【题目】 As anyone who freelances (做自由职业) knows，there are lots of advantages of working at home alone. But there are drawbacks too，like the potential loneliness. No wonder coworking spaces are becoming so popular：they permit selfemployed individuals to feel like they are part of all office environment，while making them get some work done too. But renting a coworking space does cost money.
Now a Swedish project is aiming to change that by turning people’s underused homes into temporary coworking spaces，available to freelancers for free. Hoffice was started by freelancers Christofer Gradin Franzen and Johline Zandra about a year ago in Stockholm when they invited a few people into their home office to work together. It was a great success，and the project has since spread to a number of cities in Europe，North and South America，Australia，India and Japan. Anyone can sign up and offer their home space as a free coworking space，or go to find a Hoffice near them.
On a Hoffice day，everyone arrives and starts work at a certain hour. After 45 minutes，everyone gets up to take a break，stretch，do qigong or yoga for 10 to 15 minutes. Afterwards，people can gather around again，and restate their intentions and goals for the rest of the work day，as a way to motivate each other. Meals can be eaten together at a certain hour，potluckstyle (家常饭) or by bringing your own lunch.
This process creates an encouraging and supportive work environment. As some freelancers describe，“By working at Hoffice，we give ourselves and each other the gift to spend our days in a social working environment，where we are extremely productive without ignoring our other human needs. We also make sure to give us and each other what we need to feel calm，happy，inspired and creative during the working day.”
So Hoffice is not just about sharing space；it’s also about a free exchange of ideas. And perhaps the best thing is that Hoffices are free to use.
【1】What does the underlined word “drawbacks” in paragraph 1 probably mean?
A.mistakesB.disadvantages
C.difficultiesD.burdens
【2】What do we know about Hoffice according to the text?
A.It is becoming increasingly popular.
B.It has been around for quite a few years.
C.It has created many new job opportunities.
D.It is suitable for people from all walks of life.
【3】What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.How people respond to Hoffice.
B.How a Hoffice day works.
C.What people share at Hoffice.
D.What Hoffice means to people.
【4】Some freelancers’ descriptions of Hoffice suggest that they .
A.benefit a lot from the working style
B.work longer than before
C.expect more people to join them
D.can’t be separated from each other
在线课程【答案】
【1】B
【2】A
【3】B
【4】A
【解析】
本文是说明文,介绍了一种新兴的工作方式，利用家庭空未使用的空间作为临时的共同工作空间。在这里人们不仅仅分享空间，也可以自由交流思想。
【1】词义猜测题。此题是根据逻辑关系来猜测词义。上一句是there are lots of advantages…，but表示转折，因此drawbacks和advantages是反义词，意为“不利之处”。故选B 项。
【2】细节理解题。根据第二段“It was a great success，and the project has since spread to a number of cities”可知，共同工作空间越来越受人欢迎。故选A项。
【3】主旨大意题。文章第3段是描述共同工作空间的工作和休息时间的安排，因此该段是介绍共同工作空间是如何运行的。故选B项。
【4】推理判断题。根据第4段中自由职业者关于共同工作空间的描述“…to feel calm，happy，inspired and creative during the working day”可知，自由职业者认为共同工作空间让他们感到平静、快乐、灵感和创造力。他们从这种工作方式中受益多多。故选A项。
阅读理解中猜测词义方法之一 根据转折或对比关系进行猜测
在一个句子或段落中，有对两个事物或现象进行对比性的描述，我们可以根据句意的对比、转折关系猜测词义。表示对比关系的词和短语主要有：unlike, not…but, however, despite, in spite of, in contrast , otherwise , while 等。另外，分号也可以表示转折、对比或不相干的意义。
如：（1）A child's birthday party doesn't have to be a hassle ; it can be a basket of fun.
从分号前后两句的意思可以看出，hassle和a basket of fun是相反的意义，因此推测hassle的意思是“困难，麻烦”。
（2）The players in the World Cup are professionals, while those who play in the Olympics must be amateurs.
转折词“while”意思为“而， 然而”，引导的两个分句前后意义相反，因此可推测amateurs是professionals(专业人士)的反义词，意思为“业余人士，业余选手”。
（3）Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development.
画线词的前句说明“在黄石公园和美洲大部分地区曾有许多的灰狼”，连词but转折了句子意义，“但是后来由于人类的发展，灰狼数量逐渐减少，几乎消失”，因此可推断displaced意思为“被迫离开”。
如本题第1小题，上一句是there are lots of advantages…，but表示句意转折，因此drawbacks和advantages是反义词，意为“不利之处”。