The new, old-style office will be a horrible place to work in some ways, but a nice one in others. Insecurity will be rife; everyone will feel only as good as their last meeting. Office politics will thrive as never before. There will be a new seriousness. Jokes will be out, unless cracked by the boss, in which case appreciative laughter will be compulsory. Yet it will also be a great year for office gossips. The virtual office almost killed the grapevine, it being hard to drum up interest about people one never sees. The year will be a good one for bonding—which will happen naturally around the water cooler rather than unnaturally and at vast expense on an Outward Bound training course.
Most retro of all will be the return of the office canteen (for businesses that still have them), which has been increasingly shunned as office workers have turned to sandwich bars for lunch. But with employees now forced to sit at their desks all day long, they may cease to see the charms of dining al desko on a shrink-wrapped sandwich. Instead people will start to take a—shortish—break at lunch time, going to the canteen for a proper, hot meal.
【重点单词及短语】
landline n. 固话
out of fashion 过时的;不流行的
hunch over 弯腰驼背
webcam n. 网络摄像头
comport with 适合;与……一致
successive adj. 连续的;依次的
hang on to 紧紧抓住;紧握
paycheck n. 薪水
tap out 敲出;敲打出
fall back on 求助于
gauge n. 测量标准
turn up 出现;出席;出勤
have no option but to 只能……除了……别无选择
immerse in 全神贯注于，专心于
pecking order 社会等级
stay put 留在原地;停住不动
thrive v. 繁荣;兴旺
drop out 退出;脱离
a rash of 大批
grapevine 秘密情报网;葡萄藤
drum up 竭力争取;纠集;鼓动
at vast expense 大笔的开支
Question time:
1. What's the main reason that white-collar workers back to formality?
2. Can you list 3 features that indicates white-collar workers' back to office?