WorkWise AI: Your Job Compass for 2026 Future roles are shifting faster than old CVs can follow. WorkWise AI i...

WORK SMARTER: YOUR HYBRID CAREER STARTS HERE

Why join our Hybrid Work Clinic?

(7) __________ rising commute costs and stressful office routines, our community career hub offers an evening programme for employees and small employers. It helps you build habits that make remote work rewarding, not tiring.

What you will practise

· Create a safe and (8) __________ work setup at home, in a shared office, or both.

· Maintain (9) __________ concentration to complete long online tasks effectively.

· Understand which poor habits may (10) __________ delays, missed deadlines, and weak team messages.

For employers and team leaders

Review flexible work regulations, prepare fair interview questions, and learn how to make the right (11) __________ when choosing candidates for remote or hybrid roles.

Who should attend?

This session suits recent graduates, employees, and managers. Some prefer fully remote work; others wish they (12) __________ more face-to-face teamwork

Question 7: A. Owing to        B. Rather than        C. Apart from        D. As for

Question 8: A. vacant        B. temporary        C. hybrid        D. on-site

Question 9: A. many of        B. much        C. a few        D. enough

Question 10: A. give rise to        B. keep up with        C. get down to        D. make up for

Question 11: A. contract        B. agreement        C. option        D. call

Question 12: A. have had        B. will have        C. have        D. had

Question 13:

a. Ryan: That sounds more flexible than my current casual work, so I might apply for it tonight.

b. Ryan: I’ve been doing repetitive data-entry tasks, and the low salary makes it stressful after long commutes.

c. Chloe: My company just advertised a remote content moderator position with better income and fewer strict shift regulations.

A. a – b – c        B. c – a – b        C. b – c – a        D. b – a – c

Question 14:

a. Ethan: I’m worried I won’t meet their production targets, since I’ve never worked in such a demanding job before.

b. Mia: If you concentrate on communication skills and stay organised, your performance will improve quickly.

c. Ethan: I found a freelance design position online, but the employer requires strong organisational skills and fast delivery.

d. Mia: They usually provide on-the-job training at first, so inexperienced candidates can still gain experience gradually.

e. Ethan: That helps a lot. I’ll accept the offer and show enthusiasm during the trial period.

A. c – a – d – b – e        B. c – d – a – b – e        C. a – d – c – b – e        D. e – b – c – d – a

Question 15:

Dear Mr Johnson,

I hope you are doing well. My final semester has been quite busy recently.

a. I recently came across your advertisement for a social media assistant position, which seems highly relevant to my academic background.

b. These experiences helped me gain practical communication skills and improve my ability to work under pressure.

c. During my internship, I was responsible for designing displays and interacting with customers through digital platforms.

d. Although I am still developing professionally, I am willing to learn and take on responsibilities with enthusiasm.

e. I would be available for an interview next week and can start work immediately after graduation.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best,

Liam

A. e – d – b – c – a        B. e – c – b – d – a        C. a – c – b – d – e        D. a – c – d – e – b

Question 16:

a. As a result, many prefer freelance or hybrid roles, which allow them to work flexibly and avoid long commutes.

b. This shift in preference has also influenced employers to reconsider traditional workplace regulations and offer more benefits.

c. For instance, a content creator may manage tasks through a shared folder, respond to clients, and track performance online.

d. Young employees today often value flexibility and meaningful experience over a fixed salary in a repetitive job.

e. However, such freedom requires strong self-discipline, or productivity may decrease despite fewer working hours.

A. d – c – e – a – b        B. d – c – a – b – e        C. d – a – e – b – c        D. d – a – c – e – b

Question 17:

a. This can give rise to stress, especially when workers feel they must always be available to respond to messages or complete tasks.

b. As digital platforms expand, more Gen Z employees are employed in online-based roles instead of traditional office jobs.

c. While this environment increases accessibility and income opportunities, it may interfere with work-life balance.

d. Employers therefore need to create clear boundaries and regulations to protect employee well-being and maintain productivity.

e. Without such measures, even highly skilled candidates may struggle to perform effectively despite their qualifications.

A. e – d – c – a – b        B. b – c – a – e – d        C. b – c – a – d – e        D. e – b – a – d – c

The Trial Shift

At a small hotel beside the railway station, the manager advertised a job vacancy for a front desk assistant, (18) __________. The advertisement mentioned flexible shifts, a modest starting wage, and regular contact with guests. It also stated that applicants did not need a tourism degree, provided that they could communicate clearly and learn procedures quickly. Within a week, more than forty candidates had submitted CVs. The manager reviewed the applications carefully, (19) __________.

One applicant, Mina, almost did not apply for the position. She had worked as a babysitter and had volunteered at a charity shop, but she worried that her experience was irrelevant to the hospitality industry. During the interview, however, the interviewer asked how she handled nervous parents, late payments, and sudden changes in schedule. Mina began to see that those tasks were relevant to the position, (20) __________.

