THE DIGITAL SHIFT: question 21 (What was the author's initial experience with remote work?)

B: She felt it gave her a greater sense of personal independence.

THE DIGITAL SHIFT: question 22 (What does the author identify as the main problem that developed over time?)

C: There was an unspoken expectation to always be online.

THE DIGITAL SHIFT: question 23 (What did the author realize after the incident with her colleague, Mark?)

B: That the team's communication habits were the underlying problem.

THE DIGITAL SHIFT: question 24 (What was the main purpose of the 'communications charter'?)

D: To establish clear and predictable rules for interaction.

Reading answers with explanations

Multilevel · Part 4 · Real Exam Multilevel Test 4 (2026)

THE DIGITAL SHIFT: Reading answers

Answers to questions 21–29 (9 in all), each with why it is right.

Sit it first, then check

Read the whole passage and answer in the exam interface, timed as on the day.

Practise this part

The passage opens

The transition to remote work was, at first, liberating. For the first few months, I relished the flexibility. No more crowded morning commutes, the freedom to structure my day, and the quiet focus I could achieve without the constant interruptions of a busy office. I felt my productivity soar, and the work-life balance I had long chased seemed finally within my grasp. However, this initial honeymoon phase began to fade as a new kind of pressure slowly crept in: the tyranny of the digital leash. The source of this pressure wasn't a single policy or a demanding boss, but a collective, unspoken set of expectations that our team had developed. The constant 'ping' of instant messages created an…

Answers 21–29

21
What was the author's initial experience with remote work?
B: She felt it gave her a greater sense of personal independence. Multiple choice
The author says remote work gave her “the freedom to structure my day,” which shows a greater sense of personal independence.
“No more crowded morning commutes, the freedom to structure my day”
22
What does the author identify as the main problem that developed over time?
C: There was an unspoken expectation to always be online. Multiple choice
The author identifies an unspoken expectation to be perpetually connected as the pressure that developed over time.
“The constant 'ping' of instant messages created an obligation to be perpetually connected.”
23
What did the author realize after the incident with her colleague, Mark?
B: That the team's communication habits were the underlying problem. Multiple choice
After the incident, the author realizes the underlying problem was the team’s communication methods and the assumptions they created—not Mark’s commitment.
“The fault wasn’t with Mark, but with our communication methods and the assumptions they encouraged.”
24
What was the main purpose of the 'communications charter'?
D: To establish clear and predictable rules for interaction. Multiple choice
The charter established clear expectations about working hours, response times, and which communication tools to use, making interaction more predictable.
“it set clear expectations: defined core working hours for communication, an agreement on expected response times (e.g., 24 hours for email, 2 hours for chat), and guidelines on when to use which tool”
25
The author believed Mark might be ignoring her on purpose.
TRUE True / False / Not Given
The author considers whether Mark was ignoring her messages, so the statement is TRUE.
“was he ignoring the messages? Was he annoyed about something?”
26
Before this incident, Mark had a history of being rather slow to respond.
NOT GIVEN True / False / Not Given
The passage describes this incident but says nothing about Mark’s response habits before it. It neither confirms nor contradicts that he had previously been slow to respond, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
27
The delay in communication from Mark was due to a problem with his computer.
FALSE True / False / Not Given
The delay was caused by Mark’s home internet connection being down, not by a problem with his computer. The statement is therefore FALSE.
“his home internet connection had been down all day”
28
The author created the 'communications charter' with help from her team leader.
FALSE True / False / Not Given
The author drafted the charter herself and then proposed it to her team leader; she did not create it with the leader’s help. The statement is FALSE.
“I spent a few hours drafting what I called a 'communications charter,' which I then proposed to my team leader”
29
The team's reaction to the proposed charter was encouraging.
TRUE True / False / Not Given
The team’s enthusiastic response shows that their reaction to the proposed charter was encouraging, so the statement is TRUE.
“To my relief, the idea was met with enthusiasm.”

THE DIGITAL SHIFT: Reading answers

The passage opens

Answers 21–29

More Reading answers