ESCOLA SECUNDRIA DE D.

DINIS SANTO TIRSO English written test 11th Form April 2005 I READ THE FOLLOWING TEXT CAREFULLY:

Would you like to work at home?

Upside, Downside Mark Boylan, who works for a customer management/technology services company out of his home in Rochester, NY, part of the time, finds that telecommuting offers a definite trade-off. The good part is the freedom, flexibility and absence of a commute and dress code, he notes. But you give up being part of a team and the day-to-day interaction with other people. Experienced telecommuters overcome the isolation by joining professional associations, attending workshops and courses, and using the telephone to stay in touch with co-workers. One of the greatest benefits of a home office is that there s no time clock to punch. A morning person can start early; an evening person can stay up late. Yet most people claim that they accomplish more if they schedule a few large blocks of work time rather than lots of short spurts. Balancing Work and Family It s important to set boundaries between work and personal time, says Tom Lichtman, who creates business Web sites and custom software from his home in Pawlet. With equipment that s on all the time, I get beeped 24 hours a day. I used to dash downstairs at 3 a.m. to check the message, but now I sleep through it. Lichtman worked 60 to 80 hours a week his first year, and now he s down to about 50 hours a week. You have to resist the compulsion to work during your personal and private time, he says. To promote the right family environment, telecommuters have learned the importance of setting new rules, particularly for children. Susan Sears, an AT&T district manager who helped develop the company s work-at-home plan, advises having a family meeting to clarify what kinds of interruptions are permissible. Children have to understand that you re working, says Sears, herself a telecommuter and mother of two. You need to maintain a professional environment. The prospect of working from home cuts to the very heart of what family life is all about: the relationship between work and home. Under the traditional system of employment, jobs and family are separated. Now the trend toward home offices is bringing these two elements closer together under one roof. Co-authors Paul and Sarah Edwards predict that eventually one out of every two Americans will be a part of this new job force of open-collar workers, operating from a home office. This is nothing short of a revolution, says Paul Edwards. We re looking at a national transition that s as significant as the one from farms to factories.
Reader s Digest (abridged)

A Scan the text and find evidence for the following: 1. Telecommuting has not only advantages but also disadvantages. 2. Telecommuters can establish their working hours. 3. Tom Lichtman used to work lots of hours a week, but now he has reduced his working hours. 4. Telecommuting requires new rules to be obeyed by family members. 5. Telecommuting has changed the relationship between work and family. 6. It is predicted that the number of telecommuters will increase. B Read the first three paragraphs and find the synonyms for the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. find a way of dealing with or solving (a problem) going to advantages state or declare complete successfully; achieve arrange for a certain time

C Answer the following questions with complete answers. Use your own words as far as possible. 1. 2. 3. 4. What are the benefits and drawbacks of working from home? What can be done to overcome possible drawbacks? In what ways can telework affect family life? Are you for or against telework? In about 30 words, state your opinion on the matter.

II Rewrite the following sentences, starting them as suggested. 1. In spite of working in very well-equipped offices, many people don t mind doing work from home. Although ...... 2. It was proved that technology has been responsible for a profound change in the job market. Technology ...... 3. Remarkable changes had taken place in the world of work. This was amazing to me. Remarkable changes ..... 4. Nowadays it is not necessary for people to commute to work. Nowadays people ..... 5. No one has ever told her that she could join a professional association. She ..... 6. He worked hard all day though he wasn t feeling well. In spite of ..... 7. Telecommuting involves some important problems. Therefore not all employees are well suited to working from home. If ..... 8. As soon as he got a new job, his self confidence increased. No sooner .....

9. Telecommuting is being encouraged by the U.S. government. The U.S. government ..... 10. We need to buy a new computer because this one is always breaking down. We d better .....

III Choose one of the following and write about 120 words on it: 1. Write a composition on the following topic: The impact of new technologies on the world of work. 2. Two friends of yours are talking about their prospects in relation to work and the labour market. One of them has a rather pessimistic opinion but the other one is determined to fight for success. Write down the dialogue.

COTAES I - A. 6 x 3 pontos ............................................................................................. 18 pontos B. 6 x 3 pontos ............................................................................................. 18 pontos C. 4 x 11 pontos........................................................................................... 44 pontos II - 10 x 7 pontos ............................................................................................... 70 pontos III - .................................................................................................................... 50 pontos Total: 200 pontos

GOOD WORK! The teacher: