The Economist Reading Challenge Week 2: Article 1

My answers:-

Q1: B (fewer than 10% can refer to a range of percentiles, what if it's 2%? Then it renders the statement faulty as 2% is not 4 times more 20-25%)
Q2: C (torn between C and D but ultimately chose C as the author is attempting to explain the potential up and downsides to hot-desking)
Q3: C (chose C because the passage deals with both pros and cons of remote working, and C says that remote working is not only beneficial, but may consist of flaws)
Q4: B (inferred directly from the passage)

1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely disagree?

E. A Microsoft survey found that 73% of their employees enjoyed the flexibility enabled by remote working.


Look at the underlined differences. E is the correct answer.

2. The author brings up “hot-desking” in order to:

D. provide an example of a future office work trend.
The author explains that the work at home trend will shift the trend to less and less office as companies will adopt hot desking.

Hence, D is the correct answer.

3. The main purpose of the passage is to:

B. inform readers about the future of work in the office.
My notes of the passage is following:

Plague - Predictions in work
Currently
Office - hybrid - most likely
Work at home
Hotdesking - less office
Less office - downsides
If hybrid - Blurred work and fun
Hybrid - May divide - work flex
New Prediction

On the basis of my notes, I choose B as the answer.

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

C. The author is unsure whether the hybrid work model will persevere.

This indicates that many employees may shift toward work at home, shifting away from hybrid office trend.
Hence, C is the answer.

The overall passage is that the lockdown > the work style.


A. There is considerable debate about the extent to which people will work in the office in the future.
-- No mention about the future of working. Correct.
B. Fewer than 10% of the employees in developed countries worked from home before the pandemic.
-- From para3, “A recent report by McKinsey, a consultancy, estimated that 20-25% of workers in the rich world could work from home three to five days a week. That is four times more people working remotely than before the pandemic.” Incorrect.
C. Bricks-and-mortar stores are not expected to do much hiring in the near future.
-- From para.2, "Delivery driving will, as many people foretold, be a big source of jobs, at least until the arrival of self-driving lorries. Bricks-and-mortar shops will not. ". So the author disagrees with this answer choices. Incorrect.
D. The “nowhere office” can exist between home, a coffee shop, and a co-working space.
-- From para.3, " In a new report for Demos, a British think-tank, Julia Hobsbawm writes of the “nowhere office”, both virtual and physical. Employees will move between home, the coffee shop and a co-working space." So the author agrees with it.
E. A Microsoft survey found that 73% of their employees enjoyed the flexibility enabled by remote working.
-- From para.4, "Employees like it too; a recent survey of employees at various firms by Microsoft, a software giant, showed that 73% enjoyed the flexibility brought by remote working." So the author agrees with it.


From para.5,
This shift may be self-perpetuating. If employees are coming in less often, firms will adopt hot-desking as the best use of office space. The McKinsey report suggests employers are planning to downsize their offices by 30%. Some will welcome the chance to trumpet the resulting reduction in their carbon footprint. But hot-desking also reduces the scope for workplace friendships. If so, employees will have even less incentive to go to the office five days a week—leading to even smaller offices with more hot-desking, and so on.

A. illustrate a remote work option considered by McKinsey.
-- Out.
B. provide an example of a poor solution that will likely fail.
-- Out.
C. illustrate a trend that needs to be addressed if employers want their office to be effective.
-- Out.
D. provide an example of a future office work trend.
-- Correct.
E. debate hot-desking future as an option some companies can employ.
-- Out.




Main Idea Question.
A. illustrate the demise of the traditional office.
-- No.
B. inform readers about the future of work in the office.
-- No.
C. argue that remote and hybrid work is not only beneficial.
-- No about beneficial.
D. share data examining the differences between working remotely and working in the office.
-- Keep it.
E. express solidarity with blue-collar workers who will have to take up the slack.
-- No about blue-collar workers.



A. 59% of Microsoft’s employees did not plan to search for a new job.
-- From para.6, "And the lack of team spirit may reduce workers’ commitment to their employer; the Microsoft survey found that 41% of workers were considering leaving their job in the next 12 months.">> it can imply. Keep it.
B. Moving to remote work will, on average, reduce a firm’s carbon footprint.
-- From para.5, "Some will welcome the chance to trumpet the resulting reduction in their carbon footprint." Out.
C. The author is unsure whether the hybrid work model will persevere.
-- No.
D. When one works will become more important than where one works.
-- only for the hybrid model. Out.
E. Manufacturing workers will eventually be able to work remotely.
-- No.

