1. Minimum Wage 最低工资标准

    The Federal minimum wage in the U.S.A was recently raised to $6.55 per hour. However ,with prices rising from oil,gas,and the redit crisis,many Americans feel that the country is entering recession.

    美国联邦最低工资最近上涨到每小时6.55美元。然而，由于油价和天然气价格的上涨及信用危机的出现，很多国人认为这个国家的经济正陷入一片萧条。

    2. Big Oil Profits 大石油公司的利润

    Record earnings for Exxon, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, have become routine as the surge of oil prices in recent years has filled its coffers. The company's income for the second quarter rose 14 percent, to $11.68 billion, compared to the same period a year ago. Shell, Europe's largest oil company, reported a 33 percent increase in second-quarter profit, to $11.56 billion, from $8.67 billion in the period a year ago.

    埃克森是世界最大的上市石油贸易公司 ......