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Analysing structure
10th grade (Year 11 in England) · 16 questions · Common Core: RL.9-10.5, RI.9-10.5 · England: GCSE English Language Paper 1 Q3, SAT Reading and Writing (Text Structure and Purpose)
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The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls
In recent years, a growing number of companies have experimented with a four-day working week, in which employees work about 80 per cent of their usual hours for 100 per cent of their pay, on the condition that they maintain their output. Supporters argue that the model could transform working life. Critics warn that its benefits may be exaggerated.
The most widely reported trials have produced striking results. In one large study involving several dozen organisations, most companies chose to continue the four-day week after the trial ended. Employees reported less stress, better sleep and fewer days off sick, while company revenue remained broadly stable. For businesses struggling to recruit, the promise of an extra day off can be a powerful attraction.
Yet these findings come with important caveats. Companies that volunteer for such trials may already be enthusiastic about flexible working and well suited to it. Their success may not be representative of all workplaces. Moreover, many of the participating organisations were offices or creative businesses, where output is relatively easy to reorganise. In hospitals, schools or factories, where staff must be present to deliver a service, reducing hours without hiring more people may simply be impossible.
There are also questions about what happens in the long term. Early enthusiasm can fade, and the pressure to fit five days of work into four may eventually lead to longer, more intense working days, cancelling out the benefits to wellbeing.
None of this means the idea should be dismissed. It does suggest that the four-day week is less a universal solution than a tool that may suit some sectors far better than others. The challenge for policymakers is to learn from the trials without assuming that what worked for a marketing agency will work for an emergency ward.
Question 1
Read "The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls". How is the text as a whole organised?
- A. It presents benefits, then limitations, then a balanced conclusion.
- B. It compares two countries' laws.
- C. It argues only against the four-day week.
- D. It tells the story of one company in time order.
Question 2
An article opens with the story of one family who lost their home in a flood, then broadens to national flood statistics, and ends with proposed solutions. Why might the writer begin with one family's story?
- A. to confuse the reader
- B. to engage the reader emotionally before presenting wider facts
- C. to avoid giving any facts
- D. to show floods are rare
The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls
In recent years, a growing number of companies have experimented with a four-day working week, in which employees work about 80 per cent of their usual hours for 100 per cent of their pay, on the condition that they maintain their output. Supporters argue that the model could transform working life. Critics warn that its benefits may be exaggerated.
The most widely reported trials have produced striking results. In one large study involving several dozen organisations, most companies chose to continue the four-day week after the trial ended. Employees reported less stress, better sleep and fewer days off sick, while company revenue remained broadly stable. For businesses struggling to recruit, the promise of an extra day off can be a powerful attraction.
Yet these findings come with important caveats. Companies that volunteer for such trials may already be enthusiastic about flexible working and well suited to it. Their success may not be representative of all workplaces. Moreover, many of the participating organisations were offices or creative businesses, where output is relatively easy to reorganise. In hospitals, schools or factories, where staff must be present to deliver a service, reducing hours without hiring more people may simply be impossible.
There are also questions about what happens in the long term. Early enthusiasm can fade, and the pressure to fit five days of work into four may eventually lead to longer, more intense working days, cancelling out the benefits to wellbeing.
None of this means the idea should be dismissed. It does suggest that the four-day week is less a universal solution than a tool that may suit some sectors far better than others. The challenge for policymakers is to learn from the trials without assuming that what worked for a marketing agency will work for an emergency ward.
Question 3
Read "The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls". How is the text as a whole organised?
- A. It argues only against the four-day week.
- B. It presents benefits, then limitations, then a balanced conclusion.
- C. It compares two countries' laws.
- D. It tells the story of one company in time order.
Question 4
Paragraph 1 describes a busy, sunny harbour full of tourists. Paragraph 2 suddenly shifts to a single fisherman mending nets alone at night. What is the main structural effect of this shift?
- A. It concludes the story.
- B. It continues the same scene at the same time.
- C. It narrows the focus from a crowd to one person, creating contrast and isolation.
- D. It introduces a list of facts.
The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls
In recent years, a growing number of companies have experimented with a four-day working week, in which employees work about 80 per cent of their usual hours for 100 per cent of their pay, on the condition that they maintain their output. Supporters argue that the model could transform working life. Critics warn that its benefits may be exaggerated.
The most widely reported trials have produced striking results. In one large study involving several dozen organisations, most companies chose to continue the four-day week after the trial ended. Employees reported less stress, better sleep and fewer days off sick, while company revenue remained broadly stable. For businesses struggling to recruit, the promise of an extra day off can be a powerful attraction.
Yet these findings come with important caveats. Companies that volunteer for such trials may already be enthusiastic about flexible working and well suited to it. Their success may not be representative of all workplaces. Moreover, many of the participating organisations were offices or creative businesses, where output is relatively easy to reorganise. In hospitals, schools or factories, where staff must be present to deliver a service, reducing hours without hiring more people may simply be impossible.
There are also questions about what happens in the long term. Early enthusiasm can fade, and the pressure to fit five days of work into four may eventually lead to longer, more intense working days, cancelling out the benefits to wellbeing.
