Numbers in a news report can mislead you if you read them too fast. A headline may say that the (11) of students who skip breakfast has doubled, but the (12) figure could still be tiny. Always look for the total number of people asked. A survey of thirty (13) tells you far less than one of three thousand. Check the (14) too: was the study done once, or every year for a (15)? Only a long series of results can show whether a habit is really changing, or whether one odd year has fooled everyone.
Our annual report on working hours is out again. The (16) employee in this country now spends 42 hours a week at work, two hours fewer than a decade ago. The fall is not shared equally, however. (17) staff, who are paid only for the hours they actually work, saw no change at all, while (18) workers in offices gained the most. The (19) of people over sixty who still hold a job has risen sharply, partly because pensions have not kept (20) with prices. Younger workers, by contrast, say they would take less money for a shorter week.