EigoPro 2級読解 — The Rise of Remote Work

The Rise of Remote Work Ten years ago, most people travelled to an office every weekday morning. Today, millions of employees around the world do at least part of their job from home. This change, which had been growing slowly for years, suddenly accelerated when a global health crisis forced companies to close their offices almost overnight. What began as a temporary emergency measure has now become a permanent feature of modern working life. Supporters of remote work point to several clear benefits. Employees save both the time and the money they once spent commuting, and many report that they can concentrate better away from a noisy office. Companies, meanwhile, can reduce the cost of renting large buildings, and they are no longer limited to hiring people who live nearby. A firm in Tokyo can now employ a talented designer in another country without either side leaving home. However, the shift is not without its problems. Some workers say that they feel isolated and find it difficult to separate their professional and private lives when both happen in the same room. Managers worry that it is harder to build trust and share ideas when colleagues rarely meet face to face. New employees, in particular, may struggle to learn the unwritten rules of a company that they have never visited in person. Most experts now believe that the future lies not in choosing between the office and the home, but in combining them. Under this "hybrid" model, staff spend some days working remotely and others together in a shared space. The challenge for companies is to design a system that keeps the flexibility workers value while preserving the sense of community that an office can provide.

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この単元の問題を3問、解説つきで公開しています

2級 · 読解 · 全5問

問 1

What is the passage mainly about?

A report about one designer who lives in Tokyo.
A warning that remote work will soon completely disappear.
How working from home changed from a temporary measure into a lasting part of work.
A guide explaining how to set up a home office cheaply.

Phrase

What began as a temporary emergency measure has now become a permanent feature

一時的措置が恒久的特徴に

2級読解ニュース記事主旨

⚡ひとことで

記事全体は「在宅勤務が一時的な緊急対応から恒久的な働き方へ変化した」ことを論じる。主旨は冒頭と結論に。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「How working from home changed from a temporary measure into a lasting part of work.」

正解

第1段落 "What began as a temporary emergency measure has now become a permanent feature of modern working life" が記事の主旨。begin as ~ = 「〜として始まる」、become a permanent feature = 「恒久的な特徴になる」。記事は在宅勤務の定着とその利点・課題・将来 (hybrid) を論じる。

「A practical guide explaining how to set up a home office as cheaply as possible.」
= 在宅オフィスの作り方の手引き ━ 手順の説明ではなく働き方の変化の論説。
「A warning that remote working will soon completely disappear from offices.」
= 在宅勤務がまもなく消えるという警告 ━ 本文 "permanent feature" "future" と矛盾、消滅とは逆。
「A report about one single graphic designer who lives and works in Tokyo.」
= 東京在住の一人のデザイナーの報告 ━ designer は例示の一つ、記事全体の主旨ではない。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
begin as ~	〜として始まる	began as a temporary measure
become a feature of ~	〜の特徴になる	a permanent feature of work
work from home	在宅勤務する	do their job from home
force + 人 + to V	(人)に〜を強いる	forced companies to close
a global health crisis	世界的な健康危機	a global health crisis

❝例文

Many employees now work from home.
今や多くの従業員が在宅勤務する。
It began as a temporary measure.
それは一時的措置として始まった。
It has become a permanent feature.
それは恒久的な特徴になった。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則
第1段落末の "What began as A has become B" が記事の主旨を凝縮
温度差に注意
誤答は『手引き』『消滅の警告』など記事の論調 (中立的な変化の分析) とずれる。本文の語 (temporary → permanent) を言い換えた選択肢が正解

問 2

According to the passage, what is one benefit of remote work for employees?

Employees can only be hired if they live very nearby.
Workers save commuting time and money and can often concentrate better.
Companies must rent larger and more expensive buildings.
Workers are paid much more money for staying at home.

