A
[2019·济南高三模拟] Can I talk about salary at work? In a word：yes. As the HR company Insperity put it in a recent blog post: Can your employees discuss their salaries or wages with their coworkers? Yes. Even if you have a company policy against it? Yes.
The freedom to discuss your salary at work is a protected right under the labor law. The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 protects your right to discuss the conditions of your employment, including issues related to safety and pay, even when you're not protected by a union.
Talking about salary with colleagues can be uncomfortable, since there's such a taboo about discussing money matters, but it's an important step towards achieving equal pay for equal work. One barrier, however, stems from how we think of our own financial worth. Too many people I talk to wrongly consider their salary a reflection of their worthiness, a statement about their skills, experience, or value. At the end of the day, if we can all separate our selfworth from our salaries a bit more, it'll become easier to talk frankly with our colleagues.
Asking about money outright can be tough, so one trick I've picked up along the way is to ask for your colleagues to confirm or deny. For instance, you might volunteer your salary first and ask “Does that sound right to you？” by way of comparison. Or, let's say you're interviewing for a promotion to become a manager. You might ask a fellow manager about the kind of salary you should expect by saying, “I'm seeing salaries for this kind of position ranging from $65,000 to $70,000 — does that seem accurate to you？” This way, even if your colleague isn't comfortable sharing their salary outright, they can help you identify if your expectations are appropriate.
体裁：议论文 题材：社会生活 主题：谈论薪金
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇议论文，讨论了是否可以在工作中谈论薪金的问题。
【熟词生义】 volunteer 常用义：n.志愿者，义务工作者
例句：Schools need volunteers to help children to read.学校需要义务工作者帮助儿童阅读。
本句义：v.主动说出(某事)
例句：Michael volunteered the information before I had a chance to ask. 我还没来得及问，迈克尔就主动提供了信息。
【难句分析】 Talking about salary with colleagues can be uncomfortable, since there's such a taboo about discussing money matters, but it's an important step towards achieving equal pay for equal work.
分析：本句是一个复合句。“Talking about salary with colleagues”是动名词短语作第一个分句的主语；since引导原因状语从句。
译文：和同事谈论薪金会让人不舒服，因为谈论钱的事情是一个禁忌，但是这是朝着实现同工同酬目标迈进的重要一步。
1．What makes coworkers uncomfortable to talk about salaries?
A．The safety issue.
B．The labor law.
C．The wrong idea about salaries.
D．The reflection of their worthiness.
答案与解析：C 考查推理判断。根据第三段第二句“One barrier, however, stems from how we think of our own financial worth”和对第三段的整体理解可推知，对薪金的错误看法导致同事间谈论薪金时感到不舒服，故选C项。
2．What does “taboo” underlined in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A．A prohibited practice. B．A firm belief.
C．A general agreement. D．A social custom.
答案与解析：A 考查词义猜测。根据第三段第一句中的“Talking about salary with colleagues can be uncomfortable”可知，和同事谈薪金让人不舒服，并结合常识可推知，谈论钱的事情是一个禁忌，故选A项。
3．What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 4?
A．One of my interview experiences.
B．My way of asking about money.
C．The method of raising questions.
D．An example of getting promoted.
答案与解析：B 考查段落大意。根据语境可知，第四段第一句“Asking about money outright can be tough, so one trick I've picked up along the way is to ask for your colleagues to confirm or deny”点出了本段要谈论的主题，并结合对本段的整体理解可推知，本段主要讲的是询问关于薪金的事情的方法，故选B项。
4．What can be the best title for the text?
A．How to Discuss Salaries at Work
B．Ways of Talking about Salaries
C．Do Salaries Stand for Selfworth?
D．Can Salaries be Talked about at Work?
答案与解析：D 考查标题归纳。本文第一段第一句“Can I talk about salary at work？”点出了要谈论的话题，并结合对全文的整体理解可推知，本文主要讨论了是否可以在工作中谈论薪金的问题，故选D项。