The final stage was a paid trial shift. New candidates were paired with experienced employees before they were asked to greet guests, take calls, or collect payment. This arrangement was used to assess applicants who performed basic duties (21) __________. After three hours, Mina made one mistake with a room number, but she corrected it politely and stayed calm under pressure. She was offered the job the next morning; (22) __________.

Question 18:

A. a position offering academic qualifications rather than requiring communication skills

B. a qualification requiring communication skills rather than a front desk position

C. a position requiring communication skills rather than formal academic qualifications

D. a position replacing communication skills with formal academic qualifications

Question 19:

A. what each candidate’s experience showed about the listed duties

B. which checked each candidate’s experience against the listed duties

C. although each candidate’s experience was checked against the listed duties

D. with each candidate’s experience checked against the duties listed

Question 20:

A. although they replaced responsibility with formal workplace experience

B. because they showed responsibility rather than formal workplace experience

C. while responsibility seemed less relevant than workplace experience

D. because workplace experience made her responsibility less relevant

Question 21:

A. required by guests to interact with them while experienced employees remained nearby

B. and the applicants greeted guests while experienced employees remained nearby

C. require direct guest interaction from employees while applicants only remained nearby

D. requiring them to interact with guests while experienced employees remained nearby

Question 22:

A. practical training can reveal a candidate’s suitability better than assumptions

B. and practical training is useful, assumptions can reveal suitability more clearly

C. because assumptions seem reliable, practical training may hide a candidate’s suitability

D. revealing suitability through assumptions can be better than practical training

Career Cushioning

Not long ago, preparing for a new job was often seen as a clear sign that someone wanted to leave. Today, that is no longer always true. In a labour market shaped by layoffs, restructuring, and economic uncertainty, many employees quietly keep other options alive while staying where they are. This habit is often called career cushioning. It may involve updating a résumé, building new connections, learning extra skills, or simply watching the market more closely than before. The point is not always escape. Quite often, it is protection.

That makes career cushioning different from open job-hunting. A person may still perform well, meet deadlines, and remain committed to current responsibilities, yet choose to prepare for change in the background. Taking a short course after work or reconnecting with former colleagues can look ordinary on the surface, but such actions often reflect a more careful reading of risk. In that sense, the behaviour can be seen as prudent rather than dramatic. People are not necessarily abandoning their roles; they are making sure that one setback does not leave them with no direction.

At the same time, the trend reveals something less comfortable about modern work. Employees usually build a safety net discreetly when they are not fully convinced that the organisation will protect them in return. If confidence were strong, preparation might feel less urgent or less private. Career cushioning therefore says as much about workplace culture as it does about individual ambition. Even when no one speaks openly about leaving, attention may already be drifting outward, with workers investing mentally in possibilities beyond the office.

Seen this way, career cushioning is neither simple disloyalty nor simple wisdom. It can strengthen personal confidence and long-term career resilience, but it also reflects a climate in which security feels conditional. The more common the habit becomes, the more it suggests that employees are learning not to depend too heavily on promises of stability. Preparation, then, is no longer just a career move; it has become part of how many people manage work itself.

[Author-written passage; the concept of career cushioning is informed by Indeed Career Guide.]

Question 23: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as an activity associated with career cushioning?

A. Establishing new professional connections.        B. Monitoring the job market more frequently.

C. Resigning from a current role to pursue a course.        D. Improving a résumé and acquiring extra skills.

Question 24: The word "prudent" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. subtle        B. careful        C. controlled        D. calm

Question 25: The word "discreetly" in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. rashly        B. loudly        C. openly        D. clearly

Question 26: The word "they" in paragraph 2 refers to __________.

A. connections        B. former colleagues        C. roles        D. people

Question 27: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3: "If confidence were strong, preparation might feel less urgent or less private."?

A. Because preparation feels urgent and private, employees can build stronger confidence in their organisation.

B. Preparation only becomes a pressing and secret matter when workers lack faith in their company’s protection.

C. As long as employees feel confident, they will choose to keep their career preparation private and urgent.

D. Strong confidence in an organisation is the primary reason why preparation feels more urgent to employees.

Question 28: According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about career cushioning?

A. It is a clear indication that an employee is failing to meet their current deadlines.

B. It reflects a workplace climate where long-term security is no longer guaranteed.

C. It is primarily driven by an individual’s ambition to leave their office as soon as possible.

D. It encourages employees to depend more heavily on the stability promised by their firms.

Question 29: In which paragraph does the author discuss how career cushioning serves as a tool for emotional and professional resilience?

A. Paragraph 1        B. Paragraph 2        C. Paragraph 3        D. Paragraph 4

Question 30: In which paragraph does the author explain the difference between career cushioning and actively seeking a new position?