IMO
1. A
2. C
3. D
4. C
My explanation is below. THANKS!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely disagree?

A. There is considerable debate about the extent to which people will work in the office in the future. --> CORRECT. This sentence is not mentioned in the passage.
B. Fewer than 10% of the employees in developed countries worked from home before the pandemic. --> Can imply from these sentences. "A recent report by McKinsey, a consultancy, estimated that 20-25% of workers in the rich world could work from home three to five days a week. That is four times more people working remotely than before the pandemic.", so before the pandemic, people working from home fewer than 20-25% divided by 4 or fewer than 5-6.XX%.
C. Bricks-and-mortar stores are not expected to do much hiring in the near future. --> Can imply from these sentences. "Delivery driving will, as many people foretold, be a big source of jobs, at least until the arrival of self-driving lorries. Bricks-and-mortar shops will not."
D. The “nowhere office” can exist between home, a coffee shop, and a co-working space. --> "In a new report for Demos, a British think-tank, Julia Hobsbawm writes of the “nowhere office”, both virtual and physical. Employees will move between home, the coffee shop and a co-working space."
E. A Microsoft survey found that 73% of their employees enjoyed the flexibility enabled by remote working. --> "A recent survey of employees at various firms by Microsoft, a software giant, showed that 73% enjoyed the flexibility brought by remote working."

2. The author brings up “hot-desking” in order to:

A. illustrate a remote work option considered by McKinsey. --> INCORRECT. The author talks about the McKinsey report, not the option considered by McKinsey.
B. provide an example of a poor solution that will likely fail. --> INCORRECT. A 'poor' solution is a strong word. Moreover, the author didn't mention that this solution is likely to fail.
C. illustrate a trend that needs to be addressed if employers want their office to be effective. --> CORRECT. Can infer from this sentence. "If employees are coming in less often, firms will adopt hot-desking as the best use of office space."
D. provide an example of a future office work trend. --> The author didn't decide that “hot-desking” is a future office work trend.
E. debate hot-desking future as an option some companies can employ. --> No debate here.

3. The main purpose of the passage is to:

A. illustrate the demise of the traditional office. --> No mention about the end of the traditional office.
B. inform readers about the future of work in the office. --> No certainty about the future.
C. argue that remote and hybrid work is not only beneficial. --> Tempting choice.
D. share data examining the differences between working remotely and working in the office. --> Interesting One too.
E. express solidarity with blue-collar workers who will have to take up the slack. --> Too detailed. Cannot be the main purpose.

By the way, between C and D, I chose D over C because many paragraphs show the detailed data between working from home and working in the office.

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. 59% of Microsoft’s employees did not plan to search for a new job. --> Although the passage mentioned that "the Microsoft survey found that 41% of workers were considering leaving their job in the next 12 months." This sentence doesn't mean that the other 59% of workers weren't considering leaving their job. Some of 59% of Microsoft’s employees may consider leaving their jobs, but not within the next 12 months.
B. Moving to remote work will, on average, reduce a firm’s carbon footprint. --> The passage says "Some will welcome the chance to trumpet the resulting reduction in their carbon footprint.", not on average.
C. The author is unsure whether the hybrid work model will persevere. --> I'm not sure too. However, the passage mentioned many times about 'prediction', so I think the predictions mean unsure in the future. I keep this choice.

P1 : predicting everything from a revolution in working lives to an eventual return to normal.

P2 : Some of these predictions are already being tested.

P3 : But at least one prediction can be firmed up. A hybrid system, in which employees are in the office for part of the week, is here to stay.

D. When one works will become more important than where one works. --> No comparison here.
E. Manufacturing workers will eventually be able to work remotely. --> No mention in the passage.

1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely disagree? - IMO A

A. There is considerable debate about the extent to which people will work in the office in the future. - Correct
the passage states that at least the prediction for hybrid system can be firmed up. If the prediction is confirmed then there is not much debate. The author will likely disagree with this statement
B. Fewer than 10% of the employees in developed countries worked from home before the pandemic. - Incorrect
the passage states that 20-25% now work from home which is 4 times more than the previous number. The author will not disagree with this
C. Bricks-and-mortar stores are not expected to do much hiring in the near future. - Incorrect
the passage states that delivery driving will be a big source of jobs and bricks-and-mortar shops will not. This means that bricks and mortar homes will not likely do much hiring. So the passage agrees with this
D. The “nowhere office” can exist between home, a coffee shop, and a co-working space. - Incorrect
In her report Julia Hobsbawm writes of the “nowhere office” in which employees will move between home, the coffee shop and a co-working space. So the passage agrees with this
E. A Microsoft survey found that 73% of their employees enjoyed the flexibility enabled by remote working. - Incorrect
the passage mentions a recent survey of employees by Microsoft that showed that 73% enjoyed the flexibility brought by remote working. So the passage agrees with this



2. The author brings up “hot-desking” in order to: - IMO D

A. illustrate a remote work option considered by McKinsey. - Incorrect
The McKinsey report suggests employers are planning to downsize their offices by 30% - this statement does not imply that McKinsey itself is considering any such option
B. provide an example of a poor solution that will likely fail. - Incorrect
The passage states the opposite of this.
the passage mentions that the hot-desking may have some negative side effects but if less people go to office firms will adopt this trend and will benefit.
C. illustrate a trend that needs to be addressed if employers want their office to be effective. - Incorrect
this is not a trend at the moment, but an option that firms will adopt if the employees are coming in less often
D. provide an example of a future office work trend. - Correct
the passage states that firms may adopt this trend and as the number of people going to office reduces hot-desking may become a trend.
E. debate hot-desking future as an option some companies can employ. - Incorrect
although the passage states that hot-desking reduces the scope for workplace friendships, which will prompt more employees to opt for more work from home hours, there is no debate on this topic


3. The main purpose of the passage is to: - IMO B

A. illustrate the demise of the traditional office. - Incorrect
the passage lists predictions and the changes that may come about in the workplace, but does not illustrate the demise
B. inform readers about the future of work in the office. - Correct
The passage as a whole informs the readers about the various possibilities and predictions surrounding the future of work in office.
C. argue that remote and hybrid work is not only beneficial. - Incorrect
the passage states that hybrid model is here to stay but never states that it is fully beneficial for all.
D. share data examining the differences between working remotely and working in the office. - Incorrect
though the passage compares difference in a paragraph, it is not the main purpose of the passage
E. express solidarity with blue-collar workers who will have to take up the slack. - Incorrect
though the author expresses solidarity with the blue-collar worker towards the end, but it is not the central point of the passage.



4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? - IMO B

A. 59% of Microsoft’s employees did not plan to search for a new job. - Incorrect
the passage states that the Microsoft survey found that 41% of workers were considering leaving their, but it does not mention that the surveyed employees were Microsoft employees
B. Moving to remote work will, on average, reduce a firm’s carbon footprint. - Correct
the passage mentions that some firms will welcome the chance to trumpet the resulting reduction in their carbon footprint. Therefore, it can be said that the move to remote work will reduce a firm's carbon footprint
C. The author is unsure whether the hybrid work model will persevere. - Incorrect
the passage states that at least the prediction for hybrid system can be firmed up. So the author is sure on this prediction.
D. When one works will become more important than where one works. - Incorrect
the author states that the pandemic will destroy the idea of a uniform work week and the common question will be when one works, but a common trend/question may not be an important one.
E. Manufacturing workers will eventually be able to work remotely. - Incorrect
the passage states the opposite. "Despite the talk of remote working, many sectors, from construction and manufacturing to emergency services, will still bring their workers into a central location"

1.

Eliminate B because the Bartleby quotes data from McKinsey that says 20 -25 percent workers would prefer the hybrid model and goes further to say that this number is 4 times more than the pre-pandemic levels.

Eliminate C because in the passage it is mentioned that delivery driving will be a big source of jobs but bricks and mortar shops will not be.

Eliminate D because the passage mentions the 'nowhere office' in the 3rd paragraph and explains it. "Julia Hobsbawm writes of the “nowhere office”, both virtual and physical. Employees will move between home, the coffee shop and a co-working space."

Eliminate E because the passage does not mention any data about Microsoft's survey of their employees. So it is not possible to comment on whether Bartleby would agree with this data or not.

A remains and is the correct answer. In 3rd paragraph the author confirms that the prediction about hybrid system can be firmed up - "But at least one prediction can be firmed up. A hybrid system, in which employees are in the office for part of the week, is here to stay."


