A new workplace report finds that most Americans do not hold quality jobs. Only 40% of U.S. workers hold roles that provide financial well-being, a voice in workplace decisions, and opportunities for growth at safe and respectful workplaces. This means six in ten workers are being let down by their work in some way.

The study defined a “quality job” using five components: financial well-being; workplace culture and safety; growth and development opportunities; agency and voice; and work structure and autonomy. A role must meet the minimum threshold in at least three of these categories to be considered a quality job. The data are unpleasant. For example, 62% of people said they didn’t have reliable work schedules, which can drive up stress and worker disengagement. Furthermore, 69% of workers said they had less influence than they should over their pay and benefits. This lack of a “voice gap” is common across different groups of workers.

The report also highlights widespread economic anxiety. It found that 29% of people say they’re “just getting by” or “finding it difficult to get by” financially. Only 27% said they’re living “comfortably”. Inequality is also present everywhere. Men are more likely than women to say they’ve got quality jobs (45% versus 34%). Workers without a college degree and young people are among the least likely to have a quality job.

The data on job quality are important because having a quality job is linked with higher levels of job satisfaction. The study found that 58% of workers in quality roles have high job satisfaction compared to 23% of people in lower-quality jobs. This satisfaction is consistently linked in prior research to lower turnover, higher productivity, and stronger business performance.

So while there are positive results from workers that do have quality jobs, the reality is much different for the 60% of workers that don’t. As the report suggests, stress, financial instability, and a lack of control have become the norm for many in today’s American workplace.

1.1. The underlined word “threshold” in Paragraph 2 most likely means ________.

A the highest level

B the starting point

C a difficult choice

D a final decision

解析：选B。B词义猜测题。第二段划线单词部分原文说“一个职位必须至少在三个类别中达到最低的threshold，才能被视为高质量工作”。这里“最低的”（minimum）和“达到”（meet）是关键词。一个需要“达到”的“最低”标准，指的就是一个资格的“起点”或“门槛”，即“starting point”。A（最高水平）与“最低的”相矛盾；C（困难的选择）和D（最终决定）均不符合语境。故选B。

2.2. The example of “69% of workers” is used to illustrate what issue?

A Lack of reliable schedules.

B Common worker dissatisfaction.

C High levels of work stress.

D Need for more training.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。第二段的核心是揭示普遍存在的工作不满现象。原文先给出“62%的人没有可靠的工作安排”和“69%的工人对薪酬福利影响力不足”这两个具体数据，然后总结道“This lack of a ‘voice gap’ is common...”。虽然69%的数据直接体现了‘voice gap’（话语权缺失），但作者是用它作为论据之一，来支撑本段揭示的‘工人普遍存在不满’这一核心观点。A和C都只是数据本身体现的某一个具体问题，不够全面；D在段落中未提及。故选B。

3.3. What can be learned about the relationship between gender and quality jobs?

A Men face more inequality.

B Women find jobs more easily.

C Men access better jobs.

D Women prefer certain jobs.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。第三段的核心信息之一是指出了高质量工作在性别上的不平等。原文明确提到“Men are more likely than women to say they’ve got quality jobs (45% versus 34%)”。选项C “Men access better jobs”（男性获得更好的工作）是对“男性更可能拥有高质量工作”的同义转述，且是段落强调的重点。A “男性面临更多不平等”与事实相反；B和D在文中均没有依据。故选C。

4.4. What can high-quality jobs directly bring to companies?

A Higher employee satisfaction.

B Better workplace culture.

C More training opportunities.

D Improved business performance.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。第四段的核心是阐述高质量工作对企业的影响。原文在给出高工作满意度数据后，明确指出“This satisfaction is consistently linked... to lower turnover, higher productivity, and stronger business performance”。选项D “Improved business performance”（改善的企业绩效）正是对“stronger business performance”的直接同义替换，是企业获得的最直接好处之一。A是给员工带来的好处，问题是问“为企业”带来什么；C和B是可能带来高质量工作的因素，而非其结果。故选D。