None of this means the idea should be dismissed. It does suggest that the four-day week is less a universal solution than a tool that may suit some sectors far better than others. The challenge for policymakers is to learn from the trials without assuming that what worked for a marketing agency will work for an emergency ward.
Question 5
Read "The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls". How is the text as a whole organised?
- A. It argues only against the four-day week.
- B. It presents benefits, then limitations, then a balanced conclusion.
- C. It tells the story of one company in time order.
- D. It compares two countries' laws.
Question 6
Paragraph 1 describes a busy, sunny harbour full of tourists. Paragraph 2 suddenly shifts to a single fisherman mending nets alone at night. What is the main structural effect of this shift?
- A. It continues the same scene at the same time.
- B. It narrows the focus from a crowd to one person, creating contrast and isolation.
- C. It introduces a list of facts.
- D. It concludes the story.
The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls
In recent years, a growing number of companies have experimented with a four-day working week, in which employees work about 80 per cent of their usual hours for 100 per cent of their pay, on the condition that they maintain their output. Supporters argue that the model could transform working life. Critics warn that its benefits may be exaggerated.
The most widely reported trials have produced striking results. In one large study involving several dozen organisations, most companies chose to continue the four-day week after the trial ended. Employees reported less stress, better sleep and fewer days off sick, while company revenue remained broadly stable. For businesses struggling to recruit, the promise of an extra day off can be a powerful attraction.
Yet these findings come with important caveats. Companies that volunteer for such trials may already be enthusiastic about flexible working and well suited to it. Their success may not be representative of all workplaces. Moreover, many of the participating organisations were offices or creative businesses, where output is relatively easy to reorganise. In hospitals, schools or factories, where staff must be present to deliver a service, reducing hours without hiring more people may simply be impossible.
There are also questions about what happens in the long term. Early enthusiasm can fade, and the pressure to fit five days of work into four may eventually lead to longer, more intense working days, cancelling out the benefits to wellbeing.
None of this means the idea should be dismissed. It does suggest that the four-day week is less a universal solution than a tool that may suit some sectors far better than others. The challenge for policymakers is to learn from the trials without assuming that what worked for a marketing agency will work for an emergency ward.
Question 7
Read "The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls". How is the text as a whole organised?
- A. It presents benefits, then limitations, then a balanced conclusion.
- B. It tells the story of one company in time order.
- C. It argues only against the four-day week.
- D. It compares two countries' laws.
Question 8
A story ends with the same image it began with: an empty swing moving in the wind. What is this structure called, and what is its effect?
- A. a cyclical structure, suggesting that little has changed or that events repeat
- B. a list, giving many examples
- C. a cliffhanger, leaving the reader in suspense
- D. a flashback, explaining the past
The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls
In recent years, a growing number of companies have experimented with a four-day working week, in which employees work about 80 per cent of their usual hours for 100 per cent of their pay, on the condition that they maintain their output. Supporters argue that the model could transform working life. Critics warn that its benefits may be exaggerated.
The most widely reported trials have produced striking results. In one large study involving several dozen organisations, most companies chose to continue the four-day week after the trial ended. Employees reported less stress, better sleep and fewer days off sick, while company revenue remained broadly stable. For businesses struggling to recruit, the promise of an extra day off can be a powerful attraction.
Yet these findings come with important caveats. Companies that volunteer for such trials may already be enthusiastic about flexible working and well suited to it. Their success may not be representative of all workplaces. Moreover, many of the participating organisations were offices or creative businesses, where output is relatively easy to reorganise. In hospitals, schools or factories, where staff must be present to deliver a service, reducing hours without hiring more people may simply be impossible.
There are also questions about what happens in the long term. Early enthusiasm can fade, and the pressure to fit five days of work into four may eventually lead to longer, more intense working days, cancelling out the benefits to wellbeing.
None of this means the idea should be dismissed. It does suggest that the four-day week is less a universal solution than a tool that may suit some sectors far better than others. The challenge for policymakers is to learn from the trials without assuming that what worked for a marketing agency will work for an emergency ward.
Question 9
Read "The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls". How is the text as a whole organised?
- A. It compares two countries' laws.
- B. It tells the story of one company in time order.
- C. It presents benefits, then limitations, then a balanced conclusion.
- D. It argues only against the four-day week.
Question 10
Paragraph 1 describes a busy, sunny harbour full of tourists. Paragraph 2 suddenly shifts to a single fisherman mending nets alone at night. What is the main structural effect of this shift?
- A. It narrows the focus from a crowd to one person, creating contrast and isolation.
- B. It concludes the story.
- C. It continues the same scene at the same time.
- D. It introduces a list of facts.
The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls
In recent years, a growing number of companies have experimented with a four-day working week, in which employees work about 80 per cent of their usual hours for 100 per cent of their pay, on the condition that they maintain their output. Supporters argue that the model could transform working life. Critics warn that its benefits may be exaggerated.
The most widely reported trials have produced striking results. In one large study involving several dozen organisations, most companies chose to continue the four-day week after the trial ended. Employees reported less stress, better sleep and fewer days off sick, while company revenue remained broadly stable. For businesses struggling to recruit, the promise of an extra day off can be a powerful attraction.