2. The author mentions 'hot desking' in order to highlight a trend, in which the employees are going to offices less often, that would lead to firms using 'hotdesk' for getting the best out of office spaces.

Eliminate A because the author does not take any specific firm in consideration.

Eliminate B because the author would agree to the contrary.

Eliminate C because although the author does highlights a trend, he/she does not invite a debate on it.

Eliminate E. Same reasoning as C.

D remains and is the correct answer.


3.

Eliminate A and E because although the author mentions those things in the passage they are part of the main idea, not the main idea itself.

Eliminate C because the author merely points out a trend.

Eliminate D because the data shared by the author does not examine differences, it highlights a trend.

B remains and is the correct answer.


4.

Eliminate A because 41% Microsoft workers are considering leaving their jobs in the next 12 months does not mean the rest does not plan to search for a new job.

Eliminate C because the author mentions that the hybrid system is here to stay.

Eliminate D because although the author suggests towards the end of the passage to ask people when do you work rather than where do you work, it does not amounts to a comparison of importance.

Eliminate E because the author contradicts this statement in last sentence of second paragraph and towards the end of second last paragraph.

B remains and is the correct answer. It can be inferred from this sentence in the passage "The McKinsey report suggests employers are planning to downsize their offices by 30%. Some will welcome the chance to trumpet the resulting reduction in their carbon footprint. "

1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely disagree?

A. There is considerable debate about the extent to which people will work in the office in the future.
There is a lot of debate in the article, but none of it is directed towards the existence of traditional offices and working hours. Let's keep this, moving on.

B. Fewer than 10% of the employees in developed countries worked from home before the pandemic.
Looks tough on first glance, no direct information has been given regarding this. But - " A recent report by McKinsey, a consultancy, estimated that 20-25% of workers in the rich world could work from home three to five days a week. That is four times more people working remotely than before the pandemic. "
This means between 5-6.25% of workers used to work remotely before the pandemic, both of which are lower than 10%.

C. Bricks-and-mortar stores are not expected to do much hiring in the near future.
Clearly stated in the article, delivery trucks will, but stores will not.

D. The “nowhere office” can exist between home, a coffee shop, and a co-working space.
Again, clearly stated in the article.

E. A Microsoft survey found that 73% of their employees enjoyed the flexibility enabled by remote working.
Again, clearly stated in the article.

So, we end up with A, by elimination and reasons mentioned above.


2. The author brings up “hot-desking” in order to:

A. illustrate a remote work option considered by McKinsey.
Never has it been stated that Mckinsey adopted this.

B. provide an example of a poor solution that will likely fail.
Hmm, it is an example, but there's another option with example. But nowhere does it say that this WILL fail. B's out.

C. illustrate a trend that needs to be addressed if employers want their office to be effective.
"needs" implies compulsion. No compulsion anywhere with regards to hot-desking.

D. provide an example of a future office work trend.
Could be an option, keep for now.

E. debate hot-desking future as an option some companies can employ.
"Debate" is the key here. Since a debate requires opposing views of an argument, and the passage does not, E's out.'

That leaves us with D.

3. The main purpose of the passage is to:

A. illustrate the demise of the traditional office.
Illustrate means demonstrate using examples and/or data. Could be an option. Keep for now.

B. inform readers about the future of work in the office.
Also could be an option. But inform means a definite answer is being provided. B's out.

C. argue that remote and hybrid work is not only beneficial.
Yes, there are counter-arguments in the passage, but that is not the main point of the article. C's out.

D. share data examining the differences between working remotely and working in the office.
This could be an option as well, as lots of data is being presented for both sides. Retain for now.

E. express solidarity with blue-collar workers who will have to take up the slack.
There's definitely no expression of solidarity with any faction, only the mention of the effects of remote work on blue-collar workers. E's out.

So we're left with A & D. A bit confusing, but I'm gonna go with A.

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. 59% of Microsoft’s employees did not plan to search for a new job.
As 41% of employees were considering leaving their job within 12 months, this could be an option. Let's look at the others.

B. Moving to remote work will, on average, reduce a firm’s carbon footprint.
Some firms may publicise the reduction in their carbon footprint, but no information can be inferred on the average of all firms. B's not directly related.

C. The author is unsure whether the hybrid work model will persevere.
The author is quite sure the hybrid model will persevere as it reinforces existing trends. C is the opposite, so it's out.

D. When one works will become more important than where one works.
The question stated above is an example, not the norm. D's out.

