The concept of working away from a central office is not a modern phenomenon. During the pre-industrial era, many tradespeople operated out...

The concept of working away from a central office is not a modern phenomenon. During the pre-industrial era, many tradespeople operated out of "home workshops," where domestic life and professional duties (18) __________. As far back as the Middle Ages, merchants and artisans conducted business in the same buildings where they resided to maximize efficiency and minimize the risks of transporting goods. In most subsequent centuries, however, the Industrial Revolution compelled workers to congregate in massive factories and, later, high-rise office buildings, (19) __________.

The modern remote work revolution emerged in the late 20th century, when the advent of personal computing and the internet expanded rapidly. The necessity of long commutes and the rigid constraints of a fixed office environment (20) __________. Consequently, many progressive firms believed the time was right to experiment with "telecommuting," and technology companies were regarded as the most appropriate starting point. (21) __________, who contended that the lack of physical supervision would deter productivity and weaken corporate culture.

Despite these concerns, recent global shifts have revealed some striking findings. In digital-first sectors, employee satisfaction rose markedly, (22) __________. With the introduction of flexible arrangements, many organizations, particularly those in software development and creative services, experienced significant productivity gains. However, sectors relying on physical presence, such as manufacturing and hospitality, often saw a struggle to adapt and were compelled to rethink their operational models, where traditional management styles were no longer sufficient.

Question 18:

A. were closely intertwined, with the boundary between home and work often blurred

B. were so blurred that the boundary between household life and labour intertwined

C. intertwined so closely, they left the boundary between labor and leisure unclear

D. blurred the boundary, with household life and productive work remaining intertwined

Question 19: 

A. making the separation of home and work a defining feature of the industrial age

B. with home and work in the industrial age becoming more clearly separating

C. so that the separation between home and working became a defining feature of the era

D. a shift that in the industrial age made home and work more distinctly separated

Question 20: 

A. turned professional life into a tedious and potentially draining experience

B. making work feel increasingly tedious and emotionally draining for many

C. with professional life becoming more tedious and potentially exhausting

D. so that work increasingly felt tedious, draining, and harder to sustain

Question 21: 

A. Not all senior executives, however, initially encountered any resistance

B. Support for the idea, meanwhile, spread rapidly among senior executives

C. Initially, however, the idea encountered resistance from senior executives

D. The resistance, however, was initially encountered even by senior executives

Question 22: 

A. whereas firms in Silicon Valley were reported to increase substantial output

B. while firms in Silicon Valley reported substantial increases in output

C. since there was a substantial increase in output reported by Silicon Valley firms

D. so reports about Silicon Valley firms substantially increased output