IELTS Reading — Test 46 · Passage 3: Do Open-Plan Offices Work? | ProPrep

📖 IELTS Academic Reading — Test 46, Passage 3: Do Open-Plan Offices Work?. ⏱ You have 20 minutes. Read the passage on screen and answer the questions below, then check the ANSWER KEY at the end of the video. — QUESTIONS — Questions 27–31 Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. 27. What is the main question raised in the first paragraph? A. Why open-plan offices are so cheap to build. B. Whether open-plan offices actually help people work well. C. How many employees a company should hire. D. When the open-plan office was first invented. 28. According to the passage, one argument in favour of open-plan offices is that they A. are more attractive to look at. B. allow more employees to fit into the same space. C. are quieter than enclosed offices. D. are healthier for workers. 29. What did some studies find when employees moved into open-plan offices? A. They talked to each other in person more often. B. They communicated in person less and used email more. C. They became more productive immediately. D. They stopped using email altogether. 30. According to the passage, why is noise a particular problem in open-plan offices? A. It makes the office look untidy. B. It disturbs tasks that need sustained concentration. C. It prevents companies from saving money. D. It only affects a small number of workers. 31. What does the writer suggest about returning to separate closed offices? A. It is clearly the best solution. B. It has no disadvantages at all. C. It brings its own problems, such as cost and isolation. D. It is illegal in most countries. Questions 32–36 Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3? Write YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer, NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer, NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this. 32. Open-plan offices have become the standard design in many parts of the world. 33. The evidence proves that open-plan offices always increase face-to-face conversation. 34. No single office arrangement is suitable for every kind of work. 35. Private closed offices are the cheapest option available to companies. 36. Offering a variety of different spaces may help workers choose what suits their task. Questions 37–40 Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. THE OPEN-PLAN OFFICE DEBATE Supporters of open-plan offices argue that they save money and encourage 37 _______ between colleagues. However, some studies found that face-to-face contact actually fell, while the most common complaint concerns 38 ________, which disturbs tasks requiring concentration. There is also evidence that such offices may raise 39 _______ and lead to more days off sick. Many designers now argue for 40 ________, offering both open areas and quiet spaces so that workers can choose what suits the task. 👉 Comment your answers! ✅ Answer key at the end of the video. 🎯 Want all mock tests (IELTS + TOEFL) with human correction and a study plan? Sign up for ProPrep → proprep.app #IELTS #IELTSReading #readingpractice #studyabroad #ProPrep