Too Close for Comfort? (1)

A look at the modern open office

Visit a medium- or large-sized company these days, and you're likely to find the staff members sharing a large, open space. Instead of having private offices with doors and walls, most workers sit in cubicles that are only partially enclosed. Whenever workers talk on the phone, their colleagues nearby can't simply shut their doors. In fact, sometimes they can't help but overhear everything that's said. At times, the best way to focus in this type of office is to reach for one's headphones and listen to music.

How did we get here?
The open office concept is not new; it was created by a team of consultants from Hamburg, Germany, in the 1950s. Called the office landscape plan, the concept was created with a good intention - to facilitate communication and the transfer of ideas. The design also encouraged managers and their teams to work near each other, making it easier for managers to supervise projects. Now, the open office concept is often used as a excuse for companies to save money on construction costs, regardless of the effect on productivity.


Grammar Gym
In fact, sometimes they can't help but overhear everything that's said.
can't help but [verb] : someone has no way to avoid something
- Danny says he's busy, but I can't help but think he just doesn't want to go out with us.
- With the store having such a huge sale, Evelyn can't help but go in and buy stuff.


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Personal Space
1. public zone
2. social zone
3. friend zone
4. intimate zone


Language Lab
cubicle n. 方形的小隔間
a small part of a room that is separated from the rest of the room:
- Nathan put a small fish tank in his cubicle to make it homier.
- The little girl accidentally locked herself in a cubicle in the restroom.

colleague n. 同事, 同領域及階級, 階層的
someone you work with, used especially by professional people:
- Claire was my colleague for two years when I was in Texas.
coworker n. 共事的人, 領域及職位可能不同
a person who works at the place where you work : someone you work with

facilitate v. 增長, 促進, 幫助
to make it easier for a process or activity to happen:
- A structured routine can facilitate learning, even for very young children.
- The new tax policy hopefully will facilitate economic growth.

productivity n. 生產力
the rate at which goods are produced, and the amount produced, especially in relation to the work, time, and money needed to produce them
- The productivity of this business sector improved by 3 percent last quarter.
produce v. 生產
to cause a particular result or effect
- The field produces corn and cauliflower.


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