单选题
More and more people are starting to work from home, re-assessing their "work-life balance" and capitalising on what industry calls "remote working". A recent survey of British companies showed that eight out of ten businesses have now agreed new working arrangements for their personnel. The object of the exercise was to improve the work-life Balance of employees and encourage greater levels of efficiency. During 2003/2004, some 900,000 requests to work flexibly were made under a new Government scheme and 800,000 of the applications were granted. Furthermore, seven out of ten businesses said that they also would be prepared to consider flexible working requests from other staff who did not qualify under the Government scheme. One of the new technological developments that makes remote working possible is the Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), broadband that can carry both voice and data at high-speed. Remote workers can connect to their company's Virtual Private Network either through Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) internet, which is permanently connected, or through a Remote Access Service (RAS), which involves having to dial in each time. "People started thinking about remote working back in the Eighties but the technology was not available to consider it a possibility," says Meyrick Vevers, Commercial Director of Telewest Broadband, one of UK's communication and media groups. "However, now with the increased availability and use of DSL to home users, remote working is definitely on the increase." Of course, security is very important and IT directors are understandably cautious. But they are now beginning to feel more comfortable about allowing their staff a higher level of access from home. Telewest Business's experience in putting together product solutions is based on the company's focus on understanding their customers' needs. Because customers' needs are diverse and Telewest Business's possible solutions are wide-ranging, the company invites businesses seeking further information to visit their web site or call direct. Call centre workers, mobile staff, such as sales executives and local authority social workers or parents at home, are among those for whom remote working appears to be increasingly attractive. "People in industry in the UK have some of the longest working hours in the world," says Vevers. "Doing those hours solely in the office is more disruptive to the personal life of the individual than having the flexibility to work from home." "Remote working is all about personal choice and giving people more flexibility that suits their personal lives. At Telewest Business, we aim to try and help play a part in enabling companies to give their employees that flexibility./
单选题
The phrase "capitalising on" (Line 2, Para.1) can be substituted by
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】本题问“capitalising on”可以由哪个短语来代替。首段首句“More and more people are starting to work from home…”，第二句“eight out of ten businesses have now agreed new working arrangements”，都表明越来越多的人开始采用“work from home”的形式工作，所以从中必会得到好处。而“capitalising on”是个短语动词，应有独立的词义，其后的宾语又是what从句，即指“远程工作”。故D项“利用”正确。 [A]投资：如果“More and more people”对“remote working”投资，下文就会讲一些关于投资的事情，但下文并没有说到这层含义。投资是capitalise的基本词义之一。 [B]专攻：这里指的是普通人开始在家里办公，并不是指专门研究远程办公的科研人员。 [C]坚持：文中只是简单地说人们开始在家里工作，并没有他们遇到阻碍，但仍然坚持的含义。
单选题
According to the passage, remote working
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】本题问根据文章可知远程工作如何。首段末句“…seven out of ten businesses…consider flexible working requests from other staff who did not qualify under the Government scheme．”表明那些不符合政府规定条件的人也有可能实现远程办公，故[C]“对于那些没有包括在政府计划内的人也是可能的”正确。 [A]免除在办公室做的工作：远程办公是在家里办公，不是免除办公室工作。 [B]要求使用者拨号进入虚拟局域网：第二段第二句“Remote workers can connect to their company's Virtual Private Network either through DSL internet…or through a RAS，which involves having to dial in each time．”表明用户有两种上网方式可供选择：拨号上网或是固定连接，而此项只讲一种，所以不对。 [D]由于宽带技术的进步而被人们所知：第二段第三句“People started thinking about remote working back in the Eighties…”表明早在八十年代人们就有这种概念了，只是碍于科技不够发达实现不了。科技的进步是这种观点得以实现的原因而非产生这种概念的原因。
单选题
IT directors feel comfortable because
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】本题问IT主管们放心采用“remote working”的原因。第二段最后两句“security is very important and IT directors are understandably cautious．But they are now beginning to feel more comfortable about allowing their staff a higher level of access from home．”说明一向对安全持谨慎态度的IT directors现在也对远程办公放心了，因为他们对网络安全有信心了。故C项“他们对网络安全更有信心”正确。 [A]安全措施不再真正有必要：IT主管是对安全有信心才放心的，而不是说没有必要采取安全措施。 [B]远程工作的人数增加了：第二段第四句“now with the increased availability and use of DSL to home users，remote working is definitely on the increase”表明远程工作的人数的确增加了，但这并不是IT主管对“remote working”放心的原因。 [D]他们的员工更容易上网了：第二段末句“…allowing their staff a higher level of access from home…”是结果，而非原因。另外，用Internet也不准确——此处探讨的是接入公司虚拟局域网的安全性，而非Internet的安全性。
单选题
The example of Telewest is mentioned to show that
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】本题问文章以Telewest为例要说明什么。首段提到越来越多的人想要“remote working”。第三段又说“Telewest Business's experience…focus on understanding their customers’needs．”以及第三段第二句“Because customers’needs are diverse and Telewest Business's possible solutions are wide-ranging．”都说明西电公司在努力满足人们remote working的各种要求。故D项“人们对于远程工作的多样化要求不断得到满足”正确。(Telewest是one of UK's communication and media groups。) [A]这个公司消除了人们生活中的不平衡：第一段中“The object of the exercise was to improve the work-life balanco of employees”表明远程工作能够解决生活和工作之间的矛盾。西电公司只是帮助人们实现远程工作，说它消除了人们生活中的不平衡，推理过度。用eliminate这个词也过于极端。 [B]满足人们的多样化需求很难：第三段第二句确实提到“Because customers’needs are diverse…”但并没有说这些需求很难满足，况且Telewest也找到了解决方法。另外，作者举西电公司为例的目的也不是为此。 [C]这个公司非常善于吸引顾客：第三段末句中“…remote working appears to be increasingly attractive”表明，远程工作受到越来越多的人的青睐是客观事实。但作者介绍西电公司的经验的目的并非想作自我宣扬。
单选题
The best title for the passage might be
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】本题问文章的题目。首段说人们越来越倾向于在家工作，接下来的第二段“One of the new technological developments that makes remote working possible”，及第三段“Telewest Business's experience…”和第四段“we (Telewest)aim to try and help play a part in enabling companies to give their employees that flexibility”都是在说是科技使这一愿望得以实现。故D项“科技使远程工作得以实现”正确。 [A]远程办公非常流行；[B]通信技术正在提高：虽在文中都有所提及，但本文中心不是单说远程办公或科技的进步，而是着重强调科技使远程办公成为可能。 [C]工作生活应保持平衡：也非本文论述的中心。