Speed Reading — Cashless Payments - Level 6 — 500 wpm 

Now do this put-the-text-back-together activity.

This is the text (if you need help).

The advance of technology in our lives has been halted somewhat in New York City. Lawmakers have passed a bill to ban cashless businesses. With many parts of the world in a seemingly relentless drive to replace cash with plastic or digital payments, New York City officials have decided cash still has a valuable part to play in our lives. The officials have approved legislation that prohibits stores, restaurants and other retail outlets from refusing to accept cash. They want to provide the ability for people who prefer to pay via traditional means, through notes and coins. This means businesses in the city will no longer be able to insist that customers make use of cashless payments in any transactions.

Businesses that violate the new regulation could face hefty fines of up to $1,500 for each offense. Critics of cashless businesses say they discriminate against the poorer sections of society, many of whom do not have bank accounts or credit cards. One city resident said: "I worry about the real-world discriminatory effect that cashless business can have on New Yorkers, especially in communities of color." Another said: "I think it's incredibly discriminatory not to accept cash because some people can't get credit." An opponent of the bill said it was a sign of government interference: He said: "We are inserting ourselves in the business of business in a way that we don't have the right to."

Comprehension questions
  1. What did the article say had been halted somewhat?
  2. What are parts of the world in a seemingly relentless drive to do?
  3. What did city officials say has a valuable part to play in our lives?
  4. What places cannot refuse cash besides stores and restaurants?
  5. What will businesses not be able to insist customers make use of?
  6. How much could a business be fined for violating the law?
  7. Who do critics think cashless payments discriminate against?
  8. What did the article say some people do not have?
  9. What did an opponent say the bill was a sign of?
  10. What did the opponent say the government is interfering in?

Back to the cashless payments lesson.

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