Benefits and Limits of a Shared Office

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

B1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Multiple choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Multiple choice

   Choose all the correct answers.

   Choose TWO answers. Which TWO advantages of the shared office are mentioned in the email?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It costs less than renting a whole room.
   2. It helps people meet workers from other jobs.
   3. It removes the need for internet.
   4. It gives everyone a private office.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It costs less than renting a whole room.; It helps people meet workers from other jobs.

   The email says members pay for one desk and services instead of renting a whole room, and that they meet people from different jobs. The other options contradict the email: internet is included, not unnecessary, and members do not have private offices.

   Instead of renting a whole room, members pay for one desk, internet, a printer, and use of a small meeting room

   They also meet people from different jobs, so it is easier to ask for advice or find a new contact

   It costs less than renting a whole room.: Correct: the passage names lower cost as the biggest benefit.

   It helps people meet workers from other jobs.: Correct: the passage says they meet people from different jobs.

   It removes the need for internet.: Incorrect: internet is one of the things people pay for.

   It gives everyone a private office.: Incorrect: the office is shared, not private.

2. Question 2 · Multiple choice

   Choose all the correct answers.

   Choose TWO answers. Which TWO reasons explain why people value the shared setting?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. They do not need to buy furniture.
   2. They can ask for advice or a new contact.
   3. They work in complete silence.
   4. They can keep the same seat every day.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They do not need to buy furniture.; They can ask for advice or a new contact.

   Members value the setting because they do not need to buy furniture and can ask people from other jobs for advice or contacts. The email says the office can be noisy and that hot-desking means nobody owns a seat.

   Members do not need to buy furniture and can start work quickly

   They also meet people from different jobs, so it is easier to ask for advice or find a new contact

   They do not need to buy furniture.: Correct: the passage states this directly.

   They can ask for advice or a new contact.: Correct: the text says meeting others makes this easier.

   They work in complete silence.: Incorrect: the passage mentions noise and distraction.

   They can keep the same seat every day.: Incorrect: the passage says hot-desking means no one owns a seat.

3. Question 3 · Multiple choice

   Choose all the correct answers.

   Choose TWO answers. Which TWO groups does “they” refer to?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. small teams
   2. the printer
   3. freelancers
   4. the meeting room
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   small teams; freelancers

   The pronoun refers to both groups named immediately before it: freelancers and small teams. The printer and meeting room are objects, not people who can arrive early.

   Freelancers and small teams often arrive early to choose a table near the window

   small teams: Correct: small teams are the other group referred to by "they".

   the printer: Incorrect: the printer is not a group of people.

   freelancers: Correct: freelancers are one of the two groups referred to by "they".

   the meeting room: Incorrect: the meeting room is a place, not the people arriving early.

4. Question 4 · Multiple choice

   Choose all the correct answers.

   Choose TWO answers. Which TWO limits of the office are mentioned in the email?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The office has no meeting room.
   2. Phone calls can disturb other workers.
   3. People must leave at lunchtime.
   4. Hot-desking means no one owns a seat.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Phone calls can disturb other workers.; Hot-desking means no one owns a seat.

   The email identifies noise from phone calls and the lack of a fixed seat as limits. It also states that the office has a meeting room and does not say people must leave at lunchtime.

   Phone calls can carry across the room, and music from one corner may distract someone elsewhere

   hot-desking means nobody owns a seat

   The office has no meeting room.: Incorrect: the first paragraph says there is a small meeting room.

   Phone calls can disturb other workers.: Correct: the passage says calls can spill across the room.

   People must leave at lunchtime.: Incorrect: the passage does not say that.

   Hot-desking means no one owns a seat.: Correct: this is stated directly in the passage.

5. Question 5 · Multiple choice

   Choose all the correct answers.

   Choose TWO answers. Which TWO opinions does Mia express?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Shared offices are unsuitable for every kind of work.
   2. She prefers the office when she needs complete silence.
   3. She prefers home for checking numbers or writing a long report.
   4. She likes the office when she wants company and movement.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   She prefers home for checking numbers or writing a long report.; She likes the office when she wants company and movement.

   Mia says the office suits her when she wants company and movement, but she prefers home for checking numbers or writing a long report. The other options either reverse her preference or make it much more general than her practical view.

   I like the office when I want company and movement

   when I need to check numbers or write a long report, I still prefer my kitchen table at home

6. Question 6 · Multiple choice

   Choose all the correct answers.

   Choose TWO answers. Which TWO statements reflect Mia’s assessment of the new rules and her working preferences?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Quiet hours stop all noise.
   2. Mia prefers the office for long reports and checking numbers.
   3. The manager’s changes reduce noise without removing it.
   4. Mia uses different places for different kinds of work.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The manager’s changes reduce noise without removing it.; Mia uses different places for different kinds of work.

   Mia says the new rules have reduced noise but have not removed it. She also explains that she chooses the office for company and movement and home for work requiring silence.

   These rules have reduced the noise, but they have not removed it

   the shared office helps me finish short tasks faster, but home is better when I need silence

   Quiet hours stop all noise.: Incorrect: the passage says the noise is reduced, not removed.

   Mia prefers the office for long reports and checking numbers.: Mia prefers working at home for these tasks, although she uses the office for other work.

   The manager’s changes reduce noise without removing it.: Correct: the text says the rules reduced the noise, not removed it.

   Mia uses different places for different kinds of work.: Correct: the passage says she uses the office for some tasks and home for others.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.