Why do you start with the greater number when adding on a number line

I'm so close to finishing all these.

Shryia read a 481 -page-long book cover to cover in a single session, at a constant rate. after reading for 1.5 hours, she had 403 pages left to read. how fast was shryia reading? pages per hour how long did it take her to read the entire book? hours plz i realy need this

The average hourly earnings for a construction worker is projected to be $24.50 in 2012. jason wants to join the construction work force after he graduates in 2012. his friend tells him that average hourly earnings for construction workers will rise by 2% from 2009 to 2012. based on the data below, assuming that the projected hourly earnings are correct, is jason’s friend’s statement accurate? construction industry - average hourly earnings, 2000-2009 a. his friend’s statement is accurate. the average hourly earnings will increase by 2%. b. his friend’s statement is not accurate. the percent increase will be more than 2% c. his friend’s statement is not accurate. the percent increase will be less than 2% d. his friend’s statement is not accurate. the average hourly earnings will decrease