U.S.customers historically tipped people they assumed were earning most of their income via tips,such as restaurant servers earning less than the minimum wage.In the early 2010s,a wide range of businesses started processing purchases with iPads and other digital payment systems.These systems prompted customers to tip for services that were not previously tipped.
Today's tip requests are often not connected to the salary and service norms that used to determine when oud how people tip.Customers in the past nearly always paid tips after receiving a service,such as at the conclusion of a restaurant meal,after getting a haircut or once a pizza was delivered.That timing could reward high-quality service and give workers an incentive to provide it.
It's becoming more common for tips to be requested beforehand.And new tipping technology may even automatically add tips.
The prevalence of digital payment devices has made it easier to ask customers for a tip.That helps explain why tip requests are creeping into new kind of services.Customers now routinely see menus of suggested default options-often well above 70%of what they owe.The amounts have risen from 10%or less in the 1950s to 15%around the year 2000 to 20%or higher today.This increase is sometimes called tipflation-the expectation of ever-higher tip amounts.
Tipping has always been a vital source of income for workers in historically tipped services,like restaurants,where the tipped minimum wage can be as low as US $2.13 an hour.Tip creep and tip flation are now further supplementing the income of many low-wage service workers.
Notably,tipping primarily benefits some of these workers,such as cooks and dishwashers.To ensure that all employees were paid fair wages, some restaurants banned tipping and increased prices,but this movement toward no-tipping services has largely fizzled out.
According to Paragraph 1, the practice of tipping in the U.S. _____.
该题为细节题， 问“根据第⼀段，在美国给⼩费的做法_____”。⽂章第⼀段提到，历来，美 国顾客会给那些他们认为主要通过⼩费来获得⼤部分收⼊的⼈⼩费，⽐如 收⼊低于最低⼯资的餐厅服务员。由此可知，在美国给⼩费的做法对服务 员来说被认为是很重要的。
Compared with tips in the past, today's tips _____.
该题为细节题， 问“与过去的⼩费相⽐，如今的⼩费_____”。⽂中提到，如今的⼩费请求往 往与过去决定⼈们何时及如何给予⼩费的薪资⽔平和服务规范不再挂钩。 在过去，顾客⼏乎总是在接受服务后才⽀付⼩费，例如在餐厅⽤餐结束后、 剪完头发后或披萨送达后。这种时间上的安排可以对优质服务进⾏奖励， 并激励⼯作⼈员提供优质服务。由此可知，现在的⼩费是在⽤餐前就已经 定好了，所以如今⼩费已经与服务质量关系不⼤了。
Tip requests are creeping into new kinds of services as a result of _____.
该题为细节题，问“请 求给⼩费正在悄悄变成⼀种新的服务种类，由于_____”。⽂中提到，数字 ⽀付设备的普及使得向顾客索要⼩费变得更加容易。这有助于解释为何⼩ 费请求正在悄悄渗⼊新型服务之中。由此可知，原因是数字设备的普及， 即科技的进步。
The movement toward no-tipping services was intended to _____.
该题为细节题，问“取消⼩ 费这项运动的⽬的是_____”。⽂中提到，⼩费主要惠及部分⼯作⼈员，如 服务员，但并不惠及厨师和洗碗⼯等其他⼯作⼈员，为了确保所有员⼯都 能获得公平的⼯资，⼀些餐厅禁⽌收取⼩费并提⾼了价格。由此可知，取 消⼩费是为了确保收⼊公平。
It can be learned from the last paragraph that tipping _____.
该题为细节题， 问“从最后⼀段可以得知，给⼩费_____”。最后⼀段提到，许多顾客感到沮丧，因为他们觉得⾃⼰被要求⽀付的⼩费数额过⾼，且频率过⾼。⽽且， 正如我们的研究强调的那样，现在的⼩费似乎更具强制性，更加吝啬，⽽ 且往往与服务质量完全脱节。由此可知，现在，给⼩费对消费者来说正成 为⼀种负担。