Yet these findings come with important caveats. Companies that volunteer for such trials may already be enthusiastic about flexible working and well suited to it. Their success may not be representative of all workplaces. Moreover, many of the participating organisations were offices or creative businesses, where output is relatively easy to reorganise. In hospitals, schools or factories, where staff must be present to deliver a service, reducing hours without hiring more people may simply be impossible.
There are also questions about what happens in the long term. Early enthusiasm can fade, and the pressure to fit five days of work into four may eventually lead to longer, more intense working days, cancelling out the benefits to wellbeing.
None of this means the idea should be dismissed. It does suggest that the four-day week is less a universal solution than a tool that may suit some sectors far better than others. The challenge for policymakers is to learn from the trials without assuming that what worked for a marketing agency will work for an emergency ward.
Question 11
Read "The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls". How is the text as a whole organised?
- A. It presents benefits, then limitations, then a balanced conclusion.
- B. It argues only against the four-day week.
- C. It compares two countries' laws.
- D. It tells the story of one company in time order.
Question 12
An article opens with the story of one family who lost their home in a flood, then broadens to national flood statistics, and ends with proposed solutions. Why might the writer begin with one family's story?
- A. to show floods are rare
- B. to confuse the reader
- C. to engage the reader emotionally before presenting wider facts
- D. to avoid giving any facts
The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls
In recent years, a growing number of companies have experimented with a four-day working week, in which employees work about 80 per cent of their usual hours for 100 per cent of their pay, on the condition that they maintain their output. Supporters argue that the model could transform working life. Critics warn that its benefits may be exaggerated.
The most widely reported trials have produced striking results. In one large study involving several dozen organisations, most companies chose to continue the four-day week after the trial ended. Employees reported less stress, better sleep and fewer days off sick, while company revenue remained broadly stable. For businesses struggling to recruit, the promise of an extra day off can be a powerful attraction.
Yet these findings come with important caveats. Companies that volunteer for such trials may already be enthusiastic about flexible working and well suited to it. Their success may not be representative of all workplaces. Moreover, many of the participating organisations were offices or creative businesses, where output is relatively easy to reorganise. In hospitals, schools or factories, where staff must be present to deliver a service, reducing hours without hiring more people may simply be impossible.
There are also questions about what happens in the long term. Early enthusiasm can fade, and the pressure to fit five days of work into four may eventually lead to longer, more intense working days, cancelling out the benefits to wellbeing.
None of this means the idea should be dismissed. It does suggest that the four-day week is less a universal solution than a tool that may suit some sectors far better than others. The challenge for policymakers is to learn from the trials without assuming that what worked for a marketing agency will work for an emergency ward.
Question 13
Read "The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls". How is the text as a whole organised?
- A. It argues only against the four-day week.
- B. It tells the story of one company in time order.
- C. It compares two countries' laws.
- D. It presents benefits, then limitations, then a balanced conclusion.
Question 14
A story begins: "By the time the police arrived, the window was already broken." It then goes back to the morning to explain what happened. Which structural technique is used?
- A. a circular structure
- B. strict chronological order from the start
- C. a list structure
- D. starting near the end, then using a flashback
The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls
In recent years, a growing number of companies have experimented with a four-day working week, in which employees work about 80 per cent of their usual hours for 100 per cent of their pay, on the condition that they maintain their output. Supporters argue that the model could transform working life. Critics warn that its benefits may be exaggerated.
The most widely reported trials have produced striking results. In one large study involving several dozen organisations, most companies chose to continue the four-day week after the trial ended. Employees reported less stress, better sleep and fewer days off sick, while company revenue remained broadly stable. For businesses struggling to recruit, the promise of an extra day off can be a powerful attraction.
Yet these findings come with important caveats. Companies that volunteer for such trials may already be enthusiastic about flexible working and well suited to it. Their success may not be representative of all workplaces. Moreover, many of the participating organisations were offices or creative businesses, where output is relatively easy to reorganise. In hospitals, schools or factories, where staff must be present to deliver a service, reducing hours without hiring more people may simply be impossible.
There are also questions about what happens in the long term. Early enthusiasm can fade, and the pressure to fit five days of work into four may eventually lead to longer, more intense working days, cancelling out the benefits to wellbeing.
None of this means the idea should be dismissed. It does suggest that the four-day week is less a universal solution than a tool that may suit some sectors far better than others. The challenge for policymakers is to learn from the trials without assuming that what worked for a marketing agency will work for an emergency ward.
Question 15
Read "The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls". How is the text as a whole organised?
- A. It tells the story of one company in time order.
- B. It argues only against the four-day week.
- C. It compares two countries' laws.
- D. It presents benefits, then limitations, then a balanced conclusion.
Question 16
A story ends with the same image it began with: an empty swing moving in the wind. What is this structure called, and what is its effect?
- A. a flashback, explaining the past
- B. a cliffhanger, leaving the reader in suspense
- C. a cyclical structure, suggesting that little has changed or that events repeat
- D. a list, giving many examples
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