英语新题型5

Practicetest5SectionBDirections:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.AnswerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.TheVirtualOfficeA)Twentyyearsfromnow,asmanyas25millionAmericans—nearly20percentoftheworkforce—willstretchtheboundariesbetweenhomeandworkfarbeyondthelinesdrawnnow.Technologyhasalreadysoacceleratedthepaceofchangeintheworkplacethatfewfuturistsarewillingtopredicthardnumbers.Butnearlyalltrend-trackersagreethatmuchofthenextcentury’sworkwillbedecentralized,doneathomeorinsatelliteofficesonascheduletailoredtofitworker’slivesandtheneedsoftheirfamilies.Eveninternationalboundariesmayblurastheeconomygoestrulyglobal.B)Between1990and1998,telecommutingdoubledfromabout3percentto6percentoftheworkingpopulation—orabout8.2millionpeople.Thenumbersareexpectedtodoubleagaininfarlesstime,withasmuchas12percentofthepopulationtelecommutingbytheyear2005,saysCharlieGrantham,directoroftheInstitutefortheStudyofDistributedWorkinWindsor,California.C)Wirelesscomputersandseamlesscommunicationssystemsarealreadyintheworksandfuelingthetrend.Thevideophoneisnotfaroff;anadvancethatmanyfuturistsbelievewillmakeevenmorecompaniescomfortablewithemployeesworkingfromhome.“Now,wecommunicateatthelevelofradio,”saysGeraldCelente,authorofTrends2000anddirectorofTheTrendsResearchInstituteofRhinebeck,NewYork.E-mailandthetelephoneareprimitive,heargues,andmakepeoplefeelcutofffromco-workers.Butonceeveryonecanseeeachotheronthescreen,long-distancerelationshipswillfeelmoreintimate.D)Whatabouttheoffice?“Today’sofficesareadirectdescendantofthefactory,”saysGilGordon,aconsultantbasedinMonmouthJunction,NewJersey,whohasspentnearlytwodecadesadvisingcompaniesonhowtoinstitutetelecommutingandmoreflexibleworkpatterns.“Theymaybebetterlighted,butthey’remuchthesame.”Still,Gordondoesnotthinktheofficebuildingwillvanishaltogether.Rather,theofficeof2020willbejustoneplaceforfocusedworkthatrequirestruecollaboration.Itwillalsobeakeysiteforsocializingandcementingtherelationshipsthatkeepabusinessgoing.E)Physically,however,itmaylookquitedifferent.Thetypicalofficetodayallocatesabout80percentofthespacetoofficesandcubicles,withtherestgivenovertoformalmeetingrooms,Gordonsays.Thatwillsoonchangeto20percentforindividualworkstationsand40percentfor“touch-downspaces”tolandinbutnottomoveinto.WemaysitstillonlylongenoughtocheckE-mailandaccessdata.Gordonpredictstheremaining40percentofspacewillbedevotedtositesusedbyteamsandgroups,includingconferencerooms.Buttheywillnotlookliketoday’sdullconferencerooms.Instead,manywillbedesignedtopromoteconnectionandcreativity.F)It’salsolikelythatcompanieswillsharespace.Insteadofmorehigh-riseofficetowers,therewillbemoremulti-usecenterssharedbyseveralfirms.“Youwillcallaheadandreserveaspaceandcheck-intime,andakindofconcierge(前台接待)willassignyouaspotandmakesurethat,asofsevena.m.thatday,yourphoneringsthere.”Withallthismobility,employeesmaylongforasenseofbelonging.Transitionalworkspacesmaybecomemoreindividualized,accordingtoGordon.“Alightedpanelmaydisplaypicturesofyourfamily,yourdogoryoursailboat.”FuturistLisaAldisert,aseniorconsultantwithaNewYork-basedtrendsanalysisfirm,suggeststhat,throughsophisticatedmicrochipapplications,arovingemployeewillbeablewiththeflickofaswitchtoalterwallcolorsandroomtemperaturetofithermood.-7-NewWorkRelationshipsG)Thebenefitsofthesechanges,forbothworkersandcompanies,arealreadyevidenttomany.Compellingstudieshaveconvincedmanycompaniesthattelecommutingisaplusforthebottomline.Aetna,forexample,findsthatthepeoplewhoprocessitsclaimsproduceabout20percentmorewhentheyworkoutsideoftheoffice.Whatwillsomeothersideeffectsbe?Noonecanguessyetjusthowthelegalrelationshipsbetweenworkersandemployerswillchange.Manyworkersmaymovefromasalarysystemtoanindependentcontractorsystem.Ortheymaysignonwithdifferentclientsonaproject-by-projectbasis.Companiesmightcontinuetoprovidebenefitstomanyworkerstoassuretheirloyalty.Inanycase,companieswillstilltrytofindwaystofosterasenseofidentitywiththeirproductsandservices.Todotheirbest,workerswillstillneedtofeelpartofateam,saysLeslieFaught,presidentofWorkingSolutions,awork/lifebenefitcompanybasedinPortland,Oregon.H)Somefuturistsalsonotethattechnologymaychangethehierarchyofmostworkplaces.Infact,workmaybecomemuchmoredemocratic,ascompaniessharemoreinformationtogetthejobdone.Introducingsoftwaretostreamlinecommunicationswithinacompany,forexample,canalsomeanallowingaccesstoinformationthatwasformerlyheldbyoneortwopeople.Thatcanbethreateningtosomemanagersatfirst,butmanychangetheirminds,oncetheyseehowmuchbetterworkingrelationshipscanbe.“Oncetheygetonboard,manymanagersrealizetheirownlivesarebettertoo,”saysKathyKingoftheOregonOfficeofEnergywhosejobistopromotetelecommunicatingfromanenvironmentalstandpoint.NewSocialLifeI)AgrowingnumberofAmericanworkershavealreadyhadatasteofthefuture.LeslieFaught“talks”viaE-mailwithcustom