12．Much time and effort has been dedicated to researching the mental health benefits of flexible work environments，but can the ability to leave work early to watch your son's soccer game，or arrive at the office a bit later in the morning in order to see to some personal affairs，have broader physical health benefits beyond making you feel a bit less exhausted？
According to new research published in the Cochrane Library's Cochrane database of Systematic Reviews，it seems so．In a review of 10previous studies examining the health implications of flexible work conditions for more than 16，000people，researchers found that flexible work schedules---when employees can shift their starting times，for example---were associated with improvements in blood pressure，sleep and overall mental health．Specifically，the review showed that more flexibility in work schedules was associated with improvements in alertness，sleep quality，tiredness，heart rate and other primary health outcomes，as well as benefits to secondary health outcomes，such as sensed social support in the workplace and sense of community．And，perhaps unsurprisingly，in all of the studies included in the review，researchers found no evidence for negative effects of more flexible work schedules．
This primary analysis was intended to shed light on the potential health benefits of flexible work options，which are increasingly popular throughout Scandinavia，and have recently gained some ground in the U．K．In the U．S．，the phenomenon is a bit slower to catch on---fewer than a third of U．S．employees have flexible work options，according to estimates from the AARP．Yet，the economic recession（衰退） of recent years may have contributed to growth in workplace flexibility---as companies unable to reward employees with bonuses or raises may turn to other forms of compensation（补偿）．Reuters reported early last year．
Previous research too，of course，has indicated the benefits of flexible work environments toward positive mental health outcomes．And while these latest findings are promising，the researchers stress that more study is vital to understanding the subtle relationship between flexible work and improved health outcomes．For example，employees who are most frequently granted workplace leeway（时间等的充裕） are generally higher-ranking，and as such are likely of higher socioeconomic status，which could impact their overall health apart from work scheduling．To truly grasp the benefits of flexible working conditions，the researchers say，additional study analyzing health outcomes among a wider range of workers---from high-ranking executives to hourly employees---is critical to gaining a deeper understanding of the issue，and helping to shape future workplace policy．
50．Which of the following can best summarize the passage？D
A．The reason why more and more countries adopt flexible work options．
B．The possibility of carrying out flexible work schedules worldwide．
C．Why flexible work options benefits workers in mind．
D．Whether flexible work conditions make healthier workers．
51．Which opinion may the research of Cochrane Library's Cochrane database of Systematic Reviews support？C
A．Flexibility in work schedules may have some passive effects．
B．Flexibility in work schedules has nothing to do with health．
C．Flexible work can benefit people mentally and physically．
D．Flexible work can greatly improve employees'work efficiency．
52．According to what Reuters reported early last year，what result has recent years'economy recession brought？B
A．It has caused the severe decline of employee's salary．
B．It may have led to the growth of workplace flexibility．
C．It may have resulted in many companies'failure．
D．It made companies shorten their employee's working hours．
53．What role does the additional study analyzing different kinds of employees'health outcomes play？A
A．It can help form the future policy of workplace．
B．It is good for spreading the flexible work schedules．
C．It makes more common workers gain workplace freedom．
D．It assists people to better understand flexible work．
54．What is the author's attitude towards flexible working schedules？C
A．Supporting．
B．Critical．
C．Objective．
D．Subjective．
分析 本文主要讲述灵活的工作时间是否可以改善工人的身心健康，研究表明灵活的工作时间既可以改善人的身体状况，也可以提高人们的精神状态．
解答 50-54 DCBAC
50 D 主旨大意题． 通读全文可知本文主要讲述灵活的工作时间是否可以改善工人的身心健康，研究表明灵活的工作时间既可以改善人的身体状况，也可以提高人们的精神状态．故选D．
51 C 细节题． 根据文章第二 段researchers found that flexible work schedules---when employees can shift their starting times，for example---were associated with improvements in blood pressure，sleep and overall mental health． 可知灵活的工作时间既可以改善人的身体状况，也可以提高人们的精神状态．故选C．
52 B 细节题． 根据文章第三 段，the economic recession（衰退） of recent years may have contributed to growth in workplace flexibility 可知经济衰退导致了工作时间灵活程度的提高，故选B．
53 A 细节题． 根据文章最后一段additional study analyzing health outcomes among a wider range of workers---from high-ranking executives to hourly employees---is critical to gaining a deeper understanding of the issue，and helping to shape future workplace policy． 可知额外的研究会帮助未来工作政策的制定，故选A．
54 C 细节题． 通读全文可知作者对于灵活的时间表的太多的是客观的，故选C．
点评 考察学生的细节理解和推理判断能力，做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确的选择．在做推理判断题不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实，要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断．
