Question

There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide where (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.
Sentence: This reality is putting stress on employees who have to pay for transport, desk lunches, more childcare, clothing and that after-work socialisation – costs they haven’t incurred for nearly two years.
Paragraph: ___(1)___. Prices are rising at their fastest rate in 40 years, consequently, return-to-office-related costs have shot up – think petrol and food, for instance. ___(2)___. Yet wages haven’t kept up with inflation – even despite the salary growth many workers have enjoyed during a favourable pandemic labour market. ___(3)___. This is especially jarring for workers who were able to save during remote work, when these expenditures weren’t a factor. ___(4)___. In April 2022, Umus, a London university lecturer, told BBC Worklife that they were spending nearly a quarter of what they made every day on return-to-work costs.

• A. Option 3
• B. Option 2
• C. Option 4
• D. Option 1

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The sentence "This reality is putting stress on employees who have to pay for transport, desk lunches, more childcare, clothing and that after-work socialisation – costs they haven’t incurred for nearly two years." should be inserted into the paragraph. Let's analyze where it fits best by examining the context and flow:

1. The paragraph starts with a statement about rising prices and increased return-to-office costs.
2. It mentions the lag between wages and inflation, despite some salary growth.
3. Followed by emphasizing the disparity felt by workers who saved during remote working periods when these costs weren't present.
4. Finally, it presents an example from a London lecturer about personal experiences with increased costs.

The sentence about the stress on employees fits best at Option 3, between the mention of wage inflation and the savings that remote workers accumulated. It provides a specific reason why these rising costs are problematic, offering a logical transition to the mention of savings during remote work.

Incorporating the sentence at Option 3, the paragraph would be:

Prices are rising at their fastest rate in 40 years, consequently, return-to-office-related costs have shot up – think petrol and food, for instance. Yet wages haven’t kept up with inflation – even despite the salary growth many workers have enjoyed during a favourable pandemic labour market. This reality is putting stress on employees who have to pay for transport, desk lunches, more childcare, clothing and that after-work socialisation – costs they haven’t incurred for nearly two years. This is especially jarring for workers who were able to save during remote work, when these expenditures weren’t a factor. In April 2022, Umus, a London university lecturer, told BBC Worklife that they were spending nearly a quarter of what they made every day on return-to-work costs.