Question

【題目】 As anyone who freelances (做自由職業(yè)) knows，there are lots of advantages of working at home alone. But there are drawbacks too，like the potential loneliness. No wonder coworking spaces are becoming so popular：they permit selfemployed individuals to feel like they are part of all office environment，while making them get some work done too. But renting a coworking space does cost money.

Now a Swedish project is aiming to change that by turning people’s underused homes into temporary coworking spaces，available to freelancers for free. Hoffice was started by freelancers Christofer Gradin Franzen and Johline Zandra about a year ago in Stockholm when they invited a few people into their home office to work together. It was a great success，and the project has since spread to a number of cities in Europe，North and South America，Australia，India and Japan. Anyone can sign up and offer their home space as a free coworking space，or go to find a Hoffice near them.

On a Hoffice day，everyone arrives and starts work at a certain hour. After 45 minutes，everyone gets up to take a break，stretch，do qigong or yoga for 10 to 15 minutes. Afterwards，people can gather around again，and restate their intentions and goals for the rest of the work day，as a way to motivate each other. Meals can be eaten together at a certain hour，potluckstyle (家常飯) or by bringing your own lunch.

This process creates an encouraging and supportive work environment. As some freelancers describe，“By working at Hoffice，we give ourselves and each other the gift to spend our days in a social working environment，where we are extremely productive without ignoring our other human needs. We also make sure to give us and each other what we need to feel calm，happy，inspired and creative during the working day.”

So Hoffice is not just about sharing space；it’s also about a free exchange of ideas. And perhaps the best thing is that Hoffices are free to use.

【1】What does the underlined word “drawbacks” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A.mistakesB.disadvantages

C.difficultiesD.burdens

【2】What do we know about Hoffice according to the text?

A.It is becoming increasingly popular.

B.It has been around for quite a few years.

C.It has created many new job opportunities.

D.It is suitable for people from all walks of life.

【3】What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A.How people respond to Hoffice.

B.How a Hoffice day works.

C.What people share at Hoffice.

D.What Hoffice means to people.

【4】Some freelancers’ descriptions of Hoffice suggest that they .

A.benefit a lot from the working style

B.work longer than before

C.expect more people to join them

D.can’t be separated from each other

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】A

【3】B

【4】A

【解析】

本文是說明文,介紹了一種新興的工作方式，利用家庭空未使用的空間作為臨時的共同工作空間。在這里人們不僅僅分享空間，也可以自由交流思想。

【1】詞義猜測題。此題是根據邏輯關系來猜測詞義。上一句是there are lots of advantages…，but表示轉折，因此drawbacks和advantages是反義詞，意為“不利之處”。故選B 項。

【2】細節(jié)理解題。根據第二段“It was a great success，and the project has since spread to a number of cities”可知，共同工作空間越來越受人歡迎。故選A項。

【3】主旨大意題。文章第3段是描述共同工作空間的工作和休息時間的安排，因此該段是介紹共同工作空間是如何運行的。故選B項。

【4】推理判斷題。根據第4段中自由職業(yè)者關于共同工作空間的描述“…to feel calm，happy，inspired and creative during the working day”可知，自由職業(yè)者認為共同工作空間讓他們感到平靜、快樂、靈感和創(chuàng)造力。他們從這種工作方式中受益多多。故選A項。

閱讀理解中猜測詞義方法之一 根據轉折或對比關系進行猜測

在一個句子或段落中，有對兩個事物或現(xiàn)象進行對比性的描述，我們可以根據句意的對比、轉折關系猜測詞義。表示對比關系的詞和短語主要有：unlike, not…but, however, despite, in spite of, in contrast , otherwise , while 等。另外，分號也可以表示轉折、對比或不相干的意義。

如：（1）A child's birthday party doesn't have to be a hassle ; it can be a basket of fun.

從分號前后兩句的意思可以看出，hassle和a basket of fun是相反的意義，因此推測hassle的意思是“困難，麻煩”。

（2）The players in the World Cup are professionals, while those who play in the Olympics must be amateurs.

轉折詞“while”意思為“而， 然而”，引導的兩個分句前后意義相反，因此可推測amateurs是professionals(專業(yè)人士)的反義詞，意思為“業(yè)余人士，業(yè)余選手”。

（3）Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development.

畫線詞的前句說明“在黃石公園和美洲大部分地區(qū)曾有許多的灰狼”，連詞but轉折了句子意義，“但是后來由于人類的發(fā)展，灰狼數(shù)量逐漸減少，幾乎消失”，因此可推斷displaced意思為“被迫離開”。

如本題第1小題，上一句是there are lots of advantages…，but表示句意轉折，因此drawbacks和advantages是反義詞，意為“不利之處”。