Phrase

save the time and money they once spent commuting, concentrate better

通勤の時間と金を節約、集中できる

2級読解ニュース記事詳細 (利点)

⚡ひとことで

第2段落は在宅勤務の利点を列挙。従業員は通勤の時間と金を節約し、より集中できると述べる。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Workers save commuting time and money and can often concentrate better.」

正解

第2段落 "Employees save both the time and the money they once spent commuting, and many report that they can concentrate better away from a noisy office" より、従業員側の利点 = 通勤の時間・金の節約 + 集中力向上。spend + 時間/金 + on/V-ing = 「〜に費やす」、away from ~ = 「〜から離れて」。

「Workers are paid a great deal more money for staying at home.」
= 在宅で給料が大幅増 ━ 給料増の記述なし、節約は通勤費。
「Companies must rent larger and much more expensive office buildings.」
= より大きく高価な建物を借りる必要 ━ 本文 "reduce the cost of renting" と逆。
「Employees can only be hired if they live very near to the office.」
= 近くに住む人しか雇えない ━ 本文 "no longer limited to hiring people who live nearby" と逆。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
spend + 金/時間 + on	〜に費やす	money they spent commuting
save time and money	時間と金を節約	save time and money
concentrate on ~	〜に集中する	concentrate better
reduce the cost of ~	〜の費用を減らす	reduce the cost of renting
no longer ~	もはや〜ない	no longer limited to

❝例文

Remote workers save commuting time.
在宅勤務者は通勤時間を節約する。
They can concentrate away from a noisy office.
騒がしいオフィスから離れて集中できる。
Companies reduce the cost of renting offices.
企業はオフィス賃料を減らせる。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

利点設問の鉄則 ―― "point to several clear benefits" 直後の列挙が答えの宝庫。誤答は本文の逆 (rent larger / live nearby の否定形を肯定にすり替え) で誘導。save time and money "reduce the cost of" の言い換えに注意。

問 3

What problem with remote work does the passage describe?

Some people feel isolated, and trust is harder to build with little face-to-face contact.
Managers say trust is easier to build from a distance.
Workers find it too easy to separate work and private life.
New employees quickly learn every rule of the company.

Phrase

feel isolated, hard to build trust when colleagues rarely meet

孤立、めったに会わず信頼構築が困難

2級読解ニュース記事詳細 (課題)

⚡ひとことで

第3段落は在宅勤務の問題点を述べる。労働者は孤立を感じ、管理者は対面が少ないと信頼構築が難しいと懸念。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Some people feel isolated, and trust is harder to build with little face-to-face contact.」

正解

第3段落 "Some workers say that they feel isolated" と "it is harder to build trust and share ideas when colleagues rarely meet face to face" より、課題 = 孤立感 + 対面不足による信頼構築の困難。feel isolated = 「孤立を感じる」、face to face = 「対面で」、rarely = 「めったに〜ない」。

「Workers find it far too easy to separate their work from their private life.」
= 仕事と私生活を分けるのが簡単すぎる ━ 本文 "difficult to separate" と逆。
「New employees quickly learn every one of the company's unwritten rules alone.」
= 新入社員がすぐ全規則を習得 ━ 本文 "may struggle to learn the unwritten rules" と逆。
「Managers say that trust is far easier to build from a distance than in person.」
= 遠隔の方が信頼構築が容易 ━ 本文 "harder to build trust" と逆。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
feel isolated	孤立を感じる	they feel isolated
separate A from B	AをBと分ける	separate professional and private lives
build trust	信頼を築く	harder to build trust
face to face	対面で	meet face to face
struggle to V	〜するのに苦労する	struggle to learn the rules

❝例文

Some remote workers feel isolated.
在宅勤務者の中には孤立を感じる人もいる。
It is harder to build trust online.
オンラインでは信頼構築が難しい。
New staff struggle to learn unwritten rules.
新人は暗黙のルールの習得に苦労する。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

課題設問の鉄則 ―― "not without its problems" "worry that" の後が問題点。誤答は本文の難しい点を『簡単』にひっくり返す逆転誘導 (difficult→easy, harder→easier)。struggle to V "have trouble V-ing" は課題表現の定番。

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EigoPro 2級 読解 — The Rise of Remote Work

この単元の問題を3問、解説つきで公開しています

What began as a temporary emergency measure has now become a permanent feature

save the time and money they once spent commuting, concentrate better

feel isolated, hard to build trust when colleagues rarely meet

EigoPro 2級読解 — The Rise of Remote Work