时文选读| 数字游民：自由与挑战并存的漂泊人生

Life as a digital nomad

六级 偏易| 337词

刘立军供稿

Part I. Passage

If you could work from any location in the world, where would you go? Picture filling in a spreadsheet on a sandy Caribbean island, or maybe a little rooftop cafe in Rome where you can sip an espresso while editing a social media video. More and more countries are offering digital nomad visas and therefore the chance to work remotely, from wherever you’d like to.

This way of working is on the rise. A 2023 report found that 11% of US workers now consider themselves a digital nomad, and this type of worker is expected to increase in number by more than 20 million in the next five years. Traditionally, digital nomads have worked freelance. They might be social media managers, software developers or copywriters, but now even traditional professions like accountants and lawyers are taking the leap. But what is the life of a digital nomad really like?

Rowena Hennigan, who writes for Harvard Business Review, is a digital nomad along with her family. They have a ‘home base’ in Spain but frequently go away for workcations that can last from weeks to months. She says that compared to a ‘traditional’ model of raising children, “remote working has allowed my family to move away from that kind of intensity, and this way, we all get to move at a more sustainable and healthy pace.” Plus, her family are regularly exposed to new cultures, languages and natural beauty.

Though it doesn’t work for everyone. Francesca Specter, a writer for The Guardian, decided to country-hop where her ‘office’ included beaches, cafes and coworking spaces. But along with struggling to find reliable wi-fi and fighting bouts of loneliness, she wrote that she felt envious as she cooled her overheating laptop in the shade while holidaymakers relaxed by the pool. She said, “I was chronically firefighting unglamorous concerns such as missing luggage or sleep deprivation after an overnight flight delay.”

So, it’s not for everyone, but if you ever feel like escaping the rat-race, why not give it a go?

【Vocabulary】

1. spreadsheet n. 电子表格

2. espresso n. 浓缩咖啡

3. nomad n. 游牧者，流浪者

4. freelance adv. 自由职业地

5. copywriter n. 文案撰稿人

6. accountant n. 会计师

7. workcation n. 边工作边度假

8. country-hop v. 边工作边穿梭于不同国家旅行

9. bout n.一阵（情绪）

10. rat-race n. 激烈竞争的生活方式

Part II. Questions

Q1. According to the text, what is one reason digital nomad visas are becoming popular?

A. They allow people to work without restrictions.

B. They offer opportunities to work from any location.

C. They guarantee reliable wi-fi and coworking spaces.

D. They encourage traditional professions to go freelance.

Q2. What does Rowena Hennigan say about remote working compared to traditional parenting models?

A. It allows her family to travel without a home base.

B. It exposes her family to fewer cultural experiences.

C. It helps her family adopt a healthier and sustainable pace.

D. It reduces the need for childcare and traditional schooling.

Q3. What can be inferred about the lifestyle of digital nomads?

A. It offers flexibility but comes with unique challenges.

B. It is only suitable for people in creative industries.

C. It eliminates the need for a permanent home base.

D. It guarantees a glamorous and stress-free work life.

Q4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A. To encourage readers to adopt a digital nomad lifestyle.

B. To explain how digital nomads overcome work challenges.

C. To compare digital nomadism with traditional work models.

D. To analyze the pros and cons of being a digital nomad.

Part III. KEY

Q1. 【答案】B

【解析】细节题。题目出处为：More and more countries are offering digital nomad visas and therefore the chance to work remotely, from wherever you’d like to. 意为：“越来越多的国家开始提供数字游民签证，让人们可以远程工作，并在任何自己想去的地方办公。”这里明确指出数字游民签证提供了远程工作的机会，使人们得以“在任何地方工作”，因此正确答案为B。

Q2. 【答案】C

【解析】细节题。题目出处为：Remote working has allowed my family to move away from that kind of intensity, and this way, we all get to move at a more sustainable and healthy pace. 意为：“远程办公让我家人得以远离那种高强度的生活节奏，以更可持续、更健康的方式生活。”这里强调了远程工作对家庭节奏的积极影响，帮助Rowena Hennigan一家摆脱紧张状态并实现可持续的生活方式，因此正确答案为C。

Q3. 【答案】A

【解析】推理题。题目出处为：Though it doesn’t work for everyone. Francesca Specter, a writer for The Guardian, decided to country-hop … But along with struggling to find reliable wi-fi and fighting bouts of loneliness, she wrote that she felt envious as she cooled her overheating laptop in the shade while holidaymakers relaxed by the pool. 意为：“但这种生活方式并不适合所有人。《卫报》撰稿人弗朗西丝卡·斯派克特（Francesca Specter）决定在不同国家间“跳岛”旅行……但同时，她也在努力寻找可靠的无线网络并与孤独作斗争。她写道，当她在阴凉处给过热的笔记本降温时，看着度假者在泳池边放松，她感到羡慕。”这个案例指出了数字游民生活方式的灵活性及其伴随的挑战，如可能会孤独或遇到网络不畅等问题，因此可以推断，它既有优势也有挑战，因此正确答案为A。

Q4. 【答案】D

【解析】主旨题。文章分析了数字游民生活方式的优缺点，既指出了其灵活性和跨文化体验，又揭示了其背后的孤独和可能遇到的困难。整篇文章的核心是分析数字游民生活方式的优缺点，而不是单纯鼓励或比较，因此正确答案为D。

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