Question

    As the coronavirus spreads, remote work arrangements preserve continuity and allow people to stay busy doing something familiar during a time of crisis. At first glance, telecommuting (远程办公) might not seem so bad.

While it works well for some, it doesn’t for everyone. Working remotely has widespread negative consequences, including people spending time working that they might otherwise have spent with family or friends – because they can easily cross their work-life boundaries, they end up working longer hours.

People who telecommute may also have trouble freeing themselves from work and from the technology that enables it, which contributes to the harmful consequences of reducing face-to-face time and personal interactions. When humans rely on technology, we may forget how essential these interactions are to human happiness.

As a university professor, my days consist of social interactions with students and colleagues. I generally find those conversations and the resulting relationships inspiring and rewarding. The coronavirus situation means that countless teachers like me face the possibility of standing in front of a camera instead of a classroom. I’d prefer doing that to canceling class, but I can’t help wondering whether my job, along with so many others, is about to experience a great and potentially permanent change.

I wonder how many faculty members might be laid off if the university decides teaching remotely is good enough, or how many people will be let go when their bosses realize they don’t need to show up every day, or even at all. Finally, here’s the most important question: whether people believe their firsthand, lived experiences can be replaced – and not just during a pandemic (大流行病).

The coronavirus will accelerate our rush into the arms of technology. Ironically, our faith in  technology may end up speeding up our own obsolescence (过时).

1.According to the text, what may telecommuting result in?

A.Shortened working hours.

B.Loss of personal freedom.

C.Increased family happiness.

D.Fewer personal interactions.

2.Which is true about the author?

A.She loves teaching in front of a camera.

B.She enjoys popularity among her students.

C.She considers social interactions to be beneficial.

D.She’s concerned about the spread of coronavirus.

3.What does the author intend to express in Paragraph 5?

A.Anxiety over the future.

B.Expectation of education.

C.Views on unemployment.

D.Love for lived experience.

4.Which section of a website is the passage probably from?

A.Fashion. B.Opinion.

C.Health. D.Events.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.A

4.B

【解析】

本文是议论文。作者介绍了疫情期间的远程办公现象，分析了其优缺点，作者在分析过程中表达了对未来工作的担忧。

1.细节理解题。根据第三段People who telecommute may also have trouble freeing themselves from work and from the technology that enables it, which contributes to the harmful consequences of reducing face-to-face time and personal interactions.可知远程办公的人可能很难从工作和技术中解脱出来，这导致了减少面对面时间和个人互动的有害后果。即远程办公导致了个人互动减少，故选D。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段When humans rely on technology, we may forget how essential these interactions are to human happiness.第四段As a university professor, my days consist of social interactions with students and colleagues. I generally find those conversations and the resulting relationships inspiring and rewarding.可知作者认为互动对人类幸福很重要，作者每天与学生和同事进行社交互动，这些对话和由此产生的关系令人鼓舞和有益。故选C。

3.推理判断题。根据第五段I wonder how many faculty members might be laid off……or how many people will be let go……Finally, here’s the most important question: whether people believe their firsthand, lived experiences can be replaced.等内容可知作者想知道有了远程办公，有多少教职员工和工人会被解雇，人们是否相信他们的第一手生活经验是可以被取代的。这些都是作者对未来的忧虑，故选A。

4.推理判断题。作者通过疫情期间的远程办公入题，分析了其优缺点，分析过程中表达了对未来工作的担忧。全文都是作者的观点，所以应该是出自网站的Opinion部分。故选B。