage that would not enhance the text as much as choice b. According to the passage, flexibility in hiring is the main benefit of interim staffing, not cost savings, so choice e is not the best choice.

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QUESTION: 23

The labor market is changing yet again. Increasingly, American business is turning to interim staffing to cover a greater number of its employment vacancies. Once interim (or temporary) staffing was reserved for the lower- level positions requiring little training, such as an envelope stuffer, receptionist, day laborer, and the like. Today, however, a more highly trained professional is being sought for interim work. It is not uncommon to find computer programmers, writers, marketing professionals, CPAs, and even chief financial officers working in an interim capacity. The reasons for these changes in staffing norms are generated at both the employer and employee level. Employers are pushing the drive toward interim staffing in order to maintain maximum flexibility.
Companies can be more innovative and flexible in their planning cycles if they have the option to hire employees on an as-needed basis. Additionally, employers save money using interim staffers, as they are not required to provide health insurance to temporary workers and they are not obligated to pay severance when the job terminates. Employees, too, are pushing the trend toward interim staffing. Increasingly, professionals are seeking more flexibility in their work schedules—often in response to family obligations. No longer does the permanent 9 to 5, Monday through Friday schedule work for everyone. By working interim, employees can work when it fits their schedules. However, interim staffing is not for everyone. Organizations whose workflow requires continuity of personnel may find interim staffing an impediment to productivity. Likewise, employees who need a steady source of income or who require the health insurance and other benefits provided by permanent employers may find the unpredictability in interim work problematic.

From the passage, it can be inferred that

interim employment is appealing to many segments of the labor market.
interim employees are often less qualified than permanent employees.
because of cost savings, interim employees will eventually overtake most permanent positions.
because of scheduling flexibility, more permanent employees will opt for interim positions.
interim staffing is itself a temporary solution to fluctuations in the labor market.

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

The passage gives a wide range of examples of interim positions — from receptionists to CFOs — so this is the most logical conclusion. Nothing suggests that interim employees are less qualified (indeed, the passage states that “a more highly trained professional is being sought for interim work”), so choice b is incorrect. The passage does not attempt to predict whether the trend toward interim staffing is already at its peak or whether it will continue to gain momentum, so choices c and d are incorrect. The passage focuses on interim staffing as a solution to the personal needs of employees and the flexibility and budgeting needs of employers, so choice e is incorrect.

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QUESTION: 24

Today, children whose parents are deemed incapable of caring for them are put into foster care. These children are moved into strangers’ homes, where they are cared for until their own parents can regain custody, which may not happen for years, if it happens at all. Although it means well, the current foster care program is so poorly funded, staffed, and managed that it cannot ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children in the system. The laudable idea behind foster care is that children will fare best if placed in a family setting until they can be reunited with their parents, even if it is a family of strangers. However, while in foster care, children typically get shuffled between many different foster homes, preventing them from developing long-term, supportive relationships with their foster families. Foster care placements can also force siblings to be separated, further isolating these vulnerable children. When a child is moved to a new foster home, he or she may also have to enroll in a new school, a disruptive process that has a negative impact on the child’s education. The bureaucracy that oversees this system is overwhelmed to the point that social workers are unable to adequately screen potential foster parents and keep accurate track of the children placed in foster care. There must be a better means of caring for these children. Perhaps it is time to consider creating special group homes as a means of providing these children with stable and safe environments.
A child could live in one group home for the duration of his or her time in foster care and be supervised by a team of social workers and other lay people. Children would receive proper meals and healthcare, attend the same school, and develop relationships with others experiencing the trauma of being separated from their parents. In addition, social workers and staff would have daily access to these children, enabling them to better determine if a child has a special physical or psychological need and arrange for the necessary services. Would this approach be perfect? No, but it would solve many of the problems that plague the current system. For some, the idea of a government agency housing, clothing, and feeding needy children may sound extreme, but it only suggests that we provide these children with the same basic necessities that we give to prison inmates.

Which of the following best expresses the main idea of this passage?

The current foster care system is a failure.
Government-run group homes would be a better option than foster care.
Group homes for children are similar to prisons.
Children in foster care need more stability.
No childcare system is perfect.

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

The main idea is expressed at the beginning of the third paragraph: “Perhaps it’s time to consider creating special group homes as a means of providing these children with stable and safe environments.” The first two paragraphs describe the problems with foster care, whereas the last two show how group homes would address those problems. The passage does argue that the current foster care system is at least to some extent a failure (choice a), but that is part of the larger argument that something else must be done. The passage refers to prisons in the last paragraph, but this is to compare the treatment of children in foster care with the treatment of inmates in prison, not to compare group homes to prisons (choice c). The passage argues that children in foster care need more stability (choice d), but this is one of the supporting ideas, not the main idea. The author may feel that no system is perfect (choice e) and acknowledges that group homes are not a perfect solution, but again, this is a detail within the passage, not the overall main idea.

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