Organizing Your Desk & Telecommuting - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Barrons IELTS Practice Exams General Training Reading Test 5 · Part 2 · Questions 15–27
Reading Passage
Read the text below and answer Questions 15-20.
Organizing Your Desk
Follow these easy steps to a clutter-free desk:
A
The best way to begin is with a clean slate. Remove everything from the top of the desk—office supplies, documents, computer, printer—everything. Then move on to the drawers. Take out everything, then wipe down all surfaces with a damp cloth. Now all is clean and you are ready to start anew.
B
Next, take all those supplies and materials and sort through them. Group similar items together. For example, you might have a pile for small supplies such as paper clips and rubber bands, one for filing materials such as folders and labels, one for paperwork pertaining to current projects and another for paperwork to be filed, and so on. Group the items in a way that makes sense to you and the way you work.
C
Now, create an appropriate place for each group of items. A few items can be kept on the desktop, such as a pencil holder or a mail tray, but try to keep the desktop as clear as possible. Office supply stores sell a variety of trays, boxes, and other containers that are handy for storing everything from paper clips to large documents. They will help you keep both the drawers and the desktop organized.
D
Now you have completed the most important steps. Everything on your desk is organized. How will you keep it that way? The best way is to follow a routine. After you have finished using the paper clips or the scissors, put them back in their place. As soon as mail arrives on your desk, attend to it instead of letting it pile up. By developing regular practices like these, you will find it much easier to keep your desk organized.
E
Even when you have become accustomed to the routine of putting everything back in its place after use, you may still find that over time the organization starts to break down. This is why it is a good idea to develop a schedule. If you spend a short while reorganizing your desk at the end of every week or every month, you can keep the clutter from becoming overwhelming.
F
It is worth the small amount of time and effort it takes to keep your desk organized. Why? Psychologists tell us that an organized work space leads to more efficient and productive work.
______________
Read the text below and answer Questions 21-27.
Telecommuting
Telecommuting, defined as working from home at least part of the time, is an increasingly common way to work. It has many benefits for employees. The fact that a telecommuter does not have to spend time each day traveling to and from work is one obvious advantage. Working from home can mean significant savings in time and money that was formerly spent on daily travel. The telecommuter no longer has to spend part of his or her salary just to get to work in order to earn that salary. Not having to deal with traffic, bus schedules, or other logistics of travel also saves the telecommuter a good deal of unnecessary stress. As a result, the telecommuter can approach work with more energy and more positive feelings. There can also be a similar positive effect on the telecommuter's personal life, as there will be more energy and time left to devote to family.
Telecommuting is not for everyone. It works best for people who are able to manage their own time and work independently. Unfortunately, even the most independent worker can start to feel isolated over time. This can be managed, however, by creating a schedule that balances work hours spent at home with work hours spent at the office. Many telecommuters, for example, go into the office periodically in order to attend staff meetings or work with colleagues. Another issue many telecommuters face is the distractions of home life. It can be hard to concentrate on work when family members are demanding attention. Therefore, it is important for telecommuters to establish a work plan that is satisfactory to all members of the family. In addition, some telecommuters find that spending their workday at home results in higher costs for electricity and heating. They may also have new expenses, such as paying for an Internet connection, that they did not have before.
Questions
Questions 15–20 Matching Headings
The following reading passage has six sections, A-F. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below. There are more headings than sections, so you will not use them all.
i. Find Places for Everything
ii. Organize Your Mail
iii. Empty Your Desk
iv. Follow a Schedule
v. Maintain Your Files
vi. Why Is it Important?
vii. Categorize Supplies and Papers
viii. Make It a Habit
Questions 21–24 Four Choices
Choose FOUR letters, A-G.
