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1PartⅠWriting(30minutes)1.现在有不少家长送孩子参加各种艺术班2.对这种做法有人表示支持，也有人并不赞成3.我认为……ShouldParentsSendTheirKidstoArtClasses?PartⅡReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Directions:Inthispart,youwillhave15minutestogooverthepassagequicklyandanswerthequestionsonAnswerSheet1.Forquestions1-7,choosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Forquestions8-10,completethesentenceswiththeinformationgiveninthepassage.BossesSay“Yes”toHomeWorkRisingcostsofofficespace,timelosttostressfulcommuting,andaslowrecognitionthatworkershavelivesbeyondtheoffice—allarestrongargumentsforlettingstaffworkfromhome.Forthesmallbusiness,thereareadditionalbenefitstoo—staffaremoreproductive,andhappier,enablingfirmstokeeptheirheadcounts(员工数)andtheirrecruitmentcoststoaminimum.Itcanalsoprovidecompetitiveadvantage,especiallywhensmallbusinesseswanttoattractnewstaffbutdon’thavethebudgettoofferhugesalaries.Whilecompanymanagershaveknownaboutthebenefitsforalongtime,manyhavedonelittleaboutit,scepticalofwhethertheycouldtrusttheiremployeestoworktofullcapacitywithoutsupervision,orconcernedabouttheadditionalexpensesteleworkingpoliciesmightincurasstaffstartchargingtheirhomephonebillstothebusiness.Yetthisisnowchanging.WhencommunicationsproviderInter-Telresearchedtheuseofremoteworkingsolutionsamongsmall-and-medium-sizedUKbusinessesinAprilthisyear,itfoundthat28%morecompaniesclaimedtohaveintroducedflexibleworkingpracticesthanayearago.TheUKnetworkofBusinessLinksconfirmsthatittoohasseenagrowinginterestinremoteworkingsolutionsfromsmallbusinessesseekingitsadvice,andclaimsthatasmanyas60-70%ofthebusinessesthatcomethroughitsdoorsnowoffersomeformofremoteworkingsupporttotheirworkforces.Technologyadvances,includingthewidespreadavailabilityofbroadband,aremakingtheintroductionofremoteworkingapieceofcake.“Ifsystemsaresetupproperly,staffcanhaveaccesstoalltheresourcestheyhaveintheofficewherevertheyhaveaninternetconnection,”saysAndyPoulton,e-businessadvisoratBusinessLinkforBerkshireandWiltshire.“Therearesomeveryexcitingdevelopmentswhichhaveenabledthis.”Oneistheavailabilityofbroadbandeverywhere,whichnowcoversalmostallofthecountry(BTclaimsthat,byJuly,99.8%ofitsexchangeswillbebroadbandenabled,withalternativeplansinplaceforeventhemostremoteexchanges).“Thisistheenabler,”Poultonsays.Yetwhilebroadbandhascomedowninpricetoo,thoseserviceproviderstargetingthebusinessmarketwarnagainstconsumerservicesmasquerading(伪装)asbusiness-friendlybroadband.2“Broadbandisavailableforaslittleas￡15amonth,butmanybusinessesfailtoappreciatethehiddencostsofsuchaservice,”saysNeilStephenson,salesandmarketingdirectoratOnyxInternet,aninternetserviceproviderbasedinthenorth-eastofEngland.“Providersofferingbroadbandforrock-bottompricesarenotoriousforpoorservice,withregularbreakdownsandheavilycongested(拥堵的)networks.Itisalwaysadvisableforbusinessestolookbeyondthepricetagandlookforabusiness-onlyproviderthatcanoffermorereliability,withgoodsupport.”Suchservicesdon’tcosttoomuch—qualityservicescanbefoundforupwardsof￡30amonth.Thebenefitsofbroadbandtotheoccasionalhomeworkerarethattheycanaccessemailinrealtime,andtakefulladvantageofservicessuchasinternet-basedbackuporeveninternet-basedphoneservices.Internet-basedtelecoms,orVoIP(VoiceoverIP)togiveititstechnicaltitle,isaninterestingtooltoanybusinesssupportingremoteworking.Notnecessarilybecauseofthepromiseoffreeorreducedpricephonecalls(whichexpertspointoutismisleadingfortheaveragebusiness),butbecauseofthesophisticatedvoiceservicesthatcanbeexploitedbytheremoteworker—facilitiessuchasvoicemailandcallforwarding,whichprovideacontinuityofthecompanyimageforcustomersandbusinesspartners.Bylaw,companiesmust“considerseriously”requeststoworkflexiblymadebyaparentwithachildundertheageofsix,oradisabledchildunder18.ItwastheneedtoaccommodateemployeeswithyoungchildrenthatmotivatedaccountancyfirmWrightVigartobeginpromotingteleworkingrecently.Thecompany,whichneededtoupgradeitsITinfrastructure(基础设施)toprovideconnectivitywithanew,secondoffice,decidedtointroducesupportforremoteworkingatthesametime.MarketingdirectorJackO’Hernexplainsthatthecompanyhasarelativelyyoungworkforce,manyofwhomareparents:“Oneofthetriggerswaswhenoneofourtaxmanagersreturnedfrommaternityleave.Shewasintendingtoworkparttime,butcouldonlymanageonedayaweekintheofficeduetochildcare.Byofferinghertheabilitytoworkfromhome,wehavedoubledhercapacity—nowsheworksadayaweekfromhome,andadayintheoffice.Thisisgreatforher,andforusasweretainsomeonehighlyqualified.”ForWrightVigar,whichhasnowequippedallofitsfee-earnerstobeabletoworkatmaximumproductivitywhenawayfromtheoffices(whetherthat’sfromhome,orwhileontheroad),thisstrategyisnotjustaboutsavingoncommutetimeorcuttingthemloosefromtheoffice,butenablingthemtoworkmoreflexiblehoursthatfitaroundtheirhomelife.O’Hernsays:“Althoughmostofourworkisclient-basedandmustfitaroundthis,wecan’tseeanyreasonwhyaparentcan’tbeonhandtodealwithsomethingimportantathome,iftheyhavetheabilitytocompleteaprojectlaterintheday.”Supportingthisnewwayofworkingcamewithaprice,though.Althoughthefirmwasupdatingitssystemsanyway,thecompa