Number of times interest charges are earned The following financial data (in thousands) were taken from recent financial statements of Staples, Inc.:

Year 3 Year 2 Year 1 Interest expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 173,751 $ 214,824 $ 237,025 Earnings before taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,459,141 1,356,595 1,155,894 1. What is the number of times interest charges are earned for Staples in Year 3, Year 2, and Year 1? (Round your answers to one decimal place.)

2. Evaluate this ratio for Staples.