Test1Forsomeofournation’smostimportantworkers,thereisamajordisconnectbetweenpayandpriorities.Manyteachersandfirefightersare(26)____justtomakealiving.Whiletheremaybea(27)____senseofheroismforthenation’sfirefighters,theyarenotcompensatedforthe(28)______risksthattheyfacedaily.Andteachingisoneofthelowestpayingamong(29)_____professionals.Teachingisno9-to-5job.DonO’NeilleavesthehouseandarrivesatWeaverHighinHartfordby7.Toconnectwithinner-citystudents,thescienceteacherhelpscoachthefootballteamandhe(30)_____students,meetswithparentsandgradespaper.Whenthebellgoeson,heisonstage.Heisanactor,a(31)_____,aninstructor,aparent,a(32)____worker,andhehastodoitfivetosixperiodsaday,fivedaysaweek,(33)_____ofhowhefeels.Forallofthis,the50-year-old,six-yearveterangetspaidjust$36,000,eventhoughhisstate(34)_____thethirdhighestinteacher’spay.Hispaycheckshrankbyathirdwhenheswitchedcareersfrommanagingapaintstoretomanagingstudents.(35)_____,heteachesnightandsummerschoolaswell.Teachersjustdon’tmakethegradewhenitcomestopay.Thepaygapbetweenteachersandother1professionalskeepsgrowing.Therehavebeenexplanationsthatalotofthenewmoneyisgoingintospecialeducation,whichtendtohavesmallerclasssizes,whichmeansyouenduphiringmoreteachersinsteadofpayingtheteachersyouhavemore.Test2There’sanewbusinessinatrendyWashingtonD.C.neighborhoodthat’skindofhardtocategorize.Itcouldbe(26)____asastorewithnoemployeesinside,orperhapstheworld’sbiggest(27)_____machine.OurBobFranken,quartersinhand,checkeditout.ATMs,who(28)_____banktellers?Travelisbecomingalmost(29)____.ReservationsarebookedontheInternet.Boardingpassespickedupat(30)_____ticketkiosks.Andnow,anautomatedconveniencestore.The(31)______rangesfromtheproverbialsouptonuts,fromelectrical(32)_____toanylargeequipment.About200itemscomparedtothemorethan2,000ina(33)_____conveniencestore,liketheoneacoupleofblocksfromher.Butthat’snotthebiggestdifference.It’sconvenient.Youdon’thaveto(34)____asortofsurlyclerk.ThesearemorecommoninEuropeandAsia,butthisistheonlyoneinthe2UnitedStates.MostofNewYork’sfoodautomatsof(35)_____pastweredrivenoutofbusinessbythefastfoodchains.Theironyisthat,thebehind-the-scenesownerofthisnewageautomatisMcDonald’s.Itisaone-machinetest,saidaMcDonald’sspokesman.We’llseewhathappens.Test3WaterprojectsintheUnitedStatesgainedanewprincipleinthe1930’s.Andduringthistimethenationsuffereditsworsteconomic(26)_______andtheGreatPlainsregionssuffereditsworst(27)_______inrecordedhistory.Astheeconomysankintoadeepdepressionand(28)_______ratesincreased,thepoliticalclimatefordirectfederalgovernment(29)_______inwaterprojectsimproved.PresidentFranklinRoosevel’sfirst100daysinofficebroughta(30)_______ofnewlawstodealwiththe(31)_______economicdepression.ThenaturalpatternoftheTennesseeRiverwas(32)_______bylargespringflowsthatproduced(33)______floodsandlowsummerflowsthatinhibitednavigation.Theintensityandfrequencyoftheeventsdiscourageddevelopmentand(34)_______persistentpovertyinthevalley.Tocounterthesenaturalobstacles,theTennesseeValleyAuthorityActof19333createdtheTennesseeValleyAuthority(TVA),apublicagencywithbroadpowersto(35)_______developmentintheregion.Thisorganizationuseditsauthoritytotransformtheriverintooneofthemosthighlyregulatedriversintheworldwithinabouttwodecades.TheTVAinheritedtheWilsonDam,andbythebeginningoftheSecondWorldWarithadcompletedsixadditionalmultipurposedamswith...
