offices are open concept—and by most accounts, very few have moved back into traditional spaces with offices and doors. But research findings that we’re 15% less productive, we have immense trouble concentrating and we’re twice as likely to get sick in open working spaces, have contributed to a growingreaction against open offices.There’s one big reason we’d all love a space with four walls and a door that shuts: focus. The truth is,we can’t multitask and small distractions can cause us to lose focus for upwards of 20 minutes. What’s more, certain open spaces can negatively impact our memory. It’s not so obvious to us each day, but we offload memories—often little details—into our surroundings, says Sally Augustin, an environmental psychologist in La Grange Park, Illinois.Of course, it’s important for us to bond and to get to know each other. But there are plenty of ways to bond in closed offices. Charlie’s team, for instance, eats lunch together every day. A few ideas come out of lunch time chats, he says, but most are developed from more focused brainstorming sessions.1.What did Charlie do in April 2015?A) He started a new branch office.B) He called for building an open office.C) He moved his team into closed offices.D) He moved his company into another city.2.What bad influence do open offices have according to the research?A) People will have less privacy.B) People get tired easily.C) People are 50% less productive.D) People have problems in focusing.3.What does the environmental psychologist Sally Augustin think of working in open spaces?A) It causes the focus loss for 20 minutes.B) It impacts negatively on our memory.C) It distracts us into details in the workplace.D) It leads to the failure of multitasks.4.What do we know about closed office environment according to the passage?A) People don’t have chances to bond if they work in closed offices.B) Working in closed offices is twice as likely for people to get sick.C) Most ideas come out of brainstorming sessions for those in closed offices.D) People are less effective when they are in a closed office environment.

In April 2015, about three years after moving his team into an open concept office, Charlie moved the company into a 10,000-square-foot office where everyone now has their own space—complete with closing doors.Numerous companies have embraced the open office—about 70% of U.S. offices are open concept—and by most accounts, very few have moved back into traditional spaces with offices and doors. But research findings that we’re 15% less productive, we have immense trouble concentrating and we’re twice as likely to get sick in open working spaces, have contributed to a growingreaction against open offices.There’s one big reason we’d all love a space with four walls and a door that shuts: focus. The truth is,we can’t multitask and small distractions can cause us to lose focus for upwards of 20 minutes. What’s more, certain open spaces can negatively impact our memory. It’s not so obvious to us each day, but we offload memories—often little details—into our surroundings, says Sally Augustin, an environmental psychologist in La Grange Park, Illinois.Of course, it’s important for us to bond and to get to know each other. But there are plenty of ways to bond in closed offices. Charlie’s team, for instance, eats lunch together every day. A few ideas come out of lunch time chats, he says, but most are developed from more focused brainstorming sessions.1.What did Charlie do in April 2015?A) He started a new branch office.B) He called for building an open office.C) He moved his team into closed offices.D) He moved his company into another city.2.What bad influence do open offices have according to the research?A) People will have less privacy.B) People get tired easily.C) People are 50% less productive.D) People have problems in focusing.3.What does the environmental psychologist Sally Augustin think of working in open spaces?A) It causes the focus loss for 20 minutes.B) It impacts negatively on our memory.C) It distracts us into details in the workplace.D) It leads to the failure of multitasks.4.What do we know about closed office environment according to the passage?A) People don’t have chances to bond if they work in closed offices.B) Working in closed offices is twice as likely for people to get sick.C) Most ideas come out of brainstorming sessions for those in closed offices.D) People are less effective when they are in a closed office environment.