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  3. In cities all over the United States, workers spend several hours a day in cars crawling along in traffic to get to offices many

In cities all over the United States, workers spend several hours a day in cars crawling along in traffic to get to offices many

admin2022-07-19  59
问题     In cities all over the United States, workers spend several hours a day in cars crawling along in traffic to get to offices many miles from home. They experience stress, waste time, and pay a lot for gas, car maintenance, and parking. Once they get to work, they make their way through a maze of cubicles, each with its computer, phone, and file cabinet. Nancy Alley, human resources manager at TBWA Chiat/Day, doesn’t. She stays at home, talking with managers over the phone and faxing in paperwork. Instead of walking down the hall to chat with coworkers, she e-mails them. Nancy is a telecommuter, someone who works some or all of the time at home. Since 2010, the number of US telecommuters has grown from 4.2 million to 9.2 million.
    Highway congestion, the high cost of office space, federal clean-air laws, reduced work forces, and lifestyle needs—all these factors contribute to the growth of telecommuting. What makes it possible is technology. Desktop and laptop personal computers, networking, videoconferencing, fax machines, e-mail, and multiple phone lines provide the fast and efficient communication required for telecommuting.
    The experiences of many companies suggest that telecommuting can increase workplace flexibility and enhance productivity. At Georgia Power Company, for example, a pilot telecommuting project was so successful that the company decided to triple its number of telecommuters. The company reduced the cost of leased office space by $100,000 a year, increased productivity among the telecommuting employees of its customer service center, and saved the workers a combined 750 commuter miles a day.
    Telecommuting, however, is not without its obstacles. At one computer software firm, the information systems manager offered telecommuting as an option to her 100-person staff. After three months, the staff members reported that being away from the office was counterproductive to their work. Programmers missed being able to drop by analysts cubicles with questions, and everyone reported they were interrupted at home more often. As part of its cost-cutting initiative, Nestle required 140 sales employees to telecommute. Facing many technical problems with telephone lines and frustratingly slow computer networking, most of these telecommuters found it an aggravating experience. Telecommuting also makes many employees feel isolated and out of touch, leading to decreased motivation and less, not more productivity. By blurring the barriers between work and family, telecommuting often leads to more work hours and more interference with family life.
    Telecommuting is not universally applicable. Jobs and individuals must be suitable, and staff must be capable of managing telecommuters. In addition, technological improvements, such as high-speed network, are crucial. Few people expect to conduct business regularly from a tropical island or mountain resort any time soon.
The word "counterproductive" (Line 6, Para. 4) probably means________.
选项 A、producing challenges
B、producing counters
C、producing results
D、producing problems
答案D
解析 本题关键词是counterproductive，属于词义题，可以定位到第四段。从第四段第一句话我们可以得知该段讲的是远程办公的缺点，第二、三句话是对这一观点的进一步阐释，所以counterproductive表达的应该是负面意思。counterproductive所在的句子的大概意思是：在三个月后，这些员工汇报说，离开办公室对他们的工作产生了不利影响，只有选项D符合原文，表达的是负面意思，是正确选项。选项A、B、C都不符合上下文。第四段：远程办公的缺点及不利影响。
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