E. Manufacturing workers will eventually be able to work remotely.
The passage states the exact opposite, so E's out.

We're left with A, which is a direct conclusion from the passage.

It's my first time attempting a challenge like this one, so go easy on me if I'm wrong anywhere

Cheers,
Sid.

Answers :
Q1. B
Q2. C
Q3. C
Q4. D

Hello everyone!

Competition mode on this post is off now, anyone can see other user's responses. The submissions are closed now. The winner will be announced on Monday at around 8am Pacific Time.

Hi Sajjad1994

1. please explain:
Employees like it too; a recent survey of employees at various firms by Microsoft, a software giant, showed that 73% enjoyed the flexibility brought by remote working.
DOES NOT MEAN
E. A Microsoft survey found that 73% of their employees enjoyed the flexibility enabled by remote working.
How do you think option A is given in passage?
A. There is considerable debate about the extent to which people will work in the office in the future.

2. please explain:
firms will adopt hot-desking as the best use of office space
DOES NOT MEAN
C. illustrate a trend that needs to be addressed if employers want their office to be effective.
BUT
D. provide an example of a future office work trend.


Kindly post official explanation.
Thanks!

Hi. I will attempt to answer your questions, though I have to say it is somewhat hard to understand what you are asking. I had to look at your original answers to get an idea.

1. The microsoft survey was of other firms. Not of their employees. Thus this statement is wrong.
2. The purpose of bringing it up was illustrating a trend. The author never actually said that hot-desking was bad or needed to be addressed. Author simply said that it may be a self-perpetuating trend. He/she did not say that it needed to be addressed or argued that it was reducing efficiency, merely that it was contributing to a smaller office footprint. The article was not about the efficiency but the divide and fairness of some who have a choice and others who don't and the topic of efficient office while was touched on in a few places was never the theme and efficiency conversation is likely outside of the scope.

Congrats to HoneyLemon for providing the best answers to the questions.

Let’s go over them, one at a time.

Q1

The author would agree with the claims in (B), (C), and (D) for precisely the reasons that HoneyLemon stated.

(A) is very tricky, and is wrong not because the author would agree with it, but because we don’t really know whether the author would disagree with it (or not). The answer choice states that there is debate about the extent to which people will work in the office. That is, the answer choice claims that there is debate over whether people will work for 3 days, 2 days, 1 day, or the entire week. However, nowhere does the passage state whether this is being debated. The MckKinsey report states 3 to 5 days, and the author states that the hybrid model is here to stay, but the amount of time is not really the issue. So, we don’t really have enough information to confirm or deny the claim in (A), and even though the author would probably disagree with it (because of the word “considerable”, for example), we will first see whether there is a better option.

(E) is indeed a better option. The phrase “a recent survey of employees at various firms by Microsoft” implies that the survey was conducted by Microsoft, but that the employees came from various firms. Thus, the author would certainly disagree that a Microsoft survey showed something about Microsoft’s employees because the Microsoft survey the author cited did not (necessarily) refer only to Microsoft employees. Thus (E) is better than (A) and is correct.

Remember: always pay attention to each and every one of the small details—both in the passage and in the answer choices.

Q2

HoneyLemon’s explanations to this question are good; good job! Note also that (A) is wrong because we don’t know what the McKinsey report did or did not consider and (E) is wrong because hot-desking is explained and analyzed, not debated.

This is an excellent example of a question in which it is better to first try and answer the question by yourself and only then to go on to the available options.

Q3

As before, good job HoneyLemon! We’ll add that the majority of wrong answer choices to this question either focus on too narrow of a topic or get the facts right but do not capture the tone/purpose correctly. In general, When assessing the purpose of a passage always make sure to ask two questions:

(1) Is the scope of the answer choice correct? That is, is it neither too narrow nor too broad?
(2) Does the answer choice capture not only the facts of the passage, but also their purpose? The purpose is why something was written, and not what was written.

Q4

You’re used to this by now, but good job HoneyLemon. In addition to what has been written, please note that (A) is not inferrable because, as with Q1, we do not know where the employees in Microsoft’s survey worked. Note also that even though (D) is a direct reference to the last line of the passage, this last line does not discuss what is / is not important, but only what the author predicts people will ask each other.

In general, when examining answer choices that specifically quote a part of the text, make sure that they also answer the question: as with purpose questions, answer choices that correctly represent the passage but do not answer the question are incorrect.