Questions 25–27 Three Choices
Choose THREE letters, A-E.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q15 | iii | Remove everything from the top of the desk—office supplies, documents, computer, printer—everything | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that you must take away all items from the desk surface, including supplies, papers, and machines. Answer Explanation: The answer 'iii' means section A is about taking all items off and out of your desk so it is completely empty. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'iii' ('Empty Your Desk') because Section A instructs you to start by taking away every single thing from both the top of the desk and inside the drawers. Phrases like 'Remove everything' and 'Take out everything' directly mean to empty your desk. |
| Q16 | vii | Group similar items together. For example, you might have a pile for small supplies such as paper clips and rubber bands, one for filing materials such as folders and labels, one for paperwork pertaining to current projects and another for paperwork to be filed, and so on | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells you to put things that are alike together in groups, such as small office tools, folders, and different types of paper files. Answer Explanation: The answer choice 'vii' means to divide materials and documents into different groups. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is vii because Section B describes how to sort supplies and materials into separate piles based on what they are used for. The text mentions putting similar items together, such as small items like paper clips in one pile, filing folders in another, and project documents in another. This matches heading vii, 'Categorize Supplies and Papers'. |
| Q17 | i | Now, create an appropriate place for each group of items | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage instructs you to set up a specific spot to hold every group of things on your desk. Answer Explanation: The answer heading 'i' means to choose a specific location or spot to put each item. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'i' because Section C tells the reader to make a specific spot for every set of things. The phrase 'create an appropriate place for each group of items' matches heading i, 'Find Places for Everything'. |
| Q18 | viii | The best way is to follow a routine | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that the best method to keep your desk tidy is to do actions regularly as part of a set daily pattern. Answer Explanation: The answer "viii" means that heading viii, "Make It a Habit", is the correct title for Section D. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is viii because Section D explains how to keep your desk clean by doing things repeatedly until they become automatic actions. The text mentions following a "routine" and developing "regular practices", which means making clean desk habits. |
| Q19 | iv | This is why it is a good idea to develop a schedule | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that creating a schedule is a helpful way to keep your workspace clean and organized over time. Answer Explanation: The answer "iv" means to set up and use a fixed plan or timetable (Follow a Schedule). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is iv because Section E explains that even if you try to put things away, your desk can get messy again over time. To prevent this, the text advises creating a plan with fixed times, explicitly stating that it is a good idea to "develop a schedule" to clean your desk regularly at the end of each week or month. |
| Q20 | vi | It is worth the small amount of time and effort it takes to keep your desk organized. Why? Psychologists tell us that an organized work space leads to more efficient and productive work | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage asks why taking time to organize your desk matters, and answers that having a clean work area helps you work better and get more done. Answer Explanation: The answer choice 'vi' means the best title for Section F is 'Why Is it Important?'. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is heading vi because Section F explains why it is useful to keep your desk neat. The section directly asks 'Why?' and explains that keeping your work space organized leads to better, faster, and more productive work. |
| Q21 | — | — | |
| Q22 | — | — | |
| Q23 | — | — | |
| Q24 | A / D / E / G | Working from home can mean significant savings in time and money that was formerly spent on daily travel. The telecommuter no longer has to spend part of his or her salary just to get to work in order to earn that salary. Not having to deal with traffic, bus schedules, or other logistics of travel also saves the telecommuter a good deal of unnecessary stress. As a result, the telecommuter can approach work with more energy and more positive feelings. There can also be a similar positive effect on the telecommuter's personal life, as there will be more energy and time left to devote to family | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains four clear benefits of telecommuting: saving money previously spent on travel, suffering less stress from travel logistics, feeling more positive and energetic about job tasks, and having extra time and energy to give to family members. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies four advantages of working from home (telecommuting): spending less money on travel (A), having more time for family (D), living with less stress and feeling more relaxed (E), and having a better mindset towards work (G). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer includes options A, D, E, and G because the text directly mentions all four of these benefits: 1. Reduced travel expenses (Option A): The text mentions "savings in time and money that was formerly spent on daily travel." 2. More time to spend with the family (Option D): The text states there will be "more energy and time left to devote to family." 3. A more relaxed life (Option E): The text states that avoiding travel hassles "saves the telecommuter a good deal of unnecessary stress." 4. An improved attitude toward work (Option G): The text explains that workers can start work "with more energy and more positive feelings." |
| Q25 | — | — | |
| Q26 | — | — | |
| Q27 | A / C / E | Unfortunately, even the most independent worker can start to feel isolated over time Another issue many telecommuters face is the distractions of home life In addition, some telecommuters find that spending their workday at home results in higher costs for electricity and heating |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains three bad sides of working from home: workers might feel lonely (isolated) after a while, family life can disturb (distract) their work, and they have to pay more money for utilities like power and heat. Answer Explanation: The answer choices A, C, and E mean that working from home can make someone feel lonely, cause work to be interrupted, and create higher home costs. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer consists of A, C, and E because the passage specifically mentions these three problems with telecommuting: 1) People can feel 'isolated' (which means 'feeling lonely'). 2) Workers face 'distractions' from family (which means 'interruptions of work'). 3) Workers have 'higher costs for electricity and heating' and new payments (which means 'more expenses at home'). Options B and D are not mentioned as disadvantages in the text. |