Question

【題目】Digital technology-email and smart phones especially-have vastly improved workers’ ability to be productive outside of a traditional office. Even so, most white-collar work still happens in an office. One reason is that, according to findings of a new survey of office workers conducted by Wakefield Research for the IT company Citrix, most bosses arc doubtful about remote working. Half of the workers say their boss doesn’t accept it, and only 35 percent say it’s tolerated.

Skeptical bosses will likely have their doubts reinforced (加深) by the same survey, which shows that 43 percent of workers say they’ve watched TV or a movie while “working” remotely, while 35 percent have done housework, and 28 percent have cooked dinner.

It is true, however, that working at home makes people much more efficient (高效的), because it allows workers to take care of annoying housework while still getting their jobs done. It’s much faster, for example, to shop for groceries at a quarter to three than to stand in line during the after-work rush.

The fact that such practices remain officially unaccepted reflects how far we haven’t come as a society from the days when we expected every full-time worker to be supported by a full-time homemaker.

More broadly the Wakefield survey suggests that employers may be missing a low-cost way to give workers something of value. Sixty-four percent of those survey participants who haven’t worked remotely would rather give up some bonus in order to get even one day a week working from home. Under such circumstances, smart firms need to find ways to let their employees have enough flexibility (靈活性) to manage their time efficiently.

【1】Why do some employers hesitate to allow remote working?

A. They have little trust in modem technology.

B. They want to stick to their routine practice.

C. They fear losing control of their workers.

D. They are used to face-to-face communication.

【2】What seems to be most workers’ attitude toward remote working?

A. Favorable. B. Doubtful.

C. Reserved. D. Disapproving.

【3】What does the author suggest smart firms do?

A. Shorten their office hours. B. Give employees a pay raise.

C. Reduce their staffs workload. D. Adopt flexible work patterns.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】D

【解析】本文介紹數(shù)字技術——電子郵件和智能手機大大提高了工人們的工作能力，使的他們可以在家辦公。但老板們害怕失去對公認的控制，并不太贊成在家辦公。但作者建議高科技可以采取靈活的工作模式。

【1】C

推理判斷題。根據(jù)第二段Skeptical bosses will likely have their doubts reinforced (加深) by the same survey, which shows that 43 percent of workers say they’ve watched TV or a movie while “working” remotely, while 35 percent have done housework, and 28 percent have cooked dinner.可知，他們害怕失去對工人的控制。故選C。

【2】A

推理判斷題。根據(jù)最后一段中Sixty-four percent of those survey participants who haven’t worked remotely would rather give up some bonus in order to get even one day a week working from home.可知大多數(shù)工人是贊成的。故選A。

【3】D

推理判斷題。根據(jù)最后一段Under such circumstances, smart firms need to find ways to let their employees have enough flexibility (靈活性) to manage their time efficiently.可知，作者建議聰明的公司采用靈活的工作模式。故選D。