A. Paragraph 1        B. Paragraph 2        C. Paragraph 3        D. Paragraph 4

A team can look healthy on paper while something inside it is quietly thinning out. The dashboards stay green, deadlines are met, and meetings still end with polite jokes. Yet the energy that used to spill over into the work, the extra draft, the extra check, the extra care, begins to disappear. People do not storm out or slam laptops shut. They stay. [I] They deliver. They simply stop reaching beyond what is written, because beyond what is written has started to feel like a trap.

You can see it in the small moments. Messages that once got instant replies now wait until office hours. Volunteers for “quick favours” become rare. The same people who used to mentor juniors or rescue messy documents now keep their heads down and stay in their own lane. [II] It is not laziness so much as budgeting. Time becomes a scarce resource, attention becomes a cost, and emotional labour becomes something you spend only when it will be returned. In hybrid work, the shift is easier to miss, because effort has fewer visible signals and withdrawal is quieter than absence.

The pattern usually grows out of mismatch, not mood. [III] Flexibility turns into permanent availability. Praise arrives as slogans, not pay, and “growth” becomes a promise with no date attached. When the rules feel unstable, people protect themselves by shrinking the game to the contract. Only later does the internet hand the pattern a label: quiet quitting. [IV] The phrase is dramatic, but the behaviour is almost boring, a worker still present, still delivering, simply no longer donating free hours and free enthusiasm.

What follows is the part most organisations underestimate. Productivity may not collapse, but the invisible strengths that make teams resilient start to fade: initiative, creativity, trust, and the habit of catching problems early. Work becomes more transactional, less cooperative, and small frictions turn into chronic delays. Leaders often respond by demanding “engagement”, which can deepen the retreat, because it asks for feeling rather than fixing conditions. The real lever is practical: clearer boundaries, fair workloads, credible progression, and a culture where extra effort is chosen, not extracted. Otherwise the workplace keeps running, but it runs on thinner and thinner air.

[Author-written passage; the term “quiet quitting” is used with reference to Oxford Languages.]

Question 31: Where in the passage does the following sentence best fit?

Work expands in tasks and expectations while support stays flat.

A. [I]        B. [II]        C. [III]        D. [IV]

Question 32: The phrase "keep their heads down" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. avoiding work responsibilities        

B. avoiding attention and focusing on assigned tasks

C. following instructions strictly        

D. hiding from their supervisors

Question 33: The word "it" in paragraph 2 refers to __________.

A. hybrid work        B. office hours        C. the shift        D. emotional labour

Question 34: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason for the emergence of quiet quitting?

A. The imbalance between increasing work tasks and stable support levels.

B. The transformation of flexible working into a state of constant availability.

C. The absence of financial rewards in exchange for verbal encouragement.

D. The inability of employees to meet the deadlines of their core assignments.

Question 35: Which of the following best summarises the content of paragraph 4?

A. Organisations often underestimate the importance of emotional engagement, leading to a situation where productivity collapses due to a lack of initiative and chronic delays.

B. Leaders should respond to the fading of team resilience by demanding more feelings from their workers, as this is the only practical lever to fix deteriorating workplace conditions.

C. The erosion of intangible team strengths requires a shift toward structural remedies such as fair workloads and clear boundaries rather than superficial appeals for emotional commitment.

D. While small frictions in a team can lead to chronic delays, most organisations find that productivity remains stable when extra effort is extracted through a transactional culture.

Question 36: The word "transactional" in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. commercial        B. professional        C. collaborative        D. competitive

Question 37: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage regarding the consequences of quiet quitting?

A. The primary danger of this trend is the immediate and total collapse of team productivity.

B. Critical but non-measurable qualities like creativity and trust begin to diminish over time.

C. Small frictions in the workplace are usually resolved more quickly due to transactional work.

D. Leaders can effectively reverse the pattern by asking employees to express more feelings.

Question 38: Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3?

A. Workers usually withdraw because they dislike difficult tasks, even when promotion routes and workplace expectations are clearly defined.

B. The label “quiet quitting” is the main reason employees begin limiting their effort to what their contracts require.

C. Employees may reduce their discretionary effort when flexibility, recognition, and career growth feel one-sided or unreliable.

D. Unclear rules tend to make employees ask for new contracts rather than change how much energy they give at work.

Question 39: Which of the following can most likely be inferred from the passage?

A. Hybrid work is the main cause of quiet quitting because it prevents leaders from fixing the practical conditions of the workplace.

B. Employees who practice quiet quitting are likely to be fired eventually because they no longer catch problems early enough.

C. Quiet quitting is a defensive mechanism against a culture that exploits enthusiasm without providing tangible career progression.

D. The internet label "quiet quitting" accurately describes a dramatic rebellion that aims to destroy the productivity of modern organisations.

Question 40: Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Hybrid Work and the Loss of Visible Effort

B. Why Workers Stop Going Beyond the Contract

C. An Online Trend That Makes Employees Leave Their Jobs

D. Green Dashboards and the Hidden Fall in Productivity