Technology is an integral and often indispensable part of our lives. However, it can also be an intrusive part, especially where the workplace is concerned. Many employers and bosses contact employees outside of working hours. This means staff can never entirely switch off from work. The government in Portugal has taken steps to limit this incursion into the lives of workers. It has introduced a law that prohibits employers and bosses from contacting workers by email, message or phone outside of working hours. The law applies to companies with more than 10 employees. It states that any violation constitutes a “serious offense” and could result in financial penalties.
What examples of small interruptions during our days-off did the speaker provide?
What was the result of the researchers’ study of the recruited parents who were asked to visit a science museum with their kids?
What was the result of another study of the tourists who were asked to have their phones out while visiting an iconic church?
What are the usual causes of some companies losing 32 days of productivity each year?
According to the speaker, what is the first step to remake and create a new culture that respects time?
What are the worries the speaker immediately had in her mind when she heard the word “rest”?
What one strategy did the speaker mention in spending our weekend?
Instead of saying “I’m out of the office. Feel free to Slack me whenever,”, what alternative statement should we say to create clear boundaries as quoted by the speaker?
To uphold the workers’ personal goals of maintaining a work-life balance, how should everyone work together as a team?
Why shouldn’t an employee worry too much about reputation based on the speaker’s point of view?
Part 2 (Express Yourself Questions):
Do you usually have the enthusiasm to do something fun before/after work?
Do you ever work from home on your days off?
Do you always use all of your vacation days each year?
Which has a bigger priority for you, your personal life or your work?
How do you feel about working overtime?
Are you satisfied and happy with your job?
Do you think many people are happy at work?
Do you agree that salary is the most important factor in work satisfaction? Please explain your answer.
What do you like most about your work, besides your income?
Which of the following things would have a big or minimal impact on your work performance? (Praise, Commission, Good colleagues, A hard-working boss, Working for a company with a good reputation, Promotion opportunities)
Everyone knows that going to bed early is good for our health. Scientists say they have found the healthiest time to go to bed. Researchers from the U.K. Biobank say a bedtime of between 10pm and 11pm is best. They say people who sleep between these times have a lower risk of heart disease. Six years ago, the researchers collected data on the sleep patterns of 80,000 volunteers. The volunteers had to wear a special watch for seven days so the researchers could collect data on their sleeping and waking times. The scientists then monitored the health of the volunteers. Around 3,000 volunteers developed heart problems. They went to bed earlier or later than the “healthy” 10pm to 11pm timeframe.
The man expresses his opinion about the students having to pay for the health club. State his opinion, and explain the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.
Question 2 攻略
それでは、解答法を順を追って解説していきます
▮ リーディング
リーディングの内容は大学が新しい運動器具を導入したとか、
大学が新しい入学システムを開始したとか、なんらかの
「キャンパスでの変化」についてです。
そしてそれに対して2つの理由があります。
Read a short passage about a campus situation.
Health Club Fees
The university plans to charge a membership fee at its health club starting in January. The fee for using the facilities will be $20 per student. The university has made this decision in light of the deteriorating condition of the equipment and the poor state of the health club itself. Renovations will be made during the Christmas break. All fees will go toward the costs of renovation and the purchase of new equipment.
メモ取り Question 2 リーディング
リーディングの以下の要点をメモします。
・キャンパスでの変化
・変化の理由1
・変化の理由2
▮ リスニング
リスニングでは、リーディングの内容に関する男女の学生の会話で、
片方の学生がそれについて賛成か反対かを述べ、その理由を2つ挙げます。
Listen to a conversation about the same topic.
● スクリプト
W : Hey, Pete are you going to join the health club after Christmas?
M : If it were free, sure. But since it’s not, I guess I’m not.
W : It’s only twenty bucks.
M : Twenty bucks Is a lot of money to some people, Sue. These renovations and new equipment should be paid by the university.、We pay enough here already. They charge us for everything books, lab fees, photocopying, and late fees at the library. It’s too much.
W : Yeah, I guess so, but the health club really needs this. It’s in bad shape, and the equipment is ancient.
M : You know most of that equipment is less than two years old? I talked to a guy in the Athletic Department, and he said it was the football coach and team that pushed for the renovations. And they don’t have to pay since they are on a sports team.
W: No, that can’t be true. They won’t make us pay and have some others use it for free.
M: You’ll see. Wait until January. It’s not fair. If we pay. they-should pay also.
メモ取り Question 2 リスニング
内容は必ず1人の学生の意見と理由2つなので、これらの要点をメモします。
・学生の意見
・学生の理由1
・学生の理由2
▮ 質問と回答例
Question
The man expresses his opinion about the students having to pay for the health club. State his opinion, and explain the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.
Sample Response （回答例）
学生の意見 + 2つの理由 を述べます。
The man is not pleased that the students have to pay for admission to the school’s health club. (← Option) Even though the fee is small, he thinks it is a lot of money for him to
spend. Plus, he states that he doesn’t like the fact that the students have to pay
for things like books, late fees, and lab fees in addition to their tuition.
He feels that the school is charging them enough for lots of different things already. (←Reason 1) Finally, he believes that it is very unfair that members of the student body have to pay but members of the school’s sports teams do not,( ← Reason 2) especially because the football team and coach were the ones who wanted to have the changes made.
Many countries at the COP26 climate change conference are making promises to help Earth. They have signed agreements to end deforestation and cut methane emission levels by 30 per cent by 2030. Bosses of global companies are also at COP26. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, made a speech on Tuesday. He promised to give $2 billion to help nature. He said the money would restore landscapes to their more natural state. He also wants to transform food systems to make food production more sustainable. Mr Bezos also set up The Bezos Earth Fund in 2020. This is a $10-billion project to help fight climate change. In September, this fund gave $1 billion to help threatened indigenous peoples.
